4 January 2026

► LOOKING at events on 4 January;

1958  the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1, which was launched on October 4, 1957, was destroyed when it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.  It was the size of a beach ball, and the first man made object to orbit Earth.

1959, and the spherical Russian spacecraft Luna 1 passed nearly 6,000 kilometres from the Moon. A malfunction at launch caused the craft, which was intended to crash-land on the Moon, to miss and enter orbit around the Sun, between Earth and Mars, where it remains today.

1964, all passenger services on the Emu Bay Railway in western Tasmania ceased with final running of the West Coaster express, which carried passengers and their motor vehicles between Burnie and Zeehan.

1989, over 570 died in the Ural Mountains, Russia, when two passenger trains were engulfed in an explosion caused by a leaking gas pipeline, close to the railway.

2004,  the U.S. Mars Rover, Spirit 1 landed successfully on the planet Mars.  It remained active until March 22, 2010, during which time it operated over 20 times longer than expected, even after it became irretrievably stuck in soft soil.  It is no longer operational due to battery failure, caused by an accumulation of dust on its solar panels.

► DIED…..

Donald Campbell, died on this day in 1967 in Lake Coniston, Scotland.  He was a car and boat racer, who was killed instantly when his boat Bluebird K7 flipped and disintegrated at a speed in excess of 480 km/h, during an attempt to set a new water speed record.  He was aged 45.

Les Brown, died on this day in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.  He was a big band leader and composer, best known for nearly seven decades of orchestral work as Les Brown and His Band of Renown from 1938 till 2001.  He was aged 88.

Today’s photo: A glimpse of radio as it was in the 1940s; commercial station 7HT in Hobart.

Today’s Playlist :

TRACK	RELEASE YEAR	TIME	PREVIOUS PLAYS	LAST PLAYED
David McCaffrey – Walk Of Life	2025	06:06	3	26/12/2025
Charting this day 1970 Lionel Rose – I Thank You	1970	06:11	6	7/11/2025
Charting this day 1970 R B Greaves – Take A Letter Maria	1970	06:15	6	18/7/2025
Ron Christopher – Angelyne	2025	06:19	3	4/5/2025
Barbara Blevins – Let’s Build A Love	2025	06:23	2	20/4/2025
For A Listener: P J Proby – Somewhere		06:27	19	11/5/2025
Bob Crosby & His Orchestra – Ja Da		06:32	2	9/3/2025
Joni James & Les Brown & His Band Of Renown – People Will Say We’re In Love		06:40	0
Charlie Landsborough – I Wish It Was Me		06:42	0
Lindsay Waddington – Solid Ground	2025	06:47	3	29/6/2025
Vintage Vinyl    Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan – Baby It’s Cold Outside	1951	06:50	1	18/9/2016
Allan Caswell – When Scotty Was Still In His Prime		06:54	2	16/11/2025
Franky B and the Shadowriders – Soul Limbo	2025	06:58	2	7/12/2025
Ray Conniff Singers – Under Paris Skies	2025	07:05	0
Charting this day 1970 Ronnie Burns – Smiley	1970	07:10	6	8/9/2023
Charting this day 1970 Karen Young – Nobody’s Child	1970	07:13	6	5/1/2025
Roger Whittaker – Both Sides Now	1971	07:18	5	4/4/2025
For A Listener: Trinidad Steel Drum Band – Jamaica Farewell		07:24	3	25/7/2025
Warwick & Young – Have You Next To Me	2025	07:27	0
Johnny Gibbs & His Orchestra – Massachusetts		07:33	0
Vintage Vinyl    Jim Reeves – Blue Boy	1958	07:37	7	10/9/2023
Hans Krakou -The Way It Used To Be	2025	07:39	4	1/8/2025
Anne Murray – Another Sleepless Night		07:44	0
Ray Malcolm – Help Me Make It Through The Night	2025	07:47	3	1/8/2025
Christopher Cross – Ride Like The Wind		07:52	0
Tornados – Love And Fury	1963	07:56	13	4/7/2025
Foster & Allen – Hello Mary Lou		08:05	0
Charting this day 1970 Roy Orbison – Penny Arcade	1970	08:09	9	15/8/2025
Charting this day 1970 Heintje – Heidschi Bumbeidschi	1970	08:13	2	5/1/2018
Joy Adams & Gary R. Farmer – That’s Why I Love You Like I Do	2025	08:17	9	5/12/2025
Andy Williams – Aloha Oe		08:20	0
For A Listener: Foster & Allen – Rose Of My Heart		08:27	32	23/11/2025
Wayne & Geraldi – Back In Your Own Backyard		08:34	1	28/3/2025
John Michael Ferrari – How Far Apart Are We	2025	08:38	3	9/11/2025
Jim Croce – I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song		08:42	1	10/1/2021
Jazz Kings – Sing A Little Song		08:45	7	30/6/2024
Vintage Vinyl    Stargazers with Sonny Farrar & His Banjo Band – Somebody	1955	08:49	0
Vintage Vinyl Rosemary Clooney & Thurl Ravenscroft – Where Will The Baby’s Dimple Be	1955	08:51	4	5/3/2021
Col Joye – Daisy A Day	1975	08:54	1	23/4/2023

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