The 22nd January gives rise to the usual variety of events relating to legal technicalities, treaties, politics and imperialism.
The Convention Parliament met on 22 January 1689 It was not a lawfully constituted assembly and its actions were in defiance of the English constitution. The Convention sought to justify the overthrow of James II. The Whigs held the ascendancy in the House of Commons and the Tories in the House of Lords. The parliament spent much time arguing over whether James II was considered to have abdicated or to have abandoned the throne in some manner, and following that who then should take the crown.
The Whigs referred to theories of social contract and argued that William alone should now be King. A few 'Radical' Whigs argued for a republic but most Whigs argued for a limited monarchy.
The Tories favoured either the retention of James II, a regency, or Mary alone as Queen. Archbishop Sancroft and loyalist Bishops preferred that James II be conditionally restored. On 29 January it was resolved that England was a Protestant Kingdom and only a Protestant could be King, thus disinheriting an Catholic claimant.
The Zulu wars of 1879 took place. The Battles of Isandlwana and the defeat of the British Army on 22nd January 1879, was quicklly followed by the Defence of Rorke’s Drift from the 22nd January to the 23rd January 1879. The events are depicted in the Stanley Baker/Cy Enfield production of the film Zulu. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders, along with a number of other decorations and honours.
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| The Defence of Rorke's Drift, byAlphonse de Neuville (1882) |
On the 22nd January 1924, Ramsay MacDonald became the first Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. MacDonald took the post of Foreign Secretary as well as Prime Minister and made it clear that his main priority was to undo the damage which he believed had been caused by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, by settling the reparations issue and coming to terms with Germany. He left domestic matters to his ministers. King George V noted in his diary that "He wishes to do the right thing...Today 23 years ago dear Grandmama died. I wonder what she would have thought of a Labour Government!"
Speaking of the Versailles Treaty, on the 22nd January 1963, the Élysée Treaty was signed by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer. The treaty contained a number of agreements for joint cooperation in foreign policy, economic and military integration and exchange of student education. The treaty was signed under difficult political situations at that time and criticized both by opposition parties in France and Germany, as well as from the United Kingdom and the United States. Opposition from the United Kingdom and the United States was answered by an added preamble which postulated a close cooperation with those (including NATO) and a targeted German reunification. The treaty achieved a lot in initiating European integration and a stronger Franco-German co-position in transatlantic relations. 
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Konrad Adenauer, and The President of the French Republic, General de Gaulle:
At the close of the conference held in Paris on 21st and 22nd January 1963 and attended on the German side by the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Minister of Defense and the Federal Minister for Family and Youth Affairs, and on the French side by the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Armed Forces Minister and the Minister of Education,
Convinced that the reconciliation of the German people and the French people, ending a centuries-old rivalry, constitutes a historic event which profoundly transforms the relations between the two peoples,
Conscious of the solidarity uniting the two peoples from the point of view of both their security and their economic and cultural development,
Aware in particular that youth has recognized this solidarity and is called upon to play a decisive part in the consolidation of Franco-German friendship,
Recognizing that increased co-operation between the two countries constitutes an indispensable stage on the way to a united Europe, which is the aim of the two peoples:
Have agreed to the organization and principles of co-operation between the two States as set out in the treaty signed today.
Done at Paris on 22nd January 1963 in duplicate in the German and French languages.
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
Adenauer
The President of the French Republic
C. de Gaulle
On the 22nd January 2006, Evo Morles was inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country’s first indigenous president. In his inaugural speech he said "In the world there are large and small countries, rich countries and poor countries, but we are equal in one thing, which is our right to dignity and sovereignty…" 
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