On January 24, 1889, was born in Boboshtica in Korça, Viktor Eftimiu, a Romanian writer of Albanian origin. He is valued as an outstanding personality of Romanian and world culture. Eftimiu emigrated with his family at the age of 9 to Bucharest, Romania. Among his works, the novels “The man who saw death with his eyes”, “Kokoshi i zi”, “Prometheus”, and “Dr. Faust” stand out. Eftimiu died on November 27, 1972.

On January 24, 1919, Ismail Qemali died in Italy under suspicious circumstances. He was born on October 16, 1844 in Vlora. He continued his studies at “Zosimea” secondary school, Ioannina. Ismail Qemali had the beginnings of his political career in Turkish offices and in cooperation with the Ottomans. But he spent seven years in exile, because of his liberal ideas. On November 28, 1912, he presided over the meeting of the National Assembly in Vlora, which proclaimed the independence of Albania. 1912-1914 he was the head of the first Albanian government. Ismail Qemali spent the last years of his life in asylum in Italy.

On January 24, 1929, was born in Tirana the People’s Artist, the composer Nikolla Zoraqi. He started composing in the 1950s. He studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 1958. He worked at the Ministry of Education and Culture and then at Radio Tirana. After 1971, he went into free creativity. Creator of six violin concertos, author of music for four ballets and three operas, as well as hundreds of songs, many of which awarded with prizes in the Albanian Radio Televizion Song Festivals. He is also awarded with two Republic awards. Nikolla Zoraqi died in Tirana on November 9, 1989.

On January 24, 1935, was born in Korça, the tenor Gaqo Çako. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory. After completing his higher studies, he returned to Tirana to work as a soloist at Opera and Ballet Theatre. Çako also had a rich experience on international stages with the operas “Pearl Fishermen”, “Traviata”, “Boheme”, “Rigoleto”, “Norma”. He died on August 1, 2018.

On January 24, 1947, Dom Luigj Prendushi was shot. He was born in Shkodër on January 3, 1896. He studied in Piedmont, where he was ordained a priest. He returned to his homeland to begin priestly service. He was arrested on December 5, 1946, in the wave of martyrdom of the Catholic Church, accused of being a Vatican spy… He was sentenced to death and shot. His remains were found only after 45 years, brought to his hometown in May 1992.

On January 24, 1948, was born in Tetova, Arbën Xhaferi. Until 1990, he worked at Radio Television of Pristina as an editor responsible for the cultural program, when he was expelled from the Television by the Milosevic regime. After this period, he worked as an analyst at the weekly “Koha”. The year 1993 brings him back to his homeland, no longer as an analyst, but as a politician where, together with Menduh Thaçi, he founded the Albanian Democratic Party of FYROM, present North Macedonia, which he led for 12 years until 2007. He was a MP in the Macedonian Parliament during this period. Arbën Xhaferi died on August 15, 2012, as a result of cerebral hemorrhage.

On January 24, 1949, was born in Chicago to Albanian parents, the US famous Comedian of Albanian origin John Belushi. He was one of the greatest comic talents of the last half of the last century. John Belushi’s first film is Animal House, while his biggest success is the comedy movie The Blues Brothers by Director John Landis, where he, together with Dan Aykroyd, becomes a cult figure. He dies at the age of 33 from long-term drug use. March 5, 1982.

On January 24, 2003, the US Department of Defense announced the death of soldier Ervin Dervishi in Iraq. Ervin Dervishi, 22 years old, originally from Albania, lost his life while the vehicle he was traveling in was attacked in the city of Baji, in Iraq.

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