CBn takes a look at some of the birthdays and past events of the James Bond series that have taken place during the month of January… Note: This article was originally posted on 1 January 2005.

1 January

• 2003: Die Another Day, the twentieth “official” James Bond film, was released in Egypt, Greece, and Panama.

2 January

• 1969: The crew of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the seventh “official” James Bond film, filmed the car chase on the racetrack


• 2003: Die Another Day was released in the Czech Republic and New Zealand.

4 January

• 2007: Double or Die, the third Young James Bond novel by author Charlie Higson is released in the UK.

6 January

• 1974: Vincent Canby, film reviewer for the New York Times, selected Live And Let Die, the eighth “official” James Bond film, as one of ten runners-up to the ten best films of 1973.

7 January

• 1966: A wetsuit-clad Sean Connery appeared on the cover of Life magazine to promote Thunderball, the fourth “official” James Bond film.


• 1985: The Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios was officially opened by the cast of A View to a Kill, the fourteenth “official” James Bond film, at Pinewood Studios.

9 January

• 2003: Die Another Day was released in the Netherlands.

10 January

• 2003: Die Another Day was released in Brazil, Portugal, and South Korea.

11 January

• 1999: The World Is Not Enough starts principal photography.

14 January

• 1962: The main unit of Dr. No, the first “official” James Bond film, arrives in Jamaica.

15 January

• 1952: James Bond was born in Jamaica, as Ian Fleming sat before his typewriter and began the typescript of Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel.

16 January

• 1962: Principal photography on Dr. No began at Palisadoes Airport in Jamaica.


• 1965: Principal photography on Thunderball began at Chateau d’Arnet near Paris, France.


• 1995: A nervous Pierce Brosnan filmed his first scenes as James Bond for GoldenEye, the seventeenth “official” James Bond film.


• 2003: Die Another Day was released in Argentina.

17 January

• 2003: Die Another Day was released in Turkey.

18 January

• 1962: Bob Simmons staged his first fight scene for Dr. No. The scene is the fight between Bond and his driver, Jones (Reginald Carter).

20 January

• 1964: The crew of Goldfinger, the third “official” James Bond film, began the first of four days filming in Miami, Florida.

24 January

• 1962: Dr. No filming continued with the scene between Bond, Leiter, Quarrel and the Photographer at the Jamaican dance club.


• 2003: Die Another Day was released in Bulgaria, Denmark, and Romania.

25 January

• 1995: With “Nobody Does It Better” blaring over the loudspeakers, the cast of GoldenEye was revealed to the world’s press at Leavesden.


• 1999: Variety reports that John Cleese will feature in The World Is Not Enough (“Cleese rates R role in Bond pic”).

26 January

• 1966: Bulgarian author Andrei Gulyashki, called the “Vulgar Bulgar” by some members of the Bond community, held a press conference in London to promote his next book, Avakoum Zahov Meets James Bond. He claimed that his hero was so far superior to James Bond, that he had to supply Agent 007 with “some essential qualities” — largely intellectual — so that the two agents would have an equal footing.


• 1962: Before Terence Young began filming the scenes at Kings House in Jamaica for Dr. No he advised Sean Connery to casually deliver the line “Sergeant, make sure he doesn’t get away”. Both Connery and Young liked the new dark humour element and try to work more of it into the script.

30 January

• 2003: Die Another Day was released in Hong Kong.

31 January

• 2003: Die Another Day was released in Norway.

• 4th - 1900, James Bond (Ornithologist whose name was “borrowed” by Ian Fleming)
• 7th - 1913, Francis de Wolff (Vavra, From Russia With Love)
• 8th - 1937, Shirley Bassey (Title Song Performer: Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever & Moonraker)
• 10th - 1908, Bernard Lee (M, 1962-1979)
• 16th - 1907, Alexander Knox (American President, You Only Live Twice)
• 19th - 1922, Ken Hughes (Co-Director, Casino Royale)
• 21st - 1925, Telly Savalas (Ernst Stavro Blofeld, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
• 23rd - 1942, Willy Bogner, Jr., (Filmed the ski sequences, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only & A View To A Kill)
• 28th - 1979, Rosamund Pike (Miranda Frost, Die Another Day)

• 4th - 1991, Richard Maibaum (Screenwriter, Various)
• 17th - 1981, Bernard Lee (M, 1962-1979)
• 21st - 1998, Jack Lord (Felix Leiter, Dr. No)