This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 11

1964 U.S. Surgeon General announces definitive link between smoking and cancer United States Surgeon General Luther Terry knew his report was a bombshell. He intentionally chose to release it on January 11, 1964, a Saturday, so as to limit its immediate effects on the stock market. It was on this date that, on behalf of the U.S. Government, Terry announced a definitive link be... read more

American Revolution 1775 Jewish Patriot joins Provincial Congress of South Carolina

Art, Literature, and Film History 1927 Charlie Chaplin's assets frozen 1978 "Song of Solomon" wins National Book Critics Circle Award

Civil War 1863 Battle of Arkansas Post

Cold War 1989 President Reagan gives his farewell address

Crime 2012 Joran van der Sloot admits to Peru murder

EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1908 Theodore Roosevelt makes Grand Canyon a national monument

Exploration 1935 Amelia Earhart flies from Hawaii to California

Holocaust 2010 Miep Gies, who hid Anne Frank, dies at 100

Russia 1928 Stalin banishes Trotsky

Sports 1973 American League adopts designated hitter rule

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 12 2010 Massive earthquake strikes Haiti On January 12, 2010, Haiti is devastated by a massive earthquake. It drew an outpouring of support from around the globe but the small nation has yet to fully recover. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, due largely to its history of colonization, occupation and exploitation by S... read more Africa 1879 British-Zulu War begins 1984 Pyramid mystery unearthed American Revolution 1777 Hugh Mercer dies from wounds received in Battle of Princeton Art, Literature, and Film History 1926 Original "Amos 'n' Andy" debuts on Chicago radio 1981 "Dynasty" premieres on ABC Cold War 1954 U.S. announces policy of "massive retaliation" against Communist aggressors Crime 1995 Malcolm X's daughter arrested for attempted murder Inventions & Science 1904 Henry Ford sets speed record Natural Disasters & Environment 1888 Blizzard brings tragedy to Northwest Plains Vietnam War 1962 Operation Ranch Hand initiated Westward Expansion 1838 Joseph Smith abandons Ohio Women's History 1932 Hattie Wyatt Caraway becomes first woman elected to U.S. Senate World War I 1919 Leaders of the Big Four nations meet for the first time in Paris World War II 1943 Soviet forces penetrate the siege of Leningrad

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 13 1128 Pope recognizes Knights Templar On January 13, 1128, Pope Honorius II grants a papal sanction to the military order known as the Knights Templar, declaring it to be an army of God. Led by the Frenchman Hughes de Payens, the Knights Templar organization was founded in 1118. Its self-imposed mission was to protect Christian pilgrims... read more 1980s 1982 Plane crashes into Potomac River Art, Literature, and Film History 1941 James Joyce dies 1962 Comedian Ernie Kovacs dies in car crash 1968 Johnny Cash performs at Folsom Prison Civil War 1807 Union General Napoleon Bonaparte Buford is born Cold War 1950 Soviets boycott United Nations Security Council Crime 1939 Doc Barker is killed by prison guards as he attempts to escape 1958 The Manuel Massacres 1987 Connecticut man arrested for wood-chipper murder Great Britain 1842 After massacre, sole surviving British soldier escapes Kabul Immigration 1903 First group of Korean immigrants enter Hawaii Sports 1986 NCAA adopts controversial Proposition 48 1995 All-female team competes in America's Cup sailing for first time 1999 Michael Jordan retires for a second time U.S. Presidents 1966 Lyndon Johnson appoints first African American cabinet member U.S. Government 1990 Douglas Wilder of Virginia becomes the nation's first African American governor Westward Expansion 1929 Wyatt Earp dies in Los Angeles

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 14 1784 Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution On January 14, 1784, the Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the War for Independence.In the document, which was known as the Second Treaty of Paris because the Treaty of Paris was also the name of the agreement that had ended the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Britain... read more 1960s 1969 Explosion rocks USS Enterprise 19th CENTURY 1875 Albert Schweitzer born American Revolution 1741 Benedict Arnold, American traitor, born Art, Literature, and Film History 1954 Marilyn Monroe marries Joe DiMaggio 1970 Diana Ross and the Supremes perform their final concert Colonial America 1639 The first colonial constitution Inventions & Science 1920 Dodge co-founder dies Sports 1973 Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl VII to cap NFL's only perfect season U.S. Presidents 1942 FDR orders "enemy aliens" to register 1943 FDR becomes first president to travel by airplane on U.S. official business U.S. Government 1980 Gold prices soar U.S. Politics 1963 George Wallace inaugurated as Alabama governor

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 15 1929 Martin Luther King Jr. born On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. is born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of a Baptist minister. King received a doctorate degree in theology and in 1955 helped organize the first major protest of the African American civil rights movement: the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. Influenced b... read more 21st Century 2009 Pilot Sully Sullenberger performs "Miracle on the Hudson" Africa 1970 Qaddafi becomes premier of Libya American Revolution 1777 Vermont declares independence from colony of New York Art, Literature, and Film History 1831 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is finished 1972 "American Pie" hits #1 on the pop charts 1981 "Hill Street Blues" begins run EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1919 Great Boston Molasses Flood Great Britain 1559 Elizabeth I crowned Queen of England Sports 1967 Packers beat Chiefs in first Super Bowl U.S. Politics 1870 First appearance of the Democratic Party donkey World War I 1919 Rebel leaders are murdered in failed coup in Berlin World War II 1951 The "Witch of Buchenwald" is sentenced to prison

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 16 1919 Prohibition is ratified by the states The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes," is ratified by the requisite number of states on January 16, 1919. The movement for the prohibition of alcohol began in the early 19th century, when Amer... read more 1990s 1991 The Persian Gulf War begins Art, Literature, and Film History 1605 Groundbreaking novel "Don Quixote" is published 1938 Benny Goodman brings jazz to Carnegie Hall 1942 Actress Carole Lombard killed in plane crash Civil War 1861 Crittenden Compromise is killed in Senate Cold War 1990 Soviets send troops into Azerbaijan Crime 1936 "Moon Maniac" killer is executed 1997 Bill Cosby's son murdered along CA interstate Middle East 1979 Shah flees Iran World War I 1916 Montenegro capitulates to Austro-Hungarian forces World War II 1945 Hitler descends into his bunker

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 17 1950 Boston thieves pull off historic Brink's robbery On January 17, 1950, 11 men steal more than $2 million ($29 million today) from the Brink's Armored Car depot in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the perfect crime — almost — as the culprits weren't caught until January 1956, just days before the statute of limitations for the theft expired. ... read more 1990s 1997 Ireland grants a divorce for the first time in the country's history 19th Century 1893 Americans overthrow Hawaiian monarchy American Revolution 1781 Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina Art, Literature, and Film History 1820 English author Anne Brontë is born 1966 NBC greenlights "The Monkees" Civil War 1865 Heavy rain traps Union Army Cold War 1966 H-bomb lost in Spain Crime 1977 The execution of Gary Gilmore Inventions & Science 1953 Corvette unveiled at GM Motorama Natural Disasters & Environment 1994 Earthquake rocks Los Angeles Sports 1916 PGA is formed 1995 NFL's Rams announce move to St. Louis U.S. Presidents 1961 President Eisenhower warns of military-industrial complex 1994 Paula Jones accuses Bill Clinton of sexual harassment Vietnam War 1972 President Nixon threatens President Thieu World War I 1916 Winston Churchill hears speech on the tragedy of war World War II 1945 Soviets capture Warsaw

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 18 1919 Post-World War I peace conference begins in Paris On January 18, 1919, in Paris, France, some of the most powerful people in the world meet to begin the long, complicated negotiations that would officially mark the end of the First World War. Leaders of the victorious Allied powers-France, Great Britain, the United States and Italy-would make most ... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1975 "Mandy" is Barry Manilow's first #1 pop hit 1985 Coen brothers release debut film, "Blood Simple" Civil War 1862 President John Tyler dies Crime 1990 Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry arrested on drug charges Exploration 1778 Captain Cook reaches Hawaii 1912 Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole Inventions & Science 2009 GM auctions off historic cars Sports 1958 NHL is integrated 1996 MLB owners approve interleague play U.S. Presidents 1803 President Jefferson requests funding for Lewis and Clark expedition Vietnam War 1950 China and Soviet Union recognize Democratic Republic of Vietnam

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 19 1809 Edgar Allan Poe is born On January 19, 1809, poet, author and literary critic Edgar Allan Poe is born in Boston, Massachusetts. By the time he was three years old, both of Poe's parents had died, leaving him in the care of his godfather, John Allan, a wealthy tobacco merchant. After attending school in England, Poe entered... read more American Revolution 1764 John Wilkes expelled from British Parliament Art, Literature, and Film History 1993 Fleetwood Mac reunites to play "Don't Stop" at Bill Clinton's first inaugural ball 1993 Production begins on "Toy Story" China 2007 First McDonald's drive-through opens in Beijing Civil War 1807 Robert E. Lee born Crime 1999 Man charged in California cyberstalking case Exploration 1840 Charles Wilkes claims portion of Antarctica for U.S. India 1966 Indira Gandhi becomes Indian prime minister Sports 1952 PGA approves participation of Black golfers 1972 Sandy Koufax becomes youngest player elected to Baseball Hall of Fame U.S. Presidents 1977 President Ford pardons Tokyo Rose U.S. Politics 2004 The Howard Dean scream World War I 1915 First air raid on Britain

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 20 1981 Iran Hostage Crisis ends Minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis. On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, outraged that the U.S. go... read more 1990s 1996 Yasser Arafat elected leader of Palestine Art, Literature, and Film History 1971 Marvin Gaye's hit single "What's Going On?" released 1973 Country star Jerry Lee Lewis rocks the Grand Ole Opry 1993 Actress Audrey Hepburn dies China 1841 Hong Kong ceded to the British Civil War 1863 Mud March begins Crime 1974 Football player-turned-murderer born Sports 1980 President Carter calls for Olympics to be moved from Moscow 1980 Bullfight spectators die when bleachers collapse U.S. GOVERNMENT 2021 Kamala Harris becomes first female vice president U.S. Presidents 1937 FDR inaugurated to second term 1945 FDR inaugurated to fourth term 1961 John F. Kennedy inaugurated 1969 Richard Nixon takes office 1981 Ronald Reagan becomes president 2009 Barack Obama is inaugurated 2017 Donald Trump is inaugurated World War II 1942 Nazi officials discuss "Final Solution" at the Wannsee Conference

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 21 1977 President Carter pardons draft dodgers On January 21, 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War. In total, some 100,000 young Americans went abroad in the late 1960s and early '70s to avoid serving in the war. Ninety percent went to Ca... read more 21st Century 2017 Women's March 2020 First confirmed case of COVID-19 found in U.S. American Revolution 1738 Ethan Allen is born Cold War 1950 Accused spy Alger Hiss convicted of perjury Crime 1959 Actor Carl Switzer of "Our Gang" killed France 1793 King Louis XVI executed Immigration 1910 U.S. immigration station Angel Island opens in San Francisco Bay Inventions & Science 1976 Concorde takes off 2009 Toyota officially passes GM as planet's biggest car maker Russia 1924 Vladimir Lenin dies Sports 1990 John McEnroe disqualified from the Australian Open Vietnam War 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 22 1998 Ted Kaczynski pleads guilty to bombings In a Sacramento, California, courtroom, Theodore J. Kaczynski pleads guilty to all federal charges against him, acknowledging his responsibility for a 17-year campaign of package bombings attributed to the "Unabomber." Born in 1942, Kaczynski attended Harvard University and received a PhD in mathem... read more American Revolution 1779 Claudius Smith, "Cowboy of the Ramapos," hangs Art, Literature, and Film History 1788 English poet Lord Byron is born 1981 Final portrait of John and Yoko appears on the cover of "Rolling Stone" 1984 Apple's iconic "1984" commercial airs during Super Bowl XVIII 2008 Heath Ledger dies of accidental prescription drug overdose Exploration 1840 British colonists reach New Zealand Great Britain 1901 Queen Victoria dies Native American History 1879 Chief Dull Knife makes last fight for freedom Russia 1980 Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov arrested in Moscow U.S. Presidents 1973 Lyndon Baines Johnson dies in Texas U.S. Government 1973 Roe v. Wade is decided United States 2003 Hispanics are officially declared the largest minority group in the U.S. World War I 1905 Bloody Sunday Massacre in Russia

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 23 1957 Toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees On January 23, 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs-now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees. The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. S... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1976 Singer, actor, athlete, activist Paul Robeson dies Cold War 1968 USS Pueblo captured Crime 1991 Videotaped murder leads to convictions in Texas Inventions & Science 1855 Gun designer John Browning is born Natural Disasters & Environment 1556 Deadliest earthquake in history rocks China Sports 1984 Hulk Hogan beats Iron Sheik to win first WWF title U.S. Presidents 1992 President George H.W. Bush honors Women's World Cup champions Westward Expansion 1870 Soldiers massacre sleeping camp of Native Americans Women's History 1849 Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to receive a medical degree 1997 Madeleine Albright becomes first female secretary of state World War I 1920 Netherlands refuses to extradite Kaiser Wilhelm to the Allies World War II 1941 Charles Lindbergh urges Congress to negotiate with Hitler

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 24 2018 Larry Nassar, a former doctor for USA Gymnastics, is sentenced to prison for sexual assault Larry Nassar, a former doctor at Michigan State and for USA Gymnastics, is sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexual assault on January 24, 2018. Nassar was found guilty of using his position in sports medicine to abuse hundreds of women and girls in one of the most high-profile cases to ari... read more American Revolution 1781 Light Horse and Swamp Fox raid Georgetown, South Carolina Art, Literature, and Film History 1862 Author Edith Wharton is born 2006 Walt Disney announces $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar Crime 1956 Emmett Till murderers make magazine confession Great Britain 1908 Boy Scouts movement begins 1965 Winston Churchill dies Great Depression 1935 First canned beer goes on sale Japan 1972 Japanese soldier found hiding on Guam Russia 2011 Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport is bombed by Chechen terrorists Westward Expansion 1848 Gold discovered at Sutter's Creek World War II 1943 General Paulus to Hitler: Let us surrender!

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 25 1905 World's largest diamond found A 3,106-carat diamond is discovered in South Africa and christened the "Cullinan." It was the largest diamond ever found.On January 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pou... read more American Revolution 1776 First national memorial is ordered by Congress Art, Literature, and Film History 1759 Scottish poet Robert Burns is born 1949 First Emmy Awards ceremony 1980 Paul McCartney is released from a Tokyo jail and deported from Japan China 1981 Chairman Mao's widow sentenced to death Cold War 1995 Russia activates its nuclear command systems for the first time Crime 1971 Charles Manson and his followers convicted of murder 2005 BTK killer sends message Middle East 1968 Israeli sub vanishes Sports 1924 First Winter Olympics 1993 American becomes first non-Japanese to achieve highest rank in sumo wrestling U.S. Presidents 1961 President Kennedy holds first live television news conference World War I 1919 Formal commission is established on the League of Nations World War II 1942 Thailand declares war on the United States and England

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 26 1788 British settlement begins in Australia On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. After overcoming a period of hardship, the fledgling colony began to celebrate the anniversary of this date with great fanfare and it eve... read more 19th Century 1838 Tennessee passes nation's first prohibition law Art, Literature, and Film History 2006 Oprah Winfrey confronts author James Frey over lying Cold War 1980 U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games Crime 1936 So-called "Mad Butcher" terrorizes Cleveland Exploration 1500 First European explorer reaches Brazil India 1950 Republic of India born Inventions & Science 1926 John Logie Baird demonstrates TV 1979 "The Dukes of Hazzard" premieres Sports 1986 Bears beat Patriots in Super Bowl XX 2020 Basketball star Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash U.S. Presidents 1961 President Kennedy appoints first female presidential physician 2005 George W. Bush appoints Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state Vietnam War 1970 POW spends 2,000th day in captivity Westward Expansion 1875 Pinkertons maim Frank and Jesse James' mother World War I 1918 Ukraine declares its independence World War II 1939 Franco captures Barcelona 1945 Decorated U.S. soldier Audie Murphy is wounded

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 27 1945 Auschwitz is liberated On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops enter Auschwitz, Poland, freeing the survivors of the network of concentration camps—and finally revealing to the world the depth of the horrors perpetrated there. Auschwitz was really a group of camps, designated I, II, and III. There were also 40 smaller "satelli... read more 1950s 1951 First atomic detonation at the Nevada test site 19th Century 1888 National Geographic Society founded Africa 2002 Explosions trigger deadly panic in Nigeria Art, Literature, and Film History 1302 Dante is exiled from Florence 1970 John Lennon writes and records "Instant Karma" in a single day Civil War 1862 President Lincoln orders Union forces to advance Crime 1978 "Dracula Killer" murders four people Inventions & Science 1965 Shelby GT 350 debuts Space Exploration 1967 Astronauts die in launch pad fire Sports 1996 Monica Seles wins first Grand Slam title since being attacked U.S. Presidents 1943 Future President Ronald Reagan serves in film unit Vietnam War 1973 Paris Peace Accords signed World War II 1943 Americans bomb Germans for first time 1944 Siege of Leningrad is lifted

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 28 1986 The space shuttle Challenger explodes after liftoff At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, won a co... read more Africa 1997 Afrikaner police admit to killing Stephen Biko American Revolution 1777 British plan to isolate New England Art, Literature, and Film History 1985 Music stars gather to record "We Are the World" Cold War 1964 Soviets shoot down U.S. jet Crime 1958 Teenage killers murder three people EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1917 U.S. ends search for Pancho Villa Hispanic History 1917 The 1917 Bath Riots Sports 1901 American League is founded Vietnam War 1973 Cease-fire goes into effect World War I 1915 Germans sink American merchant ship

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 29 1936 U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members On January 29, 1936, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members in Cooperstown, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson. The Hall of Fame actually had its beginnings in 1935, when plans were made to build a museum devoted to baseball and its 100... read more 1970s 1979 Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter sign accords Art, Literature, and Film History 1845 "The Raven" is published 1958 Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward marry 1962 Peter, Paul and Mary sign their first recording contract 1964 "Dr. Strangelove" premieres 1977 "Roots" premieres on television Civil War 1861 Kansas enters the Union Crime 1979 School shooting in San Diego Great Britain 1820 King George III dies U.S. Presidents 1843 Future president William McKinley is born U.S. Government 2002 George W. Bush describes Iraq, Iran and North Korea as "axis of evil" World War I 1915 German lieutenant Erwin Rommel leads daring mission in France

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 30 1948 Gandhi assassinated Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, is assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist. Born the son of an Indian official in 1869, Gandhi's Vaishnava mother was deeply religious and early on exposed her son to Jainism, a morally rigorou... read more American Revolution 1781 Maryland finally ratifies Articles of Confederation Art, Literature, and Film History 1933 "The Lone Ranger" debuts on Detroit radio Civil Rights Movement 1956 Martin Luther King Jr.'s home is bombed Great Britain 1649 King Charles I executed for treason 1972 "Bloody Sunday" in Northern Ireland Inventions & Science 1920 Mazda car company founded Sports 1994 Dan Jansen skates world-record 500 meters U.S. Presidents 1835 Andrew Jackson narrowly escapes assassination 1882 Franklin Delano Roosevelt is born Vietnam War 1968 Tet Offensive shakes Cold War confidence World War I 1933 Adolf Hitler is named chancellor of Germany

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 31 1950 Truman announces development of H-bomb U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly announces his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. Five months earlier, the United States had lost its nuclear supremacy w... read more Civil War 1865 House passes the 13th Amendment Cold War 1990 First McDonald's opens in Soviet Union Crime 1990 The McMartin Preschool trials Great Britain 1606 The death of Guy Fawkes Space Exploration 1971 Apollo 14 departs for the moon Sports 1988 Doug Williams leads Redskins to Super Bowl victory Vietnam War 1968 Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy World War I 1917 Germans unleash U-boats World War II 1944 D-Day is called off and postponed until June 1945 The execution of Pvt. Slovik

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 1 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle mission ends in disaster On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia breaks up while entering the atmosphere over Texas, killing all seven crew members on board. The Columbia‘s 28th space mission, designated STS-107, was originally scheduled to launch on January 11, 2001, but was delayed numerous times for a variety of reaso... read more 19th CENTURY 1884 Oxford Dictionary debuts 21st CENTURY 2002 Journalist Daniel Pearl is murdered 2004 "Nipplegate" controversy at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show Art, Literature, and Film History 1887 Official registration of Hollywood 1896 Puccini's "La Bohème" premieres in Turin, Italy 1961 "The Misfits" opens in theaters 2013 "House of Cards," Netflix's first original series, starts streaming Black History 1960 Greensboro sit-in begins 1978 Harriet Tubman becomes the first African American woman to appear on a U.S. postage stamp Civil War 1861 Texas secedes Crime 1974 Serial killer Ted Bundy strikes again Middle East 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran Sport 1913 Multi-sport star Jim Thorpe signs MLB contract with Giants U.S. Government 1790 First session of the U.S. Supreme Court Vietnam War 1968 Nixon announces his candidacy for president World War I 1917 Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare World War II 1943 Japanese begin evacuation of Guadalcanal

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 2 1887 First Groundhog Day On February 2, 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its burrow, predicti... read more 19th Century 1847 First Donner Party member dies Africa 1971 Idi Amin takes power in Uganda Art, Literature, and Film History 1882 James Joyce is born 1979 Sid Vicious dies of a drug overdose in New York City 2014 Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman dies at age 46 Cold War 1949 United States rejects proposal for conference with Stalin Crime 1922 Director William Desmond Taylor is found murdered 1980 ABSCAM operation revealed EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1913 Grand Central Terminal opens in New York City Sports 1876 National League of baseball is founded U.S. Government 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed Vietnam War 1962 First U.S. Air Force plane crashes in South Vietnam 1968 Viet Cong officer is shot in the head; iconic photo taken Westward Expansion 1812 Russians establish Fort Ross in California World War II 1943 Battle of Stalingrad ends

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 3 2005 Alberto Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales wins Senate confirmation as the nation's first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on torture. The Senate approved his nomination on a largely party-line vote of 60-36, reflecting a split between Republicans and Democrats over whether the ... read more 1990s 1998 Marine jet severs ski-lift cable in Italy Art, Literature, and Film History 1953 Jacques Cousteau's "The Silent World" is published 1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" die in a plane crash Cold War 1950 Klaus Fuchs arrested for passing atomic bomb information to Soviets Crime 1780 Early American mass murder changes common perceptions of crime Space Exploration 1966 Lunik 9 soft-lands on lunar surface Sports 2002 New England Patriots win first Super Bowl U.S. Presidents 1924 Woodrow Wilson dies 1994 President Clinton ends trade embargo of Vietnam Westward Expansion 1889 Belle Starr murdered in Oklahoma World War II 1944 U.S. troops capture the Marshall Islands

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 04 1974 Patty Hearst kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, the 19-year-old granddaughter of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California, by three armed strangers. Her fiancee, Stephen Weed, was beaten and tied up along with a neighbor who tried to help. Witnesses rep... read more 1990s 1999 Amadou Diallo killed by police 21st Century 2004 Facebook launches Art, Literature, and Film History 1826 “The Last of the Mohicans” is published 1938 Disney releases “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” 1983 Singer-songwriter Karen Carpenter dies Black History 1913 Civil rights icon Rosa Parks is born Civil War 1861 States meet to form Confederacy Cold War 1945 Yalta Conference foreshadows the Cold War Inventions & Science 1922 Ford buys Lincoln U.S. Presidents 1789 George Washington unanimously elected first U.S. president Vietnam War 1962 First U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam World War I 1915 Germany declares war zone around British Isles