This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 04 1965 L.B.J. envisions a Great Society in his State of the Union address On January 4, 1965, in his State of the Union address, President Lyndon Baines Johnson lays out for Congress a laundry list of legislation needed to achieve his plan for a Great Society. On the heels of John F. Kennedy’s tragic death, Americans had elected Johnson, his vice president, to the... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1896 Utah enters the Union   1990s 1990 Trains collide in Pakistan   Asian American & Pacific Islander History 1965 Patsy T. Mink sworn in as first Asian American woman and woman of color in Congress   Crime 1870 John Wesley Hardin kills over a card game 1964 Boston Strangler commits his final known murder   Inventions & Science 1809 Louis Braille is born 1847 Samuel Colt sells his first revolvers to the U.S. government 1996 GM announces its electric car   U.S. Government and Politics 1995 Republican Party takes control of Congress for first time in 40 years   Women’s History 2007 Nancy Pelosi becomes first female Speaker of the House   World War I 1913 German military strategist Alfred von Schlieffen dies

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 05 1933 Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge On January 5, 1933, construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge, as workers began excavating 3.25 million cubic feet of dirt for the structure’s huge anchorages. Following the Gold Rush boom that began in 1849, speculators realized the land north of San Francisco Bay would increase in value in... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1960s 1968 Prague Spring begins in Czechoslovakia   American Revolution 1781 Benedict Arnold captures and destroys Richmond   Arts & Entertainment 1953 Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” premieres in Paris 1980 The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” becomes hip hop’s first Top 40 hit 1998 Sonny Bono killed in skiing accident   Crime 1970 Bodies of family killed by United Mine Workers found   European History 1895 Alleged spy Alfred Dreyfus stripped of his rank   Religion 1531 Pope Clement VII forbids King Henry VIII from remarrying   Sports 1920 New York Yankees announce purchase of Babe Ruth   U.S. Presidents 1949 President Truman delivers his Fair Deal speech 1957 President Eisenhower proposes new Middle East policy 1972 President Nixon launches space shuttle program   Vietnam War 1972 President Nixon threatens President Thieu 1976 Pol Pot renames Cambodia   World War I 1916 First conscription bill is introduced in British parliament

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 06 1838 Samuel Morse unveils the telegraph, revolutionizing communication On January 6, 1838, Samuel Morse’s telegraph system is demonstrated for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. The telegraph, a device which used electric impulses to transmit encoded messages over a wire, would eventually revolutionize long-distance communication,... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1799 Frontiersman Jedediah Smith is born   21st Century 2021 U.S. Capitol riot   American Revolution 1777 George Washington sets up winter quarters in Morristown, NJ   Arts & Entertainment 1975 “Wheel of Fortune” premieres 1975 More than 2,000 Led Zeppelin fans trash the Boston Garden   Crime 1994 Skater Nancy Kerrigan attacked   European History 1066 Harold II crowned king of England   Middle Ages 1412 Joan of Arc is born   Natural Disasters & Environment 1996 Blizzard of 1996 begins   U.S. Government and Politics 1912 New Mexico joins the Union 2001 Congress certifies George W. Bush winner of 2000 elections   U.S. Presidents 1759 Two future presidents marry respective sweethearts 1919 Theodore Roosevelt dies 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt speaks of Four Freedoms   Vietnam War 1971 Army drops charges of My Lai cover-up   World War II 1942 FDR commits to biggest arms buildup in U.S. history

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 07 1789 First U.S. presidential electors chosen Congress sets January 7, 1789 as the date by which states are required to choose electors for the country’s first-ever presidential election. A month later, on February 4, George Washington was elected president by state electors and sworn into office on April 30, 1789. As it did in 1789, the... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 21st Century 2015 12 people die in shooting at “Charlie Hebdo” offices   Arts & Entertainment 1891 Zora Neale Hurston is born 1955 Marian Anderson becomes first African American to perform at the Met Opera   Cold War 1959 United States recognizes new Cuban government   Crime 1946 Serial killer with split personality murders 6-year-old in Chicago    Exploration 1785 Two explorers cross the English Channel in a balloon   Natural Disasters & Environment 1892 Coal mine explodes in Oklahoma   Sports 1927 Harlem Globetrotters play their first game   U.S. Presidents 1953 President Truman announces U.S. has developed hydrogen bomb 1999 President Clinton’s impeachment trial begins   Vietnam War 1979 Pol Pot overthrown

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 08 1877 Crazy Horse fights last battle On January 8, 1877, Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse and his men—outnumbered, low on ammunition and forced to use outdated weapons to defend themselves—fight their final losing battle against the U.S. Cavalry in Montana. Six months earlier, in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse and his...  read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1815 The Battle of New Orleans 1867 African American men gain the right to vote in Washington, D.C.   Arts & Entertainment 1946 Elvis Presley receives his first guitar 1963 “Mona Lisa” exhibited in Washington 1976 “Ragtime” wins the National Book Critics Circle Award   Crime 1901 “Colorado Cannibal” Alfred Packer is paroled 2011 Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords injured in shooting rampage 2016 Infamous drug lord “El Chapo” is captured by Mexican authorities   Inventions & Science 1642 Astronomer Galileo dies in Italy   Latin American & Caribbean History 1959 Fidel Castro arrives in Havana after deposing Batista’s regime   Sports 1972 NCAA grants freshmen eligibility in football, basketball   U.S. Presidents 1790 President George Washington delivers first State of the Union 1918 President Wilson delivers “Fourteen Points” speech 1992 President George H.W. Bush vomits on the Prime Minister of Japan 2002 President George W. Bush signs No Child Left Behind Act into law   World War II 1940 Mussolini questions Hitler’s plans

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 09 1493 Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids On January 9, 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing near what is now the Dominican Republic, records in his ship’s journal that, on the previous day, he saw three “mermaids”—in reality manatees—and describes them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted.” Six months earlier, Columbus... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1887 Record cold and snow decimates cattle herds   1970s 1972 Fire breaks out on former RMS Queen Elizabeth   21st Century 2001 Apple launches iTunes, revolutionizing how people consume music 2007 Steve Jobs debuts the iPhone   Arts & Entertainment 1768 First modern circus is staged 1924 Virginia Woolf buys a house in Bloomsbury 1976 Sylvester Stallone starts filming “Rocky” 1979 Pop luminaries gather at the U.N. for the Music for UNICEF concert   Civil War 1861 “Star of the West” is fired upon   Cold War 1952 President Truman warns of Cold War dangers   Crime 1984 One of the “Hillside Stranglers” sentenced to life   Inventions & Science 1916 Bugatti brother dies by suicide   LGBTQ+ History 1978 Harvey Milk becomes the first openly gay person elected to public office in California   Sports 1972 Los Angeles Lakers’ record winning streak ends   U.S. Presidents 1913 Richard M. Nixon is born   World War I 1916 Allies retreat from Gallipoli   World War II 1945 United States invades Luzon in Philippines

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 10 1901 Gusher signals new era of U.S. oil industry On January 10, 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produces an enormous gusher of crude oil, coating the landscape for hundreds of feet and signaling the advent of the American oil industry. The geyser was discovered at a depth of over 1,000 feet, flowed at an initial... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1843 Outlaw Frank James born in Missouri   1920s 1920 League of Nations instituted   American Revolution 1776 Thomas Paine publishes “Common Sense”   Arts & Entertainment 2000 AOL-Time Warner merger announced   Inventions & Science 2008 World’s cheapest car debuts in India   Natural Disasters & Environment 1962 Avalanche kills thousands in Peru   U.S. Presidents 1941 FDR introduces the lend-lease program 1967 President Johnson asks for more funding for Vietnam War   Vietnam War 1962 Operation Ranch Hand initiated   World War I 1923 President Harding orders U.S. troops home from Germany   World War II 1946 First meeting of the United Nations

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 11 1964 U.S. Surgeon General announces definitive link between smoking and cancer On January 11, 1964, United States Surgeon General Luther Terry releases a groundbreaking government report announcing a definitive link between smoking and cancer. Knowing his report was a bombshell, Terry intentionally chose to release it on that date, which fell on a Saturday, in order to limit... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT African History 1879 Anglo-Zulu War begins   American Revolution 1775 Jewish patriot joins Provincial Congress of South Carolina   Arts & Entertainment 1927 Charlie Chaplin’s assets frozen in contentious divorce suit 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 1959 A serial killer abducts young family from their car 2012 Joran van der Sloot pleads guilty 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   Inventions & Science 1922 First human receives insulin injection to treat diabetes 1971 “Silicon Valley” first appears in print   Sports 1973 American League adopts designated hitter rule   U.S. Presidents 1943 FDR becomes first president to travel by airplane on U.S. official business

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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 has a history of seismic activity—devastating earthquakes were recorded there in 1751, 1770, 1842 and 1946. The island of... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1838 Joseph Smith flees Ohio   American Revolution 1777 Hugh Mercer dies from wounds received in Battle of Princeton   Arts & Entertainment 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   Hispanic History 1986 Franklin Chang-Diaz becomes the first Hispanic American to fly in space   Inventions & Science 1904 Henry Ford sets speed record   Natural Disasters & Environment 1888 Blizzard brings tragedy to Northwest Plains   Sports 1969 In epic Super Bowl upset, Jets make good on Namath guarantee   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 1129 Pope recognizes Knights Templar On January 13, 1129, at the Council of Troyes, 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... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1929 Wyatt Earp dies in Los Angeles   1980s 1982 Plane crashes into Potomac River   Arts & Entertainment 1941 James Joyce dies 1962 Comedian Ernie Kovacs dies in car crash 1968 Johnny Cash performs at Folsom Prison   Asian American & Pacific Islander History 1903 First group of Korean immigrants enter Hawaii   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 1987 Connecticut man arrested for wood-chipper murder   European History 1842 After massacre, sole surviving British soldier escapes Kabul   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. Government and Politics 1990 Douglas Wilder of Virginia becomes the nation’s first elected Black governor   U.S. Presidents 1966 Lyndon Johnson appoints first African American cabinet member

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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 officially...  read more

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1960s 1967 San Francisco’s “Human Be-In” launches the Summer of Love 1969 Explosion rocks USS Enterprise

 

1980s 1980 Gold prices soar

 

American Revolution 1741 Benedict Arnold, American traitor, born

 

Arts & Entertainment 1954 Marilyn Monroe marries Joe DiMaggio 1970 Diana Ross and the Supremes perform their final concert

 

Colonial America 1639 The first colonial constitution

 

Crime 1958 Scottish serial killer Peter Manuel arrested

 

European History 1875 Albert Schweitzer born

 

Inventions & Science 1920 Dodge co-founder dies

 

Sports 1973 Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl VII to cap NFL’s only perfect season

 

U.S. Government and Politics 1963 George Wallace inaugurated as Alabama governor

 

U.S. Presidents 1942 FDR orders “alien enemies” to register

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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... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 21st Century 2001 Wikipedia launches 2009 Pilot Sully Sullenberger performs “Miracle on the Hudson”   American Revolution 1777 Vermont declares independence from colony of New York   Arts & Entertainment 1831 “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is finished 1972 “American Pie” hits #1 on the pop charts 1981 “Hill Street Blues” begins run   Cold War 1990 Soviets send troops into Azerbaijan   Early 20th Century U.S. 1919 Boston shocked by deadly molasses flood   European History 1559 Elizabeth I crowned Queen of England   Sports 1967 Packers beat Chiefs in first Super Bowl   U.S. Government and Politics 1870 First appearance of the Democratic Party donkey   Vietnam War 1968 The Jeannette Rankin Brigade: 5,000 women march against Vietnam War   World War I 1919 Opposition 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... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1991 The Persian Gulf War begins   African History 1970 Qaddafi becomes premier of Libya   Arts & Entertainment 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   Crime 1936 “Moon Maniac” killer is executed 1997 Bill Cosby’s son murdered along California interstate   Middle Eastern History 1979 Shah flees Iran   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. The robbery’s... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1893 Americans overthrow Hawaiian monarchy   1990s 1997 Ireland grants a divorce for the first time in the country’s history   American Revolution 1781 Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina   Arts & Entertainment 1820 English author Anne Brontë is born 1966 NBC greenlights “The Monkees”   Cold War 1966 U.S. accidentally drops hydrogen bombs in Spain   Crime 1977 Gary Gilmore executed 2013 Bolshoi Ballet artistic director attacked with acid   European History 1928 Stalin banishes Trotsky   Exploration 1912 Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole   Inventions & Science 1953 Corvette unveiled at GM Motorama   Natural Disasters & Environment 1994 Northridge earthquake rocks Los Angeles area   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   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 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, his father had abandoned the family and his mother had died, leaving him in the care of his godfather John Allan, a wealthy tobacco merchant. After attending... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1950s 1953 Lucille Ball gives birth on TV—and in real life   Arts & Entertainment 1993 Fleetwood Mac reunites to play “Don’t Stop” at Bill Clinton’s first inaugural ball 1993 Production begins on “Toy Story”   Asian History 1966 Indira Gandhi becomes Indian prime minister 2007 First McDonald’s drive-through in Beijing opens   Civil War 1807 Robert E. Lee born   Exploration 1840 Charles Wilkes claims portion of Antarctica for U.S.   Inventions & Science 1999 First BlackBerry device hits the market   Sports 1952 PGA approves participation of Black golfers 1972 Sandy Koufax becomes youngest player elected to Baseball Hall of Fame   U.S. Government and Politics 2004 The Howard Dean scream   U.S. Presidents 1977 President Ford pardons Tokyo Rose   World War I 1915 First air raid on Britain

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 20 1981 Iran Hostage Crisis ends On January 20, 1981, 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,... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1996 Yasser Arafat elected leader of Palestine   21st Century 2020 First confirmed case of COVID-19 found in U.S.   American Revolution 1764 John Wilkes expelled from British Parliament   Arts & Entertainment 1971 Marvin Gaye’s hit single “What’s Going On?” released 1973 Country star Jerry Lee Lewis rocks the Grand Ole Opry 1982 Singer Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a bat on stage 1993 Actress Audrey Hepburn dies   Asian History 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 and Politics 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... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 21st Century 2017 Women’s March   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   European History 1793 King Louis XVI executed 1924 Vladimir Lenin dies   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   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 on January 22, 1998, 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... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1779 Claudius Smith, “Cowboy of the Ramapos,” hangs   Arts & Entertainment 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   European History 1901 Queen Victoria dies 1980 Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov arrested in Moscow   Exploration 1840 British colonists reach New Zealand   Hispanic History 2003 Hispanics are officially declared the largest minority group in the U.S.   Native American History 1879 Chief Dull Knife makes last fight for freedom   U.S. Government and Politics 1973 Roe v. Wade is decided   U.S. Presidents 1973 Lyndon Baines Johnson dies in Texas   World War I 1905 Bloody Sunday Massacre in Russia 1918 Ukraine declares its independence 1920 Netherlands refuses to extradite Kaiser Wilhelm to the Allies

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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.... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1870 Soldiers massacre sleeping camp of Native Americans   Arts & Entertainment 1976 Singer, actor, athlete, activist Paul Robeson dies 1977 “Roots” premieres on television   Cold War 1968 USS Pueblo captured   Crime 1991 Videotaped murder leads to convictions in Texas   Inventions & Science 1855 Gun designer John Browning is born   Native American History 1907 Charles Curtis of Kansas becomes the first Native American elected to the U.S. Senate   Natural Disasters & Environment 1556 Deadliest earthquake in recorded 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   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 II 1941 Charles Lindbergh urges Congress to negotiate with Hitler

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 25 1924 First Winter Olympics On January 25, 1924, the first Winter Olympics take off in style at Chamonix in the French Alps. Spectators were thrilled by the ski jump and bobsled as well as 12 other events involving a total of six sports. The “International Winter Sports Week,” as it was known, was a great success, and in 1928... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1776 First national memorial is ordered by Congress   Arts & Entertainment 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   African History 1905 World’s largest diamond found   Asian History 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 Eastern History 1968 Israeli sub vanishes   U.S. Presidents 1961 JFK becomes first president to hold live television news conference   World War I 1916 Montenegro capitulates to Austro-Hungarian forces 1919 Formal commission is established on the League of Nations   World War II 1942 Thailand declares war on the United States and United Kingdom

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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... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1838 Tennessee passes nation's first Prohibition law 1875 Pinkertons maim Frank and Jesse James’ mother   Arts & Entertainment 1979 ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ premieres 2006 Oprah Winfrey confronts author James Frey over lying   Asian History 1950 Republic of India born   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   Inventions & Science 1926 John Logie Baird demonstrates TV 2004 Mydoom—the fastest-spreading email worm ever—is discovered   Sports 1986 Bears beat Patriots in Super Bowl XX 2020 Basketball star Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash   U.S. Government and Politics 2005 Condoleezza Rice sworn in as first Black female secretary of state   U.S. Presidents 1961 President Kennedy appoints first female presidential physician   Vietnam War 1970 POW spends 2,000th day in captivity   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 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 on January 30, 1948. His death marks a profound turning point for the nation, underscoring the deep political and religious tensions that persisted after the 1947 independence from British colonial rule resulted in a partition between India and Pakistan... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Arts & Entertainment 1933 “The Lone Ranger” debuts on Detroit radio   Black History 1956 Martin Luther King Jr.’s home is bombed   European History 1649 King Charles I executed for treason 1933 Adolf Hitler is named chancellor of Germany 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

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 31 1950 Truman announces development of H-bomb On January 31, 1950, 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... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Civil War 1865 House passes the 13th Amendment   European History 1606 The death of Guy Fawkes   Food 1990 First McDonald’s opens in Soviet Union   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 postponed 1945 The execution of Pvt. Slovik

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 01 1960 Greensboro sit-in begins On February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina, four Black college students spark a nationwide civil rights movement by refusing to leave a “whites-only” lunch counter at a popular retail store after they are denied service. The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State students—Ezell... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 21st Century 2002 Journalist Daniel Pearl is murdered 2004 “Nipplegate” controversy at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show   Arts & Entertainment 1884 Oxford Dictionary debuts in the U.S. 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 1978 Harriet Tubman becomes the first African American woman to appear on a U.S. postage stamp   Crime 1974 Serial killer Ted Bundy strikes again   Middle Eastern History 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran   Space Exploration 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle mission ends in disaster   Sports 1913 Multi-sport star Jim Thorpe signs MLB contract with Giants   U.S. Government and Politics 1790 First meeting of the U.S. Supreme Court   Vietnam War 1968 Viet Cong officer is shot in the head; iconic photo taken 1968 Nixon announces his candidacy for president   World War I 1917 Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 02 1887 First Groundhog Day observed in Punxsutawney 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,... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1970s 1972 WABC-TV airs Willowbrook documentary exposing horrible conditions 1974 “The Way We Were” becomes Barbra Streisand’s first No. 1 hit   African History 1971 Idi Amin takes power in Uganda   Arts & Entertainment 1882 James Joyce is born 1979 Sid Vicious dies of a drug overdose in New York City 2014 Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman dies of drug overdose at age 46   Cold War 1949 United States rejects proposal for conference with Stalin 1950 Klaus Fuchs arrested for passing atomic bomb information to Soviets   Crime 1922 Director William Desmond Taylor is found murdered 1980 ABSCAM operation revealed 1999 Man charged in California cyberstalking case   Early 20th Century U.S. 1913 Grand Central Terminal opens in New York City   Inventions & Science 1897 Black inventor Alfred Cralle patents the first ice cream scoop   Sports 1876 National League of baseball is founded   U.S. Government and Politics 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed   Vietnam War 1962 First U.S. Air Force plane crashes in South Vietnam   World War II 1943 Battle of Stalingrad ends