Today In History

Today in History: Thursday, January  28, 2016
AP Highlight in History:
On Jan. 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members.
AP Photo
On this date in:
1547 England’s King Henry VIII died.
1813 The novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen was first published anonymously in London.
1853 Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti was born in Havana.
1871 France surrendered in the Franco-Prussian War.
1909 The United States ended direct control over Cuba.
1915 The Coast Guard was created by an act of Congress.
1916 Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to the Supreme Court, becoming its first Jewish member.
AP Photo
1945 During World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.
1959 Vince Lombardi was named head coach of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.
1973 A cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War.
1980 Six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran under false identities.
1999 Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, honoring a personal request for mercy from Pope John Paul II, spared a triple murderer from execution.
2003 President George W. Bush said in his State of the Union address that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had sought uranium from Africa. (The claim was later disputed by former ambassador Joseph Wilson, who had been asked by the CIA to investigate.)
2009 In a swift victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House approved a $819 billion stimulus bill.
2010 Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke won Senate confirmation for a second term.
Today’s Birthdays:
Actor Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”) turns 80 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
Name Profession Age
Jeanne Shaheen U.S. senator, D-N.H. 69
Barbi Benton Actress 66
Nicolas Sarkozy Former president of France 61
Nick Price Golfer 59
Sarah McLachlan Rock singer 48
Kathryn Morris Actress (“Cold Case”) 47
Joey Fatone Jr. Singer (‘N Sync) 39
Rick Ross Rapper 39
Rosamund Pike Actress 37
Nick Carter Singer (Backstreet Boys) 36
Actor Elijah Wood (“Lord of the Rings” movies) turns 35 years old today.
AP Photo/Danny Moloshok

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