January 16

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1866 – The metal screw, clamp skate was patented by Everett Barney.

1896 – The first five-player college basketball game was played at Iowa City, IA.

1909 – Ernest Shackleton’s expedition found the magnetic South Pole.

1919 – The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited the sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages, was ratified. It was later repealed by the 21st Amendment.

1920 – Prohibition went into effect in the United States.

1961 – Mickey Mantle signed a $75,000 per season contract with the New York Yankees that made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League.

1970 – Buckminster Fuller, the designer of the geodesic dome, was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects.

1974 – Peter Benchley’s novel “Jaws” was published.

1976 – The TV show “Donny & Marie” premiered on ABC.

1985 – “Playboy” magazine switched its binding process, which eliminated the staples that were always an element of its nude centerfolds.

1986 – The first meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force took place.

1988 – Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder was fired as a CBS sports commentator one day after telling a TV station in Washington, DC, that, during the era of slavery, blacks had been bred to produce stronger offspring. The comment worked its way to national television, and although Snyder apologized, his TV career was over.

1998 – Researchers announced that an altered gene helped to defend against HIV.

1991 – The White House announced the start of Operation Desert Storm. The operation was designed to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

1995 – The TV show “Star Trek: Voyager” premiered on UPN.

1996 – Janet Jackson signed an $80 million recording contract with Virgin Records. It was supposedly the biggest such deal in music history at the time.

1998 – NASA officially announced that Astronaut turned Senator John Glenn would fly aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in October.

1998 – It was announced that Texas would receive $15.3 billion in a tobacco industry settlement. The payouts were planned to take place over 25 years.

1998 – Three federal judges secretly granted Kenneth Starr authority to probe whether President Bill Clinton or Vernon Jordan urged Monica Lewinsky to lie about her relationship with Clinton.

2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off for mission STS-107 which would be its final one. Columbia disintegrated 16 days later on re-entry.

2004 – Michael Jackson pleaded not guilty to child molestation charges at his arraignment in Santa Maria, CA.

2005 – The TV cooking show “Iron Chef” made its debut in the United States.

2009 – The movie “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” debuted in theaters.

2009 – The iTunes Music Store reached 500 million apps downloaded.

2018 – A spectacular fireball meteor lit up the skies in southeast Michigan. The estimated time of the meteor was 8:08 pm. The fireball was also seen from seven states from E. Iowa to W. Pennsylvania plus SW Ontario, Canada. The resulting explosion created a thud strong enough to register as a 2.0 magnitude earthquake.

2018 – The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 26,000 for the first time.

2020 – The first impeachment of Donald Trump formally moved into its trial phase in the United States Senate.

2020 – The United States Senate ratified the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement as a replacement for NAFTA.

BIRTHDAYS:

William Kennedy – 98 years old (1928) – Novelist and journalist

Marilyn Horne – 92 years old (1934) – Soprano and actress

A. J. Foyt – 91 years old (1935) – Race car driver

Marina Vaizey – 88 years old (1938) – Journalist and critic

Ralph Gibson – 87 years old (1939) – Photographer

Barbara Lynn – 84 years old (1942) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Ronnie Milsap – 83 years old (1943) – Singer and pianist

Jim Stafford – 82 years old (1944) – Singer-songwriter and actor

Jill Tarter – 82 years old (1944) – Astronomer and biologist

Laura Schlessinger – 79 years old (1947) – Physiologist, talk show host, and author

John Carpenter – 78 years old (1948) – Director, producer, screenwriter, and composer

Ruth Reichl – 78 years old (1948) – Journalist and critic

Anne F. Beiler – 77 years old (1949) – Businesswoman, founded Auntie Anne's

Debbie Allen – 76 years old (1950) – Actress, dancer, and choreographer

Jerry M. Linenger – 71 years old (1955) – Captain, physician, and astronaut

Gerald Henderson – 70 years old (1956) – Basketball player

Maxine Jones – 64 years old (1962) – R&B singer–songwriter and actress

Jack McDowell – 60 years old (1966) – Baseball player

David Chokachi – 58 years old (1968) – Actor

Rebecca Stead – 58 years old (1968) – Author

Roy Jones Jr. – 57 years old (1969) – Boxer

Don MacLean – 56 years old (1970) – Basketball player and sportscaster

Josh Evans – 55 years old (1971) – Film producer, screenwriter and actor

Jonathan Mangum – 55 years old (1971) – Actor

Joe Horn – 54 years old (1972) – Football player and coach

Richard T. Jones – 54 years old (1972) – Actor

Josie Davis – 53 years old (1973) – Actress

Marc Jackson – 51 years old (1975) – Basketball player and sportscaster

Jeff Foster – 49 years old (1977) – Basketball player

Lin-Manuel Miranda – 46 years old (1980) – Actor, playwright, and composer

Albert Pujols – 46 years old (1980) – Dominican-American baseball player

Nick Valensi – 45 years old (1981) – Musician and songwriter

Joe Flacco – 41 years old (1985) – Football player

Renée Felice Smith – 41 years old (1985) – Actress

Mark Trumbo – 40 years old (1986) – Baseball player

Dennis Kelly – 36 years old (1990) – Football player

Jason Zucker – 34 years old (1992) – Ice hockey player

Jonathan Allen – 31 years old (1995) – Football player

Tre'Davious White – 31 years old (1995) – Football player

TODAY IS:

• National Fig Newton Day: Soft, filled delights blend chewy textures with fruity nuances, crafting a snack that's a timeless symphony of flavors.
• International Hot and Spicy Food Day: Experience a flavor explosion that will make those buds dance with joy! Get ready for a culinary adventure that can spice up anyone's life!
• National Religious Freedom Day: Religious freedom is the idea that everyone should have the right to practice their beliefs openly and without persecution. It's about respect, kindness, and equality for all.
• National Appreciate A Dragon Day: These mythical creatures can fly, breathe fire, and hoard treasure. With their strength and majesty, they ignite the imagination and spark adventures.
• National Good Teen Day: Guiding the future generation during their transformative years, offering wisdom and care as they navigate life's exciting challenges.
• National Without a Scalpel Day: Enhancing health through precise medical techniques, utilizing advanced imaging for minimally invasive procedures.
• National Quinoa Day: Gaining in popularity over recent years, quinoa offers all sorts of nutritional benefits for health-conscious people.
• National Nothing Day: Take a break from activities of any description, revel in moments of insignificance or contemplate the metaphysical meaning of nothingness.
• International Rooibos Day: An aromatic brew from South Africa, known for its rich, earthy flavor and a comforting warmth in every sip.
• Book Publishers Day: Book Publishers Day honors the people who turn ideas into books. These professionals manage editing, design, printing, and distribution, ensuring stories reach readers. Without their efforts, many voices might remain unheard. This day recognizes their role in bringing diverse stories to life. Publishers support authors by refining manuscripts and managing the...
• Surva Mummers Festival: Surva Mummers Festival is a lively and colorful event held in the small town of Pernik, Bulgaria. This annual celebration is known for its dramatic parades featuring people dressed in elaborate, often intimidating, costumes. Participants, known as mummers, wear masks depicting various mythical creatures and wear costumes adorned with bells...

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