January 3
1521 - Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Leo X.
1777 - Gen. George Washington defeated Cornwallis's forces at the Battle of Princeton.
1833 - Britain seized control of the Falkland Islands.
1861 - More than two weeks before Georgia seceded from the Union, the state militia seized Fort Pulaski at the order of Gov. Joseph E. Brown. The Delaware House and Senate voted to oppose secession from the Union.
1868 - The Meiji Restoration re-established the authority of Japan's emperor and heralded the fall of the military rulers known as shoguns.
1870 - Construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge.
1938 - The March of Dimes campaign to fight polio was organized.
1947 - Congressional proceedings were televised for the first time.
1958 - Sir Edmund Hillary reached the South Pole.
1959 - Alaska became the 49th state.
1961 - The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.
1962 - Pope John XXIII excommunicated Fidel Castro.
1967 - Jack Ruby, the man who shot John Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, died in a Dallas hospital.
1977 - Apple Computer was incorporated in Cupertino, California by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Mike Markkula Jr.
1987 - Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1990 - Ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, 10 days after taking refuge in the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Panama City.
2000 - The last new daily "Peanuts" comic strip by Charles Schulz ran in 2,600 newspapers.
2002 - A judge in Alabama ruled that former Ku Klux Klansman Bobby Frank Cherry was mentally competent to stand trial on murder charges in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four black girls. (Cherry was later convicted, and served a life sentence until his death in November 2004.)
2004 - NASA's Mars Rover, Spirit, touched down on the red planet.
2006 - Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion and agreed to cooperate in investigations of corruption in Congress.
2007 - Gerald R. Ford was laid to rest on the grounds of his presidential museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during a ceremony watched by thousands of onlookers.
2009 - After seven days of pummeling the Gaza Strip from the air, Israel launched a ground offensive.
2013 - The new 113th Congress opened for business, with House Speaker John Boehner re-elected to his post despite a mini-revolt in Republican ranks.
2017 - Ford Motor Co. canceled plans to build a new $1.6 billion factory in Mexico, and said it would invest at least some of the savings in new electric and autonomous vehicles.
2017 - It was announced that Fox News star Megyn Kelly would be leaving the network to work at NBC News.
2020 - The United States killed Iran’s top general in an airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport; the Pentagon said Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force, had been “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members” in Iraq and elsewhere. Iran warned of retaliation.
2021 - Nancy Pelosi was narrowly re-elected Speaker of the House, giving her the reins of Democrats' slender House majority.
Birthdays
25 - Hollyn (singer)
26 - Florence Pugh (actress)
31 - Candelaria Molfese (actress)
33 - Alex D. Linz (actor)
37 - Nicole Beharie (actress)
39 - Katie McGrath (actress)
41 - Eli Manning (football player)
43 - Kate Levering (actress)
44 - Kimberley Locke (singer)
46 - Nicholas Gonzalez (singer)
47 - Danica McKellar (actress)
47 - Jason Marsden (actor)
50 - Mimi Faust (reality star)
53 - John Ales (actor)
53 - Michael Schumacher (race car driver)
54 - Shannon Sturges (actress)
66 - Mel Gibson (actor)
72 - Victoria Principal (actress)
76 - John Paul Jones (musician)
83 - Bobby Hull (hockey player)
90 - Dabney Coleman (actor)
==========================================
Today in Sports History - January 3
1920 - The New York Yankees acquired Babe Ruth and so began the so-called "curse of the Bambino" that haunted the Boston Red Sox until 2004.
1941 - The National Collegiate Football Rules Committee announced a new rule that permitted free substitution of football players.
1943 - For the first time in NHL history a goal with three points all came from the same family. Reg Bentley scored with assists from his brothers Max and Doug.
1981 - The Cleveland Cavaliers retire Austin Carr's #34.
1983 - Tony Dorsett (Dallas Cowboys) made the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. Dorsett ran 99 yards in a game against the Minnesota Vikings.
1991 - Wayne Gretzky scored his 700th career NHL goal.
1993 - Quarterback Frank Reich leads the Buffalo Bills to the greatest comeback victory in NFL history, overcoming a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime in an NFL wildcard playoff game.
1994 - Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to win three straight NFL passing titles and the first to record three consecutive seasons with a passer rating over 100.
1997 - UTEP men's basketball coach Don Haskins becomes the 10th coach in NCAA Division I history to record 700 career wins.
2001 - #1 Oklahoma defeats #2 Florida State 13-2 in the Orange Bowl in the BCS National Championship Game.
2002 - #1 Miami (FL) defeats #2 Nebraska 37-14 in the Rose Bowl in the BCS National Championship Game; NU ends the season with a 11-2 record and ranked #8/#7 in the final polls.
2003 - #2 Ohio State defeats #1 Miami (FL) 31-24 in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl in the BCS National Championship Game.
2004 - Carolina Panthers kicker John Kasay ties in an NFL playoff record with five field goals in a 29-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
2007 - Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban announces his resignation to take the head coaching position at the University of Alabama.
2010 - Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans set an NFL single-season record for yards from scrimmage with 2,509 yards.
2010 - Quarterback Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys set a franchise record when he took every snap for the entire regular season.
2016 - Jimmy Butler breaks Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls record for points in an NBA half, scoring 40 of his 42 points in the second half to lead the Bulls in a 115-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
1521 - Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Leo X.
1777 - Gen. George Washington defeated Cornwallis's forces at the Battle of Princeton.
1833 - Britain seized control of the Falkland Islands.
1861 - More than two weeks before Georgia seceded from the Union, the state militia seized Fort Pulaski at the order of Gov. Joseph E. Brown. The Delaware House and Senate voted to oppose secession from the Union.
1868 - The Meiji Restoration re-established the authority of Japan's emperor and heralded the fall of the military rulers known as shoguns.
1870 - Construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge.
1938 - The March of Dimes campaign to fight polio was organized.
1947 - Congressional proceedings were televised for the first time.
1958 - Sir Edmund Hillary reached the South Pole.
1959 - Alaska became the 49th state.
1961 - The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.
1962 - Pope John XXIII excommunicated Fidel Castro.
1967 - Jack Ruby, the man who shot John Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, died in a Dallas hospital.
1977 - Apple Computer was incorporated in Cupertino, California by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Mike Markkula Jr.
1987 - Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1990 - Ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, 10 days after taking refuge in the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Panama City.
2000 - The last new daily "Peanuts" comic strip by Charles Schulz ran in 2,600 newspapers.
2002 - A judge in Alabama ruled that former Ku Klux Klansman Bobby Frank Cherry was mentally competent to stand trial on murder charges in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four black girls. (Cherry was later convicted, and served a life sentence until his death in November 2004.)
2004 - NASA's Mars Rover, Spirit, touched down on the red planet.
2006 - Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion and agreed to cooperate in investigations of corruption in Congress.
2007 - Gerald R. Ford was laid to rest on the grounds of his presidential museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during a ceremony watched by thousands of onlookers.
2009 - After seven days of pummeling the Gaza Strip from the air, Israel launched a ground offensive.
2013 - The new 113th Congress opened for business, with House Speaker John Boehner re-elected to his post despite a mini-revolt in Republican ranks.
2017 - Ford Motor Co. canceled plans to build a new $1.6 billion factory in Mexico, and said it would invest at least some of the savings in new electric and autonomous vehicles.
2017 - It was announced that Fox News star Megyn Kelly would be leaving the network to work at NBC News.
2020 - The United States killed Iran’s top general in an airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport; the Pentagon said Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force, had been “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members” in Iraq and elsewhere. Iran warned of retaliation.
2021 - Nancy Pelosi was narrowly re-elected Speaker of the House, giving her the reins of Democrats' slender House majority.
Birthdays
25 - Hollyn (singer)
26 - Florence Pugh (actress)
31 - Candelaria Molfese (actress)
33 - Alex D. Linz (actor)
37 - Nicole Beharie (actress)
39 - Katie McGrath (actress)
41 - Eli Manning (football player)
43 - Kate Levering (actress)
44 - Kimberley Locke (singer)
46 - Nicholas Gonzalez (singer)
47 - Danica McKellar (actress)
47 - Jason Marsden (actor)
50 - Mimi Faust (reality star)
53 - John Ales (actor)
53 - Michael Schumacher (race car driver)
54 - Shannon Sturges (actress)
66 - Mel Gibson (actor)
72 - Victoria Principal (actress)
76 - John Paul Jones (musician)
83 - Bobby Hull (hockey player)
90 - Dabney Coleman (actor)
==========================================
Today in Sports History - January 3
1920 - The New York Yankees acquired Babe Ruth and so began the so-called "curse of the Bambino" that haunted the Boston Red Sox until 2004.
1941 - The National Collegiate Football Rules Committee announced a new rule that permitted free substitution of football players.
1943 - For the first time in NHL history a goal with three points all came from the same family. Reg Bentley scored with assists from his brothers Max and Doug.
1981 - The Cleveland Cavaliers retire Austin Carr's #34.
1983 - Tony Dorsett (Dallas Cowboys) made the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. Dorsett ran 99 yards in a game against the Minnesota Vikings.
1991 - Wayne Gretzky scored his 700th career NHL goal.
1993 - Quarterback Frank Reich leads the Buffalo Bills to the greatest comeback victory in NFL history, overcoming a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime in an NFL wildcard playoff game.
1994 - Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to win three straight NFL passing titles and the first to record three consecutive seasons with a passer rating over 100.
1997 - UTEP men's basketball coach Don Haskins becomes the 10th coach in NCAA Division I history to record 700 career wins.
2001 - #1 Oklahoma defeats #2 Florida State 13-2 in the Orange Bowl in the BCS National Championship Game.
2002 - #1 Miami (FL) defeats #2 Nebraska 37-14 in the Rose Bowl in the BCS National Championship Game; NU ends the season with a 11-2 record and ranked #8/#7 in the final polls.
2003 - #2 Ohio State defeats #1 Miami (FL) 31-24 in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl in the BCS National Championship Game.
2004 - Carolina Panthers kicker John Kasay ties in an NFL playoff record with five field goals in a 29-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
2007 - Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban announces his resignation to take the head coaching position at the University of Alabama.
2010 - Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans set an NFL single-season record for yards from scrimmage with 2,509 yards.
2010 - Quarterback Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys set a franchise record when he took every snap for the entire regular season.
2016 - Jimmy Butler breaks Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls record for points in an NBA half, scoring 40 of his 42 points in the second half to lead the Bulls in a 115-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
