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Today is Sunday, Jan. 20, the 20th day of 2013. There are 345 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 20, 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower took the oath of office as president of the United States; Richard M. Nixon was sworn in as vice president.
On this date:
In 1265, England’s first representative Parliament, which included officials from districts, cities and boroughs, met for the first time.
In 1649, King Charles I of England went on trial, accused of high treason (he was found guilty and executed by month’s end).
In 1887, the U.S. Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.
In 1936, Britain’s King George V died; he was succeeded by Edward VIII.
In 1942, Nazi officials held the notorious Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their “final solution” that called for exterminating Jews.
In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon were sworn in for their second terms of office in a private Sunday ceremony (a public ceremony was held the next day).
In 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States.
In 1981, Iran released 52 Americans it had held hostage for 444 days, minutes after the presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.
In 1986, the United States observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1993, Bill Clinton was sworn in as the 42nd president of the United States. Actress Audrey Hepburn died in Switzerland at age 63.
In 2001, George Walker Bush became America’s 43rd president after one of the most turbulent elections in U.S. history.
In 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation’s 44th, as well as first African-American, president.
Ten years ago: Secretary of State Colin Powell, faced with stiff resistance and calls for caution, bluntly told the Security Council that the U.N. “must not shrink” from its responsibility to disarm Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Caricaturist Al Hirschfeld died in New York at age 99. Pollster Burns W. “Bud” Roper died on Cape Cod, Mass., at age 77.
Five years ago: The Los Angeles Times announced its top editor, James O’Shea, had been fired after he rejected a management order to cut $4 million from the newsroom budget, 14 months after his predecessor was also ousted in a budget dispute. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili (sah-kahsh-VIH’-leh) was sworn in for a second term. The New England Patriots defeated the San Diego Chargers in the AFC championship game, pulling out a 21-12 victory that sent them back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons. The New York Giants won a 23-20 overtime victory over Green Bay in the NFC championship.
One year ago: Six U.S. Marines were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand. A rogue Afghan soldier killed four French troops. Singer Etta James, 73, died in Riverside, Calif.
Thought for Today: “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” — Alexis de Tocqueville, French author (1805-1859).
Top News
Today in History for Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013
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Jurors deadlock on Jodi Arias penalty; retrial set
Jurors who spent five months determining Jodi Arias’ fate couldn’t decide whether she should get life in prison or die for murdering her boyfriend, sending prosecutors back to the drawing board to rehash the shocking case of sex, lies and violence to another 12 people.
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Lt. Gov. visits Valdosta
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle delivered a message of optimism and preference for prudent investments for Valdosta and Lowndes County Thursday morning, which he is confident will pull Georgia out of recession, build jobs and launch Valdosta into a new business heyday.
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I-5 bridge collapses in Washington state
An Interstate 5 bridge over a river north of Seattle collapsed Thursday evening, dumping vehicles and people into the water, the Washington State Patrol said.
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Today in History for Friday, May 24, 2013
Today is Friday, May 24, the 144th day of 2013. There are 221 days left in the year.
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Parents fuming over locked doors at graduation
Several parents of Spelman College graduates are furious after locked doors prevented them from seeing their children’s commencement.
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Octogenarians race to be oldest Everest climber
An 80-year-old Japanese extreme skier who climbed Mount Everest five years ago, but just missed becoming the oldest man to reach the summit, is back on the mountain to make another attempt at the title.
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When is it OK for wunderkinds to drop out of school?
It's one thing to say tech geniuses don't need degrees. After all, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg all dropped out of college. But now we've got David Karp, who doesn't even have a high school diploma.
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House panel moves to curb military sexual assaults
Members of a House panel angry over the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the military took a key step toward tackling the problem.
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Broke no laws, IRS official says — then takes 5th
At the center of a political storm, an Internal Revenue Service supervisor whose agents targeted conservative groups swore Wednesday she did nothing wrong, broke no laws and never lied to Congress.
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Man shot to death while questioned in Boston probe
A Chechen immigrant was shot to death by authorities in central Florida early Wednesday after he turned violent while being questioned about his ties to one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, officials said.
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