Today in History

Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 5, the fifth day of 2016. There are 361 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 5, 1066, Edward the Confessor, King of England since 1042, died after a reign of nearly 24 years.

On this date:

In 1781, a British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burned Richmond, Virginia.

In 1895, French Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, convicted of treason, was publicly stripped of his rank. (He was ultimately vindicated.)

In 1905, the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals was incorporated in New York State.

In 1914, auto industrialist Henry Ford announced he was going to pay workers $5 for an 8-hour day, as opposed to $2.34 for a 9-hour day. (Employees still worked six days a week; the 5-day work week was instituted in 1926.)

In 1925, Democrat Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming took office as America's first female governor, succeeding her late husband, William, following a special election.

In 1933, the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, died in Northampton, Massachusetts, at age 60. Construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge. (Work was completed four years later.)

In 1949, in his State of the Union address, President Harry S. Truman labeled his administration the Fair Deal.

In 1953, the Samuel Beckett play "Waiting for Godot" premiered in Paris.

In 1964, during a visit to the Holy Land, Pope Paul VI met with Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople in Jerusalem.

In 1970, Joseph A. Yablonski, an unsuccessful candidate for the presidency of the United Mine Workers of America, was found murdered with his wife and daughter at their Clarksville, Pennsylvania, home. (UMWA President Tony Boyle and seven others were convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, the killings.) "All My Children" premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan announced he was nominating Elizabeth Dole to succeed Drew Lewis as secretary of transportation; Dole became the first woman to head a Cabinet department in Reagan's administration, and the first to head the DOT.

In 1994, Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, former speaker of the House of Representatives, died in Boston at age 81.

Ten years ago: Attacks across Iraq killed more than 120 Iraqis and 11 U.S. service members. A building used as a hostel by pilgrims in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, collapsed, killing 76 people. Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's severe stroke was divine punishment for "dividing God's land." (Robertson later apologized.)

Five years ago: John Boehner was elected speaker as Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives on the first day of the new Congress. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced he was stepping down. Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

One year ago: The price of oil plunged again, falling below $50 a barrel for the first time since April 2009. Jury selection began in the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel presided over Florida's first legally recognized same-sex marriages hours before the ban on such unions formally expired.

Today's Birthdays: Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale is 88. Actor Robert Duvall is 85. Juan Carlos, former King of Spain, is 78. Singer-musician Athol Guy (The Seekers) is 76. Talk show host Charlie Rose is 74. Actress-director Diane Keaton is 70. Actor Ted Lange is 68. Rhythm-and-blues musician George "Funky" Brown (Kool and the Gang) is 67. Rock musician Chris Stein (Blondie) is 66. Former CIA Director George Tenet is 63. Actress Pamela Sue Martin is 63. Actor Clancy Brown is 57. Singer Iris Dement is 55. Actress Suzy Amis is 54. Actor Ricky Paull Goldin is 51. Actor Vinnie Jones is 51. Rock musician Kate Schellenbach (Luscious Jackson) is 50. Dancer-choreographer Carrie Ann Inaba is 48. Rock musician Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age) is 48. Actress Heather Paige Kent is 47. Rock singer Marilyn Manson is 47. Actor Shea Whigham is 47. Actor Derek Cecil (TV: "House of Cards"; "Treme") is 43. Actor Bradley Cooper is 41. Actress January Jones is 38. Actress Brooklyn Sudano is 35.

Thought for Today: "It is easy to be tolerant of the principles of other people if you have none of your own." -- Herbert Samuel, English political leader (1870-1963).