Today in History

Today in History

Today is Friday, Jan. 22, the 22nd day of 2016. There are 344 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History:

On Jan. 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Roe v. Wade decision, legalized abortions using a trimester approach. Former President Lyndon B. Johnson died at his Texas ranch at age 64.

On this date:

In 1498, during his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus arrived at the present-day Caribbean island of St. Vincent.

In 1901, Britain's Queen Victoria died at age 81 after a reign of 63 years; she was succeeded by her eldest son, Edward VII.

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson pleaded for an end to war in Europe, calling for "peace without victory." (By April, however, America also was at war.)

In 1922, Pope Benedict XV died; he was succeeded by Pius XI.

In 1938, Thornton Wilder's play "Our Town" was performed publicly for the first time in Princeton, New Jersey.

In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces began landing at Anzio, Italy.

In 1953, the Arthur Miller drama "The Crucible" opened on Broadway.

In 1968, "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1970, the first regularly scheduled commercial flight of the Boeing 747 began in New York and ended in London some 6 1/2 hours later.

In 1984, the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 to win Super Bowl XVIII (18) at Tampa Stadium in Florida; the CBS-TV broadcast featured Apple Computer's famous "1984" commercial introducing the Macintosh computer.

In 1995, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy died at the Kennedy compound at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, at age 104.

In 2008, actor Heath Ledger was found dead of an accidental prescription overdose in New York City; he was 28.

Ten years ago: Evo Morales, Bolivia's first Indian president, took office with a promise to lift his nation's struggling indigenous majority out of centuries of poverty and discrimination. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC title game, dismantling the Denver Broncos 34-17. The Seattle Seahawks claimed the NFC title, routing the Carolina Panthers 34-14.

Five years ago: Drawing inspiration from the revolt in Tunisia, thousands of Yemenis demanded the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a noisy demonstration that appeared to be the first large-scale public challenge to the strongman. (He stepped down as president in 2012.) Pope Benedict XVI told priests to do a better job counseling would-be spouses to ensure their marriages last, and said that no one had an absolute right to a wedding.

One year ago: With thousands of abortion protesters swarming Washington in their annual March for Life, the House voted 242-179 to permanently forbid federal funds for most abortion coverage, even though the legislation had no realistic chance of passage. Yemen's U.S.-backed president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, quit under pressure from rebels holding him captive in his home. Former U.S. Senator and Kentucky Governor Wendell Ford, 90, died in Owensboro.

Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Birch Bayh, D-Ind., is 88. Actress Piper Laurie is 84. Actor Seymour Cassel is 81. Author Joseph Wambaugh is 79. Actor John Hurt is 76. Singer Steve Perry is 67. Country singer-musician Teddy Gentry (Alabama) is 64. Movie director Jim Jarmusch is 63. Actor John Wesley Shipp is 61. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Mike Bossy is 59. Actress Linda Blair is 57. Actress Diane Lane is 51. Actor-rap DJ Jazzy Jeff is 51. Country singer Regina Nicks (Regina Regina) is 51. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is 48. Actress Olivia d'Abo is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gay (Shai) is 47. Actress Katie Finneran is 45. Actor Gabriel Macht is 44. Actor Balthazar Getty is 41. Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson is 36. Jazz singer Lizz Wright is 36. Pop singer Willa Ford is 35. Actress Beverley Mitchell is 35. Rock singer-musician Ben Moody is 35. Actor Kevin Sheridan is 34. Actress-singer Phoebe Strole is 33. Actress Sami Gayle (TV: "Blue Bloods") is 20.

Thought for Today: "Praise undeserved is satire in disguise." -- Henry Broadhurst, English politician (1840-1911).