Today in History

Today in History

Today is Monday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2017. There are 342 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 23, 1933, the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the so-called "Lame Duck Amendment," was ratified as Missouri approved it.

On this date:

In 1516, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who with his late queen consort, Isabella of Castile, sponsored the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492, died in Madrigalejo, Spain.

In 1789, Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.

In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

In 1937, 17 people went on trial in Moscow during Josef Stalin's "Great Purge." (All were convicted of conspiracy; all but four were executed.)

In 1944, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch ("The Scream") died near Oslo at age 80.

In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

In 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified as South Dakota became the 38th state to endorse it.

In 1968, North Korea seized the Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, charging its crew with being on a spying mission. (The crew was released 11 months later.)

In 1977, the original TV mini-series "Roots," based on the Alex Haley novel, began airing on ABC.

In 1989, surrealist artist Salvador Dali died in his native Figueres, Spain, at age 84.

In 1995, the Supreme Court, in McKennon vs. Nashville Banner Publishing Co., ruled that companies accused of firing employees illegally could not escape liability by later finding a lawful reason to justify the dismissal.

In 1997, a panel of experts gathered by the National Cancer Institute concluded that "each woman should decide for herself" whether to start having mammograms as early as her 40s -- a recommendation that infuriated the American Cancer Society.

Ten years ago: In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush implored Congress to give his plan to send more U.S. troops to Iraq a chance to work. A new rule requiring U.S. airline passengers to show a passport upon their return from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean took effect. E. Howard Hunt, who helped organize the Watergate break-in, leading to the downfall of Richard Nixon's presidency, died in Miami at age 88.

Five years ago: Republican presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich clashed repeatedly in heated, personal terms in a crackling campaign debate in Tampa, Florida. In a rare defeat for law enforcement, the Supreme Court unanimously agreed to bar police from installing GPS technology to track suspects without first getting a judge's approval.

One year ago: A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill, dumping as much as 3 feet of snow, stranding tens of thousands of travelers and shutting down Washington, D.C. and New York City. Gracie Gold bounced back from a shaky short program with a flawless free skate to win her second U.S. Figure Skating title at the championship in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Jeanne Moreau is 89. Actress Chita Rivera is 84. Actor-director Lou Antonio is 83. Jazz musician Gary Burton is 74. Actor Gil Gerard is 74. Actor Rutger Hauer is 73. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jerry Lawson is 73. Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., is 70. Singer Anita Pointer is 69. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 67. Rock musician Bill Cunningham is 67. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 64. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is 64. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 60. Singer Anita Baker is 59. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 58. Actor Boris McGiver is 55. Actress Gail O'Grady is 54. Actress Mariska Hargitay is 53. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Nelson is 46. Actress Tiffani Thiessen is 43. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 42. Christian rock musician Nick DePartee (Kutless) is 32. Singer-actress Rachel Crow is 19.

Thought for Today: "It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy." -- Chinese proverb.