Today in History

Today is Sunday, Jan. 7, the seventh day of 2018. There are 358 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History:

On Jan. 7, 1789, America held its first presidential election as voters chose electors who, a month later, selected George Washington to be the nation's first chief executive.

On this date:

In 1610, astronomer Galileo Galilei began observing three of Jupiter's moons (he spotted a fourth moon almost a week later).

In 1800, the 13th president of the United States, Millard Fillmore, was born in Summerhill, New York.

In 1904, the Marconi International Marine Communication Company of London announced that the telegraphed letters "CQD" would serve as a maritime distress call (it was later replaced with "SOS").

In 1927, commercial transatlantic telephone service was inaugurated between New York and London.

In 1942, Japanese forces began besieging American and Filipino troops in Bataan during World War II. (The fall of Bataan three months later was followed by the notorious Death March.)

In 1949, George C. Marshall resigned as U.S. Secretary of State; President Harry S. Truman chose Dean Acheson to succeed him.

In 1959, the United States recognized the new government of Cuba, six days after Fidel Castro led the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

In 1963, the U.S. Post Office raised the cost of a first-class stamp from 4 to 5 cents.

In 1979, Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, overthrowing the Khmer Rouge government.

In 1989, Emperor Hirohito of Japan died in Tokyo at age 87; he was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Akihito.

In 1999, for the second time in history, an impeached American president went on trial before the Senate. President Bill Clinton faced charges of perjury and obstruction of justice; he was acquitted.

In 2015, masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French newspaper that had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, methodically killing 12 people before escaping. (Two suspects were killed two days later.) Actor Rod Taylor 82, died in Los Angeles.

Ten years ago: The Pentagon reported that an Iranian fleet of high-speed boats had charged at and threatened to blow up a three-ship U.S. Navy convoy in the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier, then vanished as the American ship commanders were preparing to open fire. Second-ranked LSU defeated No. 1 Ohio State, 38-24, in the BCS championship game played in New Orleans. Philip Agee, a renegade CIA agent whose naming of operatives led to a law against exposing spies, died in Cuba at age 72.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama announced he would nominate former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel as his next defense secretary, calling him "the leader our troops deserve"; Obama also chose White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. The No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide rolled top-ranked Notre Dame 42-14 for the BCS championship.

One year ago: President-elect Donald Trump, in a series of tweets, said "only 'stupid' people or fools" would dismiss closer ties with Russia, and he seemed unswayed after his classified briefing on an intelligence report that accused Moscow of meddling on his behalf in the election that catapulted him to power. Nat Hentoff, an eclectic columnist, critic, novelist and agitator dedicated to music, free expression and defying the party line, died in New York at age 91.

Today's Birthdays: Magazine publisher Jann Wenner is 72. Singer Kenny Loggins is 70. Singer-songwriter Marshall Chapman is 69. Actress Erin Gray is 68. Actor Sammo Hung is 66. Actress Jodi Long is 64. Actor David Caruso is 62. Talk show host Katie Couric is 61. Country singer David Lee Murphy is 59. Rock musician Kathy Valentine is 59. Actor David Marciano is 58. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., is 57. Actress Hallie Todd is 56. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is 55. Actor Nicolas Cage is 54. Singer-songwriter John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) is 53. Actor Rex Lee is 49. Actor Doug E. Doug is 48. Actor Kevin Rahm is 47. Actor Jeremy Renner is 47. Country singer-musician John Rich is 44. Actor Dustin Diamond is 41. Actor Reggie Austin is 39. Singer-rapper Aloe Blacc is 39. Actress Lauren Cohan is 36. Actor Brett Dalton is 35. Actor Robert Ri'chard is 35. Actress Lyndsy Fonseca is 31. Actor Liam Aiken is 28. Actress Camryn Grimes is 28. Actor Max Morrow is 27. Actor Marcus Scribner is 18.

Thought for Today: "There may be Peace without Joy, and Joy without Peace, but the two combined make Happiness." -- John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Scottish author (1875-1940).