Today in History

Today is Thursday, Jan. 25, the 25th day of 2018. There are 340 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 25, 1858, Britain's Princess Victoria, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, married Crown Prince Frederick William, the future German Emperor and King of Prussia, at St. James's Palace. (The ceremony's tradition-setting music, personally selected by the Princess Royal, included the "Bridal Chorus" from Richard Wagner's "Lohengrin" and the "Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn.)

On this date:

In 1533, England's King Henry VIII secretly married his second wife, Anne Boleyn, who later gave birth to Elizabeth I.

In 1890, reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) of the New York World completed a round-the-world journey in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. The United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1915, America's first official transcontinental telephone call took place as Alexander Graham Bell, who was in New York, spoke to his former assistant, Thomas Watson, who was in San Francisco, over a line set up by American Telephone & Telegraph.

In 1924, the first Winter Olympic Games opened in Chamonix, France.

In 1945, the World War II Battle of the Bulge ended as German forces were pushed back to their original positions. Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first community to add fluoride to its public water supply.

In 1955, the Soviet Union formally ended its state of war with Germany.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy held the first presidential news conference to be carried live on radio and television.

In 1971, Charles Manson and three women followers were convicted in Los Angeles of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 slayings of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate. Idi Amin seized power in Uganda by ousting President Milton Obote in a military coup.

In 1981, the 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived in the United States.

In 1990, an Avianca Boeing 707 ran out of fuel and crashed in Cove Neck, Long Island, New York; 73 of the 158 people aboard were killed. Actress Ava Gardner died in London at age 67.

In 1993, a gunman shot and killed two CIA employees outside agency headquarters in Virginia (Pakistani national Mir Aimal Kansi was later tried and convicted of the shootings, and executed). Sears announced that it would no longer publish its famous century-old catalog.

In 1998, Pope John Paul II ended his historic journey to Cuba.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush urged Congress to quickly pass an economic stimulus package void of extraneous spending, saying only quick action would kick-start the sputtering economy. Democrat Dennis Kucinich abandoned his presidential bid to focus on re-election to Congress.

Five years ago: The U.S. Department of Education declared that students with disabilities had to be given a fair shot to play on a traditional sports team or have their own leagues. Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators marched through Washington to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to protest the landmark decision that legalized abortion. A prison riot in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, claimed 58 lives, nearly all of them inmates.

One year ago: President Donald Trump moved aggressively to tighten the nation's immigration controls, signing executive actions to jumpstart construction of his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall and cut federal grants for immigrant-protecting "sanctuary cities." The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 20,000 points for the first time, ending the day at 20,068, two months after the index crossed 19,000 points. Death claimed actress Mary Tyler Moore at age 80 and actor John Hurt at age 77.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Claude Gray is 86. Actress Leigh Taylor-Young is 73. Actress Jenifer Lewis is 61. Country musician Mike Burch (River Road) is 52. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kina is 49. Actress China Kantner is 47. Actress Ana Ortiz is 47. Drummer Joe Sirois (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) is 46. Musician Matt Odmark (Jars of Clay) is 44. Actress Mia Kirshner is 43. Actress Christine Lakin is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Alicia Keys is 37. Actor Michael Trevino is 33. Pop musician Calum Hood (5 Seconds to Summer) is 22. Actress Olivia Edward is 11.

Thought for Today: "Love must be learned, and learned again and again; there is no end to it. Hate needs no instruction, but wants only to be provoked." -- Katherine Anne Porter, American author (1894-1980).