Today in History

Today is Sunday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2022. There are 342 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 23, 2020, Chinese state media said the city of Wuhan would be shutting down outbound flights and trains, trying to halt the spread of a new virus that had sickened hundreds of people and killed at least 17. The World Health Organization said the viral illness in China was not yet a global health emergency, though the head of the U.N. health agency added that "it may yet become one."

On this date:

In 1368, China's Ming dynasty, which lasted nearly three centuries, began as Zhu Yuanzhang was formally acclaimed emperor following the collapse of the Yuan dynasty.

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

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

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

In 1962, Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Tony Bennett recorded "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in New York for Columbia Records.

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 U.S. Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, commanded by Lloyd "Pete" Bucher, charging its crew with being on a spying mission; one sailor was killed and 82 were taken prisoner. (Cmdr. Bucher and his crew were released the following December after enduring 11 months of brutal captivity at the hands of the North Koreans.)

In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War, and would be formally signed four days later in Paris.

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

In 1998, fighting scandal allegations involving Monica Lewinsky, President Clinton assured his Cabinet during a meeting that he was innocent and urged them to concentrate on their jobs.

In 2002, John Walker Lindh, a U.S.-born Taliban fighter, was returned to the United States to face criminal charges that he'd conspired to kill fellow Americans. (Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to providing support for the Taliban; he was released in May 2019 after serving more than 17 years.)

In 2020, in a second day of opening arguments at President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, Democratic prosecutors made the case that Trump had abused power like no other president in history, swept up by a "completely bogus" theory about Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. PBS announced that Jim Lehrer, the longtime host of the nightly "NewsHour" and the moderator of 11 presidential debates, had died at the age of 85.

Ten 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.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the sweeping Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, using one of his first actions in office to reject a proposed accord that was eagerly sought by American allies in Asia. Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo was sworn in as CIA director immediately after the Senate confirmed his nomination, 66-32.

One year ago: The U.S. reaffirmed its support for Taiwan following China's dispatch of warplanes near the island. Protests erupted in dozens of cities across Russia to demand the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Restaurants and certain bars across Chicago opened their doors to customers for the first time in months after winning approval from Illinois health officials. Hal Holbrook, the actor who toured the world for more than 50 years as Mark Twain in a one-man show and appeared as "Deep Throat" in "All the President's Men," died at 95 in California. Larry King, known for decades of broadcast interviews with world leaders, movie stars and ordinary Joes, died at a Los Angeles hospital at 87. Screenwriter Walter Bernstein, among the last survivors of Hollywood's anti-Communist blacklist, died at the age of 101.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Chita Rivera is 89. Actor-director Lou Antonio is 88. Jazz musician Gary Burton is 79. Actor Gil Gerard is 79. Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., is 75. Singer Anita Pointer is 74. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 72. Rock musician Bill Cunningham is 72. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 69. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is 69. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 65. Singer Anita Baker is 64. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 63. Actor Peter Mackenzie is 61. Actor Boris McGiver is 60. Actor Gail O'Grady is 59. Actor Mariska Hargitay is 58. R&B singer Marc Nelson is 51. CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell is 48. Actor Tiffani Thiessen is 48. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 47. Actor Lindsey Kraft is 42. Singer-actor Rachel Crow is 24.