Today in History

Today is Friday, Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2021. There are 336 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 29, 1979, President Jimmy Carter formally welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping to the White House, following the establishment of diplomatic relations.

On this date:

In 1820, King George III died at Windsor Castle at age 81; he was succeeded by his son, who became King George IV.

In 1845, Edgar Allan Poe's famous narrative poem "The Raven" ("Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary...") was first published in the New York Evening Mirror.

In 1919, the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which launched Prohibition, was certified by Acting Secretary of State Frank L. Polk.

In 1936, the first inductees of baseball's Hall of Fame, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, were named in Cooperstown, New York.

In 1963, the first charter members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were named in Canton, Ohio (they were enshrined when the Hall opened in September 1963). Poet Robert Frost died in Boston at age 88.

In 1966, the musical comedy "Sweet Charity" starring Gwen Verdon opened on Broadway.

In 1975, a bomb exploded inside the U.S. State Department in Washington, causing considerable damage, but injuring no one; the radical group Weather Underground claimed responsibility.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced in a nationally broadcast message that he and Vice President George H.W. Bush would seek re-election in the fall.

In 1998, a bomb rocked an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, killing security guard Robert Sanderson and critically injuring nurse Emily Lyons. (The bomber, Eric Rudolph, was captured in May 2003 and is serving a life sentence.)

In 2002, in his first State of the Union address, President George W. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America -- and he warned of "an axis of evil" consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq.

In 2006, ABC "World News Tonight" co-anchor Bob Woodruff and a cameraman were seriously injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq.

In 2015, Rod McKuen, whose music, verse and spoken-word recordings made him one of the best-selling poets in history, died at 81.

Ten years ago: With protests raging, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak named his intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, as his first-ever vice president. Kim Clijsters finally won her first Australian Open title and the fourth major of her career, as she beat Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Avant-garde composer Milton Babbitt, 94, died in Princeton, N.J.

Five years ago: The Obama administration confirmed for the first time that Hillary Clinton's home server contained closely guarded government secrets. An avalanche in the Canadian province of British Columbia left five people riding snowmobiles dead. Two American endurance athletes, Daniel Cartica of Chicago and Becca Pizzi of Belmont, Massachusetts, won the World Marathon Challenge by completing seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. French movie director Jacques Rivette, 87, died in Paris.

One year ago: A charter flight evacuating 195 Americans, including diplomats and their families, left the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the new viral outbreak; they would undergo three days of testing and monitoring at a California military base. World health officials expressed concern that the virus was starting to spread between people outside China. President Donald Trump's lawyers asserted at his Senate trial that a trade of U.S. military aid for political favors - even if proven - could not be grounds for his impeachment. Trump signed into law the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a major rewrite of the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico.

Today's Birthdays: Writer-composer-lyricist Leslie Bricusse is 90. Feminist author Germaine Greer is 82. Actor Katharine Ross is 81. Feminist author Robin Morgan is 80. Actor Tom Selleck is 76. R&B singer Bettye LaVette is 75. Actor Marc Singer is 73. Actor Ann Jillian is 71. Rock musician Louie Perez (Los Lobos) is 68. R&B singer Charlie Wilson is 68. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is 67. Actor Terry Kinney is 67. Country singer Irlene Mandrell is 65. Actor Diane Delano is 64. Actor Judy Norton (TV: "The Waltons") is 63. Rock musician Johnny Spampinato is 62. Olympic gold-medal diver Greg Louganis is 61. Rock musician David Baynton-Power (James) is 60. Rock musician Eddie Jackson (Queensryche) is 60. Actor Nicholas Turturro is 59. Rock singer-musician Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera) is 57. Actor-director Edward Burns is 53. Actor Sam Trammell is 52. Actor Heather Graham is 51. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is 51. Actor Sharif Atkins is 46. Actor Sara Gilbert is 46. Actor Kelly Packard is 46. Actor Justin Hartley is 44. Actor Sam Jaeger is 44. Writer and TV personality Jedediah Bila is 42. Actor Andrew Keegan is 42. Actor Jason James Richter is 41. Blues musician Jonny Lang is 40. Pop-rock singer Adam Lambert (TV: "American Idol") is 39. Country singer Eric Paslay is 38.