Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 10, the 10th day of 2023. There are 355 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 10, 1776, Thomas Paine anonymously published his influential pamphlet, "Common Sense," which argued for American independence from British rule.

On this date:

In 1860, the Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, collapsed and caught fire, killing up to 145 people, mostly female workers from Scotland and Ireland.

In 1861, Florida became the third state to secede from the Union.

In 1863, the London Underground had its beginnings as the Metropolitan, the world's first underground passenger railway, opened to the public with service between Paddington and Farringdon Street.

In 1870, John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil.

In 1920, the League of Nations was established as the Treaty of Versailles went into effect.

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson, in his State of the Union address, asked Congress to impose a surcharge on both corporate and individual income taxes to help pay for his "Great Society" programs as well as the war in Vietnam. Massachusetts Republican Edward W. Brooke, the first Black person elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, took his seat.

In 1971, French fashion designer Coco Chanel died in Paris at age 87.

In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century.

In 2002, Marines began flying hundreds of al-Qaida prisoners in Afghanistan to a U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In 2003, North Korea withdrew from a global treaty barring it from making nuclear weapons.

In 2007, President George W. Bush said he took responsibility for any mistakes in Iraq and announced an increase in U.S. troops there to quell violence. The Democratic-controlled House voted 315-116 to increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.

In 2011, a judge in Austin, Texas, ordered former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to serve three years in prison for his money laundering conviction. (DeLay's conviction was ultimately overturned.) No. 1 Auburn beat No. 2 Oregon 22-19 on a last-second field goal to win the BCS national title.

Ten years ago: Vice President Joe Biden met with representatives from the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups as he worked on recommendations to curb gun violence. A series of bombings in different parts of Pakistan killed nearly 200 people. Three Kurdish women, including a founder of a militant separatist group battling Turkish troops, were found shot to death in Paris. Major League Baseball announced it would test for human growth hormone throughout the regular season and increase efforts to detect abnormal levels of testosterone.

Five years ago: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra said Charles Dutoit had stepped down as artistic director and principal conductor after multiple allegations of sexual assault. After nine terms in the House, California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa announced that he would not seek re-election.

One year ago: Robert Durst, the New York real estate heir who was sentenced to life in prison for killing his best friend, died at a hospital outside the California prison where he'd been serving the sentence; he was 78. Novak Djokovic returned to the tennis court for training after winning a round in the legal battle to stay in Australia and compete in the Australian Open; a judge reinstated his visa, which had been pulled after officials said he didn't qualify for an exemption to a rule requiring all non-citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19. (Djokovic would eventually be deported for almost a year before returning for the Australian Open in 2023.) Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes to lead Georgia to a 33-18 win over Alabama for its first national championship in 41 years.

Today's birthdays: Jan. 10: Opera singer Sherrill Milnes is 88. Movie director Walter Hill is 83. Actor William Sanderson is 79. Singer Rod Stewart is 78. Rock singer-musician Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) is 75. Boxing Hall of Famer and entrepreneur George Foreman is 74. Roots rock singer Alejandro Escovedo is 72. Rock musician Scott Thurston (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) is 71. Singer Pat Benatar is 70. Hall of Fame race car driver and team owner Bobby Rahal is 69. Rock musician Michael Schenker (UFO) is 68. Singer Shawn Colvin is 67. Rock singer-musician Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets) is 64. Actor Evan Handler is 62. Rock singer Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) is 59. Actor Trini Alvarado is 56. Rock singer Brent Smith (Shinedown) is 45. Rapper Chris Smith (Kris Kross) is 44. Actor Sarah Shahi is 43. American roots singer Valerie June is 41.