January 26
Today our friends and Dwellers down under celebrate
Australia Day.
Events
1531 – The
Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
1564 – The
Council of Trent establishes an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
1699 – For the first time, the
Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers.
1700 – The
Cascadia earthquake takes place off the west coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
1808 – Governor of New South Wales
William Bligh (pictured) was
deposed by the New South Wales Corps in the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia's recorded history. Known as the Rum Rebellion.
1837 –
Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
1856 – First
Battle of Seattle. Marines from the
USS Decatur drive off American Indian attackers after all day battle with settlers.
1861 – American Civil War: The state of
Louisiana secedes from the Union.
1863 – American Civil War: General
Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the
disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by
Joseph Hooker.
1863 – American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts
John Albion Andrew receives permission from the Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.
1870 –
Reconstruction Era:
Virginia rejoins the Union.
1905 – The world's largest diamond ever, the
Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the
Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
1915 – The
Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.
1920 – Former Ford Motor Company executive
Henry Leland launches the
Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer. Leyland also founded (or co-founded)
Cadillac Motor Cars.
1942 –
World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe landing in Northern Ireland.
1945 – World War II:
Audie Murphy displays valor and bravery in action (at the age of 19) at the
Colmar Pocket, for which he will later be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Citation.
1949 – The
Hale telescope at
Palomar Observatory sees
first light under the direction of
Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until
BTA-6 is built in 1976).
1965 - During a Rolling Stones tour of Australia and New Zealand, guitarist
Keith Richards had his shirt torn off after 50 fans invaded the stage during the gig at The Town Hall in Brisbane. And on Australia Day, too.
1980 -
Prince made his TV debut on the US show
American Bandstand. When interviewed after his performance the singer froze up and struggled to reply to the questions he was being asked.
1986 -
Allen Collins, guitarist from
Lynyrd Skynyrd, crashed his car, paralyzing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend Debra Jean Watts. Collins had survived
the plane crash in 1977 that killed two other band members. As part of his plea bargain for the 1986 accident, Collins addressed fans at every Skynyrd concert with an explanation of why he could not perform, citing the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as drugs and alcohol.
1992 –
Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
1998 –
Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President
Bill Clinton denies having had "sexual relations" with former White House intern
Monica Lewinsky. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky." Liar.


2003 -
Billy Joel was airlifted to a hospital after his car smashed into a tree in The Hamptons. The singer lost control of his
Mercedes S500 and skidded for 100 yards before crashing.
2005 –
Glendale train crash: Two trains derail killing 11 and injuring 200 in Glendale, California, near Los Angeles. The derailment is caused by an SUV parked on the tracks. The SUV owner was charged with, and convicted of, 11 counts of murder "with special circumstances". Ultimately, he was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences, without the possibility of parole.
Births
1832 – George Shiras, Jr.; 1880 – Douglas MacArthur; 1891 – Frank Costello "The Prime Minister of the Underworld" (mob boss); 1905 –
Charles Lane; 1905 – Maria von Trapp (of the
The Sound of Music von Trapps); 1913 – Jimmy Van Heusen

; 1918 – Nicolae Ceaușescu; 1921 – Eddie Barclay (founded Barclay Records); 1921 – Akio Morita (co-founded Sony); 1925 – Joan Leslie (Sergeant York); 1925 – Paul Newman


; 1935 – Bob Uecker ("I must be in the front row."); 1941 – Scott Glenn; 1944 – Merrilee Rush♪ ♫; 1944 – Jerry Sandusky (kiddie fiddler); 1946 – Gene Siskel

; 1949 – David Strathairn; 1951 – Christopher North

(Ambrosia); 1953 – Lucinda Williams♪ ♫; 1955 – Eddie Van Halen

(Van Halen,
duh); 1958 – Anita Baker♪ ♫; 1961 – Wayne Gretzky "The Great One"; 1961 – Tom Keifer♪ ♫(Cindrella); 1963 – Andrew Ridgeley♪ ♫(Wham!); 1970 – Kirk Franklin♪ ♫
Deaths
1893 – Abner Doubleday; 1932 – William Wrigley, Jr. (the gum guy); 1948 – John Lomax♪ ♫; 1962 – Charles "Lucky" Luciano; 1973 – Edward G. Robinson; 1979 – Nelson Rockefeller (41st VPOTUS); 1983 – Bear Bryant; 1992 – José Ferrer; 1997 – Jeane Dixon; 2004 – Fred Haas; 2011 – Charlie Louvin♪ ♫(Louvin Bros); 2016 – Abe Vigoda (no, he really was dead this time)