Today in History - Jan. 3
Associated Press
Today is Saturday, Jan. 3, the third day of 2004. There are 362 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Jan. 3, 1777, Gen. George Washington's army routed the British in the Battle of Princeton, N.J.
On this date:
In 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1868, the Meiji Restoration re-established the authority of Japan's emperor and heralded the fall of the military rulers known as "shoguns."
In 1938, the "March of Dimes" campaign to fight polio was organized.
In 1947, congressional proceedings were televised for the first time as viewers in Washington, Philadelphia and New York got to see some of the opening ceremonies of the 80th Congress.
In 1959, President Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Alaska to the Union as the 49th state.
In 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.
In 1967, Jack Ruby, the man who shot accused presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, died in a Dallas hospital.
In 1990, ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, 10 days after taking refuge in the Vatican's diplomatic mission.
In 1993, President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a historic nuclear missile-reduction treaty in Moscow.
In 2000, the last new daily "Peanuts" strip by Charles Schulz ran in 2,600 newspapers.
Ten years ago: The White House promised a government-wide effort to learn the extent of human radiation testing during the Cold War era. A deadly prison riot broke out in Maracaibo, Venezuela, claiming over a hundred lives.
Five years ago: Chicagoans dug out from their biggest snowstorm in more than 30 years. Israeli authorities detained, and later expelled, 14 members of Concerned Christians, a Denver-based cult that Israeli officials feared was plotting violence in Jerusalem to bring about the Second Coming of Christ.
One year ago: Taking a brief timeout from his two-week vacation, President George W. Bush visited Fort Hood in Texas, where he rallied Army troops as the nation faced the prospect of war with Iraq. David Westerfield, the man who'd kidnapped and murdered 7-year-old neighbor Danielle van Dam, was sentenced to death by a judge in San Diego. Ohio State won its first championship in 34 years, beating Miami 31-24 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Today's Birthdays: Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Hank Stram is 81. Record producer Sir George Martin is 78. Actor Robert Loggia is 74. Actor Dabney Coleman is 72. Journalist-author Betty Rollin is 68. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hull is 65. Singer-songwriter-producer Van Dyke Parks is 61. Musician Stephen Stills is 59. Rock musician John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) is 58. Actress Victoria Principal is 54. Actor-director Mel Gibson is 48. Actress Shannon Sturges is 36. Jazz musician James Carter is 35. Contemporary Christian singer Nichole Nordeman is 32. Actor Jason Marsden is 29. Actress Danica McKellar is 29. Actor Nicholas Gonzalez is 28. Actor Alex D. Linz is 15.
Thought for Today: "Experience is a wonderful thing; it enables you to recognize a mistake every time you repeat it." - Anonymous.
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