Today is Tuesday, Jan. 10, the tenth day of 2006. There are 355 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 10, 1776, Thomas Paine published his influential pamphlet, “Common Sense.”
On this date:
In 1861, Florida seceded from the Union.
In 1863, London’s Metropolitan, the world’s first underground passenger railway, opened to the public.
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 1946, the first manmade contact with the moon was made as radar signals were bounced off the lunar surface.
In 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations convened in London.
In 1947, the musical fantasy “Finian’s Rainbow,” with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, opened on Broadway.
In 1957, Harold Macmillan became prime minister of Britain, following the resignation of Anthony Eden.
In 1971, “Masterpiece Theatre” premiered on PBS with host Alistair Cooke introducing a drama series, “The First Churchills.”
In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century.
Ten years ago: Russian troops allowed a convoy of Chechen rebels and 160 hostages to head for Chechnya, then surrounded them in the village of Pervomayskaya. (After a five-day standoff, Russian troops launched a massive military assault that resulted in the deaths of most of the rebels and some of the hostages.)
Five years ago: President-elect Bush moved quickly in search of a new candidate for labor secretary after the abrupt withdrawal of his first choice, Linda Chavez. Bush and his national security team received a top-secret Pentagon briefing on military challenges around the world.
One year ago: CBS issued a damning independent review of mistakes related to a “60 Minutes Wednesday” report on President Bush’s National Guard service and fired three news executives and a producer for their “myopic zeal” in rushing it to air. A mudslide in La Conchita, Calif., crushed homes and killed 10 residents. Gunmen assassinated Baghdad’s deputy police chief and his son; Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility. Ukraine’s Election Commission declared Viktor Yushchenko the winner of the presidential vote. Former Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden died in Petaluma, Calif., at age 66.
Today’s Birthdays: Jazz musician Max Roach is 82. Opera singer Sherrill Milnes is 71. Blues artist Eddy Clearwater is 71. Rock singer-musician Ronnie Hawkins is 71. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie McCovey is 68. Singer Scott McKenzie is 67. Movie director Walter Hill is 64. Singer Frank Sinatra Junior is 62. Singer Rod Stewart is 61. Rock singer-musician Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) is 58. Actor William Sanderson is 58. Boxer George Foreman is 57. Singer Pat Benatar is 53. Rock musician Michel Schenker is 51. Singer Shawn Colvin is 48. Rock singer-musician Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets) is 47. Actor Evan Handler is 45. Rock singer Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) is 42. Actress Trini Alvarado is 39. Rock musician Matt Roberts (3 Doors Down) is 28. Rapper Chris Smith (Kris Kross) is 27.
Thought for Today: “History must speak for itself. A historian is content if he has been able to shed more light.” -- William L. Shirer, American author and journalist (1904-1993).