January 3
Today in America's Present Past
1777 | War of Independence: Washington beat the British at the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey.
1783 | SCOTUS: John Marshall wed Mary Willis Ambler.
1793 | Suffrage leader Lucretia Mott was born.
1823 | Mexico granted Stephen Austin land in Texas.
1834 | Mexico imprisoned Stephen Austin.
1853 | Civil Rights: “Twelve Years a Slave” author Solomon Northrup was freed.
1861 | Civil War: Delaware legislature defeated a resolution to join the Confederacy.
1870 | Construction begins on New York’s Brooklyn Bridge.
1882 | Entrepreneur James Merritt Ives died.
1886 | Poet John Gould Fletcher was born.
1888 | The First drinking straw patient was issued to Marvin C. Stone.
1890 | First “Dairy” college opens at the University of Wisconsin.
1899 | New York Times prints the first instance of the word “automobile.”
1901 | Philosopher Eric Voegelin was born.
1909 | Entertainer Victor Borge was born.
1911 | SCOTUS: Justice Willis Van Devanter was sworn in.
1916 | Engineer Grenville M. Dodge died.
1918 | POTUS: Democrat President Wilson opened an Employment Service within the Department of Labor.
1933 | The first female state legislative Speaker of the House, Minnie Craig, was elected in North Dakota.
1938 | March of Dimes founded to fight polio.
1944 | WWII: U.S. ace Pappy Boyington was shot down by Japanese forces.
1946 | Charles “Lucky” Luciano was pardoned.
1949 | Congress: Congressman William Dawson becomes the first African American Committee Chairman.
1952 | TV: The premiere of “Dragnet.”
1953 | Congress: The first mother-son service in Congress occurred with the swearing-in of Frances and Oliver Bolton.
1956 | Actor Mel Gibson was born.
1957 | Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric wristwatch.
1959 | Statehood: Alaska joined the Union.
1961 | U.S. and Cuba severed diplomatic relations.
1962 | Author Francesca Lia Block was born.
1967 | Assassin Jack Ruby died.
1977 | Apple was founded by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs.
1979 | Entrepreneur Conrad Hilton died.
1987 | Aretha Franklin was the first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1989 | Poet Nick Virgilio died.
1990 | Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was captured by U.S. forces.
1993 | POTUS: Republican President Bush signed the Start II treaty with Russia.
2015 | Edward Brooke, the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate, died.
2020 | War on Terror: U.S. drone strike kills terrorist coordinator Iranian General Soleimani.