Monday, January 31, 2005
Today's Highlights in History
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On Jan. 31, 1865, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery. (Go to article.)
On Jan. 31 , 1919, Jackie Robinson , who made history in 1947 by becoming the first black baseball player in the major leagues , was born. Following his death on Oct. 24 , 1972, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)
On January 31, 1863, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the Civil War. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1606
Guy Fawkes, convicted for his part in the ''Gunpowder Plot'' against the English Parliament and King James I, was executed.
1797
Composer Franz Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria.
1865
Gen. Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate armies.
1917
Germany announced its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
1944
U.S. forces invaded the Japanese-held Marshall Islands during World War II.
1945
Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.
1949
The first TV daytime soap opera, ''These Are My Children,'' was broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago.
1950
President Harry S. Truman announced that he had ordered development of the hydrogen bomb.
1958
The United States entered the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite into orbit, Explorer I.
1971
Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.
1990
McDonald's Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow.
2000
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker was suspended by baseball commissioner Bud Selig for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in a Sports Illustrated interview.
2000
An Alaska Airlines jet plunged into the ocean off Southern California on a flight from Mexico to San Francisco, killing all 88 people on board.
2001
A Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands convicted one Libyan and acquitted a second in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
2004
Six U.S.-bound flights from England, Scotland and France were canceled because of security concerns.
Current Birthdays
Anthony LaPaglia turns 46 years old today.
AP Photo/Reed Saxon Actor Anthony LaPaglia (''Without a Trace'') turns 46 years old today.
84
Carol ChanningActress
82
Norman MailerAuthor
76
Jean SimmonsActress
73
Ernie BanksBaseball hall-of-famer
68
Philip GlassComposer
68
Suzanne PleshetteActress (''The Bob Newhart Show'')
65
Stuart MargolinActor
64
Richard A. GephardtFormer House minority leader
61
Charlie MusselwhiteBlues singer-musician
57
Nolan RyanBaseball hall-of-famer
54
KCSinger-musician (KC and the Sunshine Band)
49
Johnny RottenRock singer (The Sex Pistols)
46
Kelly LynchActress
44
Lloyd ColeSinger-musician
42
John DyeActor
39
Al JaworskiRock musician (Jesus Jones)
32
Portia de RossiActress (''Arrested Development,'' ''Ally McBeal'')
28
Kerry WashingtonActress (''Ray'')
24
Justin TimberlakeSinger
Historic Birthdays
Jackie Robinson
1/31/1919 - 10/24/1972African/American baseball player (Go to obit.)
72
Robert Morris1/31/1734 - 5/8/1806American merchant/banker
54
Andre-Jacques Garnerin1/31/1769 - 8/18/1823French parachutist
85
Charles Green1/31/1785 - 3/26/1870English balloonist
70
Sam Loyd1/31/1841 - 4/10/1911American puzzlemaker
58
George Perkins1/31/1862 - 6/18/1920American insurance executive
67
Zane Grey1/31/1872 - 10/23/1939American Western writer
49
Anna Pavlova1/31/1881 - 1/23/1931Russian ballerina
72
Eddie Cantor1/31/1892 - 10/10/1964American comedian
84
Alva Myrdal1/31/1902 - 2/1/1986Swedish diplomat
65
John O'Hara1/31/1905 - 4/11/1970American writer
53
Thomas Merton1/31/1915 - 12/10/1968American Catholic monk/poet
Go to a previous date.
SOURCE: The Associated PressFront Page Image Provided by UMI
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
Children's Privacy Notice
See a larger version of this front page.
On Jan. 31, 1865, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery. (Go to article.)
On Jan. 31 , 1919, Jackie Robinson , who made history in 1947 by becoming the first black baseball player in the major leagues , was born. Following his death on Oct. 24 , 1972, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)
On January 31, 1863, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the Civil War. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1606
Guy Fawkes, convicted for his part in the ''Gunpowder Plot'' against the English Parliament and King James I, was executed.
1797
Composer Franz Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria.
1865
Gen. Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate armies.
1917
Germany announced its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
1944
U.S. forces invaded the Japanese-held Marshall Islands during World War II.
1945
Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.
1949
The first TV daytime soap opera, ''These Are My Children,'' was broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago.
1950
President Harry S. Truman announced that he had ordered development of the hydrogen bomb.
1958
The United States entered the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite into orbit, Explorer I.
1971
Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.
1990
McDonald's Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow.
2000
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker was suspended by baseball commissioner Bud Selig for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in a Sports Illustrated interview.
2000
An Alaska Airlines jet plunged into the ocean off Southern California on a flight from Mexico to San Francisco, killing all 88 people on board.
2001
A Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands convicted one Libyan and acquitted a second in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
2004
Six U.S.-bound flights from England, Scotland and France were canceled because of security concerns.
Current Birthdays
Anthony LaPaglia turns 46 years old today.
AP Photo/Reed Saxon Actor Anthony LaPaglia (''Without a Trace'') turns 46 years old today.
84
Carol ChanningActress
82
Norman MailerAuthor
76
Jean SimmonsActress
73
Ernie BanksBaseball hall-of-famer
68
Philip GlassComposer
68
Suzanne PleshetteActress (''The Bob Newhart Show'')
65
Stuart MargolinActor
64
Richard A. GephardtFormer House minority leader
61
Charlie MusselwhiteBlues singer-musician
57
Nolan RyanBaseball hall-of-famer
54
KCSinger-musician (KC and the Sunshine Band)
49
Johnny RottenRock singer (The Sex Pistols)
46
Kelly LynchActress
44
Lloyd ColeSinger-musician
42
John DyeActor
39
Al JaworskiRock musician (Jesus Jones)
32
Portia de RossiActress (''Arrested Development,'' ''Ally McBeal'')
28
Kerry WashingtonActress (''Ray'')
24
Justin TimberlakeSinger
Historic Birthdays
Jackie Robinson
1/31/1919 - 10/24/1972African/American baseball player (Go to obit.)
72
Robert Morris1/31/1734 - 5/8/1806American merchant/banker
54
Andre-Jacques Garnerin1/31/1769 - 8/18/1823French parachutist
85
Charles Green1/31/1785 - 3/26/1870English balloonist
70
Sam Loyd1/31/1841 - 4/10/1911American puzzlemaker
58
George Perkins1/31/1862 - 6/18/1920American insurance executive
67
Zane Grey1/31/1872 - 10/23/1939American Western writer
49
Anna Pavlova1/31/1881 - 1/23/1931Russian ballerina
72
Eddie Cantor1/31/1892 - 10/10/1964American comedian
84
Alva Myrdal1/31/1902 - 2/1/1986Swedish diplomat
65
John O'Hara1/31/1905 - 4/11/1970American writer
53
Thomas Merton1/31/1915 - 12/10/1968American Catholic monk/poet
Go to a previous date.
SOURCE: The Associated PressFront Page Image Provided by UMI
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
Children's Privacy Notice
