January 2
1788 - Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
1811 - Sen. Timothy Pickering, a Federalist from Massachusetts, became the first member of the U.S. Senate to be censured after he'd improperly revealed the contents of an executive document.
1879 - Thomas Edison gave the first public demonstration of an electric incandescent lamp.
1900 - U.S. Secretary of State John Hay announced the "Open Door Policy" to facilitate trade with China.
1929 - The United States and Canada reached agreement on joint action to preserve Niagara Falls.
1938 - The first breath test for drivers, the "drunkometer," was introduced in Indianapolis.
1942 - The Philippine capital of Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II.
1946 - President Harry S. Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.
1960 - Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts launched his successful bid for the presidency.
1961 - The Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid.
1963 - The Central African Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formally dissolved.
1964 - The al-Fatah guerrillas of Yasser Arafat launched their first terrorist raid on Israel.
1967 - Republican Ronald Reagan took the oath of office as the new governor of California in a ceremony that took place in Sacramento shortly after midnight.
1974 - President Richard Nixon signed legislation requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 miles an hour as a way of conserving gasoline in the face of an OPEC oil embargo. (The 55 mph limit was effectively phased out in 1987; federal speed limits were abolished in 1995.)
1987 - Robert Mugabe was sworn in as president of Zimbabwe.
2007 - The state funeral for former President Gerald R. Ford began with an elaborate service at Washington National Cathedral, then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
2016 - A heavily armed group led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, beginning a 41-day standoff to protest the imprisonment of two ranchers convicted of setting fires on public land and to demand the federal government turn over public lands to local control.
2018 - Sen. Al Franken formally resigned from the Senate a month after the Minnesota Democrat announced his plan to leave Congress amid a series of sexual misconduct allegations, while NBC News announced that Hoda Kotb would be the co-anchor of the first two hours of the "Today" show, replacing Matt Lauer following his firing due to sexual misconduct allegations.
2023 - At the Vatican, tens of thousands of people filed past the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as it lay in St. Peter's Basilica, while in Brazil, thousands paid their respects to soccer legend Pele in a procession past his coffin at Vila Belmiro Stadium in his hometown of Santos.
Birthdays
20 - Claire Rosinkranz (singer)
25 - Fernando Tatis Jr. (baseball player)
28 - Jilly Anais (singer)
31 - Bryson Tiller (singer)
36 - Mandy Harvey (singer)
37 - Shelley Hennig (actress)
39 - Peter Gadiot (actor)
41 - Anthony Carrigan (actor)
41 - Kate Bosworth (actress)
46 - Karina Smirnoff (dancer)
48 - Paz Vega (actress)
49 - Dax Shepard (actor)
53 - Taye Diggs (actor)
53 - Renee Elise Goldsberry (actress)
55 - Christy Turlington (model)
56 - Cuba Gooding Jr. (actor)
57 - Tia Carrere (actress)
61 - Edgar Martinez (baseball player)
61 - David Cone (baseball player)
63 - Gabrielle Carteris (actress)
70 - Cynthia Sikes (actress)
72 - Wendy Phillips (actress)
77 - Jack Hanna (TV host)
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Today in Sports History - January 2
1965 - "Broadway" Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football.
1966 - The Green Bay Packers defeat the Cleveland Browns 23-12 in the final NFL championship game. (The Super Bowl era began the following season.)
1971 - Sixty-six people were killed in a pileup of spectators leaving a soccer match at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.
1972 - Elvis Presley gave Muhammad Ali a $10000 robe with "People's Champion" inscribed on it. Ali wore the robe on March 31, 1973 when he lost to Ken Norton.
1983 - Ken Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals) completed 20 consecutive passes to set an NFL record for passing accuracy.
1985 - UNLV basketball gives coach Jerry Tarkanian his 600th career victory with a 142-140 win over Utah State in triple overtime; total of 282 points breaks NCAA men's record of 275 set in 1976
1986 - Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scored his 500th career NHL goal.
1996 - Nebraska routs Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl to win a second consecutive national championship.
2002 - Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars scored his 400th career NHL goal. Modano became only the fourth United States-born player to reach 400 goals.
2002 - Ron Francis (Carolina Hurricanes) scored his 500th career NHL goal. Francis became only the fifth player in NHL history to reach 500 goals and 1,000 assists.
2023 - Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapses in cardiac arrest and is revived by CPR on the field in a televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
1788 - Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
1811 - Sen. Timothy Pickering, a Federalist from Massachusetts, became the first member of the U.S. Senate to be censured after he'd improperly revealed the contents of an executive document.
1879 - Thomas Edison gave the first public demonstration of an electric incandescent lamp.
1900 - U.S. Secretary of State John Hay announced the "Open Door Policy" to facilitate trade with China.
1929 - The United States and Canada reached agreement on joint action to preserve Niagara Falls.
1938 - The first breath test for drivers, the "drunkometer," was introduced in Indianapolis.
1942 - The Philippine capital of Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II.
1946 - President Harry S. Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.
1960 - Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts launched his successful bid for the presidency.
1961 - The Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid.
1963 - The Central African Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formally dissolved.
1964 - The al-Fatah guerrillas of Yasser Arafat launched their first terrorist raid on Israel.
1967 - Republican Ronald Reagan took the oath of office as the new governor of California in a ceremony that took place in Sacramento shortly after midnight.
1974 - President Richard Nixon signed legislation requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 miles an hour as a way of conserving gasoline in the face of an OPEC oil embargo. (The 55 mph limit was effectively phased out in 1987; federal speed limits were abolished in 1995.)
1987 - Robert Mugabe was sworn in as president of Zimbabwe.
2007 - The state funeral for former President Gerald R. Ford began with an elaborate service at Washington National Cathedral, then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
2016 - A heavily armed group led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, beginning a 41-day standoff to protest the imprisonment of two ranchers convicted of setting fires on public land and to demand the federal government turn over public lands to local control.
2018 - Sen. Al Franken formally resigned from the Senate a month after the Minnesota Democrat announced his plan to leave Congress amid a series of sexual misconduct allegations, while NBC News announced that Hoda Kotb would be the co-anchor of the first two hours of the "Today" show, replacing Matt Lauer following his firing due to sexual misconduct allegations.
2023 - At the Vatican, tens of thousands of people filed past the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as it lay in St. Peter's Basilica, while in Brazil, thousands paid their respects to soccer legend Pele in a procession past his coffin at Vila Belmiro Stadium in his hometown of Santos.
Birthdays
20 - Claire Rosinkranz (singer)
25 - Fernando Tatis Jr. (baseball player)
28 - Jilly Anais (singer)
31 - Bryson Tiller (singer)
36 - Mandy Harvey (singer)
37 - Shelley Hennig (actress)
39 - Peter Gadiot (actor)
41 - Anthony Carrigan (actor)
41 - Kate Bosworth (actress)
46 - Karina Smirnoff (dancer)
48 - Paz Vega (actress)
49 - Dax Shepard (actor)
53 - Taye Diggs (actor)
53 - Renee Elise Goldsberry (actress)
55 - Christy Turlington (model)
56 - Cuba Gooding Jr. (actor)
57 - Tia Carrere (actress)
61 - Edgar Martinez (baseball player)
61 - David Cone (baseball player)
63 - Gabrielle Carteris (actress)
70 - Cynthia Sikes (actress)
72 - Wendy Phillips (actress)
77 - Jack Hanna (TV host)
======================================
Today in Sports History - January 2
1965 - "Broadway" Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football.
1966 - The Green Bay Packers defeat the Cleveland Browns 23-12 in the final NFL championship game. (The Super Bowl era began the following season.)
1971 - Sixty-six people were killed in a pileup of spectators leaving a soccer match at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.
1972 - Elvis Presley gave Muhammad Ali a $10000 robe with "People's Champion" inscribed on it. Ali wore the robe on March 31, 1973 when he lost to Ken Norton.
1983 - Ken Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals) completed 20 consecutive passes to set an NFL record for passing accuracy.
1985 - UNLV basketball gives coach Jerry Tarkanian his 600th career victory with a 142-140 win over Utah State in triple overtime; total of 282 points breaks NCAA men's record of 275 set in 1976
1986 - Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scored his 500th career NHL goal.
1996 - Nebraska routs Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl to win a second consecutive national championship.
2002 - Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars scored his 400th career NHL goal. Modano became only the fourth United States-born player to reach 400 goals.
2002 - Ron Francis (Carolina Hurricanes) scored his 500th career NHL goal. Francis became only the fifth player in NHL history to reach 500 goals and 1,000 assists.
2023 - Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapses in cardiac arrest and is revived by CPR on the field in a televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
