Today in History - January 23rd


  • 1556 - On this day in history, an earthquake in China was thought to have killed about 830,000 people. 
  • 1571 - The Royal Exchange in London was opened by Queen Elizabeth I.
  • 1789 - Today in history, Georgetown College was established as the first Catholic college in the USA.
  • 1845 - Congress decided that all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 
  • 1849 - On this day in history, English-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree.
  • 1907 - Charles Curtis of Kansas began serving in the United States Senate. He was the first Native American to become a Senator.
  • 1937 - Today in history, seventeen people went on trial during Josef Stalin's "Great Purge." 
  • 1943 - Duke Ellington and the band played for a black-tie crowd at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the first time. 
  • 1971 - On this day in history, in AK, the lowest temperature ever recorded in the USA was reported as minus 80 degrees.
  • 1973 - President Nixon announced that an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War. 
  • 1977 - Today in history, the TV mini-series "Roots" by Alex Haley began airing on ABC.
  • 1978 - Sweden banned aerosol sprays because of damage to environment. They were the first country to do it.
  • 1985 - Today in history, O.J. Simpson became the first Heisman Trophy winner to be elected to pro football's Hall of Fame. 
  • 1989 - Surrealist Salvador Dali died in Spain at age 84. 
  • 2002 - On this day in history, John Walker Lindh returned to the U.S. under FBI custody. Lindh was charged with conspiring to kill U.S. citizens, providing support to terrorists and engaging in transactions with the Taliban as a member of Al-Qaida. 

MUSIC HISTORY - Today in History, January 23rd

  • 1980 - Prince's single "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" was released. 
  • 1988 - Today in history, Nirvana recorded a demo tape with producer Jack Endino with The Melvin's Dale Crover on drums. 
  • 1989 - James Brown was sentenced in Georgia to 6 years in jail in connection with a police chase through two states. 
  • 1995 - On this day in history, Courtney Love appeared in Australian court on charges of abusing a flight attendant. 
  • 2002 - EMI announced that it would pay Mariah Carey $28 million to end their association which was planned to last for several albums. 

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS - January 23rd

  • John Hancock 1737
  • Jeanne Moreau 1928 
  • Chita Rivera 1933 
  • Princess Caroline of Monaco 1957