Today is Saturday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2017. There are 337 days left in the year. This is the Chinese New Year of the Rooster.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.
On this date:
In 1547, England’s King Henry VIII died; he was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.
In 1813, the novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen was first published anonymously in London.
In 1909, the United States withdrew its forces from Cuba as Jose Miguel Gomez became president.
In 1915, the United States Coast Guard was created as President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill merging the Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service.
In 1939, Irish poet-dramatist William Butler Yeats died in Menton, France.
In 1945, during World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.
In 1956, Elvis Presley made his first national TV appearance on “Stage Show,” a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.
In 1962, the last of Washington, D.C.’s original streetcars made its final run.
In 1973, a cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War.
In 1977, actor-comedian Freddie Prinze, 22, co-star of the NBC-TV show “Chico and the Man,” shot and mortally wounded himself at the Beverly Comstock Hotel (he died the following day).
In 1980, six U.S. diplomats who avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats.
In 1999, Ford Motor Co. announced it was buying the Volvo car division in a $6.45 billion deal. (Ford ended up selling the Volvo unit in 2010 to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for $1.8 billion.)
Ten years ago: U.S.-backed Iraqi troops attacked insurgents allegedly plotting to kill pilgrims at a major Shiite Muslim religious festival; Iraqi officials estimated some 300 militants died in the daylong battle near Najaf. (A U.S. helicopter crashed during the fight, killing two American soldiers.) Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, met with New York schoolchildren as they visited Harlem during their whirlwind American weekend. Roger Federer captured his 10th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, beating Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4. The Rev. Robert Drinan, a priest who represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House during the 1970s, died in Washington, D.C. at age 86.
Five years ago: The Arab League halted its observer mission in Syria because of escalating violence. Victoria Azarenka routed three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 to win the Australian Open. Ashley Wagner won her first U.S. Figure Skating title at the championship in San Jose, California.
One year ago: Absent Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidates strained to take advantage of a rare opportunity to step out of the front-runner’s shadow during a debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Dozens of educators who competed alongside Christa McAuliffe to become the first teacher in space gathered to remember the seven astronauts who perished aboard Challenger 30 years earlier. Paul Kantner, a founding member of the Jefferson Airplane, died in San Francisco at age 74. Former Providence, Rhode Island, mayor Buddy Cianci died at age 74.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Nicholas Pryor is 82. Actor Alan Alda is 81. Actress Susan Howard is 75. Actress Marthe (cq) Keller is 72. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is 70. Actress-singer Barbi Benton is 67. Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is 63. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy (sahr-koh-ZEE’) is 62. Actress Harley Jane Kozak is 60. Movie director Frank Darabont is 58. Rock musician Dave Sharp is 58. Rock singer Sam Phillips is 55. Rock musician Dan Spitz is 54. Country musician Greg Cook (Ricochet) is 52. Gospel singer Marvin Sapp is 50. Singer Sarah McLachlan is 49. Rapper Rakim is 49. DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill) is 49. Actress Kathryn Morris is 48. Humorist Mo Rocca is 48. Rock/soul musician Jeremy Ruzumna (Fitz and the Tantrums) is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Anthony Hamilton is 46. Singer Monifah is 45. Actress Gillian Vigman (Film: “The Hangover”) is 45. Rock musician Brandon Bush is 44. Retired MLB All-Star Jermaine Dye is 43. Actress Terri Conn is 42. Singer Joey Fatone Jr. (‘N Sync) is 40. Rapper Rick Ross is 40. Actress Rosamund Pike (Film: “Gone Girl”) is 38. Actress Angelique Cabral is 38. Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) is 37. Actor Elijah Wood is 36. Rapper J. Cole is 32. Actress Alexandra Krosney is 29. Actor Yuri Sardarov is 29. Actress Ariel Winter is 19.
Thought for Today: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” — William Arthur Ward, American writer (1921-1994).
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