This Week in History

JANUARY 5

Mary Ellen Blum Olsen was born.

1914 – Henry Ford introduced the $5-a-day minimum wage.

1972 – President Nixon ordered the development of the space shuttle.

JANUARY 6

John Carrington was born.

1759 – George Washington married Martha Custis.

1994 – Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan clubbed on leg by men including husband of rival skater Tonya Harding.

JANUARY 7

Dennis Cook was born.

Patrick Clark was born.

Sarah McGonigle was born.

Augusta Marino was born.

1927 – Transatlantic commercial telephone service began between New York and London.

1953 – Harry Truman announced that the U.S. had developed the hydrogen bomb.

JANUARY 8

Jill Brady was born.

Christine Charles was born.

Monica Spaeth was born.

1958 – Bobby Fischer won the United States Chess Championship for the first time at age 14.

1964 – President Lyndon Johnson announced his War on Poverty.

JANUARY 9

Paula Ann DiGioia was born.

1861 – Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union.

1952- Jackie Robinson became the highest paid player in Brooklyn Dodger history.

JANUARY 10

Marianne Venezia Henry was born.

1863  – The first underground passenger railway, the Metropolitan, opened in London.

1984 – The U.S. and the Vatican reestablished diplomatic relations after a 117-year break.

JANUARY  11

Sylvan Klein was born.

Anthony “Sneeze” Venezia was born.

1973 – Baseball’s American League adopted the “designated hitter” rule which allowed another player to bat for the pitcher.

2002 – The first al-Qaeda prisoners arrive at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.