This Week in History

JANUARY 18 

Mary Liz Grosseto was born.

1733 – The first polar bear was exhibited in America, in Boston.

1993 – All 50 states joined in the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

JANUARY 19

Bob Mulholland was born.

1953 – Lucy Ricardo gave birth to baby Ricky on I Love Lucy. More people tuned in to watch the show than the inauguration of President Eisenhower.

2001 – President Clinton admitted he made false statements under oath about Monica Lewinsky.

JANUARY 20

1964 – The Beatles released their first album in the United States, Meet the Beatles.

1981 – President Reagan became the oldest president to take office (69 years and 349 days).

JANUARY 21

Al Caruso was born.

1793 – King Louis XVI was guillotined for treason.

1977 – President Carter pardoned most Vietnam War draft evaders.

JANUARY 22

1901 – Queen Victoria of England died after reigning for 63 years (the 4th longest among longest-reigning monarchs and the longest for queens).

1973 – Former President Lyndon B. Johnson died at age 64.

JANUARY 23

Pete Acquavella was born.

Kerry O’Grady was born.

Owen McVeigh was born.

1556 – The deadliest earthquake on record killed 830,000 in Shansi, China.

1973 – President Nixon announced that an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War.

JANUARY 24

Kim Green was born.

Danny McFadden was born.

2003 – The Department of Homeland Security, under Tom Ridge, became a cabinet department.

1848 – Gold was first discovered in California, in Sutter’s mill. When President Polk announced the news in December, the gold rush began.