This Day in History

Today is Wednesday, January 23rd, the 23rd day of the year.  There are 342 days until the end of the year.

On this day:

In 1789, Georgetown University was established as the first Catholic college in the United States.

In 1978, Chicago singer and founder Terry Kath died at the age of 31. 

In 1988, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the first around-the-world flight without refueling when their experimental plane Voyager landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

In 1992, Howard Cosell retired from sports broadcasting.

In 2002, "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted while on assignment in Karachi, Pakistan.  He was later murdered by his captors  --  a group demanding the return of prisoners from the Afghan campaign. 

In 2003, Tony and Emmy Award winning actress Nell Carter died at the age of 54.  Carter was the star of the 1980s TV series "Gimme A Break."

In 2004, beloved children's television performer, Robert Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo died in Vermont after a long illness.  He was 76.

In 2004, German-born photographer Helmut Newton was killed in a traffic accident in Hollywood.  He was 83. 

In 2005, late night TV icon Johnny Carson died at the age of 79.  Carson, the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson" for almost 30 years, had battled emphysema for some time. 

In 2011, Jack Lalanne, the man known as the Godfather of Fitness, died at the age of 96.  LaLanne became an international icon through his self-titled TV series that ran for 34 years.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah died the age of 90.  King Abdullah took power in 2005 and was a strong ally to the United States.

In 2016, at least 46-people died in weather-related incidents after a record-setting blizzard hit the East Coast.   Fatalities were reported across 12 states and the District of Columbia.  New York saw 25-inches of snow, making it the third largest snow storm in the city's history.


View Full Site