Today is Wednesday, January 2nd, the second day of the year. There are 363 days until the end of the year.
On this day:
In 1788, Georgia became the fourth state admitted to the Union.
In 1842, the first wire suspension bridge was opened in Fairmont, Pennsylvania.
In 1872, Brigham Young was arrested on bigamy charges. The Mormon Church leader had 25 wives.
In 1974, Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy, died of a heart attack at the age of 66. He was the father of actor John Ritter, who passed away in 2003.
In 1990, actor Alan Hale, Jr., died at the age of 71. He is best remembered for his role as Skipper Jonas Grumby on "Gilligan's Island."
In 1995, four years after leaving the office to serve a six month prison sentence for a misdemeanor drug charge, Marion Barry was inaugurated as mayor of Washington, D.C. again.
In 2007, talk show host Oprah Winfrey opened her school for girls in South Africa. The school cost 40-million-dollars to build and features computer and science labs, a library and a wellness center.
In 2008, oil prices topped the century mark for the first time ever, trading at more than 100 dollars a barrel.
In 2009, the 16-year-old son of actor John Travolta died. The family's lawyer said Jett Travolta suffered a seizure at his family's vacation home at the Old Bahama Bay hotel in the Bahamas.