This Day in History

Today is Monday, January 14th, the 14th day of the year.  There are 351 days until the end of the year.

On this day:

In 1742, English astronomer Edmond Halley died at the age of 85.  He was the first person to map out the orbit of the comet named after him.  He also predicted its many return flights.

In 1898, British author Lewis Carroll died.  He penned the classic "Alice in Wonderland."

In 1943, President Franklin Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to fly an airplane while in office.

In 1952, NBC's "Today" show made its television debut.

In 1954, Hollywood screen siren Marilyn Monroe married baseball great Joe DiMaggio.  The marriage lasted nine months. 

In 1957, actor Humphrey Bogart died at the age of 57.  Bogart won an Oscar for his role in "The African Queen."  He also starred in several classic films including "Casablanca," "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Caine Mutiny."

In 1963, George C. Wallace was sworn in as governor of Alabama with a pledge in his inaugural address of "segregation now; segregation tomorrow; segregation forever!"

In 1970, Diana Ross and The Supremes performed their final concert together in Las Vegas.

In 1973, the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Redskins 14-to-seven in Super Bowl Seven.  The Dolphins' victory completed the only undefeated season in NFL history.

In 1978, the Sex Pistols performed in San Francisco in what would be their final concert.

In 1984, McDonalds founder Ray Kroc died at the age of 81.

In 1986, actress Donna Reed died at the age of 64. In addition to starring on "The Donna Reed Show," she also starred in the films "It's A Wonderful Life" and "From Here To Eternity."

In 2000, in a massive demonstration demanding the return of six-year-old Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez, tens of thousands of Cubans marched in Havana.  The boy's mother had drowned as they tried to enter the United States in November of 1999.  He was turned over to relatives in Miami who fought to keep Elian in the U.S.

In 2006, actress Shelley Winters died at the age of 85 at a nursing home in Southern California.  The Oscar-winning star won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her work in "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "A Patch of Blue."

In 2009, actor Ricardo Montalban, best known for playing the mysterious Mr. Roarke on TV's "Fantasy Island," died at the age of 88.  In addition to his role in "Fantasy Island," Montalban was also memorable for his role as the villainous Khan in the "Star Trek" film and TV series.

In 2009, citing health concerns, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs announced his plan to step aside from the day-to-day operations at the computer giant.  Jobs released a letter to employees, saying Tim Cook would take over. 

In 2013, in a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs to improve his cycling performance. 

In 2016, actor Alan Rickman died at the age of 69, after battling pancreatic cancer.  His credits include the films "Die Hard," the "Harry Potter" movies,  "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" and "Alice In Wonderland."


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