Today is Monday, January 21st, the 21st day of the year. There are 344 days until the end of the year.
On this day:
In 1908, the Sullivan Ordinance was enacted in New York City making it illegal for women to smoke in public establishments.
In 1924, Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died at the age of 54.
In 1950, British author George Orwell died at the age of 46. He penned the classic novels "Animal Farm" and "1984."
In 1954, the United States launched the USS Nautilus. It was the world's first nuclear submarine.
In 1959, actor Carl Switzer died after being shot by a former business partner in a dispute over money. He was 31. Switzer is best remembered for his role as Alfalfa in the "Our Gang" comedies.
In 1959, director Cecil B. de Mille died at the age of 77. He directed the epic film "The Ten Commandments."
In 1976, two supersonic Concorde jets were launched into service. The planes took off simultaneously from Paris and London.
In 1977, President Carter pardoned almost all Vietnam War draft dodgers.
In 1984, Hall-of-Fame soul singer Jackie Wilson died at the age of 49.
In 1993, Baseball Hall-of-Famer Charlie Gehringer died at the age of 89.
In 1994, Lorena Bobbitt was acquitted by reason of temporary insanity of maliciously wounding her husband.
In 1997, Colonel Tom Parker died at the age of 87. He helped guide the career of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.
In 1997, for the first time in history, the U.S. House voted to discipline its House Speaker. Newt Gingrich was reprimanded and fined for ethical misconduct.
In 2002, singer-actress Peggy Lee died at the age of 81.
In 2004, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that it had filed more than 500 lawsuits against individuals who downloaded copyrighted material without paying.
In 2011, cable news personality Keith Olbermann abruptly announced his exit from MSNBC at the end of the broadcast of his show "Countdown With Keith Olbermann." MSNBC quickly confirmed that it had parted ways with Olbermann.
In 2016, Adele's "Hello" officially became the fastest YouTube video to reach one-billion views. It only took 87 days to hit the milestone, compared to the previous record holder, PSY's "Gangnam Style," which took 158 days.
In 2017, Millions protested the Trump presidency in hundreds of protests around the world. The Women's March on Washington was the center of the protests, drawing celebrities, activists and people from all walks of life worried about Trump's campaign rhetoric on women's rights, LGBT rights and climate change.