Important Events From This day in History January 23rd

  

1936 The Queen Mary

1936: The Cunard ocean liner The Queen Mary is nearing completion on Clydebank in Scotland, and will begin sea trials within 10 weeks, she is scheduled for the Transatlantic trips between Southampton and New York and many details are appearing which confirm she will a success before she even starts her transatlantic sailings with the first passage on May 27th oversubscribed by 4 times already, she will be capable of 32 knots which is faster than any other passenger vehicle afloat and will be the biggest passenger ship afloat with a crew of 1200 and carrying 2200 passengers. Due to the government providing a loan of 10 million for 2 ships it is believed before The Queen Mary even starts her transatlantic runs a second even larger ship will be in production which between them will provide a weekly service across the Atlantic.

1977 Roots TV Mini Series

The Alex Haley book "Roots" is turned into a TV Mini Series of 8 episodes and the first episode is shown on 23rd and the last episode shown on January 30th. The mini series made history when it won 9 Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award.

1964 Poll Tax became illegal

The Poll Tax became illegal in all US states it had been a potent prerequisite, and sometimes outright barrier, to voting in national elections, and used as a blunt tool for barring poverty-stricken African-Americans and whites from participating in the electoral process.

1912 Exhaust Horn

A new type of horn was created and patented on this day. This horn is called the "exhaust horn" which is a tail pipe shaped like a pipe organ that plays musical notes. This particular exhaust pipe was created by the Aermore Manufacturing Company.

1922 - Insulin First Used

The first injection of Insulin ( called isletin originally ) on Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old diabetic who lay dying at the Toronto General Hospital on January 11th 1922 caused a severe allergic reaction. For the next 12 days the biochemist James Collip worked to improve and purify the ox-pancreas extract and on the second injection bought the boy out of his coma and was a complete success.

More about History of Insulin

1929 Queen Victoria

Four boxers were given an ultimatum on this day. They were urged to fight a suitable contender within 60 days or give up their titles. They were all given championship status in their fighting categories (heavy, middle, and light weight).

1933 20th Amendment To The Constitution

1933: The 20th Amendment to the US Constitution Is Ratified which establishes the beginning and ending of the terms of the elected federal officials.

1937 Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt was a baseball fan most of his life (among other things). Therefore, he wrote a letter with enthusiasm to the Baseball Writer's Association, which was to be read at a dinner sponsored by this organization.

The letter that Roosevelt had sent was addressed to James Dawson. The purpose of it was to compliment the sports' writers who had worked hard at that time to stir sportsmanship and enthusiasm in America. Find Out More on our History of Baseball Page.

In fact, Baseball was considered one of the forms of escape after the bout of the Great Depression. This was one sport that could be enjoyed despite economic woes.

1943 Louis Jordan and His Timpany Five

Louis Jordan and His Timpany Five take the song "What's the Use of Getting Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again)" to the top chart spot. It only stays there for one week.

1955 Rail Crash

An express train travelling from York to Bristol derails and overturns at Sutton Coldfield station killing 14 and injuring many more.

1958 United Auto Workers

The United Auto Workers (UAW) were prepared to vote on a new profit-sharing plan. This particular proposal was made by Walter P. Reuther. If this new profit-sharing plan were to take affect, workers would receive 25% of any profits over 10 percent above what companies make (net capital before taxes).

1961 Santa Maria Hijacking

1961 : Luxury Portuguese cruise liner Santa Maria is hijacked by a terrorists leftist rebel group who had boarded in Venezuela and Curacao led by Henrique Galvão. The terrorists took control of the ship after killing 1 crew member and injuring others. When they had control they cut off all communication to the outside world. They then sailed the ship to Brazil and 11 days after hijacking the ship agreed to release the ship, passengers and crew in exchange for political asylum in Brazil.

1964 24th Amendment To The Constitution

The 24th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is Ratified which removed the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax.

1968 The U.S. ship Pueblo

The U.S. ship Pueblo is seized by North Korean naval vessels and charged with spying and violating North Korean territorial waters, the ship is a US intelligence gathering ship

1968 Community College

The proposal to create a local community college system with in the Midwest City and Tulsa area was approved. This approval was made by the State Regents for Higher Education organization. However plans would be put on hold until communities are allowed to issue bonds for the establishment of these schools.

1972 National Science Foundation

A small organization called the National Science Foundation has given East Central State College a substantial amount of money for technological improvements. Most of the $9,745 given to finance the broadened use of a machine called the Technician Auto Analyzer.

The Technician Auto Analyzer was to be used (and has already been used) to assist students studying in the medical field as well as students taking classes in water chemical analysis.

1973 Vietnam Peace With Honour

1973: US president, Richard Nixon, appears on national television to announce "peace with honour" in Vietnam.

1978 Aerosol Sprays Banned

Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays using Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the propellant, believed to be damaging to earth's ozone layer

1986 Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame

The first ten musicians are inducted into Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame including James Brown, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.

1989 Tajikistan Earthquake

Hundreds feared dead after a 6.0 earthquake on the richter scaqle strikes the Soviet Central Asian republic of Tajikistan.

1993 Thomas Gorsey

1993: Thomas Gorsey, a highly influential gospel singer, had passed away on this day. He was the son of a Baptist minister and minister's wife.

He had achieved quite a bit of recognition in his lifetime. For one, he was considered to be the "Father of Gospel Music". He had written over a thousand gospel songs in his lifetime.

1997 Madeline Albright

Madeline Albright, America's first female Secretary of State was sworn in on this day. Al Gore had done the honors of officiating her first day of service in one of the highest positions of authority given in the U.S.

Madeline Albright was originally from Czechoslovakia. However, she and her family fled from the communist power that ruled that nation and came to America in 1948. She then studied law at Columbia University and where she received her P.h.D.

Before she became Secretary of State, she was given the title of permanent representative to the United Nations. She had received this title by President Bill Clinton.

2001 Protesters Tiananmen Square

Five protesters set themselves on fire by pouring gasoline on themselves and setting light to themselves in Tiananmen Square recorded by CNN camera men ( Tapes are confiscated ) and Police with fire-extinguishers quickly put out the flames. The chinese media used the protesters as examples to discredit the practice of Falun Gong which is frowned on by the Chinese government. Falun Gong has denied any involvement in the incident.

2010 Joe Biden visits Iraq

Joe Biden is been holding talks in Iraq to defuse a political crisis over candidates for March's general elections. More than five hundred of them have been banned so far, with many on suspicion of loyalty to the dissolved Baath Party. The dispute has been causing bitter recriminations between Iraqi politicians. Many Sunnis are upset, and are saying that their community is being marginalised, while many Shi'tes oppose the rehabilitated Baathists and any U.S. interference. Biden met the U.N. Secretary General's representative for Iraq for a working breakfast, before holding talks with the Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki.

2011 Western Scotland Hit by Earthquake

2011 A magnitude 3.5 earthquake hit the Scotland's Western town of Glenuig. The earthquake was felt up to seventy miles away from the center, but did very little damage to the surrounding area

 

2012 British Woman Crosses Antarctica Solo

2012 : Felicity Aston became the first woman to complete a solo crossing of Antarctica after skiing for 1,084 miles over 59 days. The thirty-three year old celebrated the accomplishment by herself as the weather did not permit a plane to safely collect her from the Hercules Inlet right away.

2013 Cardinal Glemp Dies

Head of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland for over twenty years, Cardinal Jozef Glemp died at the age of eighty-three. Glemp had overseen many crucial moments in the country while heading the church but had resigned in 2004 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

2014 Morocco Changes Controversial Law

2014 : Morocco's parliament unanimously voted to change a controversial law that had spurred protests. The law had allowed rapists of underage girls the ability to avoid punishment by marrying the victims. While activists welcome the changes, they say that more needs to be done to protect women.

Today in Labor History January 23rd

 Some 10,000 clothing workers strike in Rochester, N.Y., for the 8-hour day, a 10-percent wage increase, union recognition, and extra pay for overtime and holidays. Daily parades were held throughout the clothing district and there was at least one instance of mounted police charging the crowd of strikers and arresting 25 picketers. Six people were wounded over the course of the strike and one worker, 18-year-old Ida Breiman, was shot to death by a sweatshop contractor. The strike was called off in April after manufacturers agreed not to discriminate against workers for joining a union – 1913

In Allegany County, MD, workers with the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal era public works program employing unmarried men aged 18-25, are snowbound at Fifteen Mile Creek Camp S-53 when they receive a distress call about a woman in labor who needs to get to a hospital.  20 courageous CCC volunteers dig through miles of snow drifts until the woman is successfully able to be transported - 1936

Important Events From This day in History January 22

 

  

1970 Boeing 747

1970 : The Boeing 747 makes its first commercial passenger trip to London, England. This flight had departed from New York City, and had carried 332 passengers and 18 crew. Although most passengers enjoyed the flight, one had mentioned that this plane is too big for commercial travel (too big to give anyone proper service.

1929 Prohibition

1929: New "Dry Bill" (Alcohol Prohibition) being Introduced to Congress

A new "dry bill" was introduced to the congress on this day (Jan 22, 1929) by Senator Bryant. The purpose of this bill was to place stiffer penalties on both buyers and sellers of alcoholic beverages, which were prohibited during this time in American History.

Those who possessed liquor would receive a fine for the first offense between $50.00 to $500.00. Those who were caught a second time with liquor on them would be fined $250.00 to $2,000.00.

Additionally, effort was being made by the State of New Mexico during this time to make it a crime to buy liquor. The possession of liquor for personal use by those in a state political office would also be prohibited pending the passing of new legislation.

1973 Roe Vs. Wade

The legalization of abortion within the first three months of pregnancy was allowed as of this day. This decision was based on a ruling by the Supreme Court upon adjournment of the Roe Vs. Wade Case that women had a constitutional right to obtain an abortion.

1930 Empire State Building

Excavation for the Empire State Building began. When completed only 410 days after the construction began, it stood as the world's tallest building.

1984 - Apple Macintosh

A new Apple Computer was introduced . The ad for the new Macintosh computer was first displayed during the Super Bowl.

1901 Queen Victoria

1901 : Queen Victoria passed away in the Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. She had become queen when she was 18 and had ruled for nearly 64 years of her life. She was succeeded by Prince Edward VII, her oldest son, who was 59 years old at the time, and reigned for nine years until his death.

1929 Sammy Mandell

Light Weight Champion Sammy Mandell had won a match on this day in 1929 against Jack Gillispie. He was victorious even though he broke a rib about four months ago, against a match with former champion Jimmy Goodrich.

1929 Gas Tax Exemption

Gas Tax Exemption for Farmers Rejected by Senate

The bill that would make farmers exempt from a five cents gas tax was rejected by the Senate on this day. An identical bill was being introduced in the House of Representative chambers as well, during the same time it was voted out by the Senate.

1941 World War II Tobruk

British and Australian forces enter the port at Tobruk, in Libya, and tens of thousands of Italian occupiers are taken prisoner.

1942 Wartime Production

Ernest Kanzler was put in charge of wartime car production operations in Detriot, Michigan. Kanzler was a former associate of Henry Ford. He was in charge of making decisions that would lead to the highest amount of productivity (i.e. making tools for other companies).

1943 Benito Mussolini

Americans had bombed Italian Railroads in an effort to thwart a lecture being given by Hitler addressed to the Italian leader Benito Mussolini. The bombing was an attempt to force Italy to resist Hitler's Power.

The people of Rome were convinced by Mussolini that the Allied Powers (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, China, and France) would never bomb Rome, which was considered a holy city. People everywhere ran for cover under Rome's capital building.

1957 Mad Bomber

This was the day when a New York man, known as the "Mad Bomber" had confessed to the planting of approximately 30 bombs within New York City. This man has claimed to have had pent up anger built inside of him for many years.

1968 Lunar Module

1968: America's first Lunar Module (space probe) was to be launched on this day. This module was said to be shaped like a huge bug, and weight about 16 tons. The Lunar Module would be unmanned and the plan was to send it to the moon.

This launching was scheduled in order to test this unit's capability for landing on the moon, as well as its ability to lift off properly. The Apollo 5 mission was schedule was schedule a year after the fatal accident that took place while launching the manned Apollo I rocket.

1972 Rail Accident

1972 : A petroleum rail car had ruptured and exploded while switching tracks on the East St. Louis, Illinois railway. No deaths were reported as a result of this incident, but at least 150 people were injured-mostly by cut glass that flew for quite a distance.

1979 England - public sector workers Strike

Tens of thousands of public sector workers including hospital workers, rubbish collectors, school caretakers, grave diggers and airport staff take part in a day of action - the biggest mass stoppage since 1926 - in support of a claim for more pay.

1990 Soviet Union Azerbaijan

Following the entry by soviet troops into the republic of Azerbaijan attempting to try and end the undeclared conflict between Muslim Azeris and Christian Armenians, and put down a separatist insurrection by Azerbaijani nationalists. Reports say up to 60 people died when tanks rolled into the republic's capital, Baku.

1991 Israel SCUD Missiles

Iraq launches Three SCUDs and one Patriot missile on Ramat Gan in Israel, injuring 96 people, hoping to draw Israel into the Gulf War which would force other Arab countries to join on Iraq's side. Three elderly people die of heart attacks.

Today in Labor History January 22nd, 2026

Tenants battle police to prevent evictions

Indian field hands at San Juan Capistrano mission refused to work, engaging in what was probably the first farm worker strike in California - 1826

Birth of Terence V. Powderly, leader of the Knights of Labor - 1849
 
The United Mine Workers of America is founded in Columbus, Ohio, with the merger of the Knights of Labor Trade Assembly No. 135 and the National Progressive Miners Union - 1890

The Florida East Coast Railway was completed, connecting Key West, Florida to the mainland - 1912

The U.S. Employment Service began as a placement agency for immigrants - 1915

The Monthly Labor Review was first published, which included information on the labor force, economy, and more - 1915

Five hundred New York City tenants battle police to prevent evictions - 1932

Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 Rest in Peace Scott Adams

Publishers ask judge to sanction OpenAI - MediaPost

Trump lawsuits seek to muzzle media - Huron Daily Tribune

Newspaper family saves Oregon paper - Seattle Times Free Press

Publishers prepare to be ‘squeezed’ by AI and creators in 2026 - Nieman Lab

Latest RISJ report: Six steps to future-proof your newsroom - Journalism UK

Journalism’s AI reckoning has arrived: Taking power back from Big Tech - E&P Magazine

Important Events From This day in History January 14th

 

 

1954 Marilyn Monroe

1954 : Marilyn Monroe's wedding took place. She had married Joe DeMaggio. Unfortunately, the marriage had only lasted nine months. She had married again before she had died from an overdose of barbiturates. Her first husband had sent her flowers to her grave every day until he died in the year 1999.

1942 Executive Order 9066

A reluctant but resigned Roosevelt signed the War Department's blanket Executive Order 9066, which authorized the physical removal of all Japanese Americans into internment camps.

1934 Loch Ness Monster

1934 : More reports are coming in from Loch Ness in Scotland where they make the strongest Whisky on earth from tourists and locals of sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. It is described as a sea serpent estimated at over 50 ft long and the secretary of state for Scotland has forbidden the capture or shooting of the creature.

1907 Jamaica Earthquake

1907 : Kingston in Jamaica was hit by a major earthquake leaving more than 800 people dead and nearly 100,000 homeless

1924 Lettuce Grown Indoors

A local Iowa newspaper announced the possibility of growing lettuce indoors. This lettuce grown would be produced in "simple greenhouse-like buildings that do not cost very much to construct.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture was all for this project at this time. The U.S. government appeared to be confident that good crops of lettuce would be able to be produced in this way.

1930 Homeless Families

A highway patrol man has been reported on this day to soon be giving a group of about 200 families an "eviction notice". These homeless families were camping along a Missouri highway near Sikeston.

1936 U.S.A. Ozzie Nelson Band

A prominent member of the Ozzie Nelson Band - Harriet Hillard - sings "Get The Behind Me Satan" for the movie "Follow the Fleet." The song was originally written by Irving Berlin and was previously intended for Ginger Rogers to sing in the movie "Top Hat."

1936 U.S.A. Murder

1936 : A report was made in a paper 1936 regarding a courtroom murder that had taken the day before. A hotheaded defendant had shot at a judge, and then in the process the opposing lawyer was killed.

1943 Morocco U Boat Patrols

Roosevelt and Churchill meet in Casablanca to discuss the best to push forward an end to the war. Top priority was given to destroying German U-boat patrols in the Atlantic and launching combined bombing missions on Axis Power Countries. At the end of the meeting they also announced that the Allies would accept only unconditional surrender from the Axis powers.

1949 U.S.A. AT&T

The Department of Justice took action against AT&T, forcing the company to forfeit ownership of Western Electric. Western Electric was a manufacturing firm, and AT&T was established as a telecommunications company. Therefore, the Department of Justices became involved in this situation as an effort to stop AT&T from dominating the industry. As of 1959, AT&T agreed to narrow its scope of business-to only concentrate on running the national phone network and government jobs.

1952 Yugoslavia Spies

A total of seven spies were found guilty. Two of them were sentenced to death and five more were sent to prison. One of the persons condemned to death was Danil Doncic. He was a man who was president of the Yugoslavia People's Front at that time.

One of the reasons that Doncic was sentenced to death-among other reasons-was because he refused to remove the poster of Premier Tito from the front after the Cominform-Tito break (a Yugoslavian government regime split).

1952 "Today" Program Begins on NBC

1952 : NBC's "Today" program debuts on NBC hosted by Dave Garroway. The show was the first of it's kind and copied not only in the US but worldwide .

1959 Hudson and Nash - AMC

Hudson and Nash, two different car companies, become one on this day. They have become the AMC (American Motors Association).

1963 George Wallace - Segregation Forever

George Wallace takes over as governor of Alabama . His main motto for his campaign and the way he would run the state was, "Segregation Forever."

1969 Aircraft Carrier ship Enterprise exploded in Pearl Harbor

The U.S. Aircraft Carrier ship Enterprise exploded in Pearl Harbor. The cause of this explosion was the accidental detonation of a rocket, which destroyed 15 planes, injuring 300 people, and caused 27 deaths.

1969 Manchester United

Sir Matt Busby announces he will retire as manager of Manchester United at the end of the season - FA Cup final day on April 26th.

1980 U.S.A. Gold Price

1980 : Economic growth had taken place during the 1980s. During this time, gold prices had also skyrocketed, as of this day in 1980.

The price and value of gold had increased after it had been released from government control. It had cost as high as $800.00 per ounce during this time.

1980 Afghanistan Soviet Intervention

The UN General Assembly would not allow Soviet Intervention of Afghanistan. The final vote regarding this matter was 104 against to 18 for this action.

After the vote, the resolution of the General Assembly was to demand that all Soviet troops be removed from Afghanistan.

The outcome of this UN Assembly meeting was very much sparked by the 1979 Soviet invasion along with the installation of a pro-communist puppet regime. In other words, the UN fought against an attempt to allow the Soviets to spread its communist ideologies to Afghanistan.

1981 IRAN Hostage Crisis Ends

Finally, this date was the end of a hostage crisis that started in the year 1979. University students who were backed by leaders of Iran's post-revolutionary regime (group of people in power after Iran was changed from a monarch to an Islamic republic). Originally, over 60 people had been held captive, 52 of which for a total of 444 days.

2002 Foot and Mouth

2002 : The UK Foot and Mouth outbreak is now clear after no new cases in the last 3 months, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said.

2005 U.S.A. Space Exploration

George W. Bush announced a program called Vision for Space Exploration. The news was made known to the public after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, which took place in Texas. The Columbia had disintegrated into the air over this state in 2003.

According to one source, one of the purposes of the Vision for Space Exploration was to re-ignite enthusiasm for space travel in the United States.

2008 Apple New MacBook Air notebook

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs announces the Apple New MacBook Air notebook during the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco.

2009 Consumer Spending

2009 : Consumer Spending and retail sales figures released in the U.S. for December ( Christmas Shopping Season ) follow other similar cuts in Europe showing that the current recession is deepening with consumers cutting back, partly due to fears over the economy and partly because of tightening credit. Calls for an economic stimulus package to boost the economy are gaining ground as the latest figures follow 6 months of falling spending.

2010 Reactions To Cyber attacks On Gmail Human Rights Activists

Following a series of Cyberattacks in China on Gmail accounts of human rights activists, Google is contemplating it's future as a Chinese Search Engine, A number of reasons have been cited including the Cyberattacks and China's demand's for censorship of the search results, as required by the Chinese government. The US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has now made a statement that China must ensure a "secure" commercial environment for Google and other firms operating in the country. ( Just 2 months later on March 23rd Google did close Google.cn and re-directs to Google.com.hk based in Hong Kong and stopped filtering results of it's Search Engine ).

2010 Pakistan Uncertainty over Hakimullah Mehsud's death in a drone attack

The Pakistani Taleban have denied that their leader Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a U.S. missile strike on one of the country's north-western provinces. About ten or more militants died when missiles were rained down on them. A Taleban spokesman has said that Mehsud was near the Afghan border, but left before the South Waziristani training camp was attacked. He is one of the key militant targets. The Taleban went on to say that hundreds of civilians have been killed in drone attacks since mid-2008.

 

2010 Improved airline protection measures are announced

2010 : The United States has started to take additional air security measures in the wake of December's failed aircraft bomb plot. The Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, has said that the measures will include enhanced random screening and more air-marshals on certain routes. Enhanced use of air-marshals and better screening are among the measures that follow from last week's intelligence review. Napolitano said that the U.S. was "taking an additional set of aviation security precautions to protect the American people."

2011 Floods and Mudslides in Brazil

Flooding and mudslides in the Rio de Janeiro region of Brazil killed over five hundred people and trapped many others. The devastation caused by these floods has surpassed that of mudslides in 1967, in which 430 people died.  

 

2012 Taiwanese President Wins Second Term

Ma Ying-jeou, the president of Taiwan, won his second term after elections were held in the country. Ma Ying-jeou had run on his platform of successful improvement of the country's relationship with China, who does not recognize the island as sovereign.

2013 Former President Bush Released from Hospital

2013 : Former US president George H.W. Bush was released from the hospital after two months. Bush had been treated for bronchitis and a bacterial infection.

2014 New Jersey Governor Under Investigation

2014 : New Jersey Governor, and possible presidential hopeful, Chris Christie, was being investigated over suspicions that he misused Hurricane Sandy relief funds for his state. It was alleged that Christie used a portion of the funds for tourism advertising. The allegations come shortly after he was also accused of creating traffic issues on a bridge for political reasons.

Today in Labor History January 14th, 2026

 On January 14, 1784, the Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the War for Independence.

In the document, which was known as the Second Treaty of Paris because the Treaty of Paris was also the name of the agreement that had ended the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Britain officially agreed to recognize the independence of its 13 former colonies as the new United States of America.

In addition, the treaty settled the boundaries between the United States and what remained of British North America. U.S. fishermen won the right to fish in the Grand Banks, off the Newfoundland coast, and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Both sides agreed to ensure payment to creditors in the other nation of debts incurred during the war and to release all prisoners of war. The United States promised to return land confiscated during the war to its British owners, to stop any further confiscation of British property and to honor the property left by the British army on U.S. shores, including Negroes or slaves. Both countries assumed perpetual rights to access the Mississippi River.

Despite the agreement, many of these issues remained points of contention between the two nations in the post-war years. The British did not abandon their western forts as promised and attempts by British merchants to collect outstanding debts from Americans were unsuccessful as American merchants were unable to collect from their customers, many of whom were struggling farmers.

Clinton-era OSHA issues confined spaces standard to prevent more than 50 deaths and 5,000 serious injuries annually for workers who enter confined spaces - 1993

 
Pennsylvania Superior Court rules bosses can fire workers for being gay - 1995
 
Some 14,000 General Electric employees strike for two days to protest the company's mid-contract decision to shift an average of $400 in additional health care co-payments onto each worker – 2003

A 15-month lockout by the Minnesota Orchestra against members of the Twin Cities Musicians' Union, Local 30-73 ends when the musicians agree to a 15 percent pay cut (management wanted up to 40 percent) and increased health care cost sharing. They did win a revenue-sharing deal based on performance of the Orchestra's endowments. It was the nation's longest-running contract dispute for a concert orchestra - 2014

Friday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

Experts to follow: Newsrewired speakers - Journalism UK

Why journalism’s future might include a storefront - E&P Magazine

Hearst’s Tim O’Rourke on the future of AI in journalism - Storybench

Readers maintain trust in local news, publisher says - WEHCO Media

Nicaragua’s covert repression tactics strike fear beyond borders - CPJ

Seven smart strategies to grow ad revenue and close more deals - E&P Magazine

Named: 50 ‘experts’ and linked brands publishers should treat with caution - Press Gazette

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette couldn’t bust the union, so they shut down the paper - Pittsburgh Post

Media Innovation leader says Post-Gazette’s impending closure should be a call to arms - Media I

Important Events From This day in History January 9

 

  

1958 Toyota and Datsun

1958 : Toyota and Datsun make their first appearances in the United States at the Imported Motor Car Show in Los Angeles, California.

2007 Apple iPhone

2007: Apple introduces the 4.5 inch X 2.4 inch Apple iPhone which epitomizes the next generation of mobile phone devices, with a super cool look and touch pad for navigation and includes a virtual keyboard.

1905 Russia Strike

A strike in St. Petersburg and Peaceful protesters go to the Winter Palace to give the Tsar a petition and the Imperial Guard fires on the crowd, killing two-hundred people

Russian Civil war Timeline

1920 Human Fly

1920 : The Human Fly ( George Polley ) attempts to climb to the top of the Woolworth Building in New York City ( 57 Floors ). He reaches the 30th floor before being arrested.

1924 Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf had purchased a home in Bloomsbury on this date. She was noted as one of the world's most famous authors of her time. She was especially noted for her novel and essayist writings, and her famous saying as follows: "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction" (From A room of One's Own).

Virginia Woolf was born in London to Sir Leslie Stephen and Julia Prinsep Stephen. Her father (Leslie) was also a strong literary figure of this time period.

1927 Laurier Palace Theatre fire

A fire occurs during a childrens movie show at the Laurier Palace Theatre in Montreal, Canada and due to the poor fire safety exits iether locked or badly designed 77 children die during the stampede to the exits.

1941 Sammy Kaye

1941: Sammy Kaye records the song "Until Tomorrow" with his orchestra. The song goes on to be a big hit. 1941

1952 Cold War

This was a time of Cold War between the United States and various countries in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. It was recognized that something needed to be done…like…yesterday-or at least 18 months ago.

President Truman's popularity had suffered prior to the time of his plan to take action. According to the opinions of a large number of people, he had not handled responsibilities during the Korean War very well.

However, when he expressed his views on how the fight of communism should be handled he received a standing ovation during his State of the Union Address which took place during this year, on this day.

Part of his plan was to support the feeding of hungry in foreign countries. The ideal was that if the starving people were fed then they would not "stomach communism". This was part of a Four Point program which also included technological and agricultural assistance to third world countries.

1953 Studio One

Fletcher Markle from Winnipeg, Manitoba is reported as of this date to have produced the first U.S. television series to be shown in Canada. The first episode of this Television series entitled "Studio One" was scheduled to air on January 26th, 1953 on Montreal's CBC station. A microwave broadcasting of this show was also scheduled to be aired in Toronto before this time-on 19th.

1957 Sir Anthony Eden

Sir Anthony Eden, the British Prime Minister, announced his resignation today over his ill-fated Suez policy. Harold Macmillan succeeded Eden as Prime Minister.

1964 Panama Canal Zone

Due to the problems caused by the Panama Canal Zone which was under US control and split the country of Panama in two, U.S. forces shoot six Panamanian students protesting when U.S. students raise the American flag in the Panama Canal Zone. Following the shootings riots break out resulting in the deaths of 21 Panamanians and three U.S. soldiers. The Panama Canal Zone was a stretch of land extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline of the Panama canal ( except Panama City and Colón ). The Panama Canal had been completed by the United States and the canal openened in 1914 to provide a short cut between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

1965 U.S.A. - Tourists

It was predicted in a Wisconsin Newspaper that the reputation of American international travelers/tourists will be improved from times past. In fact, it is said that the image of American tourists has already improved over a number of years.

Likewise, Americans were becoming the more preferred of visitor than those from other countries. Moreover, people traveling from the United States were no longer thought specifically as "loud brash people".

1968 Surveyor 7

1968: Surveyor 7, America's last and most sophisticated unmanned moon probe, landed near the rugged highlands close the lunar south pole

1972 Great Britain Miners Strike

280,000 British miners walked out at midnight in their first national strike for almost 50 years. They are looking for an increase of up to £9 a week - on an average take home wage of £25.

1972 Hong Kong Queen Elizabeth Sinks

The Seawise University Ship sunk into a Hong Kong Harbor despite two days worth of effort to put out a fire that had caused this wreck. This ship was formerly named the Queen Elizabeth, and was considered to be the largest passenger steamship at the time of its creation in 1938.

This ship had changed hands a couple of times since it was first put in operation. For instance, it was sent to New York during World War II to protect it from German bombs. Shortly after this time it was used to transport war soldiers.

When Queen Elizabeth's name was changed, it was owned by a businessman who decided to open up a floating college on board. This was when it was called Seawise University.

It was actually inevitable that this ship would start on fire, however. Before it was sold to C.Y. Tung (the person who transformed it into a college) it was declared to be a fire hazard. This was some time after the ship was turned into a tourist attraction and hotel in Philadelphia (Before Mr. Tung purchased it).

Today in Labor History January 9th, 2026

 On January 9, 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing near the Dominican Republic, sees three “mermaids”—in reality manatees—and describes them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted.” Six months earlier, Columbus (1451-1506) set off from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, hoping to find a western trade route to Asia. Instead, his voyage, the first of four he would make, led him to the Americas, or “New World.”

Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the American 6th Army land on the Lingayen Gulf of Luzon, another step in the capture of the Philippine Islands from the Japanese.

The Japanese controlled the Philippines from May 1942, when the defeat of American forces led to General MacArthur’s departure and Gen. Jonathan Wainwright’s capture. But in October 1944, more than 100,000 American soldiers landed on Leyte Island to launch one of one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific war—and herald the beginning of the end for Japan.

Newsreels captured the event as MacArthur waded ashore at Leyte on October 20, returning to the Philippines as he had famously promised he would after the original defeat of American forces there. What the newsreels didn’t capture were the 67 days it took to subdue the island, with the loss of more than 55,000 Japanese soldiers during the two months of battle and approximately 25,000 more soldiers killed in smaller-scale engagements necessary to fully clear the area of enemy troops. The U.S. forces lost about 3,500.

Ratification of a new labor agreement at Titan Tire of Natchez, Miss., ends the longest strike in the history of the U.S. tire industry, which began May 1, 1998, at the company's Des Moines, Iowa, plant - 2001

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

Three Stories I’d Like to See in 2026 - Second Rough Draft

Mid-Missouri papers return to local ownership - The Missouri Times

How The National cracked the code on audience growth - Journalism UK

A new tool helps local newsrooms find the support they need - E&P Magazine

USPS seeks unrestricted monopoly pricing power - National Newspaper Association

A challenging year but signs of progress for local news in 2026 - Seattle Times Free Press

Will Pittsburgh become America’s most important city without a newspaper? - Nieman Lab

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to publish final edition and cease operations - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Minnesota Star Tribune sues Minneapolis Police Department over public records - Star Tribune

Important Events From This day in History January 8

 

 

1940 Great Britain Food Rationing

1940 : Great Britain introduces Food Rationing using ration books containing coupons for bacon, butter and sugar. Shortly after tea, jam, biscuits, breakfast cereals, cheese, eggs, milk and canned fruit rationing were introduced. Later as the war continued many more items of both food and non food items were introduced including Meat, Petrol, Clothes, Tea and even soap were rationed.

1945 Berlin Handover by Soviet's

Soviet Armies had handed over power to the U.S. and British Armies on this date. This event took place in what was known as West Berlin-many years before the walls were torn down between East and West Germany.

1918 World War I Allies Counter Attack

French, British, and Italian forces were reported on this day to be in the process of preparing a counter attack along the Piave River in Italy during World War I. This battle was to be delayed for some time, however.

The Germans attempted once again to gain control over the Western Front of the Piave River in March of this same year (1918). This was considered one of the German Army's last effort to win the war. After the end of the Battle of Piave in 1918, the Austrian and Hungarian armies that fought along with the Germans direction had disintegrated. This battle that took place along the Piave River was the beginning of the end of World War I.

By the way, allied forces of France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States all helped defeat the Central Powers. The Central Powers included the Germans, along with the armies of Austria, Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, (Turkey) and, Bulgaria . The United States did not actually participate in World War I until the year 1917. This was the same year that Russia had withdrawn after signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers (German, Austrian-Hungarian, Belgium, Ottoman, and Bulgarian Armies).

1815 Battle Of New Orleans

1815: Major General Andrew Jackson, defeats the invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the Louisiana Purchase.

1918 Post-War Peace Plan

Washington 14-Point Plan for Post-War Peace Presented by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson This talk consisted of a plan which included 14 different aspects of peace keeping.

One of those on this list is that which pertains to equality of trade for peace-keeping countries (and maintenance help thereof). Other portions of agenda on this list included "Impartial adjustment of all colonial claims", "Evacuation of Russian territory" (and Belgium and French territories), and "Readjustment of Italy's frontiers".

This plan, of course was in the development phase at this time. Further effort was to be made in order to carry this plan out.

1920 Canada - Newsprint Export Prohibited

The exportation of newsprint paper was prohibited as of this date. This embargo applied to any paper mill that refused to obey orders made by R.A. Pringle. The amount allotted to Canadian publishers was to be supplied before any further export would be allowed.

1935 Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley, the man who received the title "The King of Rock N' Roll" while he was still alive, was born on this day.

1939 Thomas Mooney

It was reported in a paper on this date of Thomas Mooney's release from prison on the day before (January 7). This release was granted by Governor Olson of California. Thomas Mooney was originally convicted of a bombing incident that took place in California in the year 1915. However, he had fought for his freedom for over 22 years because he did not even commit the crime. Finally Mooney's day had come, and he was able to go home to his friends and family. The governor who supported his release had collapsed, presumably because of all the excitement of being able to let an innocent man go free. It was reported that when Mooney's wife had seen him that her eyes were red with weeping.

1958 Bobby Fischer

Robert James Fischer, a 14 year old boy from New York received the title of U.S. Chess Champion. This was considered a miracle that had happen-as he was as young as he was. Young Mr. Fischer was native to Brooklyn, New York. The contest took place in Downtown Manhattan.

1961 Algeria Independence

Following seven years of guerrilla warfare against French colonists by the FLN in Algeria, French voters including those in Algeria have voted to give Algeria it's independence. Algeria gained it's independence of in July 1962 .

1963 The Mona Lisa

1963: For the first time in history Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece The Mona Lisa is exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. . The loan of painting was made by the government of the French Republic from 8th to February 3rd at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C and from February 7th to March 4th at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. During it's brief time in the US over 1 million people viewed the painting in Washington and New York.

1964 President Lyndon Johnson - War on Poverty

Action against poverty was taken by the U.S. This mission was commonly referred to as the "War on Poverty, which was initially declared by President Lyndon Johnson. He presented it in his State of the Union Address (speech that every president gives once a year).

One of the proposals made during the beginning of the War on Poverty was to change the mandatory overtime pay rate to one and a half times the regular rate of pay. Other plans were to help improve educational and job-seeking opportunities, as well as find ways to help people have better places in which to live.

1973 Ban Ads During Children's TV Shows

A citizen's action group called Action for Children's Television (ACT) made known its request of the U.S. Federal Government to ban advertisements during children's television shows. The Federal Communications Commission has not yet decided on this issue, but a 2 ½ hour hearing was scheduled on this day.

The ACT organization not only pushed for at least 14 hours of children's programming per week. Likewise programming that is appropriate to different age groups (2-5, 6-9, and 10-12).

1973 Soviet Union Luna 21

Luna 21, a space probe that was not operated by humans, was sent out on this day. Eight days later it was reported and confirmed that this object did land on the moon. Television pictures were received on Earth as proof of this occurrence.

1975 Ella Grassco

Ella Grasso became the state of Connecticut's first female governor. She won by election and was not just succeeded upon the passing away of her husband.

1989 British Midland Flight 092 Crashes

British Midland Flight 092 a Boeing 737 crashes onto the M1 motorway near East Midlands airport, killing 46 people after both engines of the brand new aircraft failed.

Today in Labor History January 8th

 

The largest slave revolt in U.S. history begins on Louisiana sugar plantations

The largest slave revolt in U.S. history begins on Louisiana sugar plantations. Slaves armed with hand tools marched toward New Orleans, setting plantations and crops on fire, building their numbers to an estimated 300-500 as they went. The uprising lasted for two days before being brutally suppressed by the military - 1811

Birthdate of Mary Kenney O’Sullivan, first AFL woman organizer. In 1880 she organized the Woman’s Bookbinder Union and in 1903 was a founder of the National Women’s Trade Union League - 1864

(I Knew I Could Do This Work: Seven Strategies That Promote Women’s Activism and Leadership in Unions: Although nearly half of union members in the United States are female, little more than one leadership position in five is held by a woman. This report is designed to promote women's activism and leadership within unions across the country at the local, state, regional, and national levels.)

American Federation of Labor charters a Mining Department - 1912

The AFL Iron and Steel Organizing Committee ends the “Great Steel Strike.” Some 350,000 to 400,000 steelworkers had been striking for more than three months, demanding union recognition. The strike failed - 1920