Today's Highlight in History: 
			 
			On Jan. 10, 1776, Thomas Paine published his influential pamphlet, 
			"Common Sense." 
			 
			On this date: 
			 
			In 1861, Florida seceded from the Union. 
			 
			In 1870, John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil. 
			 
			In 1920, the League of Nations was established as the Treaty of 
			Versailles went into effect. 
			 
			In 1946, the first manmade contact with the moon was made as radar 
			signals transmitted by the U.S. Army Signal Corps were bounced off 
			the lunar surface. 
			 
			In 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations convened 
			in London. 
			 
			In 1947, the musical fantasy "Finian's Rainbow," with music by 
			Burton Lane and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, opened on Broadway.
			
			  
			 
			 
			In 1957, Harold Macmillan became prime minister of Britain, 
			following the resignation of Anthony Eden. 
			 
			In 1967, Massachusetts Republican Edward W. Brooke, the first black 
			elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, took his seat. 
			 
			In 1978, the Soviet Union launched two cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz 
			27 capsule for a rendezvous with the Salyut 6 space laboratory. 
			 
			In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full 
			diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century. 
			 
			Ten years ago: In his weekly radio address, 
			President Clinton denounced Chicago physicist Richard Seed's 
			expressed desire to clone humans, calling it "morally unacceptable." 
			Michelle Kwan won the ladies' U.S. Figure Skating Championship in 
			Philadelphia; Tara Lipinski came in second and Nicole Bobek, third. 
			 
			
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            Five years ago: North Korea withdrew from a global 
			treaty barring it from making nuclear weapons. With just three days 
			left in office, Illinois Gov. George Ryan pardoned four death row 
			inmates he said had been tortured by Chicago police into falsely 
			confessing to murders in the 1980's. 
			 
			One year ago: President George W. Bush said he took 
			responsibility for any mistakes in Iraq and announced an increase in 
			U.S. troops there to quell violence. The Democratic-controlled House 
			voted 315-116 to increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. 
			 
			Today's Birthdays: Opera singer Sherrill Milnes is 73. 
			Blues artist Eddy Clearwater is 73. Rock singer-musician Ronnie 
			Hawkins is 73. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie McCovey is 70. Singer 
			Scott McKenzie is 69. Movie director Walter Hill is 66. Singer Frank 
			Sinatra Jr. is 64. Singer Rod Stewart is 63. Rock singer-musician 
			Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) is 60. Actor William Sanderson is 60. 
			Boxer George Foreman is 59. Singer Pat Benatar is 55. Rock musician 
			Michael Schenker is 53. Singer Shawn Colvin is 52. Rock 
			singer-musician Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets) is 49. Actor Evan 
			Handler is 47. Rock singer Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) is 44. 
			Actress Trini Alvarado is 41. Rock musician Matt Roberts (3 Doors 
			Down) is 30. Rapper Chris Smith (Kris Kross) is 29. Actress Sarah 
			Shahi is 28. 
			 
			Thought for Today: "People generally quarrel 
			because they cannot argue." — G.K. Chesterton, British writer 
			(1874-1936). 
              
              
              [Associated Press] 
              
                Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This 
				material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or 
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