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 Today's highlight in history:
On Jan. 2, 1900, Secretary of State John Hay announced the "Open Door Policy" to facilitate trade with China.
On this date:
In 1492, Muhammad XI, the sultan of Granada, the last Arab stronghold in Spain, surrendered to Spanish forces.
In 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
In 1921, religious services were broadcast on radio for the first time as KDKA in Pittsburgh aired the regular Sunday service of the city's Calvary Episcopal Church.
In 1929, the United States and Canada reached agreement on joint action to preserve Niagara Falls.
In 1935, Bruno Hauptmann went on trial in Flemington, N.J., on charges of kidnapping and murdering the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was found guilty, and executed.)
In 1942, the Philippine capital of Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II.
In 1960, Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
In 1965, the New York Jets signed University of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath to a contract reportedly worth $427,000.
In 1974, President Nixon signed legislation requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 miles per hour (federal speed limits were abolished in 1995).
In 2006, a methane gas explosion at the Sago Mine in West Virginia, claimed the lives of 12 miners, but one miner, Randal McCloy Jr., was eventually rescued.
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Ten years ago: The defense in the Terry Nichols federal trial rested its case in the penalty phase after calling nine witnesses who pleaded for his life. (Nichols was sentenced to life in prison on federal convictions of conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter involving the deaths of eight federal law enforcement officers. He was later convicted of state murder charges in Oklahoma, and sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences.)
Five years ago: President Bush, seeking to counter Democratic criticisms that his economic policies favored the rich, said the economic-stimulus plan he was going to unveil the following week would focus on jobs and the unemployed. Sydney Omarr, astrologer to the stars, died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 76.
One year ago: The state funeral for former President Ford began with an elaborate service at Washington National Cathedral, then moved to Grand Rapids, Mich. New York City commuter Wesley Autrey Sr. saved a 19-year-old student who had fallen onto subway tracks by leaping down and pulling the teen and himself into the trough between the tracks as a train passed over them. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey opened a school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa. (The school later became embroiled in allegations of abuse; Winfrey apologized and promised an overhaul.) Louisville beat Wake Forest 24-13 in the Orange Bowl. Former Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek died at age 95.
Today's birthdays: Country musician Harold Bradley is 82. Former television evangelist Jim Bakker is 69. Actress Wendy Phillips is 56. Actress Gabrielle Carteris is 47. Movie director Todd Haynes is 47. Actress Tia Carrere is 41. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is 40. Model Christy Turlington is 39. Actor Taye Diggs is 37. Rock musician Scott Underwood (Train) is 37. Rock singer Doug Robb (Hoobastank) is 33. Actor Dax Shepard is 33. Actress Paz Vega is 32. Country musician Chris Hartman is 30. Actress Kate Bosworth is 25.
Thought for today: "It is the tragedy of the world that no one knows what he doesn't know
-- and the less a man knows, the more sure he is that he knows everything."
-- Joyce Cary, British author (1888-1957)
[Associated Press]
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