This day in history

[January 23, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Saturday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2010. There are 342 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Jan. 23, 1960, the Swiss-Italian-made bathyscaphe (BATH'-ih-skahf) Trieste, owned and operated by the U.S. Navy, carried two men to the deepest known point in the Pacific Ocean, reaching a depth of more than 35,000 feet inside the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.

On this date:

In 1789, Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.

In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

In 1849, English-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in America to receive a Doctor of Medicine degree, from the Medical Institution of Geneva, N.Y.

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In 1943, critic Alexander Woollcott suffered a fatal heart attack during a live broadcast of the CBS radio program "People's Platform."

In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

In 1964, the 24th amendment to the Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified.

In 1968, North Korea seized the Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, charging its crew with being on a spying mission. (The crew was released 11 months later.)

In 1973, President Richard M. Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War.

In 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted in Karachi, Pakistan, by a group demanding the return of prisoners from the Afghan campaign; he was later slain.

Ten years ago: The dark satire "American Beauty" won the Golden Globe for best film drama, while "The Sopranos" won best television drama. The Tennessee Titans advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-14 in the AFC Championship game. The St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-6 to win the NFC Championship. NFL star Derrick Thomas was injured when the sport utility vehicle he was driving overturned on an icy road in Missouri; Thomas died more than two weeks later. (The crash also claimed the life of Thomas' friend, Michael Tellis.)

Five years ago: Former "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson died in Malibu, Calif. at age 79. Viktor Yushchenko was sworn in as president of Ukraine. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Atlanta Falcons 27-10 to win the NFC championship game; the New England Patriots won the AFC championship by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 41-27.

One year ago: President Barack Obama quietly ended the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. New York Gov. David Paterson chose Democratic Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (KEHR'-sten JIL'-uh-brand) to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Today's birthdays: Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) is 86. Actress Jeanne Moreau is 82. Actress Chita Rivera is 77. Actor-director Lou Antonio is 76. Actor Gil Gerard is 67. Actor Rutger Hauer is 66. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jerry Lawson (The Persuasions) is 66. Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) is 63. Singer Anita Pointer is 62. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 60. Rock musician Bill Cunningham is 60. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 57. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (vee-yah-ry-GOH'-sah) is 57. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 53. Singer Anita Baker is 52. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 51. Actress Gail O'Grady is 47. Actress Mariska Hargitay is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Nelson is 39. Actress Tiffani Thiessen is 36. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 35. Christian rock musician Nick DePartee (Kutless) is 25.

Thought for today: "Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined." -- Johnny Carson, American talk show host (1925-2005)

[Associated Press]

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