This day in history

[January 28, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Thursday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2010. There are 337 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Jan. 28, 1980, in what became known as "the Canadian Caper," six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats.

On this date:

In 1547, England's King Henry VIII died; he was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.

In 1853, Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti was born in Havana.

In 1909, the United States withdrew its forces from Cuba as Jose Miguel Gomez became president.

In 1915, the United States Coast Guard was created as President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill merging the Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service.

In 1916, Louis D. Brandeis was nominated by President Woodrow Wilson to the Supreme Court; Brandeis became the court's first Jewish member.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.

In 1960, the National Football League awarded franchises to Dallas and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

In 1973, a cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War.

In 1978, fire swept through the historic downtown Coates House hotel in Kansas City, Mo., killing 20 people.

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven of its crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

Ten years ago: Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, the Florida nun selected by Attorney General Janet Reno as a neutral party in the custody battle over Elian Gonzalez, sought unsuccessfully to persuade Reno to change her mind about returning the six-year-old to Cuba.

Five years ago: Iraqis overseas began three days of voting in 14 nations. Senate Democrats criticized President George W. Bush's plan to add personal accounts to Social Security and accused his administration of improperly using the Social Security Administration to promote the idea. Consumer products giant Procter and Gamble Company and Gillette Company announced a $57 billion merger.

One year ago: In a swift victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House approved, 244-188, a huge $819 billion stimulus bill with Republicans unanimous in opposition despite Obama's pleas for bipartisan support. Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboard player Billy Powell, who survived the 1977 plane crash that killed three band members, died in Orange Park, Fla. at age 56.

Today's birthdays: Musician-composer Acker Bilk is 81. Actor Nicholas Pryor is 75. Actor Alan Alda is 74. Actress Susan Howard is 68. Actress Marthe (cq) Keller is 65. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is 63. Actress-singer Barbi Benton is 60. Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is 56. French President Nicolas Sarkozy (sahr-koh-ZEE') is 55. Actress Harley Jane Kozak is 53. Movie director Frank Darabont is 51. Rock musician Dave Sharp is 51. Rock singer Sam Phillips is 48. Rock musician Dan Spitz is 47. Country musician Greg Cook (Ricochet) is 45. Gospel singer Marvin Sapp is 43. Singer Sarah McLachlan is 42. Rapper Rakim is 42. DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill) is 42. Actress Kathryn Morris ("Cold Case") is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Anthony Hamilton is 39. Rock musician Brandon Bush is 37. MLB player Jermaine Dye is 36. Singer Joey Fatone Jr. ('N Sync) is 33. Rapper Rick Ross is 33. Actress Rosamund Pike is 31. Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) is 30. Actor Elijah Wood is 29.

Thought for today: "Organisation can never be a substitute for initiative and for judgement." -- Louis D. Brandeis, U.S. Supreme Court justice (1856-1941)

[Associated Press]

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