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Saturday, January 17, 1998

  • Today's Events
  • On Horizon
  • On This Day
  • Newslink
  • Holidays & more
  • Almanac archive
  • "What an incredible day for John Glenn, for Ohio, for NASA, but most of all, for America, because the man who almost 36 years ago climbed into the Friendship 7 ... is now poised to show the world that senior citizens have the right stuff."

    -- -- NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin





    Today's events


  • In College Park, Maryland, the NAACP holds a summit on employment discrimination in the federal workplace.

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    On the horizon


  • On Sunday, January 18, the Golden Globe awards are presented in Los Angeles.

  • On Monday, January 19, the Conference on Disarmament holds its first session in Geneva.

  • On Tuesday, January 20, the trial of Melissa Drexler, a 19-year-old accused of killing her newborn after giving birth during her high school prom, is scheduled to start.

  • On Wednesday, January 21, Pope John Paul II begins his first visit to Cuba.

  • On Thursday, January 22, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League chapters hold events marking the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision.

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    On this day


  • In 1377, Pope Gregory XI restored the Papal See to Rome after it was removed from Avignon.

  • In 1562, the edict of Saint Germain took effect by which the Huguenots were recognized in France. On the same day, the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal of Lorraine formed a union to block the edict.

  • In 1601, the treaty of Lyons was signed between France, Spain and Savoy under which Henry IV gained Bresse, Bugey, Gex and Valromey.

  • In 1706, Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman and scientist, was born. He was one of the leaders in the American Revolution and assisted in writing the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.

  • In 1773, the Resolution, under Capt. James Cook, became the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle.

  • In 1781, the English were defeated by American militia under Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina.

  • In 1806, James Madison Randolph became the first baby to be born in the White House, to Martha Jefferson Randolph, daughter of President Thomas Jefferson.

  • In 1852, Britain recognized the independence of Transvaal in the Sand River Convention.

  • In 1874, the original Siamese Twins, Chang and Eng, died. Born in Thailand of Chinese parents and joined at the chest, they were sold and exhibited in Europe and America.

  • In 1893, Rutherford Hayes, the 19th U.S. president, died. He was the only president to be elected by an electoral commission following a disputed ballot.

  • In 1912, Capt. Robert Scott and his expedition reached the South Pole, one month after Norway's Roald Amundsen.

  • In 1916, the Professianal Golfers' Association was formed.

  • In 1919, classical pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski became prime minister of Poland. He became involved in politics during World War II and was responsible for persuading U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to include a paragraph on Polish independence in his famous "Fourteen Points."

  • In 1949, the trial on subversion charges of the top leaders of the U.S. Communist Party began in New York.

    In 1959, Senegal and the French Sudan agreed to form the Republic of Mali, effective in April.

  • In 1966, a U.S. B-52 bomber collided in midair with a refueling tanker over Spain; eight were killed and the bomber released its H-bomb into the Atlantic.

  • In 1977, double murderer Gary Gilmore became the first person to be executed in the United States since the reintroduction of the death penalty.

  • In 1983, Nigeria expelled an estimated 2 million illegal immigrants.

  • In 1991, in the Gulf War, U.S.-led allied forces launched "Operation Desert Storm," an air and missile offensive against Iraqi positions.

  • In 1995, more than 6,400 people were killed after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake jolted Kobe, Japan.

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    Newslink


    Happy birthday, PGA! The Professional Golfers' Association turns 82 today. Check out the official site for golfing news, tips and tours.


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    Holidays and more


  • Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is 56.

  • Actor James Earl Jones is 67.

  • Actor Jim Carrey is 36.

  • Actor David Caruso is 42.

  • Actor Troy Donahue is 61.

  • Actress Sheree North is 65.

  • Talk show host Maury Povich is 59.

  • Hair stylist Vidal Sassoon is 70.

  • Actress Betty White is 74.

  • Singer Paul Young is 42.

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    Sources: Associated Press,
    Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan

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