Today In History

Today is Friday, Jan. 20, the 20th day of 2023. There are 345 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first chief executive to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 instead of March 4.

ON THIS DATE ›

1801: Secretary of State John Marshall was nominated by President John Adams to be chief justice of the United States.

› 1841: The island of Hong Kong was ceded by China to Great Britain. (It returned to Chinese control in July 1997.)

› 1936: Britain’s King George V died after his physician injected the mortally ill monarch with morphine and cocaine to hasten his death; the king was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne 11 months later to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

› 1961: John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States.

› 1964: Capitol Records released the album “Meet the Beatles!”

› 1981: Iran released 52 Americans it had held hostage for 444 days, minutes after the presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin is 93. Olympic gold medal figure skater Carol Heiss is 83. Singer Eric Stewart is 78. Movie director David Lynch is

77. Country-rock musician George Grantham (Poco) is 76. Israeli activist Natan Sharansky is 75. Actor Daniel Benzali is

73. Rock musician Paul Stanley (KISS) is 71. Rock musician Ian Hill (Judas Priest) is 71. Comedian Bill Maher is 67. Actor Lorenzo Lamas is 65. Actor James Denton is

60. Rock musician Greg K. (The Offspring) is

58. Country singer John Michael Montgomery is 58. Sophie, Countess of Wessex, is 58. Actor Rainn Wilson is 57. Actor Stacey Dash is 56. TV personality Melissa Rivers is 55. Actor Reno Wilson is 54. Singer Edwin McCain is 53. Actor Skeet Ulrich is 53. Rap musician Questlove (The Roots) is 52. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is 51. Rock musician Rob Bourdon (Linkin Park) is 44. Singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee is 39. Country singer Brantley Gilbert is 38. Rock singer Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) is

37.