TODAY INHISTORY

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT 1789

America held its first presidential election as voters chose electors who, a month later, selected George Washington to be the nation’s first chief executive.

1927

Commercial transatlantic telephone service was inaugurated between New York and London.

1942

Japanese forces began besieging American and Filipino troops in Bataan during World War II.

1953

President Truman announced in his State of the Unionmessage to Congress that the United States had developed a hydrogen bomb.

1959

The United States recognized the new government of Cuba, six days after Fidel Castro led the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

1972

Lewis F. Powell, Jr. and William H. Rehnquist were sworn in as the 99th and 100th members of the U. S. Supreme Court.

1979

Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, overthrowing the Khmer Rouge government.

1989

Emperor Hirohito of Japan died in Tokyo at age 87; he was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Akihito.

1999

For the second time in history, an impeached American president went on trial before the Senate. President Bill Clinton faced charges of perjury and obstruction of justice; he was acquitted.

2004

President George W. Bush proposed legal status, at least temporarily, for millions of immigrants improperly working in the U. S.

2006

U. S. Rep. Tom Delay, RTexas, facing corruption charges, stepped down as House majority leader.

2015

Masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French newspaper that had caricatured the Prophet Mohammad, methodically killing 12people, including the editor, before escaping in a car.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor David Caruso is 65. Talk show host Katie Couric is 64. Sen. Rand Paul, R- Ky., is 58. Actor Nicolas Cage is

57. Actor Doug E. Doug is

51. Actor Jeremy Renner is

50. Actor Dustin Diamond is

44. Actor Lauren Cohan is

39. Actor Lyndsy Fonseca is 34.