Today In History

Today is Friday, Jan. 25, the 25th day of 2019. There are 340 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1915: America’s first official transcontinental telephone call took place as Alexander Graham Bell, who was in New York, spoke to his former assistant, Thomas Watson, who was in San Francisco, over a line set up by American Telephone & Telegraph.

ON THIS DATE

› 1890: Reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) of the New York World completed a round-the-world journey in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. The United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

› 1924: The first Winter Olympic Games opened in Chamonix, France.

› 1936: Former Gov. Al Smith, D-N.Y., delivered a radio address in Washington, titled “Betrayal of the Democratic Party,” in which he fiercely criticized the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

› 1945: The World War II Battle of the Bulge ended as German forces were pushed back to their original positions. Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first community to add fluoride to its public water supply.

› 1961: President John F. Kennedy held the first presidential news conference to be carried live on radio and television.

› 1981: The 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived in the United States.

› 1993: Sears announced that it would no longer publish its famous century-old catalog.

› 1998: Pope John Paul II ended his historic journey to Cuba.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Country singer Claude Gray is 87. Actress Leigh Taylor-Young is 74. Actress Jenifer Lewis is 62. Country musician Mike Burch (River Road) is 53. Rhythm and blues singer Kina is 50. Actress China Kantner is 48. Actress Ana Ortiz is 48. Drummer Joe Sirois (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) is 47. Musician Matt Odmark (Jars of Clay) is 45. Actress Mia Kirshner is 44. Actress Christine Lakin is 40. Rhythm and blues singer Alicia Keys is 39. Actor Michael Trevino is 34. Pop musician Calum Hood (5 Seconds of Summer) is 23. Actress Olivia Edward is 12.