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 11months later to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson.

1937

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

1964

Capitol Records released the album “Meet the Beatles!”

2009

Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation's 44th, as well as first African American, president.