(Following Advance for Use Saturday, Jan. 24)


Today in History

Today is Saturday, Jan. 24, the 24th day of 2009. There are 341 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: Jan. 24, 1908, is considered the starting date of the Boy Scouts movement in England, under the aegis of Robert Baden-Powell.

On this date: In 1742, Charles VII was elected Holy Roman Emperor during the War of the Austrian Succession.

In 1848, James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter's Mill in northern California, a discovery that led to the gold rush of '49.

In 1924, the Russian city of Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) was renamed Leningrad in honor of the late revolutionary leader (however, it has since been re-named St. Petersburg).

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill concluded a wartime conference in Casablanca, Morocco.

In 1965, Winston Churchill died in London at age 90.

In 1978, a nuclear-powered Soviet satellite, Cosmos 954, plunged through Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated, scattering radioactive debris over parts of northern Canada.

In 1984, Apple Computer began selling its Macintosh PC.

In 1987, gunmen in Lebanon kidnapped educators Alann (cq) Steen, Jesse Turner and Robert Polhill and Mitheleshwar Singh (all were eventually released).

In 1989, confessed serial killer Theodore Bundy was executed in Florida's electric chair.

In 2003, Tom Ridge was sworn in as the first head of the new Department of Homeland Security.

Ten years ago: House prosecutors interviewed Monica Lewinsky, a move that triggered fresh partisan convulsions in President Bill CLinton's impeachment trial. Olympic leaders recommended the expulsions of six International Olympic Committee members in an unprecedented response to the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the games.

Five years ago: Howard Dean sharply questioned John Kerry's judgment on Iraq as Democratic presidential rivals raced through a final weekend of campaigning before the New Hampshire primary.

NASA's Opportunity rover landed on Mars, arriving at the Red Planet exactly three weeks after its identical twin's landing.

One year ago: Congressional leaders announced a deal with the White House on an economic stimulus package that would give most tax filers refunds of $600 to $1,200. French bank Societe Generale announced it had uncovered a 4.9 billion euro ($7.14 billion) fraud by a single futures trader whose scheme of fictitious transactions was discovered as stock markets began to stumble in recent days.

Italian Premier Romano Prodi resigned after losing a Senate confidence motion.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Ernest Borgnine is 92. Evangelist Oral Roberts is 91. Actor Jerry Maren ("The Wizard of Oz") is 90.

Actor Marvin Kaplan ("Top Cat") is 82. Cajun musician Doug Kershaw is 73. Singer-songwriter Ray Stevens is 70.

Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond is 68. Singer Aaron Neville is 68.

Actor Michael Ontkean is 63. Actor Daniel Auteuil is 59. Country singer-songwriter Becky Hobbs is 59. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff is 58.

Bandleader-musician Jools Holland is 51. Actress Nastassja Kinski is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Theo Peoples is 48. Country musician Keech Rainwater (Lonestar) is 46. Comedian Phil LaMarr is 42.

Olympic gold-medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sleepy Brown (Society of Soul) is 39. Actor Matthew Lillard is 39. Actress Merrilee McCommas is 38. Actor Ed Helms is 35.

Actress Tatyana Ali is 30. Actress Mischa Barton is 23.

Thought for Today: "All men wish to have truth on their side; but few to be on the side of truth." Richard Whately, British theologian (1787-1863).

(Above Advance for Use Saturday, Jan. 24)


Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 01-11-09 0838CST | save this article / add to your favorites list