On This Day in History

If you see "The Great One", aka Wayne Gretzky, wish him a happy birthday. January 26, 1961.

 

January 26, 1990:

Halifax Nova Scotia - Donald Marshall Jr. exonerated in Marshall Enquiry Report nearly 19 years after he was falsely convicted, and wrongly served 11 yrs for stabbing death of Sandy Seale in Sydney, NS; report says Marshall a victim of ineptitude and unfairness, as well as racism, because he was a Micmac Indian.

 

On January 27th in 1967, astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo spacecraft at Cape Kennedy, Fla.

 

Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart would be 256 today, January 27. Enjoy:

 

I can remember watching TV when that was announced. It was a Friday night. This was such a shock. After the successes of Mercury and Gemini, it was unthinkable.

 

On a related note, 25 years ago today the space shuttle Challenger exploded during lift off. All 7 crew members perished.

I was driving in my car in the south suburbs of Chicago. I can remember exactly where I was at when the news broke on the radio.

 

On January 30th in 1948, Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist.

 

which is just easier to say than yerba buena... well, a little easier...

 

But I understand they still have some good herb.

 

da-dum chi'! Touche' sir, touche'

 

On January 31st in 1865, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery.

 

Remember the Fifth of November? Well, they executed Guy Fawkes on 1/31/1606.

 

Swift justice and sure.... Maybe.

 

On February 1st in 1960, four black college students began a sit-in protest at a lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., where they’d been refused service.