On January 7, 1608, a catastrophic fire tore through Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Occurring during an unforgiving winter, the blaze dealt a severe blow to an already struggling colony. Established in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London,…
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On January 6, 1066, England made a choice meant to preserve order—and in doing so set itself on the path to conquest. The day after the death of Edward the Confessor, the kingdom’s leading nobles and churchmen gathered in London for an emergency session…
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On January 6, 1941, Congress heard one of the most iconic speeches in American history. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, delivered what became known as the Four Freedoms Speech. This speech was part of his State of the Union…
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On January 6, 1994, the world of figure skating was thrown into chaos when Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan was brutally attacked after a practice session at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The assault, which left Kerrigan injured and in tears, was later discovered…
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On January 5, 1914, in a move that stunned American industry and rewrote the rules of factory labor, the Ford Motor Company announced that it would more than double the daily pay of its workers while shortening the workday. Beginning January 12, eligible employees…
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On January 5, 1972, President Richard Nixon delivered a landmark announcement that would shape the future of American space exploration: the initiation of the Space Shuttle program. Speaking from the White House, Nixon presented his vision for a reusable spacecraft designed to make space…
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On January 5, 1895, Alfred Dreyfus, a French army office, was stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island, a penal colony off the coast of French Guiana. The Dreyfus Affair was a political scandal that divided France from the…
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On January 4, 1999, Jesse Ventura was sworn in as the 38th governor of Minnesota, marking one of the most unexpected political ascents in modern American history. A former professional wrestler, Hollywood actor, radio host, and Navy veteran, Ventura entered office not as a…
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On January 4, 1903, one of the most disturbing events in the history of animal welfare occurred at Coney Island’s Luna Park. Topsy, a 28-year-old Asian elephant, was publicly electrocuted in a grim display that merged human cruelty with technological ambition. The event was…
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In January 4, 1853, Solomon Northup finally breathed the sweet air of freedom again. Northup was an African-American man born in July 1808 in Minerva, New York. Born a free man in a time when slavery was still legal in the United States, Northup…
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