On January 27, 1943, bombers of the US 8th Air Force strike the German homeland for the first time, striking targets around the port city of Wilhelmhaven. The targets were successfully destroyed, and gunners in the B-17 and B-24 bombers shot down 22 defending aircraft, with the loss of only 3 of their own. (below: B-24's on an unspecified bomb run) On January 27, 1951, the U.S. conducts the first in a series of nuclear bomb tests, exploding a device on a 65 mile square patch of property in Nevada. It is an above-ground test and the flash can be seen in San Francisco, CA. The government continues above ground testing - sometimes with human participants stationed several thousand yards from ground zero - until the effects of radiation begin to become evident. Underground testing began in 1957 and atmospheric tests were halted completely in 1962. On January 27, 1965, Texas-born carmaker Carroll Shelby unveils the Shelby GT 350. It is essentially a hot-rodded Ford Mustang, which had premiered the previous year. Shelby was already a prime mover in the auto industry due to the popularity of his Shelby Cobra. Winner of the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans race, he had retired from racing due to a heart condition and turned to building muscle cars. The GT 350 is the start of a long-term partnership with Ford that will also see Shelby help Ford to 4 consecutive wins at Le Mans beginning in 1966, still the only wins at the famed race for an American manufacturer.
On January 28, 1917, the Army recalls its troops from Mexico after 11 fruitless months of searching for Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. Villa had lost out to former ally Venustiano Carranza in a bid for the Mexican presidency in 1914, and had led guerilla operations against his administration since. When President Herbert Hoover voiced his support for Carranza in early 1916, Villa responded by crossing the border and leading an attack on citizens of Columbus, New Mexico, killing 17. Villa continued his guerilla tactics in Mexico until reaching an accord with Carranza's successor in 1920, though he was assassinated 3 years later. On January 28, 1777, British General John Burgoyne submits a plan to his government to split the revolution in the Americas. Burgoyne's plan calls for 8,000 troops stationed in Canada to march south and gain control of the Hudson River, isolating the New England colonies from the others and freeing General William Howe to attack Philadelphia. The government approved and Burgoyne launched his operation in June, quickly capturing Ft. Ticonderoga north of New York City. But the colonials responded with a march around his forces and cut his supply lines. Defeat at Bennington, Vermont followed, and Burgoyne surrendered his remaining troops at Saratoga in August. News of the defeat would convince the French to offer support for the revolution. On January 28, 1813, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is first published. The story tracks Elizabeth Bennett, the oldest of 5 sisters, and her awakening to the difference between superficial and true goodness and generosity. Noted humorously today for its realistic depiction of 19th century English manners and customs - especially as pertain to money and marriage - the book has seen 20 million copies sold and is consistently ranked among the most beloved books, both by literary scholars and the reading public.
On January 29, 1979, President Jimmy Carter and Chinese deputy premier Deng Xiaoping announce an accord that will eventually lead to America's finally recognizing the Communist Chinese government later that year. A lifelong member of the Chinese Communist Party and a participant in Mao's "Long March" in 1934, Deng would move China towards a capitalist society throughout the 70's and 80's, but never attempted to push the CCP out of control. On January 29, 1820, British monarch George III dies in London at the age of 81. George ascended to the throne on the death of his father in 1760, at age 20. Attempting to be more hands-on as a leader than his father led to a nervous breakdown just 4 years later, and he was already beginning to show signs of a long-term mental disorder when he began passing the coercive laws against Britain's colonies in North America that eventually led to the American Revolution. He retired from being an active participant in his own government in 1784, and by 1810 he was certifiably insane. Historians believe he suffered from a hereditary blood disorder that may have cause his mental afflictions. On January 29, 1977, ABC television airs part one of Roots. Based on African-American author Alex Haley's book of the same name, the story begins with the capture of a Mandinka tribesman named Kunta Kinte, who is sold into slavery in Virginia. The story goes on to trace several generations of Kunta's family into present day, culminating in Haley's "tracing his roots" and finding evidence that Kunta was his ancestor and family connection back to Africa. Fearing audiences would tune out of an epically long production, ABC aired Roots as a "miniseries" over 8 consecutive nights. Roots draws some of the largest audiences in TV history, earns more than 30 Emmy nominations with 9 wins, and sparks a fad of black Americans attempting to trace their own roots. Modern-day researchers have learned that Haley's original tale is largely a work of fiction. Whats your Name "Kunta Kinte" - YouTube
On January 31, 1944, Allied commanders, with General Dwight Eisenhower and British General Bernard Montgomery leading the debate, agree to postpone the planned invasion of France by one month, from early May to early June. The commanders agree they need the extra month to assemble the fleet of ships necessary to launch the invasion. June 4th is set as the new invasion day; weather considerations will later push it back to June 6th. On January 31, 1990....a clear sign that communism's days are numbered and capitalism is on the horizon of the Soviet Union; the first McDonald's opens in Moscow. A basic McD's meal of a Big Mac, fries and a milkshake costs several days' wages for the average Moscovite, yet the people line up for blocks for a first sample of the iconic American fare. On January 31, 1988, the Washington Redskins beat the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII. Redskins QB Doug Williams wins the MVP award in becoming the first African-American QB to start - and win - a Super Bowl. #5: Doug Williams Super Bowl XXII Highlights | Redskins vs. Broncos | Top 50 SB Performances - YouTube
On February 1, 1790 in the Royal Exchange Building in New York City, the Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time. Established by Article 3 of the U.S Constitution of 1787, the Court is granted ultimate jurisdiction over all U.S. law, especially in matters involving the Constitution. It is also directed to rule on matters pertaining to U.S. involvement in foreign affairs. With 5 Associated Justices presided over by Chief Justice John Jay, the first session of SCOTUS is devoted strictly to organizational matters; the first actual case will not be brought before the body until the following year. (Chief Justice John Jay) On February 1, 1884, the first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford English Dictionary is published. Conceived by the London Philological Society in 1857 to be the first error-free dictionary covering the whole of the English language from the Anglo-Saxon Period (1150 A.D.) forward, it will take more than 40 years to compile the entire first edition, in 125 fascicles, the final fascicle being published in 1928. Unlike most dictionaries, the OED gives a complete history for each word, with cross references, etymologies and multiple examples of usage. The entry for the word "set" takes 60,000 words and details more than 400 uses. Continuously amended and abridged since its completion, it is said that it would take a single person 120 years to type all 59 million words in the current, up-to-date version, which has 20 volumes and weighs almost 140 pounds when brought together. On February 1, 1974, a Seattle, WA apartment dweller named Barbara Little is awakened at 5:30am by the alarm ringing in another room of the suite. Little becomes curious when the alarm is not turned off and peaks in to see that her suite-mate, a 21-year old University of Washington student named Lynda Ann Healey, is not home. But all seems in order and she isn't concerned, until Healey's boss at the campus radio station calls to ask why she had not come in to work that afternoon. An investigation reveals traces of blood on the sheets and a nightgown, but nothing else. Its not until mid-1975 that Healey's skull is found on nearby Taylor Mountain. In 1978 in Florida, Ted Bundy, having been sentenced to death for the murder of 3 Florida State University co-eds, gives a series of interviews in which he confesses to murdering more than 30 women across 7 states. Based on his commentary, investigators close the book on the Healey case, and determine she was Bundy's first victim.
On February 2, 1848, the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo brings the Mexican-American War to an end. The two years-long war had erupted over disputed territory along the Rio Grande River, and President James Polk was roundly criticized by leaders in Congress, including Abraham Lincoln, for sending in troops and escalating the dispute into a war. Despite the opposition, the Treaty would give America a victory, ceding more than 500,000 square miles of Mexican-controlled territory over to the U.S., including what would become parts of 8 western states. On February 2, 1943, one of the most pivotal and destructive battles of the European Theater ends, when the last German soldiers at Stalingrad surrender to the Russians. Stalingrad was a crucial stronghold against the German offensive into Russia, an industrial center and gateway to the vital Caucasian oil fields. The initial German attacks in the summer of 1942 reduced much of the city to rubble, but the Russians under General Vasily Zuikov stubbornly held on, and months of house-to-house fighting for every square yard of the city followed. Soviet leader Josef Stalin (who renamed the 350-year old city of Tsaritsyn after himself in 1925) reinforced Zuikov in November, and the combination of fresh troops and the notoriously harsh Russian winter finally brought the German invasion to a halt. Combined casualties exceeded 2 million killed and wounded, including an estimated 40,000 Russian civilians killed. On February 2, 1980, the FBI goes public with ABSCAM. Short for Abdul Scam, ABSCAM was a 3-year long sting operation that eventually saw U.S. Senator Harrison Williams (D-NJ) and 6 Congressmen from East Coast states (5 Democrats, 1 Republican) convicted on bribery and conspiracy charges. The operation started as a sting to uncover theft, bribery and forgery operations in New York, going through a fictional corporation called Abdul Enterprises, with 2 undercover agents posing as Arab sheikhs looking for investment opportunities. When a targeted forger suggested the "sheikhs" could get in on the blossoming New Jersey casino industry with the right connections, the focus turned to government corruption. Three Philadelphia city councilmen and the mayor of Camden, NJ were also convicted.
On February 3, 1950, German-born physicist Klaus Fuchs is arrested in Great Britain for passing secrets on two atomic bomb projects to the Soviets. Fuchs fled Germany for Britain with his family in 1933. He was brought on to the nation's team attempting to develop an atomic bomb early in the war, and later, was included on the team seconded to the Americans' Manhattan Project. Fuchs' arrest triggered a chain of investigation that eventually led (in June) to the arrest of infamous American spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Fuchs would serve 9 years of a 14 year sentence for espionage and lived out his remaining years with his father (a Communist sympathize) in East Germany. On February 3, 1889, the "Bandit Queen" Belle Starr is ambushed and murdered with 2 shotgun blasts in the back in East Oklahoma. Born Myra Belle Shirley in Missouri, Belle's early life had the makings of respectability, but the Civil War ruined her family and they moved to Texas. There, Belle first became entangled with outlaws and she fell into a life of robbery, cattle rustling and horse thievery. Pursued by the law into Oklahoma, she met and married a Cherokee named Sam Starr, who also became her partner in crime. Starr was killed in an 1886 gunfight and Belle soon met and married a Creek named Jim July, who was arrested and summoned to Ft. Smith, Arkansas for arraignment in early 1889. It was on the return trip home that Belle was ambushed. July would tell authorities that he believed the killer was a neighbor with whom they had been feuding, but no one was ever convicted. On February 3, 2002, Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal as time expires gives the New England Patriots a 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. It is the Patriots' first Super Bowl win in 3 appearances, and will be the first of a record-tying 6 Super Bowl wins for the franchise. It is the first Super Bowl decided on the game's final play (the Colts won Super Bowl V on a field goal, but :05 remained on the clock). Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs. Patriots highlights - YouTube
On February 4, 1861, delegates from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana meet in Montgomery, AL to form the Confederate States of America. The six states had voted to secede from the United States over a five-week period of December and January. Five more states will secede and join the Confederacy over the next two months. On February 4, 1922, the Ford Motor Company acquires the failing Lincoln Motor Company for $8 million. Edsel Ford, president of FMC and son of founder Henry Ford (father was essentially retired but father and son were majority shareholders in the company), convinced his father to make the move and then proceeded to develop the new acquisition as the "luxury division" of Ford. Lincoln had its first hit with the 1934 Zephyr (below left) and truly arrived with the introduction of the Continental (below right) in 1939, a car famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright called "the most beautiful car ever made." On February 4, 1938, Walt Disney Productions releases its first full length feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, the production is a huge gamble for Disney, which had to borrow most of the $1.5 million production price tag. Many of Walt's advisors, including his wife, questioned whether adult audiences would sit still for a full-length animated feature based on a children's story. They were so wrong. In December, Disney previewed the film for a Hollywood audience, which responded with a standing ovation. Before 1938 ended, the film had grossed $8 million, a staggering sum during the Depression era. Disney was presented with an honorary Academy Award (in the form of a full-size Oscar statuette and 7 miniatures) and several studios were inspired to produce fantasy-based films in response (including MGM's "The Wizard of Oz"). In 2008, the American Film Institute named "Snow White" the number one animated film of all time.
On February 5, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt introduces a plan to expand the Supreme Court to 15 justices. SCOTUS had rejected two aspects of Roosevelt's "New Deal" the previous year as unconstitutional, and critics on both sides of the legislative aisle criticize this latest move, calling it "court packing." The Senate votes down the proposal 70-22, but within five years 7 associate justices pass away, giving FDR ample opportunity to legally shift the balance of the Court in his favor On February 5, 1917, Congress overrides President Woodrow Wilson's veto of the Immigration Act. Congress had been entertaining the notion of limiting immigration for more than 20 years, and with the country's entrance into World War I, the support is finally there. The Immigration Act requires that all immigrants pass a literacy test and also bars Asiatic laborers, except from nations that held special agreements with the U.S. Immigration would sharply decline over the next decade as a result. (Arriving immigrants at Ellis Island) On February 5, 146 BCE, a century of warfare - the 3 Punic Wars - comes to an end with the Roman Empire's victory over Carthage. The Punic Wars erupted over territorial disputes over portions of modern-day Spain, Greece and Sicily, as Rome expanded its borders into territory claimed by Carthage, a thriving port city in modern-day Tunisia. The Romans decisively won the first Punic War. The second, also won by Rome, was much closer, as Carthaginian general Hannibal famously marched elephants over the Alps and into northern Italy, nearly reaching Rome itself. The Third Punic War was short by comparison to the first two, and saw Rome finally sack Carthage and sell most of its 50,000 inhabitants into slavery. Historians have found no evidence to confirm the tale that the Romans salted the earth around the city to prevent crops from growing.
On February 6, 1778, representatives of the French government and the U.S.A. sign the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance. The two treaties combine to offer official recognition of U.S. independence from Great Britain, and a pledge of French assistance in defeating the British in the on-going Revolutionary War. The Treaty of Alliance also stipulates that the Americans will not interfere with a French move on the British West Indies. On February 6, 1928, a woman calling herself Anastasia Tschaikovsky and claiming to be the youngest daughter of the murdered Russian czar Nicholas II arrives in New York City. The American press is skeptical; she is at least the sixth woman to arrive in the last 10 years claiming to be a Romanov, the Russian ruling family that was overthrown and executed en masse during the revolution of 1918. Rumors persisted over the years, however, that one daughter had escaped. "Anastasia Tschaikovsky" would take the name Anna Anderson, and would enter a decades-long legal battle for official recognition of her claimed status as a Romanov, which would entitle her to a share of the still-vast family fortune. Many Russian emigrants supported her, but she died in 1984 with her claim still unverified. DNA comparisons have since proven the claims false. On February 6, 1988 in Chicago, the National Basketball Association's annual Slam Dunk Contest, part of the NBA's All Star Weekend is held. The preliminary rounds narrow the field to two finalists, Dominique Wilkins of the Atlanta Hawks and Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls. One of the most controversial finishes in contest history is the result, as a thunderous final dunk by Wilkins earns a surprisingly low score of 45, opening the door for Jordan to win the contest if he can score a 49 on his final dunk. Jordan launches an icon with his leap from the free throw line to score a perfect 50; a still image from his flight to the goal will become the image of Nike's Air Jordan line of products, and Jordan's reputation as a growing sports megastar is made. 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest - Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins - YouTube
