Today is Thursday, Jan. 24, the 24th day of 2019. There are 341 days left in the year.
Today’s highlight: On Jan. 24, 2013, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the lifting of a ban on women serving in combat.
On this date:
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 1965, British statesman Winston Churchill died in London at age 90.
In 1985, the space shuttle Discovery was launched from Cape Canaveral on the first secret, all-military shuttle mission.
In 1987, gunmen in Lebanon kidnapped educators Alann Steen, Jesse Turner, Robert Polhill and Mitheleshwar Singh. (All were eventually released.)
In 1989, confessed serial killer Theodore Bundy was executed in Florida’s electric chair.
Today’s birthdays: Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond is 78. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff is 68. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is 66. Actor William Allen Young is 65. Bandleader-musician Jools Holland is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer Theo Peoples is 58. Country musician Keech Rainwater (Lonestar) is 56. Comedian Phil LaMarr is 52. Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton is 51. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sleepy Brown (Society of Soul) is 49. Actress Merrilee McCommas is 48. Blues/rock singer Beth Hart is 47. Actor Ed Helms is 45. Actor Mark Hildreth is 41. Actress Carrie Coon is 38. Actor Daveed Diggs is 37. Actor Justin Baldoni is 35. Actress Mischa Barton is 33.
Thought for today: “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.” — Winston Churchill (1874-1965).
— Associated Press
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