January 2

Birthdays:

1975 ~ Dax Shepard, American actor and movie director.

1969 ~ Christy Turlington, American model.

1968 ~ Cuba Gooding, Jr., American actor.

1942 ~ Dennis Hastert, 59^th Speaker of the House of Representatives.  In 2015, he was indicted on federal charges of structuring bank withdrawals to evade banking reporting requirements.  This led to an investigation of allegations of sexually abusing young boys when he was a teacher years earlier.  In 2015, he entered a plea deal and was sentenced to federal prison.

1940 ~ Jim Bakker, American televangelist.

1940 ~ S.R. Srinivasa Varadhan, Indian mathematician.

1936 ~ Roger Miller (d. 1992), American singer-songwriter, best known for his song, King of the Road.  He died of lung cancer at age 56.

1933 ~ Richard Riley, 6^th United States Secretary of Education.  He served under President Bill Clinton from January 1992 until January 2001.

1931 ~ James D. Murray, British mathematician.

1920 ~ Isaac Asimov (né Isaak Ozimov, d. 1992), American science-fiction writer and biochemistry professor.  He taught at Boston University.  He died at age 72.

1915 ~ John Hope Franklin (b. 2009), African-American historian.  He died at age 94.

1909 ~ Barry M. Goldwater (d. 1998), American politician and 1964 US Presidential candidate.  He died at age 89.

1905 ~ Lev Schnirelmann (d. 1938), Russian mathematician.  He committed suicide at age 33.

1898 ~ Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (d. 1989), American economist and attorney.  She was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D in Economic in the United States.  She died at age 91.

1884 ~ Ben-Zion Dinur (d. 1973), Russian-born Israeli educator and historian.  He served as the 4^th Israeli Minister of Education.  He served as Minister of Education from 1951 until 1955.  He died at age 89.

1836 ~ Queen Emma of Hawaii (d. 1885).  She died at age 49.

1836 ~ Mendele Movkher Sforim (d. 1917), Russian-born Jewish writer.  He died at age 80.

1822 ~ Rudolf Clausius (né Rudolf Gottleib, d. 1888), Polish-born mathematician.  He died at age 66.

1727 ~ James Wolfe (d. 1759), British general whose success at the Battle of Quebec in 1759, conquered Canada for the British Empire.  During the battle, however, Wolfe was shot three times and succumbed to his wounds.  He was 32 years old.

Events that Changed the World:

2006 ~ An explosion at the Sago Mine in West Virginia trapped thirteen miners for two days, all but one of the miners died due to carbon monoxide poisoning before rescue teams could reach them.

1974 ~ President Richard Nixon (1913 ~ 1994) signed a bill lowering the speed limit to 55 MPH to conserve gas during the OPEC embargo.

1967 ~ Ronald Reagan (1911 ~ 2004) was sworn in as Governor of California.

1942 ~ Japanese forces captured Manila, Philippines during World War II.

1935 ~ Bruno Hauptmann (1899 ~ 1936) went on trial for the kidnapping and murder of the infant son of Charles and Anna Lindbergh.  He was ultimately found guilty and was executed.

1900 ~ John Hay (1838 ~ 1905), Secretary of State under the William McKinley administration, announced the “Open Door Policy” to promote trade between the US and China.

1833 ~ British rule was re-established in the Falkland Islands.

1788 ~ Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.

1777 ~ During the American Revolutionary War, American forces, under the command of General George Washington, repulsed an attack by the British at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek, near Trenton, New Jersey.

1492 ~ During the Spanish Reconquista, the Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold surrendered to Spain.

533 ~ Mercurius became Pope John II (b. 470), the first pope to adopt a new name upon becoming pope.  His birth name, Mercurius, honored the Roman god, Mercury, was inappropriate for a pope.  His reign started on this date until his death on May 5, 535.

Good-Byes:

2011 ~ Peter William “Pete” Postlehwaite (b. 1946), English character actor.  He died of prostate cancer at age 64.

2007 ~ Theodor “Teddy” Kollek (b. 1911), Hungarian-born Mayor of Jerusalem.  He was elected Mayor 5 times beginning in 1968.  He served in that office for 28 years.  He died at age 95.

2001 ~ William Pierce Rogers (b. 1913), 55^th Secretary of State.  He served in that position during the Richard Nixon administration.  He also served as the 63^rd US Attorney General under President Dwight Eisenhower.  He died at age 87.

1994 ~ Dixy Lee Ray (née Margurite Ray, b. 1914), American politician and 17^th Governor of the State of Washington.  She served as Governor from January 1977 until January 1981.  She died at age 79.

1990 ~ Alan Hale, Jr. (b. 1918), American actor best known for his role as the Skipper on the TV sitcom, Gilligan's Island.  He died at age 68 of thymus cancer.

1904 ~ James Longstreet (b. 1821), Confederate General during the American Civil War.  He died 6 days before his 83^rd birthday.

1892 ~ Sir George Biddle Airy (b. 1801), English mathematician and astronomer.  He died at age 90.