Friday, January 01st
The 001st day of 2010.
There are 364 days left in the year.
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Today's Highlights in History
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On Jan. 1, 1959, Fidel Castro led Cuban revolutionaries to victory over Fulgencio Batista. (Go to article.)
On Jan. 1, 1895, J. Edgar Hoover, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1924-1972, was born. Following his death on May 2, 1972, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)
Editorial Cartoon of the Day
On January 1, 1859, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about New Year's Day. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1797 Albany became the capital of New York state, replacing New York City.
1808 A law prohibiting the importation of slaves into the United States went into effect.
1863 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that slaves in rebel states were free.
1892 The Ellis Island Immigrant Station in New York opened.
1898 New York City was consolidated into five buroughs.
1901 The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed.
1945 France was admitted to the United Nations.
1953 Country singer Hank Williams Sr., 29, died of a drug and alcohol overdose.
1958 Treaties establishing the European Economic Community went into effect.
1979 The United States and China established diplomatic relations.
1984 AT&T was divested of its 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust agreement.
1990 David Dinkins was sworn in as New York City's first African-American mayor.
1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
1994 The North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect.
1998 An anti-smoking law went into effect in California, prohibiting people from lighting up in bars.
1999 The euro became the official currency of 11 European countries.
2008 No-smoking rules went into effect in France, prohibiting people from lighting up in cafes, bars and restaurants.
2009 The U.S. formally transferred control of the Green Zone to Iraqi authorities.
Current Birthdays
Frank Langella turns 72 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles Actor Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon") turns 72 years old today.
91 J.D. Salinger
Author ("The Catcher in the Rye")
88 Ernest Hollings
Former U.S. senator, D-S.C.
67 Don Novello
Comedian
63 Jon Corzine
Governor of New Jersey
60 Steve Ripley
Country singer (The Tractors)
60 Steve Ripley
Country singer (The Tractors)
56 Robert Menendez
U.S. senator, D-N.J.
52 Grandmaster Flash
Rapper
46 Dedee Pfeiffer
Actress
44 Embeth Davidtz
Actress
41 Verne Troyer
Actor ("Austin Powers" movies)
Historic Birthdays
J. Edgar Hoover
1/1/1895 - 5/2/1972
American director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(Go to obit.)
43 Lorenzo de' Medici
1/1/1449 - 3/9/1492
Italian statesman, ruler
51 Mad Anthony Wayne
1/1/1745 - 12/15/1796
American Revolutionary general
84 Betsy Ross
1/1/1752 - 1/30/1836
American, sewed the first American flag
87 Sir James George Frazer
1/1/1854 - 5/7/1941
British anthropologist, wrote Golden Bough
82 Alfred Stieglitz
1/1/1864 - 7/13/1946
American photographer
79 Ernest Jones
1/1/1879 - 2/11/1958
British psychoanalyst
73 William Fox
1/1/1879 - 5/8/1952
American motion picture executive
76 William J Donovan
1/1/1883 - 2/8/1959
American Director of the O.S.S. in WW2
76 Catherine Bowen
1/1/1897 - 11/1/1973
American writer
90 Xavier Cugat
1/1/1900 - 10/27/1990
Cuban band leader
83 Dana Andrews
1/1/1909 - 12/17/1992
American actor
89 Barry M. Goldwater
1/1/1909 - 5/29/1998
American senator
76 Kim Philby
1/1/1912 - 5/11/1988
British, Soviet double agent
71 Rocky Graziano
1/1/1919 - 5/22/1990
American boxer
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