January 22
Today in history:
1879 - In the Anglo-Zulu war... Zulu troops with spears and shileds defeat British troops with rifles at Islandwana, while at Rorke's Drift 139 British soldiers successfully defended their garrison against 5,000 Zulu warriors.
1947 - KTLA, first TV station west of the Mississippi, begins broadcasting from Hollywood.
1973 - The Supreme Court decides in Roe v. Wade to strike down state laws restricting abortion. (The rationalle: Abortion falls under "reproductive rights," which are a subset of the larger, implied "right to privacy.")
1973 - Joe Frazier suffers his first proffessional loss as a boxer, beaten by George Foreman.
1984 - The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to run on a mouse-and-GUI OS, debuts with its famous "1984" television commercial during Super Bowl XVIII.
1997 - Madeleine Albright becomes the first female Secretary of State.
Notable birthdays:
1561 - Sir Francis Bacon, English philosopher
1788 - Lord Byron, English poet
1869 - Grigori Rasputin (Wait... didn't we already do him?!)
1909 - U Thant, Burmese 3rd United Nations Secretary General
1934 - Bill Bixby (a.k.a. "David Banner," and you wouldn't like him when he's angry.)
1939 - Jeff Smith, "The Frugal Gormet"
1949 - Steve Perry, formerly of Journey
1965 - DJ Jazzy Jeff