Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

January 10

1994
Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding: According to her court testimony, Harding finds out about her bodyguard's and her ex-husband's involvement in the attack on fellow Olympic figure skater Kerrigan.

1991
Pete Rose: The baseball legend is barred the baseball hall of fame.

1949
7-inch 45 rpm record: The new format is introduced by RCA.

1923
World War I: The last American troops are withdrawn from Germany.

1901
Texas oil boom: The boom begins when oil is struck in Beaumont.

1888
First single lens motion picture camera and projector: American inventor Louis LePrince patents his device, taking his first pictures the following October.

1861
Civil War: Florida becomes the 3rd state to secede from the Union.

1781
U.S. Department of State is established.

1776
Common Sense: Thomas Paine's pamphlet urging independence for the colonies is published.

1962
Julie Moran, American sportscaster. TV: ABC's Wide World of Sports (its first female host).

1953
Pat Benatar (Patricia Andrzejewski), American Grammy-winning singer. Music: Heartbreaker and Hit Me With Your Best Shot (1980).

1945
Rod Stewart, British singer, songwriter. Music: Every Picture Tells a Story (1971, the first album to be simultaneously #1 in Britain and the U.S.), Maggie May (1971), and Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? (1978, #1).

1943     d. 1973
Jim Croce, American singer. Music: You Don't Mess Around With Jim (1972) Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (1973, #1), and Time In A Bottle (1973, #1). He died in a plane crash.

1938
Willie McCovey, American Baseball Hall-of-Famer. He was National League Rookie of Year (1959), led the National League in home runs (1963, 68, 69), and was National League MVP 1969.

1908     d. 1992
Paul Henried (Paul George Julius von Henried), Italian-born American actor. Film: Casablanca (1943, Victor Laszlo).

1908     d. 1981
Bernard Lee, British actor. Film: Bond's superior M in the first 11 James Bond movies.

1904     d. 1987
Ray Bolger, American actor, dancer. Film: The Wizard of Oz (1939, Scarecrow). TV: The Partridge Family (Shirley Jones' father).

1877     d. 1948
Frederick Gardner Cottrell, chemist, invented the electrostatic precipitator, used to remove dust and suspended particles from air.

1843     d. 1915
Frank James, American outlaw, brother of Jesse James. After Jesse was killed, he surrendered to authorities and was tried twice, but not convicted.

1779     d. 1820
Stephen Decatur, American naval officer, famous quote "My country-may she ever be right, but right or wrong, my country."

1744     d. 1800
Thomas Mifflin, 11th president of the Continental Congress (1783-84).

1738     d. 1789
Ethan Allen, American Revolutionary War commander. He organized the Green Mountain Boys (1770).

1544     d. 1560
Francis II, King of France (1559-60). He married Mary, Queen of Scots (1558).

1989     b. 1905
Herbert Morrison, American radio reporter.  He reported the Hindenburg explosion exclaiming, "Oh, the Humanity!"

1980     b. 1894
George Meany, American labor official. He was unanimously elected first president of the AFL-CIO (1955-79).

1971     b. 1883
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, French fashion designer, for whom Chanel No. 5 perfume, introduced in 1922, is named.

1961     b. 1894
Dashiell Hammett, American author. Writings: The Maltese Falcon (1930) and Adventures of Sam Spade (1944).

1951     b. 1885
Sinclair Lewis, American author, first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature (1930 for Babbitt, 1922).

1917     b. 1846
Buffalo Bill (William Frederick Cody), American showman, Pony Express rider who formed the famous Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

1862     b. 1814
Samuel Colt, American inventor. He patented his revolver in 1836. He also invented the first electrically detonated water mine (1842).

1276     b. ????
Gregory X, religious leader, 184th Pope (1271-76).

681     b. ????
Saint Agatho, religious leader, 79th Pope (678-681).

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