Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

January 26

1998
Pres. Clinton: The President goes on national TV and states, "I want you to listen to me, I'm going to say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

1984
Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's hair catches on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.

1870
Virginia is readmitted to the Union.

1861
Civil War: Louisiana becomes the 6th state to secede from the Union.

1838
First U.S. prohibition law: Tennessee passes a law making it a misdemeanor to sell alcohol in taverns and stores.

1837
Michigan becomes the 26th state. Michigan is Chippewa for "great water."

1830
Daniel Webster proclaims "Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable," in his reply to Hayne.

1784
Benjamin Franklin writes a letter to his daughter expressing his disapproval of the eagle as our nation's symbol. He preferred the turkey.

1963
Andrew Ridgeley, British singer, with Wham!. Music: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1984 #1).

1961
Wayne Gretzky, hockey player, "The Great One." He is the all-time leader in scoring (2,328) and assists (1,563) and has one the MVP award a record nine times.

1958
Ellen DeGeneres, American comic actress, voted Showtime's "Funniest Person In America" (1982). TV: HBO's One Night Stand, The Tonight Show (she was the first female comedian invited to the couch to sit with Johnny Carson.), and David Letterman. Film: Finding Nemo (2003, voice of Dory).

1957
Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-born American guitarist. Music: Runnin' With the Devil (1976) and Jump (1984, #1).

1946
Gene Siskel, American movie critic.

1935
Bob Uecker, American baseball player, actor. TV: Mr. Belvedere (George).

1929
Jules Feiffer, cartoonist, author, creator of Munro and The Explainers.

1928
Roger Vadim (Roger Vadim Plemiannikov), French director. Film: And God Created Woman (1956, which featured his young bride, Brigitte Bardot, in the nude) and Barbarella (1968).

1928
Eartha Kitt, American singer, actress. TV: Batman (Catwoman).

1925
Paul Newman, American actor. Film: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Hustler (1961), and The Sting (1973).

1905     d. 1987
Maria von Trapp, Austrian-born singer, matriarch of the singing von Trapp family whose life story inspired the movie The Sound of Music.

1887     d. 1915
François Faber, Luxembourgian cyclist, Tour de France winner (1909, winning 5 consecutive stages). He was the first non-Frenchman to win the Tour de France. During WWI after receiving a telegram announcing the birth of his daughter, he jumped for joy in his trench and was killed by a German bullet.

1880     d. 1964
Douglas MacArthur, American 5-star general, "I shall return."

1831     d. 1905
Mary Mapes Dodge, American author. Writings: Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates (1865).

1983     b. 1913
Bear Bryant (Paul William Bryant), American football coach, the Crimson Tide (1958-82), the winningest coach in college football history (325 wins).

1979     b. 1909
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, 41st U.S. Vice-President (1974-77) and governor of New York (1959-73).

1973     b. 1893
Edward G. Robinson (Emmanuel Goldenberg), American actor. Film: Little Caesar (1931, the gangster boss).

1932     b. 1861
William Wrigley Jr., American businessman. He founded the Wrigley Co. (1891), which first sold soap and baking powder and then of course chewing gum (1892).

1893     b. 1819
Abner Doubleday, American soldier, credited with inventing baseball, although modern research indicates similar games were played before he was born. He aimed the first shot fired at the Confederacy from Fort Sumter at the start of the Civil War.

1891     b. 1832
Nikolaus August Otto, German co-inventor of the internal combustion engine (1867) and built a four-stroke Otto cycle (1876) which is used in most automobiles.

1886     b. 1807
David Rice Atchison, American politician, on March 4, 1849 he became president of the U.S. until president-elect Zachary Taylor took the oath of office the following day.

1823     b. 1749
Edward Jenner, English physician. He invented the vaccination (1796), after observing that people wouldn't catch smallpox if they were already infected with cowpox, which he then used as a vaccination.

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