Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

January 28

1986
Challenger disaster: The space shuttle explodes 73 seconds after lift-off, killing the crew of seven, including New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

1985
We Are the World: Dozens of top-name music stars join together to record the chart-topping single.

1978
Fantasy Island debuts on ABC, "Boss, da plane, da plane!"

1973
Barnaby Jones debuts on CBS.

1956
Elvis Presley: The King makes his television debut, on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's Stage Show (CBS) singing Heartbreak Hotel.

1916
First Jewish U.S. Supreme Court Justice: Louis Dembitz Brandeis is appointed by Pres. Wilson.

1915
U.S. Coast Guard is established, when Congress combines the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service.

1878
First telephone switchboard is installed, New Haven, Connecticut.

1807
First street lit by gaslight: London's Pall Mall.

1950
Barbi Benton, American actress, singer, Playboy bunny.

1943
Susan Howard (Jeri Lynn Mooney), American actress. TV: Dallas (Donna Krebbs)  and Star Trek (the first female Klingon).

1936
Alan Alda, American actor. TV: M*A*S*H (Hawkeye).

1910     d. 1973
John Banner, Austrian actor. TV: Hogan's Heroes (Sgt. Schultz).

1884     d. 1963
Jean Felix Piccard, Swiss-born American pioneer in ballooning and diving vehicles, and identical twin of Auguste. In 1934 he and his wife made the first successful stratospheric flight through clouds (11 miles high).

1884     d. 1962
Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist, pioneer in ballooning and diving vehicles, and identical twin of Jean Felix. He and his twin established many records, including the highest ascent into the stratosphere and lowest descent into the ocean.

1864     d. 1948
Charles W. Nash, American automobile manufacturer, president of Buick Motor Co. (1910-16) and General Motors (1912-16), and founder and president of the Nash Motors Co. (1916-32).

1855     d. 1898
William Seward Burroughs, American inventor. He invented the recording adding machine (1892).

1834     d. 1924
Sabine Baring-Gould, English clergyman, author of the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers. (Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church)

1600     d. 1669
Clement IX, Italian religious leader, 238th Pope (1667-69).

1457     d. 1509
Henry VII, King of England (1485-1509). He ordered the beheading of bakers who underweighted their loaves of bread. They would throw in an extra loaf to be on the safe side, thus the term "baker's dozen."

1991     b. 1903
Harold "Red" Grange, American football player, the "Galloping Ghost." He and C.C. Pyle formed the first American Football League (AFL) in 1926, although it folded a year later.

1986     b. 1944
Gregory B. Jarvis, American astronaut. He died in the Challenger space shuttle explosion.

1973     b. 1910
John Banner, Austrian actor. TV: Hogan's Heroes (Sgt. Schultz).

1963     b. 1884
Jean Felix Piccard, Swiss-born American pioneer in ballooning and diving vehicles, and identical twin of Auguste. In 1934 he and his wife made the first successful stratospheric flight through clouds (11 miles high).

1955     b. 1882
Robert F. McGowan, American film director, directed the Our Gang comedies.

1621     b. ????
Paul V, Italian religious leader, 233rd Pope (1605-21).

1596     b. circa 1540
Sir Francis Drake, English navigator. He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe (1577-80).

1547     b. 1491
Henry VIII, King of England (1509-47), found a way to avoid alimony.

1119     b. ????
Gelasius II, religious leader, 161st Pope (1118-19).

814     b. 742
Emperor Charlemagne (Charles the Great), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans, introduced (789) the royal foot as a unit of length.

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