Today in history: Jan. 4
In 1999, former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura took the oath of office as Minnesotaβs governor.
1935: Franklin D. Roosevelt
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In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his State of the Union address, called for legislation to provide assistance for the jobless, elderly, impoverished children and the disabled.
1948: Burma
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In 1948, Burma (now called Myanmar) became independent of British rule.
1964: Pope Paul VI
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In 1964, Pope Paul VI began a visit to the Holy Land, the first papal pilgrimage of its kind.Β
1974: Richard Nixon
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In 1974, President Richard Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
1987: Amtrak
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In 1987, 16 people were killed when an Amtrak train bound from Washington, D.C., to Boston collided with Conrail locomotives that had crossed into its path from a side track in Chase, Maryland.
1999: Jesse Ventura
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In 1999, former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura took the oath of office as Minnesotaβs governor.
1999: The Euro
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In 1999, Europeβs new currency, the euro, got off to a strong start on its first trading day, rising against the dollar on world currency markets.
2006: Ariel Sharon
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In 2006, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a significant stroke; his official powers were transferred to his deputy, Ehud Olmert (EHβ-hood OHLβ-murt). (Sharon remained in a coma until his death in January 2014.)
2007: Nancy Pelosi
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In 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected the first female speaker of the House as Democrats took control of Congress.
2012: Richard Cordray
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Ten years ago: Defying Republican lawmakers, President Barack Obama barreled past the Senate by using a recess appointment to name Richard Cordray the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
2013: Cotton Bowl.
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No. 10 Texas A&M beat No. 12 Oklahoma, 41-13, in the Cotton Bowl.
2015: Pope Francis
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In 2015, Pope Francis named 156 new cardinals, selecting them from 14 countries, including far-flung corners of the world, to reflect the diversity of the Roman Catholic church and its growth in places like Asia and Africa.
2017: Obamacare
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Five years ago: President Barack Obama urged congressional Democrats to βlook out for the American peopleβ in defending his legacy health care overhaul, while Vice President-elect Mike Pence stood firm in telling Republicans that dismantling βObamacareβ was No. 1 on Donald Trumpβs list.Β
2018: The Dow Jones Industrial Average
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average burst through the 25,000 mark, closing at 25,075.13 just five weeks after its first close above 24,000.Β
2021: Donald Trump
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One year ago: At a campaign rally in Georgia for the Republican candidates in the stateβs U.S. Senate runoff elections the following day, President Donald Trump declared that he would βfight like hellβ to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss.
2021: Julian Assange
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One year ago: AΒ British judge rejected the United Statesβ request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying it would be βoppressiveβ because of his mental health. (An appellate court later overturned that ruling; Assangeβs lawyers are seeking to appeal.)
As featured on
Today's other top stories include an arrest in the killing of a pregnant woman and her boyfriend in Texas, Trump and Biden planning events for Jan. 6 anniversary, and more.
The arrests came after the bodies of Savanah Nicole Soto and Matthew Guerra were discovered in a crime scene San Antonioβs police chief described as βvery, very perplexing.β
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Thursday for two suicide bombings targeting a commemoration for an Iranian general slain in a 2020 U.S. drone strike. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the region for the fourth time in three months.
