What Happened On
Desert Shield
January 15, 1991
Deadline for Iraq to withdraw its forces from Kuwait. They failed to meet it, resulting in an Allied Forces invasion hours later.
Hill Street Blues
January 15, 1981
The critically acclaimed TV series Hill Street Blues debuts on NBC. Its debut season won eight Emmy Awards, a record for a debut season at that time.
Happy Days
January 15, 1974
The TV series Happy Days debuts on ABC. It was a spinoff of a Love, American Style segment called Love and the Happy Days (1972, originally titled Love and the Television Set), whose cast included Ron Howard, Marion Ross, and Anson Williams.
During the first season of Happy Days, ABC censors thought Fonzie's leather jacket made him look like a hoodlum so they wouldn't let him wear it unless he was wearing it as safety gear for his motorcycle. But, the show's producers wanted Fonzie to wear his jacket, so they began incorporating Fonzie's motorcycle into his scenes to get around the censors. This led to the iconic scene of Fonzie riding his motorcycle into Arnold's so that he could wear his leather jacket inside the restaurant. Winkler couldn't ride a motorcycle and crashed several times during shooting.
Vietnam War Bombing Halted
January 15, 1973
With peace talks imminent, U.S. President Richard Nixon orders a halt to all bombing of North Vietnam by American planes.
Rolling Stones Censored on Ed Sullivan
January 15, 1967
The Rolling Stones perform Let's Spend the Night Together, but were forced by Ed Sullivan to change the lyrics "Let's spend the night together" to "Let's spend some time together." Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman rolled their eyes as they performed the altered lyrics. When they returned to the stage after their performance, they were wearing Nazi uniforms with swastikas. When Sullivan ordered them to change before going on stage, they left the studio. As as result, Sullivan banned them for a second time from performing on his show ever again. They had been previously banned after their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show due to chaos from their screaming fans. However, this ban also didn't last and they would appear again in 1969.
Photo Credit: Jimberg13
Photo Credit: Jimberg13
First Super Bowl
January 15, 1967
The NFL's Green Bay Packers beat the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs (35-10) at Los Angeles in the first AFL-NFL World Championship game. It wasn't actually called the Super Bowl until later.
It remains the only Super Bowl simulcast by two television networks. NBC had the rights to nationally televise AFL games and CBS had the rights to broadcast NFL games, so both networks were allowed to televise the game.
Both CBS and NBC erased the tapes of the game to save costs, a common practice at the time. In 2011, a tape of the first half and most of the second half was found. In 2016 after exhaustive searching of their archives, the NFL had located individual recordings of each play and stitched them together to form the complete game.
Boston Molasses Massacre
January 15, 1919
In Boston, a tank filled with 2.3 million US gal (8,700 m3) of molasses ruptures spewing a 25-foot (8 m) wave of molasses traveling at up to 35 mph (56 km/h). Twenty-one people were killed and 150 injured. Buildings were swept off their foundations and several blocks were flooded to a depth of 2 to 3 ft (60 to 90 cm).
Cartoon Depicting the Democratic Party as a Donkey
January 15, 1870
Thomas Nast publishes a cartoon titled "A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" in Harper's Weekly. Although Nast popularized the use of the donkey to represent the Democratic party, the donkey was originally used by Andrew Jackson in 1828 for his Democratic presidential campaign.
Nast also created the elephant image used by the Republican party and the modern-day version of the Santa Claus image.
AT&T's Long-Distance Service Breaks Down
January 15, 1990
Much of the nation's long-distance service is disrupted.
Jimmy the Greek
January 15, 1988
The oddsmaker gives his explanation of why blacks are better athletes, attributing it to selective breeding by slave owners.
Pat Nixon christening a Boeing 747
Pat Nixon christening a Boeing 747
Boeing 747
January 15, 1970
Pan Am's first Boeing 747 is christened by First Lady Pat Nixon. The 350-500 passenger jet makes was the first airplane called a "Jumbo Jet" and could fly at up to 600 mph.
It entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970 and production continued until 2023, with a total of 1,574 units built.
Los Angeles' Greatest Snowfall
January 15, 1932
A record 2 inches. Source: Extreme Weather: A Guide & Record Book.
Monkey Trial
January 15, 1927
The case against John Scopes is dismissed by the Tennessee Supreme Court. He had been convicted of teaching evolution in Tennessee.
First Gold Dental Inlay
January 15, 1907
A Chicago dentist describes his procedure to the New York Odontological Society.
British Museum
January 15, 1759
The British Museum opens to the public in London. It was formed from a collection of books and antiquities bequeathed by Hans Sloane.
Birthdays
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Michael King Jr.)
Born January 15, 1929 d. 1968
American Nobel Peace Prize-winning civil-rights leader. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee by escaped convict James Earl Ray.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born Michael King, Jr., but in the 1930s, his father, Michael King, Sr., changed their names to Martin Luther King, Sr. and Jr.
Quote: Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
First Major League Baseball Player Mortally Wounded During a Game
Ray Chapman
Born January 15, 1891 d. 1920
American baseball player. In 1920, he became the first major league baseball player mortally wounded during a game. He was hit in the head by a pitch and died early the next morning. Chapman led the American League in runs scored and walks in 1918.
Photo Credit: Ebyabe
Photo Credit: Ebyabe
Kent Hovind
Born January 15, 1953
American Young Earth Creationist, Dr. Dino. He started Dinosaur Adventure Land (2001), a Young Earth Creationist-theme park in Pensacola, Florida. The park depicts humans and dinosaurs co-existing in the last 4,000 to 6,000 years. He states that Noah's Flood was a real event that was caused by an ice meteor that impacted Earth. In the first months of the flood, dead animals and plants were buried and became oil, coal, and fossils. The last months of the flood included geological instability, such that when the plates shifted they formed ocean basins and mountain ranges. As part of this shifting, the Grand Canyon was formed in a matter of a few weeks.
Hovind and his wife were convicted of tax evasion for which he served prison time (2007-15).
Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet)
Born January 15, 1941 d. 2010
American singer. He appeared regularly on TV as a child prodigy, especially noted for his clay sculpting. Music: Trout Mask Replica.
Margaret O'Brien (Angela Maxine O'Brien)
Born January 15, 1937
American actress. In 1944 she received a special Oscar as "Outstanding Child Actress." Film: Journey for Margaret (1942) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).
Lloyd Bridges
Born January 15, 1913 d. 1998
American actor. TV: Sea Hunt (Mike Nelson). He was the father of actors Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges.
Edward Teller
Born January 15, 1908 d. 2003
Hungarian-born American physicist. He was the principal creator of the hydrogen bomb.
Josef Breuer
Born January 15, 1842 d. 1925
Austrian physician. His work formed the foundation of modern psychoanalysis.
Afonso V
Born January 15, 1432 d. 1481
King of Portugal (1438-81).
Deaths
Creator of Lassie
Eric Knight
Died January 15, 1943 b. 1897
British-American author. He created the character Lassie in a short story published in the Saturday Evening Post (1938), which he expanded into the novel Lassie Come Home (1940). He was killed in a plane crash while on a mission in World War II. He became a U.S. citizen and a major in the U.S. Army Special Services shortly before his death.
Dan Haggerty
Died January 15, 2016 b. 1941
American actor. TV: The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1974 movie, 1977-78 TV series, title role). He also helped build the bikes in Easy Rider (1969).
Sidewalk Astronomers
John Dobson
Died January 15, 2014 b. 1915
American astronomer, "The Pied Piper of Astronomy." He co-founded the Sidewalk Astronomers and invented the Dobsonian telescope, an inexpensive, easy-to-build telescope.
Dobson's was the subject of the documentary A Sidewalk Astronomer (2005), was featured in the PBS series The Astronomers, and appeared twice on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
He wrote the book How and Why to Make a User-Friendly Sidewalk Telescope.
He also served as a Vedantan monk for 23 years.
Ruth Warrick
Died January 15, 2005 b. 1916
American Emmy-winning actress. She declined a lifetime achievement award from the South Carolina Arts Commission because she was offended by the legislators' decision to fly the Confederate flag on the state Capitol grounds. Film: Citizen Kane (1941, Kane's first wife). TV: All My Children (Phoebe Tyler).
Minnesota Fats (Rudolf Wanderone, Jr.)
Died January 15, 1996 b. 1913
American Hall of Fame billiards wizard. Wanderone adopted the nickname "Minnesota Fats" from a character in the 1961 film The Hustler, claiming that the character was based upon him, although the author of the original novel Walter Tevis denied this. In 1978, Fats and Willie Mosconi competed in a televised match on ABC's Wide World of Sports, drawing almost 11 million viewers, the second-highest rated episode of the show that year.
Harry Nilsson (Harry Nelson)
Died January 15, 1994 b. 1941
American Grammy-winning singer, songwriter. Music: wrote One (#1 for Three Dog Night), Everybody's Talking (1969, Grammy, theme to the movie Midnight Cowboy), and the animated TV film The Point! (1971).
Sammy Cahn
Died January 15, 1993 b. 1913
American Oscar-winning lyricist. Music: Call Me Irresponsible, Three Coins in a Fountain (1954, Oscar), High Hopes, and Love And Marriage (theme to TV's Married… With Children).
Ray Bolger
Died January 15, 1987 b. 1904
American actor, dancer. Film: The Wizard of Oz (1939, Scarecrow). He was last surviving main credited cast member of The Wizard of Oz.
TV: The Ray Bolger Show (1954-55), The Partridge Family (1970-72, Shirley Jones' father), and Little House on the Prairie (1978-79, Toby Noe).
Meyer Lansky (Maier Suchowljanksy)
Died January 15, 1983 b. 1902
Russian-born American organized-crime financial wizard. He was responsible for laundering much of the Mafia's money.
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Photo Credit: Aude
Bill Masterton Memorial TrophyPhoto Credit: Aude
Bill Masterton
Died January 15, 1968 b. 1938
Canadian-American hockey player. Bill Masterton is the only NHL player to die as result of injuries received in a game.
Masterton was playing for the Minnesota North Stars against the Oakland Seals when he was carrying the puck up the ice at full speed and two Seals players converged on him, knocking him backwards with him landing on his head. Witnesses said he lost consciousness before hitting the ice. He was not wearing a helmet, as few players wore helmets at the time. He died two days later at the hospital without regaining consciousness. It is believed a previous concussion may have contributed to his death and that he suffered second-impact syndrome, where a concussion happens on top of previous untreated concussion causing rapid and often fatal brain swelling.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was created in 1968 under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and is presented annually to the "National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey". It is often awarded to a player who has come back from career or even life-threatening illness or injury.
The NHL made helmets mandatory for the 1979-80 season.
Arnold at the controls of a Wright Type B two-seater at the Wright Flying School
Arnold at the controls of a Wright Type B two-seater at the Wright Flying School
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold
Died January 15, 1950 b. 1886
American 5-star general. General of the U.S. Army during World War II (later as General of the Air Force). He became the first movie stunt pilot (1911) when hired as a stand-in for The Military Air-Scout.
Co-founder of Smith & Wesson
Horace Smith
Died January 15, 1893 b. 1808
American gun-maker. Co-founder of Smith & Wesson (1852). Smith and Daniel B. Wesson founded the Smith & Wesson Company (1852) to develop the first repeating rifle. He is also credited with the invention of the explosive bullet used to kill whales.