On This Day in History - January 11th - Almanac

Today is Saturday, Jan. 11, the 11th day of 2020 with 355 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars and Uranus. Evening stars are Neptune, Uranus and Venus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Capricorn. They include Italian Mannerist painter Parmigianino in 1503; American statesman Alexander Hamilton in 1757; John MacDonald, first prime minister of Canada, in 1815; department store founder Harry Gordon Selfridge Sr. in 1858; feminist lawyer Alice Paul in 1885; South African novelist Alan Paton in 1903; automobile designer Carroll Shelby in 1923; actor Rod Taylor in 1930; former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 1934 (age 86); musician Clarence Clemons in 1942; singer Naomi Judd in 1946 (age 74); author Jasper Fforde in 1961 (age 59); Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Tracy Caulkins in 1963 (age 57); singer Mary J. Blige in 1971 (age 49); actor Amanda Peet in 1972 (age 48); actor Aja Naomi King in 1985 (age 35); musican Cody Simpson in 1997 (age 23).

On this date in history:

In 1785, the Continental Congress convened in New York City.

In 1861, Alabama seceded from the United States.

In 1935, aviator Amelia Earhart completed the first solo flight made between the Hawaiian Islands and the American mainland.

In 1949, Los Angeles noted a record-setting snowfall, a rare event for the city's semitropical climate. A three-day storm in early 1949 dumped more than a foot of snow through much of the San Fernando and outlying valleys.

In 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released a report saying smoking cigarettes is a definite "health hazard."

In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated a $10 million award to the family of Oklahoma nuclear worker Karen Silkwood, who died in 1974.

In 1990, martial law, imposed during the June 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement, was lifted in Beijing.

In 1996, the Japanese Diet elected Ryutaro Hashimoto, head of the Liberal Democratic Party, as prime minister.

In 2002, Ford announced it planned to lay off 35,000 employees, drop four car models and close four plants.

In 2011, heavy rain in Brazil triggered floods and mudslides that killed more than 900 people and left an estimated 25,000 homeless.

In 2014, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died at age 85. He had been in a coma for eight years following a massive stroke.

In 2018, President Donald Trump stirred controversy when he used a vulgar term to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African nations during a bipartisan meeting on an immigration deal. He questioned why people from the areas immigrate to the United States.

A thought for the day: "Prejudice is a product of ignorance that hides behind barriers of tradition." -- British writer Jasper Fforde