Today in History: JAN 23, ABC begins mini-series “Roots”

Today in History

Today is Monday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2023. There are 342 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Jan. 23, 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified as South Dakota became the 38th state to endorse it.

On this date:

In 1368, China’s Ming dynasty, which lasted nearly three centuries, began as Zhu Yuanzhang (zhoo whan-zhahng) was formally acclaimed emperor following the collapse of the Yuan dynasty.

In 1789, Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.

In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

In 1962, Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War, and would be formally signed four days later in Paris.

In 1977, the TV mini-series “Roots,” based on the Alex Haley novel, began airing on ABC.

In 1998, fighting scandal allegations involving Monica Lewinsky, President Clinton assured his Cabinet during a meeting that he was innocent and urged them to concentrate on their jobs.

In 2002, John Walker Lindh, a U.S.-born Taliban fighter, was returned to the United States to face criminal charges that he’d conspired to kill fellow Americans. (Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to providing support for the Taliban; he was released in May 2019 after serving more than 17 years.)

In 2020, Chinese state media said the city of Wuhan would be shutting down outbound flights and trains, trying to halt the spread of a new virus that had sickened hundreds of people and killed at least 17. The World Health Organization said the viral illness in China was not yet a global health emergency, though the head of the U.N. health agency added that “it may yet become one.”

Ten years ago: Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered fiery rejoinders to Republican critics of the Obama administration’s handling of the deadly attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya. Cardinal Jozef Glemp, 83, the longtime head of Poland’s influential Roman Catholic church at a time when it played a key role in the fight against communism, died in Warsaw.

Five years ago: An early-morning shooting at a high school in Benton, Kentucky, left two 15-year-old students dead and more than a dozen others injured; authorities charged a 15-year-old classmate with murder and assault. LeBron James, at 33, became the youngest player in NBA history with 30,000 career points, reaching that mark during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 114-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs; he was the seventh player to score that many points in his career. “The Shape of Water” led the way with 13 Academy Award nominations, including one for best picture. (It went on to win four Oscars, including best picture.)

One year ago: Police in Brussels fired water cannons and tear gas to disperse violent demonstrations against COVID-19 vaccinations and restrictions; the protest drew tens of thousands of people, some traveling from France, Germany and other countries. As China tightened anti-disease controls ahead of the Winter Olympics, people in a Beijing district with some 2 million residents were ordered to undergo mass coronavirus testing following a series of infections. After topping the North American charts in its sixth weekend in theaters, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” became the sixth highest grossing film of all time, globally.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Chita Rivera is 90. Actor-director Lou Antonio is 89. Jazz musician Gary Burton is 80. Actor Gil Gerard is 80. Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., is 76. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 73. Rock musician Bill Cunningham is 73. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 70. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (vee-yah-ry-GOH’-sah) is 70. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 66. Singer Anita Baker is 65. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 64. Actor Peter Mackenzie is 62. Actor Boris McGiver is 61. Actor Gail O’Grady is 60. Actor Mariska Hargitay is 59. R&B singer Marc Nelson is 52. CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell is 49. Actor Tiffani Thiessen is 49. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 48. Actor Lindsey Kraft is 43. Singer-actor Rachel Crow is 25.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.