Today in history: Jan. 17
In 1994, the 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake struck Southern California, and more events that happened on this day in history.
1944: Monte Cassino
In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces launched the first of four battles for Monte Cassino in Italy; the Allies were ultimately successful.
1955: USS Nautilus
In 1955, the submarine USS Nautilus made its first nuclear-powered test run from its berth in Groton (GRAH’-tuhn), Connecticut.
1961: Dwight D. Eisenhower
In 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his farewell address in which he warned against “the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”
1966: Simon & Garfunkel
In 1966, the Simon & Garfunkel album “Sounds of Silence” was released by Columbia Records.
1994: Northridge Earthquake
In 1994, the 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake struck Southern California, killing at least 60 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
1995: Earthquake
In 1995, more than 6,000 people were killed when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 devastated the city of Kobe (koh-bay), Japan.
2012: Cruise Ship
Ten years ago: Italian officials released a recording of a furious Coast Guard officer demanding that Capt. Francesco Schettino (frahn-CHEHS’-koh skeh-TEE’-noh), commander of the grounded Costa Concordia, re-board the ship to direct its evacuation after the vessel rammed into a reef on Jan. 13.
2016: Iran Prisoner Release
In 2016, Iran released three Americans, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and pastor Saeed Abedini, as part of a prisoner swap that also netted Tehran some $100 billion in sanctions relief.
2017: Chelsea Manning
Five years ago: President Barack Obama granted clemency to Chelsea Manning, allowing the transgender Army intelligence officer convicted of leaking more than 700,000 U.S. documents to go free nearly three decades early.
2017: Ryan Zinke
Five years ago: Donald Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, Rep. Ryan Zinke, rejected the president-elect’s claim that climate change was a hoax, telling his Senate confirmation hearing it was indisputable that environmental changes were affecting the world’s temperature and that human activity was a major reason.
2021: Alexei Navalny
One year ago: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was arrested at a Moscow airport as he returned from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.
2021: National Guard
One year ago: U.S. defense officials said they were worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration; the concerns prompted the FBI to vet all 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event.
Court rejects GOP attempt to end early voting in ArizonaAll Arizona voters will still be able to cast ballots by mail despite Republican Party efforts to kill the popular practice, the Court of Appeals rules.