Today In History, Jan. 8: Gabrielle Giffords
Today is Tuesday, Jan. 8.
Today's Highlight in History:
2011: Gabrielle Giffords
On Jan. 8, 2011, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot and critically wounded when a gunman opened fire as the congresswoman met with constituents in Tucson; six people were killed, 12 others also injured. (Gunman Jared Lee Loughner (LAWF'-nur) was sentenced in November 2012 to seven consecutive life sentences, plus 140 years.)
1815: New Orleans
In 1815, the last major engagement of the War of 1812 came to an end as U.S. forces defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans, not having gotten word of the signing of a peace treaty.
1935: Elvis Presley
In 1935, rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.
1968: Otis Redding
In 1968, the Otis Redding single "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was released on the Volt label almost a month after the singer's death in a plane crash.
1975: Watergate
In 1975, Judge John J. Sirica ordered the early release from prison of Watergate figures John W. Dean III, Herbert W. Kalmbach (pictured) and Jeb Stuart Magruder. Democrat Ella Grasso was sworn in as Connecticut's first female governor.
1976: Zhou Enlai
In 1976, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, 77, died in Beijing.
1998: Ramzi Yousef
In 1998, Ramzi Yousef (RAHM'-zee YOO'-sef, foreground), the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was sentenced in New York to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
2008: Hillary Clinton
In 2008, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton powered to victory in New Hampshire's 2008 Democratic primary in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and resurrecting her bid for the White House; Sen. John McCain defeated his Republican rivals to move back into contention for the GOP nomination.
2009: BCS Championship Football
Ten years ago: No. 1 Florida beat No. 2 Oklahoma 24-14 for the BCS national title.
2009: Gaza Cease-Fire
Ten years ago: The U.N. Security Council called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza by a 14-0 vote, with the United States abstaining.
2014: Baseball Hall of Fame
Five years ago: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas were elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.
2014: Chris Christie
Five years ago: Emails and text messages obtained by The Associated Press and other news organizations suggested that one of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's top aides engineered traffic jams in Fort Lee in Sept. 2013 to punish its mayor for not endorsing Christie for re-election; Christie responded by saying he'd been misled by the aide, and he denied involvement in the apparent act of political payback.
2014: Tim Kaine
Ten years ago: Obama named Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine the next Democratic National Committee chairman.
2018: Cliven Bundy
One year ago: A judge in Las Vegas dismissed criminal charges against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his sons, who were accused of leading an armed uprising against federal authorities.
2018: College Football National Championship
One year ago: Alabama beat Georgia in overtime, 26-23, to claim the College Football Playoff national championship after freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (tag-oh-vay-LOH'-ah) came off the bench to spark a comeback.
2018: Trump El Salvador
One year ago: The Trump administration said it was ending special protections for immigrants from El Salvador, an action that could force nearly 200,000 to leave the U.S. by September, 2019 or face deportation.
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