1778 – France recognizes USA, signs Treaty of Alliance in Paris, 1st US treaty.
1815 – New Jersey issues 1st US railroad charter (John Stevens)
1869 – Harper’s Weekly publishes 1st picture of Uncle Sam with chin whiskers.
1894 – Bottle opener patented by William Painter.
1911 – 1st old age home opened in Prescott, Arizona.
1921 – “The Kid”, silent film starring Charlie Chaplin & Jackie Googan, released.
1926 – NFL rules college students ineligible until college classes graduate.
1935 – “Monopoly” board game goes on sale for 1st time.
1943 – Singer Frank Sinatra debuts on radio’s “Your Hit Parade”
1951 – Radio commentator Paul Harvey arrested for trying to sneak into Argonne National Laboratory, a nuclear test site located 20 miles west of Chicago.
1953 – US controls on wages & some consumer goods lifted.
1958 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams becomes highest paid player in MLB when he re-signs with Boston Red Sox for $135,000.
1965 – Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” hits #1.
1971 – 1st time a gold ball is hit on Moon (by Alan Shepard)
1974 – US House of Representatives begins determining grounds for impeachment of President Richard Nixon.
1980 – John Wayne Gacy goes on trial for the murder of 33 young men in Cook County, Illinois.
1987 – No-smoking rules take effect in US federal buildings.
1998 – Mary Kay Letourneau, 36, former teacher, who violated probation by seeing 14 year old father of her baby, sentenced to 7 years.
2011 – Super Bowl XLV, Cowboy Stadium, Arlington, Texas: Green Bay Packers beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25; MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay, QB.
2018 – Elon Musk’s company SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy, world’s most powerful rocket.
2019 – US President Donald Trump makes presidential State of Union address to Congress, a week later than usual due to government shutdown.
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