This Day in History – January 18
1733—1st polar bear exhibited in America (Boston)
1776—James Wright, Royal Governor of Georgia, is placed under house arrest by Major Joseph Habersham.
1777—San Jose California, founded.
1862—Confederate Territory of Arizona forms.
1869—Elegant California Theater opens in San Francisco.
1986—1st demonstration of an X-ray machine is US (NYC)
1919—Bentley Motors Limited is founded.
1929—“My Daily Mirror” columnist Walter Winchell debuts on radio.
1930—-27 degrees F, Watts, Oklahoma (State Record)
1943—US rations bread & metal – banning pre-sliced bread reduced bakery demands for metal parts.
1947—“Red Mill” closes a Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 831 performances.
1948—Ted Mack’s “Original Amateur Hour” begins, DuMont (later NBC/ABC/CBS)
1950—Indians pitcher Bob Feller, after 15-14 season, takes $20,000 salary cut to $45,000, pay cut is Feller’s own suggestion.
1951—1st use of lie detector in Netherlands.
1960—US & Japan sign joint defense treaty.
1962—US begins spraying foliage in Vietnam to reveal Viet Cong guerrillas.
1963—Al Davis becomes the head coach and general manager of the Oakland Raiders.
1964—Plans for World Trade Center announced (NYC)
1971—Ivan Koloff beats Bruno Sammartino in NY, to become WWF champ.
1973—Boston Red Sox sign Orlando Cepeda as 1st player signed as a DH.
1974—“$6 Million Man” starring Lee Majors premieres on ABC-TV.
1975—“Jeffersons” spinoff from “All in the Family” premieres on CBS.
1978—Roof of 3 year old Civic Center in Hartford, Ct. collapses (no injuries)
1980—Gold reaches $1,000 an ounce.
1989—IBM announces earnings up10.4% in 1988.
1991—Eastern Air Lines goes out of business after 62 years, citing financial problems.
1993—Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday observed in all 50 states for 1st time.
1998—“Ragtime” opens a Ford Theater NYC.
2008—The United Nations announce George Clooney as a UN messenger of peace.
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