Today is Friday, Jan. 16, the 16th day of 2009. There are 349 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 16, 1920, Prohibition began in the United States as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, one year to the day after its ratification. It was later repealed by the 21st Amendment.

On this date:

In 1547, Ivan IV of Russia popularly known as "Ivan the Terrible" was crowned Czar.

In 1883, the U.S. Civil Service Commission was established.

In 1919, pianist and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski became the first premier of the newly created republic of Poland.

In 1942, actress Carole Lombard, 33, her mother and about 20 other people were killed when their plane crashed near Las Vegas, Nev., while returning from a war-bond promotion tour.

In 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower took command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in London.

In 1969, two manned Soviet Soyuz spaceships became the first vehicles to dock in space and transfer personnel.

In 1978, NASA named 35 candidates to fly on the space shuttle, including Sally K. Ride, who became America's first woman in space, and Guion S. Bluford, Jr., who became America's first black astronaut in space.

In 1989, three days of rioting began in Miami when a police officer fatally shot a black motorcyclist, causing a crash that also claimed the life of a passenger. The officer, William Lozano, was convicted of manslaughter, but then was acquitted in a retrial.
In 2003, the space shuttle Columbia blasted off under extremely tight security; on board was Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon. The mission ended in tragedy when the shuttle broke up during its return descent, killing all seven crew members.

In 2007, Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., launched his successful bid for the White House.


Ten years ago: Closing three days of opening arguments, House prosecutors demanded President Bill Clinton's removal from office, telling a hushed Senate that otherwise the presidency itself may be "deeply and perhaps permanently damaged." Forty-five ethnic Albanians were found slain near the southern Kosovo village of Racak.


Five years ago: Pop star Michael Jackson pleaded innocent to child molestation charges during a court appearance in Santa Maria, Calif.; the judge scolded Jackson for being 21 minutes late. Jackson was eventually acquitted. NASA announced that the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope would be allowed to degrade and eventually become useless. Freddy Adu, the 14-year-old phenom, was selected by D.C. United as the first pick in Major League Soccer draft.

One year ago: President George W. Bush closed out his Mideast trip with a brief visit to Egypt, where he was welcomed by President Hosni Mubarak. Archbishop Earl Paulk, the 80-year-old leader of a megachurch, pleaded guilty in Atlanta to lying under oath about his sexual affairs and was sentenced to 10 years' probation.

Today's Birthdays: Author William Kennedy is 81. Author-editor Norman Podhoretz is 79. Rock musician Bob Bogle (The Ventures) is 75. Opera singer Marilyn Horne is 75. Auto racer A.J. Foyt is 74. Singer Barbara Lynn is 67. Country singer Ronnie Milsap is 66. Country singer Jim Stafford is 65. Talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is 62. Movie director John Carpenter is 61. Actress-dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen is 59. Singer Sade is 50. Rock musician Paul Webb (Talk Talk) is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Maxine Jones (En Vogue) is 43. Actor David Chokachi is 41. Actor Richard T. Jones is 37. Actress Josie Davis is 36. Model Kate Moss is 35. Rock musician Nick Valensi (The Strokes) is 28. Actress Yvonne Zima is 20.

Thought for Today: "Only the sinner has the right to preach." -- Christopher Morley, American journalist (1890-1957).
________________

Source: Associated Press

Today is Saturday, Jan. 17, the 17th day of 2009. There are 348 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 17, 1961, in his farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against the rise of "the military-industrial complex."

On this date:

In 1562, French Protestants were recognized under the Edict of St. Germain.

In 1893, the 19th president of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, died in Fremont, Ohio, at age 70; Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown as a group of businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Lili'uokalani to abdicate.

In 1917, the United States paid Denmark $25 million for the Virgin Islands.

In 1945, Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw during World War II; Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews, disappeared in Hungary while in Soviet custody.

In 1946, the United Nations Security Council held its first meeting, in London.

In 1966, a U.S. Air Force B-52 carrying four unarmed hydrogen bombs crashed on the Spanish coast. Three of the bombs were quickly recovered, but the fourth wasn't recovered until April.

In 1977, convicted murderer Gary Gilmore, 36, was shot by a firing squad at Utah State Prison in the first U.S. execution in a decade.

In 1989, five children were shot to death at the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, Calif., by a drifter, Patrick Purdy, who then killed himself.

In 1994, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California, killing at least 72 people.

In 1995, more than 6,000 people were killed when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 devastated the city of Kobe, Japan.


Ten years ago: As White House lawyers met to work on President Bill Clinton's defense, their client spent the day preparing for his State of the Union address. The defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos defeated the New York Jets, 23-10, to win the American Football Conference title; the Atlanta Falcons upset the Minnesota Vikings, 30-27, to win the National Football Conference championship.

Five years ago: Three U.S. soldiers were killed north of Baghdad, pushing the U.S. death toll in the Iraq conflict to 500. Hollywood producer Ray Stark died at age 88.

One year ago: Bobby Fischer, the chess master who became a Cold War icon when he dethroned the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky as world champion in 1972, died in Reykjavik, Iceland, at age 64. Character actor Allan Melvin died in Los Angeles at age 84.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Betty White is 87. Actor James Earl Jones is 78. Talk show host Maury Povich is 70. Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is 67. Pop singer Chris Montez is 67. Rhythm-and-blues singer William Hart (The Delfonics) is 64. Rock musician Mick Taylor is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sheila Hutchinson (The Emotions) is 56. Singer Steve Earle is 54. Singer Paul Young is 53. Actor-comedian Steve Harvey is 52. Singer Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) is 50. Actor-comedian Jim Carrey is 47. First lady Michelle Obama is 45. Actor Joshua Malina is 43. Singer Shabba Ranks is 43. Actor Naveen Andrews is 40. Rapper Kid Rock is 38. Actor Freddy Rodriguez is 34. Actress Zooey Deschanel is 29. Singer Ray J is 28. Country singer Amanda Wilkinson is 27.

Thought for Today: "The course of history can be changed but not halted." -- Paul Robeson, American actor, singer and civil rights activist (1898-1976).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Sunday, Jan. 18, the 18th day of 2009. There are 347 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 18, 1919, the Paris Peace Conference, held to negotiate peace treaties ending World War I, opened in Versailles, France.


On this date:

In 1778, English navigator Captain James Cook reached the Hawaiian Islands, which he dubbed the "Sandwich Islands."

In 1862, the tenth president of the United States, John Tyler, died in Richmond, Virginia, at age 71.

In 1892, comedian Oliver Hardy was born in Harlem, Ga.

In 1904, actor Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach in Bristol, England.

In 1911, the first landing of an aircraft on a ship took place as pilot Eugene B. Ely brought his Curtiss biplane in for a safe landing on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Harbor.

In 1943, during World War II, the Soviets announced they'd broken through the long Nazi siege of Leningrad (it was another year before the siege was fully lifted). A wartime ban on the sale of pre-sliced bread in the U.S. -- aimed at reducing bakeries' demand for metal replacement parts -- went into effect.

In 1949, Charles Ponzi, engineer of one of the most spectacular swindles in history, died destitute in the charity ward of a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at age 66.

In 1957, a trio of B-52's completed the first non-stop, round-the-world flight by jet planes, landing at March Air Force Base in California after more than 45 hours aloft.

In 1967, Albert DeSalvo, who claimed to be the "Boston Strangler," was convicted in Cambridge, Mass., of armed robbery, assault and sex offenses. Sentenced to life, DeSalvo was killed in prison in 1973.

In 1990, a jury in Los Angeles acquitted former preschool operators Raymond Buckey and his mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, of 52 child molestation charges.


Ten years ago: Defying global outrage over the massacre of 45 ethnic Albanian civilians in Kosovo, Serb forces pounded villages with artillery. The Yugoslav government also ordered the American head of the Kosovo peace mission to leave the country and barred a U.N. investigator who was looking into the massacre.

Five years ago: A suicide truck bombing outside the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition in Baghdad killed at least 31 people. A 15-day hostage drama began at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis near Buckeye, where two inmates attempting to escape took two correctional officers hostage. One guard was released midway through the ordeal; the other, Lois Fraley, was held the entire time, during which she was raped and beaten. The New England Patriots earned their second trip to the Super Bowl in three seasons by defeating the Indianapolis Colts 24-14 in the AFC championship game; the Carolina Panthers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 14-3, in the NFC championship game.

One year ago: With recession fears rising and the stock market tumbling, President George W. Bush called for up to $150 billion in tax relief for consumers and businesses, saying there was no time to waste. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon designated George Clooney a U.N. "messenger of peace" to promote the world body's activities. Actress Lois Nettleton died in Woodland Hills, Calif., at age 80.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director John Boorman is 76. Singer-songwriter Bobby Goldsboro is 68. Comedian-singer-musician Brett Hudson is 56. Actor-director Kevin Costner is 54. Country singer Mark Collie is 53. Actress Jane Horrocks is 45. Comedian Dave Attell is 44. Actor Jesse L. Martin is 40. Rapper DJ Quik is 39. Rock singer Jonathan Davis (Korn) is 38. Singer Christian Burns (BBMak) is 36. Actor Derek Richardson is 33. Actor Jason Segel is 29. Actress Samantha Mumba is 26. Country singer Kristy Lee Cook (TV: "American Idol") is 25.

Thought for Today: " Look for a long time at what pleases you, and for a longer time at what pains you." -- Colette, French author (1873-1954).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Monday, Jan. 19, the 19th day of 2009. There are 346 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:


On Jan. 19, 1809, author, poet and critic Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston.

On this date:

In 1736, James Watt, inventor of the steam engine, was born in Scotland.

In 1807, Confederate general Robert E. Lee was born in Westmoreland County, Va.

In 1853, Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" premiered in Rome.

In 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union.

In 1937, millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record by flying his monoplane from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., in seven hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

In 1944, the federal government relinquished control of the nation's railroads following settlement of a wage dispute.

In 1955, a presidential news conference was filmed for television for the first time, with the permission of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1966, Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.

In 1970, President Richard M. Nixon nominated G. Harrold Carswell to the Supreme Court; however, the nomination was defeated because of controversy over Carswell's past racial views.

In 1979, former Attorney General John N. Mitchell was released on parole after serving 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.


Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton delivered his State of the Union address, in which he proposed to protect Social Security by using huge budget surpluses and announced the government would sue the tobacco industry for smokers' health costs. Hours earlier, at the president's impeachment trial in the Senate, White House Counsel Charles Ruff opened the defense with ringing statements of Clinton's innocence.

Five years ago: John Kerry won Iowa's Democratic caucuses, while John Edwards placed second; Howard Dean, who finished third, delivered a fist-pumping, bellowing concession speech that was viewed as politically damaging. A freighter capsized near the western Norwegian port of Bergen, killing 18.

One year ago: Republican John McCain won a hard-fought South Carolina primary; Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama split the spoils in the Nevada caucuses. A soldier was killed south of Baghdad in a roadside bomb attack; his was the first American death to occur on a newly introduced, heavily armored vehicle known as MRAP. Death claimed actress Suzanne Pleshette in Los Angeles at age 70; John Stewart, a former member of the Kingston Trio, in San Diego at age 68; and former Chicago Mayor Eugene Sawyer at age 73.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Jean Stapleton is 86. Actor Fritz Weaver is 83. Actress Tippi Hedren is 79. Former PBS newsman Robert MacNeil is 78. Movie director Richard Lester is 77. Singer Phil Everly is 70. Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 67. Actress Shelley Fabares is 65. Country singer Dolly Parton is 63. ABC newswoman Ann Compton is 62. TV chef Paula Deen is 62. Rock singer Martha Davis is 58. Singer Dewey Bunnell (America) is 57. Actor Desi Arnaz Jr. is 56. Comedian Paul Rodriguez is 54. Actress Katey Sagal is 52. Reggae musician Mickey Virtue (UB40) is 52. Actor Paul McCrane is 48. Actor William Ragsdale is 48. Tennis player Stefan Edberg is 43. Rock singer Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe) is 41. Singer Trey Lorenz is 40. Rock singer-musician John Wozniak (Marcy Playground) is 38. Actress Drea de Matteo is 37. Comedian-impressionist Frank Caliendo is 35. Actress Marsha Thomason is 33. Actress Jodie Sweetin is 27. Actor Logan Lerman is 17.

Thought for Today: "Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality." -- Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 20, the 20th day of 2009. There are 345 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 20, 1981, Iran released 52 Americans it had held hostage for 444 days, minutes after the presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.

On this date:

In 1801, Secretary of State John Marshall was nominated by President John Adams to be chief justice of the United States he was sworn in on February 4th, 1801.

In 1841, the island of Hong Kong was ceded by China to Great Britain. It returned to Chinese control in July 1997.

In 1887, the U.S. Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.

In 1936, Britain's King George V died his demise having been hastened by his physician; he was succeeded by Edward VIII.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first chief executive to be inaugurated on Jan. 20th instead of March 4th.

In 1942, Nazi officials held the notorious Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Jews.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn into office for an unprecedented fourth term.

In 1949, President Harry S. Truman was sworn in for a second term of office. In his inaugural address, Truman branded communism a "false philosophy" as he outlined his program for U.S. world leadership.

In 1969, Richard M. Nixon was sworn in as the 37th president of the United States; Spiro Agnew took the oath of vice president.

In 1989, George H.W. Bush was sworn in as the 41st president of the United States; Dan Quayle took the oath of vice president.


Ten years ago: For a second day, President Bill Clinton's legal team argued its case before the Senate, saying that House-passed articles of impeachment were "flawed and unfair."

Five years ago: President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union address, asserted that America was strengthening its economy and successfully combatting terrorism. Dick Gephardt quit the Democratic presidential race. Martha Stewart's stock-trading trial formally began in New York (Stewart ended up serving a five-month prison sentence for lying about a stock sale). The Salvation Army announced a donation likely to exceed $1.5 billion from the estate of Joan Kroc, widow of McDonald's founder.

One year ago: The Los Angeles Times announced its top editor, James O'Shea, had been fired after he rejected a management order to cut $4 million from the newsroom budget, 14 months after his predecessor was also ousted in a budget dispute. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was sworn in for a second term. The New England Patriots defeated the San Diego Chargers in the AFC championship game, pulling out a 21-12 victory that sent them back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons. The New York Giants won a 23-20 overtime victory over Green Bay in the NFC championship.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Slim Whitman is 85. Actress Patricia Neal is 83. Comedian Arte Johnson is 80. Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin is 79. Actress Dorothy Provine is 72. Singer Eric Stewart is 64. Movie director David Lynch is 63. Actor Daniel Benzali is 59. Rock musician Paul Stanley (KISS) is 57. Rock musician Ian Hill (Judas Priest) is 57. Comedian Bill Maher is 53. Actor Lorenzo Lamas is 51. Actor James Denton ("Desperate Housewives") is 46. Rock musician Greg K. (The Offspring) is 44. Country singer John Michael Montgomery is 44. Actor Rainn Wilson ("The Office) is 43. Actress Stacey Dash is 42. TV personality Melissa Rivers is 41. Singer Xavier is 41. Singer Edwin McCain is 39. Actor Skeet Ulrich is 39. Rap musician ?uestlove (The Roots) is 38. Rock musician Rob Bourdon (Linkin Park) is 30. Actor Evan Peters is 22.

Thought for Today: "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." -- Alexis de Tocqueville, French author (1805-1859).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 21, the 21st day of 2009. There are 344 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 21, 1793, during the French Revolution, King Louis the 16th, condemned for treason, was executed on the guillotine.

On this date:

In 1858, Felix Marma Zuloaga became president of Mexico upon the ouster of Ignacio Comonfort.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and four other Southerners resigned from the U.S. Senate.

In 1915, the first Kiwanis Club was founded, in Detroit.

In 1924, Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin died at age 53.

In 1950, former State Department official Alger Hiss, accused of being part of a Communist spy ring, was found guilty in New York of lying to a grand jury. Hiss, who always proclaimed his innocence, served less than four years in prison.

In 1954, the first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched at Groton, Conn. however, the Nautilus did not make its first nuclear-powered run until nearly a year later.

In 1958, Charles Starkweather, 19, killed three relatives of his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, at her family's home in Lincoln, Neb. Starkweather and Fugate went on a road trip which resulted in seven more slayings.

In 1959, Ohio saw widespread flooding caused by heavy rain and melted snow. Movie producer-director Cecil B. DeMille died in Hollywood at age 77. Former child actor Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was shot and killed during an argument in Mission Hills, Calif.; he was 31.

In 1968, the Battle of Khe Sanh began during the Vietnam War as North Vietnamese forces attacked a U.S. Marine base; the Americans were able to hold their position until the siege was lifted 2 1/2 months later. In Greenland, an American B-52 bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs crashed, killing one crew member and scattering radioactive material.

In 1976, the supersonic Concorde jet was put into service by Britain and France.


Ten years ago: Former Senator Dale Bumpers told the Senate impeachment trial of Bill Clinton the president was guilty of a "terrible moral lapse" but not of conduct warranting or even permitting his removal from office. Raul Salinas de Gortari, the brother of a former Mexican president, was convicted of masterminding the murder of rival Jose Francisco Ruiz Massieu. The conviction was later overturned. Actress Susan Strasberg died in New York at age 61.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush visited community colleges in Ohio and Arizona, where he highlighted the economy and several new job-training initiatives he'd proposed a day earlier in his State of the Union speech. The recording industry sued 532 computer users it said were illegally distributing songs over the Internet.

One year ago: Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama accused each other of repeatedly and deliberately distorting the truth for political gain in a highly personal debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C.


Today's Birthdays: Actress Ann Wedgeworth is 75. Blues singer-musician Snooks Eaglin is 73. Golfer Jack Nicklaus is 69. Opera singer Placido Domingo is 68. Singer Richie Havens is 68. Singer Mac Davis is 67. Actress Jill Eikenberry is 62. Country musician Jim Ibbotson (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 62. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 59. Actor-director Robby Benson is 53. Actress Geena Davis is 53. Basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon is 46. Actress Charlotte Ross is 41. Actor John Ducey is 40. Actress Karina Lombard is 40. Rapper Levirt (B-Rock and the Bizz) is 39. Rock musician Mark Trojanowski (Sister Hazel) is 39. Rock singer-songwriter Cat Power is 37. Rock DJ Chris Kilmore (Incubus) is 36. Actor Vincent Laresca is 35. Singer Emma Bunton (Spice Girls) is 33. Country singer Phil Stacey is 31. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nokio (Dru Hill) is 30. Actress Izabella Miko is 28.

Thought for Today: "It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact." -- Edmund Burke, British statesman (1729-1797).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Thursday, Jan. 22, the 22nd day of 2009. There are 343 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Roe v. Wade decision, legalized abortions using a trimester approach.

On this date:

In 1901, Britain's Queen Victoria died at age 81.

In 1905 New Style calendar, thousands of demonstrating Russian workers were fired on by Imperial army troops in St. Petersburg on what became known as "Bloody Sunday."

In 1909, actress Ann Sothern was born in Valley City, N.D.; U.N. Secretary-General U Thant was born in Pantanaw, Burma.

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson pleaded for an end to war in Europe, calling for "peace without victory." By April, however, America also was at war.

In 1922, Pope Benedict the 15th died; he was succeeded by Pius the 11th.

In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces began landing at Anzio, Italy.

In 1959, 12 workers were killed in the Knox Mine Disaster in Port Griffith, Pa., when a mine became flooded with water from the Susquehanna River.

In 1973, former President Lyndon B. Johnson died at age 64.

In 1984, the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 to win Super Bowl 18, played at Tampa Stadium in Florida. The game broadcast on CBS-TV featured Apple Computer's famous "1984" ad introducing the Macintosh PC.

In 1995, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy died at the Kennedy compound at Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 104.


Ten years ago: Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) abruptly called for dismissal of charges against President Bill Clinton to "end this sad and sorry time for our country." President Bill Clinton called for spending $2.8 billion to protect the nation from cyber terrorism and chemical and germ warfare. Pope John Paul II arrived in Mexico on his first visit in 20 years.

Five years ago: South Dakota politician Bill Janklow was sentenced to 100 days in jail for an auto accident that killed a motorcyclist. Enron Corp.'s former top accountant, Richard Causey, surrendered to federal authorities; he pleaded innocent to conspiracy and fraud charges. Causey later pleaded guilty to securities fraud and was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison. Actress-dancer Ann Miller died in Los Angeles at age 81.

One year ago: Actor Heath Ledger was found dead of an accidental prescription overdose in New York City; he was 28. Jose Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaida to blow up a radioactive "dirty bomb," was sentenced by a U.S. federal judge in Miami to 17 years and four months on terrorism conspiracy charges. Republican Fred Thompson quit the race for the White House after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states.

Today's Birthdays: Former Senator Birch Bayh (D-Ind.) is 81. Actress Piper Laurie is 77. Actor Seymour Cassel is 74. Author Joseph Wambaugh is 72. Actor John Hurt is 69. Singer Steve Perry is 60. Country singer-musician Teddy Gentry (Alabama) is 57. Movie director Jim Jarmusch is 56. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Mike Bossy is 52. Actress Linda Blair is 50. Actress Diane Lane is 44. Actor-rap DJ Jazzy Jeff is 44. Country singer Regina Nicks (Regina Regina) is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gay (Shai) is 40. Actor Gabriel Macht is 37. Actor Balthazar Getty is 34. Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson is 29. Pop singer Willa Ford is 28. Actress Beverley Mitchell is 28. Rock singer-musician Ben Moody is 28.

Thought for Today: "Advertising has done more to cause the social unrest of the 20th century than any other single factor." -- Clare Boothe Luce, American author, politician and diplomat (1903-1987).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Friday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2009. There are 342 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 23, 1968, North Korea seized the Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, charging its crew with being on a spying mission. The crew was released eleven months later.

On this date:

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 Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In 1943, critic Alexander Woollcott suffered a fatal heart attack during a live broadcast of the CBS radio program "People's Platform."

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

In 1964, the 24th amendment to the Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified.

In 1973, President Richard M. Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War.

In 1989, surrealist artist Salvador Dali died in his native Figueres, Spain, at age 84.

In 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted in Karachi, Pakistan, by a group demanding the return of prisoners from the Afghan campaign; he was later slain.

In 2005, former "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson died in Malibu, Calif., at age 79.


Ten years ago: A federal judge ordered Monica Lewinsky to submit to an interview sought by House prosecutors in President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. During his visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II urged his flock in the Americas to make the region a "continent of life."

Five years ago: The Illinois Supreme Court upheld former Governor George Ryan's powers to commute sentences, keeping 32 spared inmates off death row. The enduring situation comedy "Friends" filmed its final episode in front of an invitation-only audience. Bob Keeshan, TV's "Captain Kangaroo," died in Windsor, Vt., at age 76.

One year ago: Tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into Egypt from Gaza after Palestinian militants used land mines to breach a barrier dividing the border town of Rafah. French Open winner Michael Chang was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and IMG creator Mark McCormack and Tennis Week magazine founder Eugene Scott were selected posthumously.

Today's Birthdays: Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) is 85. Actress Jeanne Moreau is 81. Actress Chita Rivera is 76. Actor-director Lou Antonio is 75. Actor Gil Gerard is 66. Actor Rutger Hauer is 65. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jerry Lawson (The Persuasions) is 65. Senator Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) is 62. Singer Anita Pointer is 61. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 59. Rock musician Bill Cunningham is 59. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 56. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 52. Singer Anita Baker is 51. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 50. Actress Gail O'Grady is 46. Actress Mariska Hargitay is 45. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Nelson is 38. Actress Tiffani Thiessen is 35. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 34.

Thought for Today: "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." -- Proverbs 17:22.
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Saturday, Jan. 24, the 24th day of 2009. There are 341 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

Jan. 24, 1908, is considered the starting date of the Boy Scouts movement in England, under the aegis of Robert Baden-Powell.

On this date:

In 1742, Charles VII was elected Holy Roman Emperor during the War of the Austrian Succession.

In 1848, James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter's Mill in northern California, a discovery that led to the gold rush of '49.

In 1924, the Russian city of Petrograd formerly St. Petersburg was renamed Leningrad in honor of the late revolutionary leader however, it has since been re-named St. Petersburg.

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill concluded a wartime conference in Casablanca, Morocco.

In 1965, Winston Churchill died in London at age 90.

In 1978, a nuclear-powered Soviet satellite, Cosmos 954, plunged through Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated, scattering radioactive debris over parts of northern Canada.

In 1984, Apple Computer began selling its Macintosh PC.

In 1987, gunmen in Lebanon kidnapped educators Alann Steen, Jesse Turner and Robert Polhill and Mitheleshwar Singh all were eventually released.

In 1989, confessed serial killer Theodore Bundy was executed in Florida's electric chair.

In 2003, Tom Ridge was sworn in as the first head of the new Department of Homeland Security.


Ten years ago: House prosecutors interviewed Monica Lewinsky, a move that triggered fresh partisan convulsions in President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. Olympic leaders recommended the expulsions of six International Olympic Committee members in an unprecedented response to the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the games.

Five years ago: Howard Dean sharply questioned John Kerry's judgment on Iraq as Democratic presidential rivals raced through a final weekend of campaigning before the New Hampshire primary. NASA's Opportunity rover landed on Mars, arriving at the Red Planet exactly three weeks after its identical twin's landing.

One year ago: Congressional leaders announced a deal with the White House on an economic stimulus package that would give most tax filers refunds of $600 to $1,200. French bank Societe Generale announced it had uncovered a 4.9 billion euro ($7.14 billion) fraud by a single futures trader whose scheme of fictitious transactions was discovered as stock markets began to stumble in recent days. Italian Premier Romano Prodi resigned after losing a Senate confidence motion.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Ernest Borgnine is 92. Evangelist Oral Roberts is 91. Actor Jerry Maren ("The Wizard of Oz") is 90. Actor Marvin Kaplan ("Top Cat") is 82. Cajun musician Doug Kershaw is 73. Singer-songwriter Ray Stevens is 70. Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond is 68. Singer Aaron Neville is 68. Actor Michael Ontkean is 63. Actor Daniel Auteuil is 59. Country singer-songwriter Becky Hobbs is 59. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff is 58. Bandleader-musician Jools Holland is 51. Actress Nastassja Kinski is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Theo Peoples is 48. Country musician Keech Rainwater (Lonestar) is 46. Comedian Phil LaMarr is 42. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sleepy Brown (Society of Soul) is 39. Actor Matthew Lillard is 39. Actress Merrilee McCommas is 38. Actor Ed Helms is 35. Actress Tatyana Ali is 30. Actress Mischa Barton is 23.

Thought for Today: "All men wish to have truth on their side; but few to be on the side of truth." -- Richard Whately, British theologian (1787-1863).
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Source: Associated Press

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~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

Today is Sunday, Jan. 25, the 25th day of 2009. There are 340 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 25, 1759, Scottish poet Robert Burns was born in Alloway.

On this date:

In 1787, Shays' Rebellion suffered a setback when debt-ridden farmers led by Capt. Daniel Shays failed to capture an arsenal at Springfield, Mass.

In 1858, Britain's Princess Victoria, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, married Crown Prince Frederick William the future German Emperor and King of Prussia at St. James's Palace.

In 1890, the United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio. Reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) of the New York World completed a round-the-world journey in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes.

In 1909, the opera "Elektra" by Richard Strauss premiered in Dresden, Germany.

In 1915, Alexander Graham Bell inaugurated U.S. transcontinental telephone service between New York and San Francisco.

In 1947, American gangster Al Capone died in Miami Beach, Fla., at age 48.

In 1959, American Airlines began jet flights between New York and Los Angeles on the Boeing 707.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy held the first presidential news conference carried live on radio and television.

In 1969, Vietnam War peace talks resumed in Paris, with the inclusion of representatives from South Vietnam and the Viet Cong.

In 1971, Charles Manson and three women followers were convicted in Los Angeles of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 slayings of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate.


Ten years ago: The Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, that the 2000 census could not use statistical sampling to enhance its accuracy. In Louisville, Ky., a man who'd lost his left hand received the first hand transplant in the United States. A powerful earthquake rocked Colombia, killing more than 1,000 people.


Five years ago: NASA's Opportunity rover zipped its first pictures of Mars to Earth, showing a surface smooth and dark red in some places, and strewn with fragmented slabs of light bedrock in others. Outgoing U.S. weapons inspector David Kay told National Public Radio his inability to find illicit arms in Iraq raised serious questions about U.S. intelligence-gathering. Mikhail Saakashvili was inaugurated as Georgia's president. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" snared best dramatic film at the Golden Globes; HBO's six-hour adaptation of "Angels in America" won best miniseries or TV movie.

One year ago: President George W. Bush urged Congress to quickly pass an economic stimulus package void of extraneous spending, saying only quick action would kickstart the sputtering economy. Democrat Dennis Kucinich abandoned his presidential bid to focus on a tough race for re-election to Congress.


Today's Birthdays: Journalist-author Edwin Newman is 90. Actor Gregg Palmer is 82. The former president of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze, is 81. Actor Dean Jones is 78. Country singer Claude Gray is 77. The former president of the Philippines, Corazon Aquino, is 76. Blues singer Etta James is 71. Movie director Tobe Hooper is 66. Actress Leigh Taylor-Young is 64. Actress Jenifer Lewis is 52. Actress Dinah Manoff is 51. Country musician Mike Burch (River Road) is 43. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kina is 40. Actress China Kantner is 38. Actress Ana Ortiz is 38. Musician Matt Odmark (Jars of Clay) is 35. Actress Mia Kirshner is 34. Actress Christine Lakin is 30. Rhythm-and-blues singer Alicia Keys is 28.

Thought for Today: "There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing." -- Robert Burns, Scottish poet (1759-1796).
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Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~