Welcome to Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 – the eighth day of the year with 357 days remaining.
Historical Highlights:
On this day in 2016, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the notorious drug lord, was apprehended for the third time by Mexican marines after escaping from a high-security prison six months earlier.
Other significant events on Jan. 8:
– In 1790, President George Washington delivered the inaugural State of the Union address in New York City.
– In 1815, the War of 1812 concluded as U.S. forces triumphed over the British in the Battle of New Orleans.
– In 1867, Black men in Washington, D.C., were granted the right to vote following the override of President Andrew Johnson’s veto.
– In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty in America” during his State of the Union address.
– In 1998, Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, received a life sentence without parole in New York.
– In 2011, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically injured in a shooting in Tucson that resulted in six fatalities and 12 injuries.
– In 2020, Iran retaliated against the U.S. by launching missiles at Iraqi military bases housing American troops, leading to traumatic brain injuries among over 100 service members. Additionally, a Ukrainian jetliner was mistakenly shot down by Iran, resulting in the loss of all 176 passengers on board.
– In 2023, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in protest of his election defeat.
Notable Birthdays:
- Singer Shirley Bassey turns 88 today.
- Fashion designer Carolina Herrera celebrates her 86th birthday.
- Country-gospel singer Cristy Lane is 85 years old.
- The Doors’ rock musician Robby Krieger is 79.
- Filmmaker Sarah Polley is 46.
- Actors Gaby Hoffman and Cynthia Erivo are 43 and 38, respectively.
