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Today in History: January 25

41
After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate

1533
Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn.

1787
Small farmers in Springfield, Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, revolt against tax laws. Federal troops break up the protesters of what becomes known as Shay's Rebellion.

1846
The dreaded Corn Laws, which taxed imported oats, wheat and barley, are repealed by the British Parliament.

1915
Alexander Graham Bell in New York and Thomas Watson in San Francisco make a record telephone transmission.

1929
Members of the New York Stock Exchange ask for an additional 275 seats.

1930
New York police rout a Communist rally at the Town Hall.

1949
Axis Sally, who broadcasted Nazi propaganda to U.S. troops in Europe, stands trial in the United States for war crimes.

1955
Columbia University scientists develop an atomic clock that is accurate to within one second in 300 years.

1956
Khrushchev says that he believes that Eisenhower is sincere in his efforts to abolish war.

1959
American Airlines begins its first coast-to-coast flight service on a Boeing 707.

1972
Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to U.S. Congress, announces candidacy for president.

1984
President Reagan endorses the development of the first U.S. permanently-manned space station.

2019
Longest-ever US government shutdown ends after 35 days when President Donald Trump agrees to three week of negotiations on border security by a House-Senate conference committee

2021
Janet Yellen is confirmed as the first female treasury secretary by the US Senate

2023
America and Germany announce decision to send powerful battle tanks (US 31, Germany 14) to Ukraine to fight Russia invasion

2024
British researchers Christopher Marsh and Angela McShane launch website 100Ballads.org detailing top-selling broadside ballads of 17th century England, including images of original lyric sheets, and new musical recordings of the very old pop songs

Born on January 25

1759
Robert Burns, Scottish poet ("Auld Lang Syne," "Comin' Thru the Rye.")

1882
Virginia Woolf, English author (Mrs. Dalloway and Orlando).

1933
Corazon Aquino, president of the Philippines.

Joke of the Day
A cowboy, who just moved to Montana from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud.

He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn.
When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.
The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy,
"You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it.
It would taste better if you bought one at a time."
The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers.
One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado.
When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together.
So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself."
The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.
The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way.
He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.
One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs.
All the regulars take notice and fall silent.
When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my
condolences on your loss."
The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.
"Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains.
"It's just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking."
“It hasn't affected my brothers though."