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Today in History: January 3

1521 Martin Luther is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.

1777 General George Washington defeats the British led by British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, at Princeton, New Jersey.

1912 Plans are announced for a new $150,000 Brooklyn stadium for the Trolley Dodgers baseball team.

1916 Three armored Japanese cruisers are ordered to guard the Suez Canal.

1920 The last of the U.S. troops depart France.

1921 Italy halts the issuing of passports to those emigrating to the United States.

1930 The second conference on Germany's war reparations begins at the Hague, in the Netherlands.

1959 Alaska is admitted into the Union as the 49th and largest state.

1977 Apple Computers incorporates.

1985 President Ronald Reagan condemns a rash of arson attacks on abortion clinics.

1990 Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, surrenders to US forces.

1996The first mobile flip phone, the Motorola StarTAC, goes on sale.

2000 The last original weekday Peanuts comic strip is published after a 50-year run, following the death of the strip's creator, Charles Schultz.


Born on January 3

1923Bud Adams, owner of Houston Oilers (later Tennessee Titans) football team; instrumental in founding the former American Football League.

1929 Sergio Leone, Italian director, instrumental in creating the "Spaghetti Western" genre (A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly).

1956 Mel Gibson, actor, director, producer, screenwriter (Mad Max, Passion of the Christ).

JOTD

What does the word 'gay' mean?

asked a son to his father.
"It means 'happy,'" replied the father.
"Oh," contested the son, "so are you gay, then?"
"No, son, I have a wife."