January 8th
1642
Astronomer Galileo Galilei died in Arcetri, Italy.
1798
The 11th amendment to the U.S. constitution was declared in effect by President John Adams nearly three years after its ratification by the states: it prohibits a citizen of one state from suing another state in Federal Court.
1815
U.S. forces led by General Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans, the closing engagement of the War of 1812.
1862
Moses Strouder died on this date during the Civil War.
1918
President Wilson outlined his 14 points for peace after World War I.
1935
Rock and Roll legend Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.
1959
Charles De Gaulle was inaugurated as President of France's Fifth Republic.
1964
President Johnson declared a "War on Proverty."
1973
Secret peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam resumed near Paris, France.
1982
AT&T settled the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against it by agreeing to divest itself of the 22 Bell System companies.
1987
For the first time the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 2,000, ending the day at 2,002.25.
1989
47 people were killed when a British Midland Boeing 737-400 carrying 126 people crashed in central England.
2003
A US Airways Express commuter plane crashed at the Charlotte, North Carolina airport, killing all 21 people on board.
2003
A Turkish Airlines jet crashed in Turkey, killing 75 people.
2005
Peter Bapes of Wisconsin won the Powerball and took the cash option of $20,214,179.56.