On January 10th, 1946, the first United Nations General Assembly opened in London.
Other Notable Events, Jan. 10
In 1776, "Common Sense" by political philosopher Thomas Paine was published. The pamphlet advocated independence from England.
In 1861 Florida seceded from the Union.
In 1863 London's Metropolitan, the world's first underground passenger railway, opened to the public.
In 1870 John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil.
In 1878, a constitutional amendment that would give women the right to vote was introduced into the U.S. Senate. It wasn't until 42 years later that the amendment was signed into law.
In 1901, oil was discovered at the Spindletop claim near Beaumont, Texas, launching the Southwest oil boom.
In 1920, the League of Nations came into being as the Treaty of Versailles went into effect.
In 1946, the first meeting of the U.N. General Assembly convened in London.
In 1957 Harold Macmillan became prime minister of Britain, following the resignation of Anthony Eden.
In 1964 The Beatles' first album in the United States, "Introducing the Beatles," was released.
In 1971 "Masterpiece Theatre" premiered on PBS.
In 1978 The Soviet Union launched two cosmonauts aboard a Soyuz capsule for a rendezvous with the Salyut VI space laboratory.
In 1984, the United States established full diplomatic relations with the Vatican for the first time in 116 years.
In 1994, NATO approved a plan for a limited expansion of the membership to Eastern European nations.
In 1996, rebels in the Russian republic of Chechnya holding 2,000 rebels released all but 130 and were allowed to flee. However, before they reached the border, Russian troops attacked the convoy, beginning a five-day standoff.
In 2000, America Online announced it had agreed to buy Time Warner for $165 billion, in what would be the biggest merger in history.
In 2003, North Korea announced it was withdrawing from the 1979 nuclear nonproliferation treaty. This global treaty was barring it from making nuclear bombs.
In 2005, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip elected Mahmoud Abbas as their new president, succeeding the late Yasser Arafat.
Also in 2005, CBS News announced it had fired four employees for producing a flawed report on U.S. President George Bush's military record.
In 2006, Iran unsealed its nuclear facility at Natanz and resumed atomic research for what it claimed to be peaceful purposes but sparking international ire.
In 2007, U.S. President George Bush announced he was sending more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq, most of them deployed in Baghdad, in what was labeled a troop "surge" and set off intense debate in Congress.
Also in 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives approved and sent to the Senate a $2.10-an-hour increase in the national minimum wage, raising the figure to $7.25.
In 2008, U.S. forces mounted a major air offensive against al-Qaida targets on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, the military said. Within 10 minutes, warplanes dropped 38 1,000-pound bombs on suspected al-Qaida safe houses.
Also in 2008, at least 23 people were killed and 60 others injured when a suicide bomber detonated outside a busy courthouse at midday in Lahore, Pakistan. Officials said police appeared to be the target.
And, Edmund Hillary, who rose to international fame as a member of the first climbing party to scale Mount Everest, died in Auckland, New Zealand, at age 88.
Famous Birthdays, January 10
Max Roach, 81, Jazz musician, born in 1924
Eddy Clearwater, 70, Blues musician, born in 1935
Ronnie Hawkins, 70, Rock singer-musician, born in 1935
Sherrill Milnes, 70, Opera singer, born in 1935
Willie McCovey, 67, Baseball hall-of-famer, born in 1938
Walter Hill, 63, Movie director, born in 1942
Donald Fagen, 57, Rock singer-musician (Steely Dan), born in 1948
George Foreman, 56, Boxer, born in 1949
Pat Benatar, 52, Rock singer, born in 1953
Michel Schenker, 50, Rock musician (The Scorpions), born in 1955
Shawn Colvin, 47, Singer, born in 1958
Curt Kirkwood, 46, Rock singer-musician (Meat Puppets), born in 1959
Evan Handler, 44, Actor, born in 1961
Mark Pryor, 42, U.S. senator, D-Ark., born in 1963
Brad Roberts, 41, Rock singer (Crash Test Dummies), born in 1964
Trini Alvarado, 38, Actress, born in 1967
Matt Roberts, 27, Rock musician (3 Doors Down), born in 1978
Chris Smith, 26, Rapper (Kris Kross), born in 1979
