Today in History for Jan. 28, 2013

Today is Monday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2013. There are 337 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight:

On Jan. 28, 1813, the novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen was first published anonymously in London.

On this date:

In 1547, England’s King Henry VIII died; he was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.

In 1853, Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti was born in Havana.

In 1909, the United States withdrew its forces from Cuba as Jose Miguel Gomez became president.

In 1915, the United States Coast Guard was created as President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill merging the Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service.

In 1916, Louis D. Brandeis was nominated by President Woodrow Wilson to the Supreme Court; Brandeis became the court’s first Jewish member.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.

In 1962, the last of Washington, D.C.’s streetcars made its final run.

In 1973, a cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War.

In 1980, six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats.

In 1982, Italian anti-terrorism forces rescued U.S. Brigadier General James L. Dozier, 42 days after he had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades.

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

In 1988, a 13-day standoff in Marion, Utah, between police and a polygamist clan ended in gunfire that killed a state corrections officer and seriously wounded the group’s leader, Addam Swapp.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, girding the nation for war, said in his State of the Union address that Saddam Hussein had shown “utter contempt” for the world community and had to be held to account; Bush also pledged to help the ailing economy with lower taxes and a stronger health care system. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Likud party and other hawkish parties won a resounding victory in Israel’s parliamentary elections. John Philp Thompson Sr., who expanded his family’s business into the nationwide 7-Eleven chain, died at age 77.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush, in his last State of the Union address, urged passage of an economic stimulus package and asked Americans to remain patient with the long, grinding war in Iraq. In a daring ambush, Iraqi insurgents blasted a U.S. patrol with a roadside bomb and showered survivors with gunfire from a mosque in Mosul; five American soldiers were killed in the explosion. A U.S. missile attack in Pakistan killed veteran al-Qaida leader Abu Laith al-Libi. Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama for the White House.

One year ago: The Arab League halted its observer mission in Syria because of escalating violence. Victoria Azarenka routed three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 to win the Australian Open. Ashley Wagner won her first U.S. Figure Skating title at the championship in San Jose.

Today’s birthdays: Actor-dancer John Ronald Dennis is 88. Musician-composer Acker Bilk is 84. Actor Nicholas Pryor is 78. Actor Alan Alda is 77. Actress Susan Howard is 71. Actress Marthe Keller is 68. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is 66. Actress-singer Barbi Benton is 63. Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is 59. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is 58. Actress Harley Jane Kozak is 56. Movie director Frank Darabont is 54. Rock musician Dave Sharp is 54. Rock singer Sam Phillips is 51. Rock musician Dan Spitz is 50. Country musician Greg Cook (Ricochet) is 48. Gospel singer Marvin Sapp is 46. Singer Sarah McLachlan is 45. Rapper Rakim is 45. DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill) is 45. Actress Kathryn Morris (“Cold Case”) is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Anthony Hamilton is 42. Rock musician Brandon Bush is 40. MLB player Jermaine Dye is 39. Singer Joey Fatone Jr. (‘N Sync) is 36. Rapper Rick Ross is 36. Actress Rosamund Pike is 34. Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) is 33. Actor Elijah Wood is 32. Rapper J. Cole is 28. Actress Alexandra Krosney is 25. Actress Ariel Winter (“Modern Family”) is 15.

Thought for today: “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” — From “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen (1775-1817).