Today is Tuesday, Jan. 13, the 13th day of 2026
with 352 to follow.
The moon is waning. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus.
On this date in history:
In 1910, radio pioneer and electron tube inventor Lee Deforest arranged the world's first public radio broadcast, a performance by the New York Metropolitan Opera.
In 1915, nearly 30,000 people were killed in an earthquake in Avezzano, Italy.
In 1941, Irish novelist James Joyce died at age 58 following surgery for a perforated ulcer in Zurich, Switzerland.
In 1968, Johnny Cash recorded his infamous At Folsom Prison live record.
In 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River bridge in Washington, killing 78 people.
In 1985, a passenger train traveling through Ethiopia hurled off the tracks, plunging four cars into a ravine. More than 400 people died and 500 sustained injuries.
In 1990, L. Douglas Wilder took office in Virginia, becoming the first elected Black governor of a U.S. state.
In 1991, at least 40 South Africans were killed and 50 injured when fighting erupted during a soccer game in Orkney.
In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to seven African-American soldiers for their courage in action in Italy during World War II. It was the first time the medal was given to Black WWII servicemen.
In 1999, Michael Jordan, regarded by many as the greatest basketball player ever, announced his second retirement. He led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships.
In 2001 a magnitude-7.7 early-morning earthquake killed more than 800 people, injured hundreds of others and caused widespread damage and destruction in El Salvador. Deadly mudslides were triggered by the quake.
In 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia slammed into a rocky shoal near the Italian coast and capsized, killing 32 people.
In 2016, three winning tickets split the largest lottery jackpot in the world -- $1.59 billion. The winning Powerball tickets were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee.
In 2018, an alert sent to cellphones in Hawaii falsely warned of a ballistic missile threat. Gov. David Ige said the mistake was caused by someone pushing "the wrong button."
In 2021, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on charges he incited an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He was the first president to be impeached twice. The Senate acquitted him both times.
In 2022, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II stripped her son Prince Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronages amid accusations he sexually abused an underage girl.
In 2024, Taiwan's Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate from the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party, won in a landslide victory as the island of 23 million sent a powerful message to China in a high-stakes election with global consequences.
