1496 – Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine
1521 – Martin Luther is Excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for failing to recant parts of his Ninety-five Theses which started the Protestant Reformation
1777 – General George Washington’s revolutionary army defeats British forces at Battle of Princeton, New Jersey
1925 – Benito Mussolini dissolves the Italian parliament and proclaims himself dictator of Italy, taking the title “Il Duce” (the Leader)
1977 – Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporate Apple Computer, Inc
1984 – Syria frees captured US pilot after appeal from Jesse Jackson
1985 – Israel government confirms resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews
1990 – Panama’s leader General Manuel Noriega surrenders to US authorities
2002 – The Palestinian freighter Karine A is seized by Israeli forces in the Red Sea
2004 – After hosting the show for over 30 years, Casey Kasem gives up the hosting duties of “American Top 40” to Ryan Seacrest
2009 – Israeli ground forces invade Gaza.
2009 – The Bitcoin network is created as the first block of the digital currency is mined by a person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto
2015 – 18 people are killed after the Norwegian cargo ship MS Bulk Jupiter sinks off the coast of Vietnam
2018 – Security expert reveal two security flaws, Meltdown and Spectre which affect most microprocessors
2018 – First bionic hand with a sense of touch, for use outside a lab unveiled in Rome
2020 – US drone strike kills top Iranian security and intelligence commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani outside Baghdad airport in Iraq
Film & TV:
2004 – After hosting the show for over 30 years, Casey Kasem gives up the hosting duties of “American Top 40” to Ryan Seacrest
Music:
1987 – Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts 1st female artist, Aretha Franklin
Sport:
1929 – Australian cricket icon Don Bradman follows up a 1st innings of 79 to score 112 in 3rd Test v England in Melbourne; his 1st of 29 Test centuries
