TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1777, Revolutionary forces under the command of George Washington defeated the British at Princeton, NJ. In 1959, Alaska entered the union as the 49th state. In 2004, the unmanned NASA spacecraft Spirit landed on Mars.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: John Paul Jones (1747-1792), U.S. naval officer; Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), women's rights pioneer; J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), author; Victor Borge (1909-2000) comedian/pianist; Mel Gibson (1956- ), actor, is 52; Danica McKellar (1975- ), actress, is 33; Eli Manning (1981- ), football player, is 27.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1983, Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett set an NFL record by running 99 yards from scrimmage for a touchdown.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "We too often bind ourselves by authorities rather than by the truth." - Lucretia Mott
TODAY'S FACT: In 2000, evidence that liquid water flowed on Mars was discovered, supporting the theory that life could exist on the Red Planet.
TODAY'S NUMBER: 670,053 - estimated population of the state of Alaska in July 2006--about triple its population at the time it attained statehood.
TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter (December 31, 2007) and new moon (January 8, 2008).
