Today is Friday, Jan. 20, the 20th day of 2006. There are 345 days left in the year. On this date in

Today is Friday, Jan. 20, the 20th day of 2006. There are 345 days left in the year. On this date in 1981, Iran releases 52 Americans it had held hostage for 444 days, minutes after the presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.
In 1801, John Marshall is appointed chief justice of the United States. In 1841, the island of Hong Kong is ceded to Great Britain. (It is returned to Chinese control in July 1997.) In 1887, the U.S. Senate approves an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base. In 1896, comedian George Burns is born Nathan Birnbaum in New York City. In 1936, Britain's King George V dies; he is succeeded by Edward VIII. In 1942, Nazi officials hold the notorious Wannsee conference, during which they arrive at their "final solution" that calls for exterminating Jews. In 1945, President Roosevelt is sworn into office for an unprecedented fourth term. In 1954, "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," a play by Herman Wouk based on part of his novel "The Caine Mutiny," opens on Broadway. In 1986, the United States observes the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In 1986, Britain and France announce plans to build the Channel Tunnel. In 1996, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians turn out to vote in a festive first election, solidly endorsing Yasser Arafat and his peace policies; the space shuttle Endeavour lands after a nine-day mission that includes snaring a Japanese satellite. In 2001, George Walker Bush becomes America's 43rd president after one of the most turbulent elections in U.S. history; hundreds of thousands of protesting Filipinos force President Joseph Estrada to step down; Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is sworn in as the new president; Michelle Kwan wins her fourth straight U.S. Figure Skating Championship title while Timothy Goebel wins his first men's title. In 2005, President Bush is inaugurated for a second term; Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, ill with thyroid cancer, delivers the oath of office; anti-Bush demonstrators jeer the president's motorcade during the inaugural parade.
January 20, 1981: The 52 American hostages fly to freedom after 444 days of captivity in Iran. Their release coincided with the inauguration of Ronald W. Reagan as president and the departure of Jimmy Carter.
A young aircraft pilot is slightly injured and his newly acquired airplane is wrecked when the pilot hits the wrong button and kills the engine on an approach to Lansdowne Airport. Stephen Miller, 21, tried, with the engine off, to glide to the runway, but the landing gear struck a tall tree.
Walter Kunovic, office manager for the Youngstown Water Department, is elected president of St. George Lodge 66 of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America.
January 20, 1966: Some 150 Struthers city employees won't be getting paychecks because, as Mayor Stanley E. Davis says, the city is broke. He tells city residents, "We need your help and we welcome your advice."
Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey predicts that if draft calls continue at 30,000 a month, some college students may become subject to the draft.
Youngstown police are questioning an East Side youth charged with burglary who was captured after he used a baby for cover and threatened to shoot police.
January 20, 1956: The City Board of Zoning Appeal clears the way for an access driveway on E. Florida to the new Sears, Roebuck & amp; Co. parking lot.
The Youngstown Hearing Society changes its name officially to the Youngstown Hearing and Speech Center at the annual meeting at the center.
Mrs. Wilford P. Arms is named the honorary president of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, coinciding with the celebration of her 91st birthday. She is one of the few remaining old time residents of Wick Ave., once the showplace of Youngstown.
January 20, 1931: Plans for remodeling the Youngstown post office building are rejected by the city planning commission after members agree that the improvements proposed are inadequate and not in keeping with the city's size and importance.
A gambling ring within the last year, attempting to spread slot machines through the state, tried to bribe a judge and city officials in Youngstown, says Law Director Carl Armstrong.
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