January 28th

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke won Senate confirmation for a second term.

In a swift victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House approved a $819 billion stimulus bill.

President George W. Bush said in his State of the Union address that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had sought uranium from Africa. (The claim was later disputed by former ambassador Joseph Wilson, who had been asked by the CIA to investigate.).

Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, honoring a personal request for mercy from Pope John Paul II, spared a triple murderer from execution.

U.S. shuttle Challenger exploded 72 seconds after lift off, killing all seven crew members aboard, including school teacher Christa McAuliffe.

USA for Africa record “We Are the World”. Over 20 million copies of the charity single were sold.

Six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran under false identities.

A cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War.

Vince Lombardi was named head coach of the NFL's Green Bay Packers.

The Lego brick is patented. The Lego company has since produced 500 billion Lego elements, amounting to 10 lego towers from Earth to the Moon.

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

The name "Pakistan" is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali and gradually accepted by Muslims in the Indian sub-continent who use it to push for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia.

Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to the Supreme Court, becoming its first Jewish member.

Congress passed legislation creating the U.S. Coast Guard.

The United States ended direct control over Cuba.

France surrendered in the Franco-Prussian War.

Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti was born in Havana.

Fabian von Bellinghausen discovers the Antarctic. The Baltic German explorer is believed to be the first person to sight the Earth's southernmost continent.

Sir Stamford Raffles lands in Singapore.

Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is published by Thomas Egerton in the United Kingdom.

London's Pall Mall is 1st street lit by gaslight.

King Henry VIII of England died and his nine-year-old son, Edward VI, assumed the throne.

Emperor Charles V opens the Diet of Worms in Worms, Germany which lasts until May 25th. Produced the "Edict of Worms" which dennouced Martin Luther.