January 7
1608 - Fire destroyed the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia
1714 - The world's first patent (#395) for a "Machine for Transcribing Letters" was granted in England by Queen Anne to Henry Mill. This first planned typewriter was never actually produced.
1830 - The 1st U.S. Railroad Station opened in Baltimore, MD
1927 - Commercial telephone service, via radio, began between New York and London.
1929 - Drawn by Hal Foster, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan comic strip 1st appeared
1929 - Buck Rogers, illustrate by Dick Calkins, appeared in newspaper comics.
1927 - The Harlem Globtrotters played their first game in Hinkley, Ill.
1934 - Alex Raymond's 'Flash Gordon' comic strip debuted in newspapers across the United States.
1948 - Thomas Mantell reported seeing a UFO over Kentucky
1962 - The Avengers premiered in ITV, in the UK
1966 - Gene Kiniski defeated long-time wrestling champ Lou Thesz to become NWA champion.
1980 - President Jimmy Carter authorized legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.
1990 - The Leaning Tower of Piza was closed, citing safety concerns, and after some repairs, reopened on June 16, 2001
2004 - The Apprentice premiered on NBC