On this day in 2009, America’s 44th President (Barack Hussein Obama) awoke as President for the first time. Now, as midnight strikes on the East Coast, his first full day as the only sitting President of the United States of America ends. Sleep well, Mr. President.
On other January 21’s in US and world history…
1525 — The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in Zürich.
1793 — Louis XVI of France is guillotined.
1924 — Vladimir Lenin dies; Joseph Stalin begins purge of his rivals to clear the way for his leadership.
1954 — The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched.
1973 — Tomorrow the US Supreme Court will precipitate America’s new civil war (pitting the born against the unborn) by delivering its Roe v. Wade decision, striking down laws restricting abortion during the first six to seven months of pregnancy. Thus America’s own genocide will kick into high gear.
1976 — Commercial service of Concorde begins.
1977 — New President Jimmy Carter pardons nearly all American Vietnam War draft evaders.
1981 — Iran releases US hostages after 444 days (as a gift to new President Ronald Reagan?).
1985 — Ronald Reagan’s second-term public inaugural ceremony is today because January 20 was Sunday.
2003 — The US Census Bureau announces that Hispanics have surpassed blacks as America’s largest minority group.
2008 — This turns out to be Black Monday in worldwide stock markets.
In other US political events on this day in 2009:
- Caroline Kennedy (the last surviving member of President JFK’s family) withdraws her name from the pool of “bidders” for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat.
- Hillary Clinton is confirmed by the US Senate as America’s new Secretary of State.
- At 7:35 pm (Eastern), Chief Justice Roberts readministered the oath of office to President Obama. They each goofed in the public swearing-in yesterday afternoon.