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January 8

The state of Alabama, named for the Native

American group known as the Alibamon (of the Creek confederacy),was admitted to the union in 1861. They

were readmitted to the union following the Civil War on June 25, 1868.

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January 10

In 1954, the Puerto Rico House of

Representatives passed a resolution

approving the island’s status as a U.S. commonwealth.

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January 27

During this month in 1972, African American member of Congress Shirley Chisholm of New York announced her

plans to run for the presidency of the United States. She was the first

woman to seek the nomination for this office.

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January 28

On this day, the United States space shuttle Challenger blew

up 73 seconds after takeoff from the Kennedy Space

Center in 1986. The crew—mission commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Ronald E.

McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A.

Resnik; and payload specialists Gregory B.

Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe, a high school

teacher from New Hampshire—died in the

accident.

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January 29

In 1891, Liliuokalani became Queen of

Hawaii following the death of her brother King Kalakaua. She

was the last monarch in Hawaiian history.

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January 30

Today became known as Bloody Sunday in 1972 when British troops shot 13 Roman

Catholics in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Northern

Ireland is a Protestant dominated member of the United Kingdom, whereas

Ireland is a Catholic dominated independent country.

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January 31

Richard Wright received the Joel Springarn Medal from the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

(NAACP) for the “highest achievement in any honorable field of endeavor.” Wright was

both a poet and a novelist. He is best known for his novels Black

Boy and Native Son.