#Middlebury
On Jan. 26, 1788, Capt. Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. The date eventually became commemorated as Australia Day.- On Jan. 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered. Weighing 1.33 pounds and christened the “Cullinan,” it was the largest diamond ever found.
- On Jan. 24, 1935, canned beer makes its debut. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of beer to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Some 91% of the drinkers approved of the canned beer.
- On Jan. 30, 1943, the British Royal Air Force begins a bombing campaign in Berlin that coincides with the 10th anniversary of Hitler’s accession to power. Two days later, a massive surrender of German troops occurred at Stalingrad.
- On Jan. 27, 1967, a fire on the launch pad during Apollo 1 program tests at Cape Canaveral, Florida, kills astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee. An investigation implicated a faulty electrical wire inside the command module as the probable cause.
- On Jan. 29, 1979, Brenda Spencer, 16, kills two men and wounds nine children as they enter an elementary school in San Diego, blasting away with a rifle from her home across the street. Despite drug abuse and anger issues, her father had given her a .22 rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition as a Christmas gift.
- On Jan. 28, 1985, dozens of pop stars gather to lay down tracks for “We Are the World,” under the direction of Quincy Jones. The song would go on to sell more than 7 million copies and raise more than $60 million for African famine relief. Participants were told: “Check your egos at the door.”
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