On this day in 1890, reporter Nellie Bly greeted a crowd in New York 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds after setting sail east to circle the globe.
Source: Library of Congress
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January 24, 2010
On this day in 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold near Coloma, California. The discovery was officially endorsed by President James Polk in December that year, launching the Gold Rush.
Source: Library of Congress
January 23, 2010
The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the collection of poll taxes in national elections, was ratified on this day in 1964.
Source: Library of Congress
January 22, 2010
On this day in 1912, Key West, Florida, became linked to the Florida peninsula by the Florida East Coast Railway; the overseas railway was destroyed by a hurricane 23 years later.
Source: Library of Congress
January 21, 2010
There were between an estimated 39 million and 80 million cases of H1N1 from April through Dec. 12, 2009, and about 7,880 to 16,460 H1N1-related deaths.
Source: CDC
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Jan. 12-Jan. 18
This week, readers sent us comments on a FactCheck curriculum, the Massachusetts race and global cooling. In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the e-mail we receive.
Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.
January 20, 2010
There is no accepted method of predicting when, where and how great in magnitude an earthquake will occur.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
January 19, 2010
The deadliest recorded earthquake in history killed 830,000 people in Shensi Province, China, in 1556.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
January 18, 2010
On Nov. 3, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill declaring that the third Monday of January, starting in 1986, would be recognized as the Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday.
Source: The King Center
January 17, 2010
Haiti declared its independence from France on Jan. 1, 1804.
Source: CIA World Factbook