What Happened on January 2?

WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 2?

On January 2, 1872, Mormon leader Brigham Young was arrested on charges of bigamy for having multiple wives. (The exact number of Brigham Young's wife is up for dispute based on what is considered a "wife." The estimates range from 20 to 55 wives.

The cult of Mormonism, while seeking to present itself as just "another Christian denomination" actually denies many cardinal truths of the Bible, including the Trinity. Mormonism also teaches that Jesus and Satan were brothers and that "as man now is, God once was and as God now is, man may become" - a reference to the idea that men, after death, can become little gods having their own planets.

For more information on Mormonism, check out these books.








Historical Events on January 2

1788 - Georgia becomes 4th state to ratify U. S. Constitution

1923 - United States Interior Secretary Albert Fall resigns over the Teapot Dome scandal.

1929 - The United States and Canada form an agreement to try to preserve Niagra Falls for future generations.

1942 - The United States Navy opens a blimp base at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

1944 - 1st use of helicopter during warfare

1968 - The first "succesful" heart transplant operation by Dr. Christian Barnard on Philip Blaiberg. (The first officially succesful transplant had been performed in December of the previous year by Dr. Barnard, but the recipient only lived for 18 days. A second transplant occurred by Dr. Adrian Krantrowitz three days after Dr. Barnard's first transplant, but the patient only lived 6 hours. Mr. Blaiberg, by contrast, lived for over a year and a half after the transplant, returning to a normal life after the operation.)

1974 - President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.


Births on January 2

1727 - James Wolfe, British General - his victories helped establish British rule in Canada.

1920 - Isaac Asimov, Russian author

1947 - John (Jack) Hanna - former director of the Columbus (OH) Zoo and host of "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures."


Deaths on January 2

1904 - James Longstreet - Confederate General who oversaw "Pickett's Charge" at the Battle of Gettysburg.

1950 - Emil Jennings - Swiss actor - won the very first Oscar for Best Actor

1986 - Bill Veeck - baseball team owner and innovator


Sports Events on January 2

1945 - University of Kentucky Men's Basketball begins a home winning streak that lasts 130 home games, not ending until 1955.

1985 - Undefeated BYU is awarded the 1984 NCAA Football Championship despite having went the entire season without beating any good teams (BYU did not play any team that finished in the AP Top 25). Being the only remaining undefeated team was enough to vault the weak BYU team to a national championship.

1985 - The UNLV Running Rebels defeated Utah 142-140 in a triple overtime basketball game, setting the record for most points scored in a men's college basketball game.

1986 - Former Indians, White Sox and St. Louis Browns (now Baltimore Orioles) owner Bill Veeck dies. Veeck is perhaps best known for hiring Dwarf Eddie Gaebel to play baseball for the St. Louis Browns for one at-bat in 1951 (he was walked on four straight pitches) and for having Harry Caray sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the 7th-inning stretch.


Religious Events on January 2
1884 - Death of Johann Gerhard Oncken - "Father of German Baptists"

1909 Future Foursquare Gospel church founder Aimee Elizabeth [n‚e Kennedy] Semple [later McPherson], 19, along with her husband Robert Semple, was ordained to the ministry in Chicago by evangelist William H. Durham.

1921 - 1st radio broadcast of a religious service is broadcast by station KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania



As always, please feel free to comment or add your own event in the comments section.