Today's Highlight in History:
On January 26th, 1950, India officially proclaimed声明，宣告 itself a republic as Rajendra Prasad took the oath of office就职宣言 as president.

On this date:
In 1788, the first European settlers in Australia, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, landed in present-day Sydney.

In 1802, Congress passed an act calling for a library to be established within the US Capitol.

In 1837, Michigan became the 26th state.

In 1861, Louisiana seceded退出，脱离 from the Union.

In 1870, Virginia rejoined the Union.

In 1911, the Richard Strauss opera "Der Rosenkavalier" premiered初次公演 in Dresden, Germany.

In 1942, the first American expeditionary force远征军 to go to Europe during World War Two went ashore² in Northern Ireland.

In 1962, the United States launched "Ranger³ Three" to land scientific instruments on the moon -- but the probe missed its target by some 22,000 miles.

In 1979, former Vice⁴ President Nelson A. Rockefeller died in New York at age 70.

In 1998, President Clinton forcefully denied having an affair with风流韵事，绯闻 a White House intern实习生, telling reporters, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

Ten years ago: Attorneys for deposed免职，作证 Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega challenged the jurisdiction司法权，审判权 of the US court system to try their client on drug-trafficking charges, and said Noriega should be declared a prisoner of war.

Five years ago: A little more than three weeks after Republicans took control of Congress, the House endorsed支持，赞同 a balanced-budget amendment⁹ to the Constitution designed to eliminate chronic¹⁰长期的，慢性的 federal deficits¹¹.

One year ago: President Clinton welcomed a frail虚弱的，脆弱的 Pope John Paul the Second as the pontiff主教，教皇 began his seventh pilgrimage朝拜，漫游 to the United States in St. Louis. Jordan's King Hussein turned over the temporary operation of his country to his eldest¹³ son and flew back to the United States for urgent medical care.