British amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins, who invented the term "ley lines" and wrote about them, was born January 27, 1855. He died in 1935.
Former U.S. astronaut Brian O'Leary was born January 27, 1940. He never flew in space and resigned NASA in disgust. After his NASA career he became a public advocate of conspiracy theories such as the free energy suppression theory and allies with noted alternative medicine quack Mike Adams. He now lives in Ecuador.
British medium Derek Acorah was born on this day in 1950.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
Only one item of news dominated the headlines..... We dedicate todays 'On this day' to the crew of the USS Challenger.
1986: The American space shuttle, Challenger, has exploded killing all seven astronauts on board. The five men and two women - including the first teacher in space - were just over a minute into their flight from Cape Canaveral in Florida when the Challenger blew up.
The astronauts' families, at the airbase, and millions of Americans witnessed the world's worst space disaster live on TV.
The danger from falling debris prevented rescue boats reaching the scene for more than an hour.
In 25 years of space exploration seven people have died - today that total has been doubled.
President Ronald Reagan has described the tragedy as "a national loss".
The Challenger's flight, the 25th by a shuttle, had already been delayed because of bad weather. High winds, then icicles caused the launch to be postponed from 22 January.
But Nasa officials insist safety remains their top priority and there was no pressure to launch the shuttle today.
The shuttle crew was led by Commander Dick Scobee, 46. Christa McAuliffe, 37, married with two children, was to be the first school teacher in space - picked from among 10,000 entries for a competition.
Speaking before the launch, she said: "One of the things I hope to bring back into the classroom is to make that connection with the students that they too are part of history, the space programme belongs to them and to try to bring them up with the space age."
President Reagan has put off his state of the union address. He was meeting senior aides in the Oval Office when he learned of the disaster.
He has called for an immediate inquiry into the disaster but he said the space programme would go on - in honour to the dead astronauts. Vice-President George Bush has been sent to Cape Canaveral to visit the victims' families.
This evening, the president went on national television to pay tribute to the courage and bravery of the seven astronauts.
He said: "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."
1954: American television presenter (and advocate of many new age and pseudoscience concepts) Oprah Winfrey was born on this day.
1959: Dense fog - the worst for seven years - brought road, rail and air transport in many parts of England and Wales to a virtual standstill.
1976: A series of bombs exploded in the West End of London during the night - one person, believed to be a taxi driver, was hurt. Twelve devices went off - four of them were outside employment agencies and another was found in Selfridge's department store in Oxford Street.
1986: A fireball that was later claimed to be a UFO allegedly crashed into a hill in the USSR.
1790: The first purpose-built lifeboat was launched on the River Tyne.
1933: Adolf Hitler was named the German Chancellor.
1948: Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist.
1965: Thousands of people paid their last respects to Britain's greatest wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill who was buried today after a full state funeral.
1969: The Beatles made their last-ever public appearance as a group. The performance of "Get Back" was filmed for the movie "Let It Be."
1972: British troops opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators in the Bogside district of Londonderry, killing 13 civilians. Seventeen more people, including one woman, were injured by gunfire. Another woman was knocked down by a speeding car.
2002: The musical "Taboo" opened at London's Leicester Square. The musical follows the life of Boy George.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
1606: Guy Fawkes was executed after being convicted for his role in the "Gunpowder Plot" against the English Parliament and King James I.
1893: The trademark "Coca-Cola" was first registered in the United States Patent Office.
1961: A chimpanzee sent into space in a rocket by the United States was recovered alive and well about 420 miles (676 km) from the launching site in Cape Canaveral. The test was one of many planned to ensure that a human being could survive space flight, think clearly and perform useful functions outside the Earth's atmosphere.
1983: Drivers and front seat passengers must now wear seatbelts under a new law which came into force at midnight.
1990: McDonald's Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow, Russia.
2001: A Scottish court in the Netherlands convicted one Libyan and acquitted a second in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that occurred in 1988.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
1930: The Times published its first crossword puzzle.
1952: A new method for tracking down users of unlicensed television sets was unveiled in the UK. The first TV detector van was demonstrated in front of Postmaster-General, Lord De La Warr and Assistant Postmaster-General Mr Gammans.
1984: Britain's least-loved currency, the halfpenny coin, left the nation's purses after 13 years of almost universal unpopularity.
2001: Three Scottish judges found Abdel Basset al-Mergrahi guilty of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 270 people. The court said that Megrahi was a member of the Libyan intelligence service. Al-Amin Khalifa, who had been co-accused, was acquitted and freed.
2003: The US space shuttle Columbia broke up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere killing all seven astronauts on board. This was the first time there has been an accident on landing in the 42 years of American space flight.
2012: At least 73 people have been killed in clashes between rival fans following a football match in the Egyptian city of Port Said, state television reports. The deaths occurred as supporters invaded the pitch after a match between top-tier clubs Masry and al-Ahly on Wednesday.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
1863: Samuel Langhorne Clemens used a pseudonym for the first time. He is better remembered by the pseudonym which is Mark Twain.
1943: The Soviet Government announced the final defeat of the German 6th Army at the port of Stalingrad, in southern Russia.
1949: The first 45 RPM record was released.
1962: The 8th and 9th planets aligned for the first time in 400 years.
1963: The Beatles began their first British tour supporting Helen Shapiro.
1979: Sex Pistols' bass player Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose in New York. His mother, Anne Beverley, found him dead in bed with his sleeping girlfriend in an apartment in Greenwich Village this morning.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
Tragedy hit the world of music on February 03, 1959.
Buddy Holly killed in air crash.
Three young rock 'n' roll stars were killed in a plane crash in the United States. Buddy Holly, 22, Jiles P Richardson - known as the Big Bopper - 28, and Ritchie Valens, 17, died in a crash shortly after take-off from Clear Lake, Iowa at 0100 local time.
The pilot of the single-engined Beechcraft Bonanza plane was also killed.
Early reports from the scene suggest the aircraft spun out of control during a light snowstorm.
Only the pilot's body was found inside the wreckage as the performers were thrown clear on impact.
Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tourbus.
All three were travelling to Moorhead, Minnesota, the next venue in their Winter Dance Party Tour
Holly had set up the gruelling schedule of concerts - covering 24 cities in three weeks - to make money after the break-up of his band, The Crickets, last year.
Born Charles Hardin Holley - changed to Holly after a misspelling on a contract - he had several hit records, including a number one, in the US and UK with That'll be the Day in 1957.
A singer and guitarist, he was inspired by Elvis Presley after seeing him at an early concert in his home town of Lubbock, Texas.
With Presley serving in the Army, some critics expected Holly to take over his crown.
Richard Valenzuela was the first Mexican American to break into mainstream music, after being discovered by record producer Bob Keane, who changed his name to Ritchie Valens.
He had made three albums and achieved a number two chart position in the US with his composition Donna - about his girlfriend - in 1958.
His rock 'n' roll re-working of the traditional Mexican song La Bamba - on the B-side of Donna - has also received acclaim.
The Big Bopper had been a record-breaking radio DJ - with a 122-hour marathon stint - and reached number six in the American charts with his record Chantilly Lace.
1789 - Electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States.
1968 - The world's largest hovercraft was launched at Cowes, Isle of Wight.
1993 - Russian scientists unfurled a giant mirror in orbit and flashed a beam of sunlight across Europe during the night. Observers saw it only as a momentary flash.
1997 - A civil jury in California found O.J. Simpson liable in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Goldman's parents were awarded $8.5 million in compensatory damages.
1997 - Two Israeli troop-carrying helicopters collided on their way to Lebanon, all 73 soldiers and airmen aboard were killed.
1997 - President Milosevic of Serbia apparently surrendered to the will of his people, ordering his government to recognize opposition victories in local elections held in November 1996.
1782 - The Spanish captured Minorca from the British.
1924 - The BBC time signals, or "pips", from Greenwich Observatory were heard for the first time. They are broadcast every hour.
1953: Children all over Britain have been emptying out their piggy-banks and heading straight for the nearest sweet-shop as the first unrationed sweets went on sale today. Toffee apples were the biggest sellers, with sticks of nougat and liquorice strips also disappearing fast. One firm in Clapham Common gave 800 children 150lbs of lollipops during their midday break from school; and a London factory opened its doors to hand out free sweets to all comers
1961 - The first issue of the "Sunday Telegraph" was published.
1999 - Mike Tyson was sentenced to a year in jail for assaulting two people after a car accident on August 31, 1998. Tyson was also fined $5,000, had to serve 2 years of probation, and had to perform 200 hours of community service upon release.
1952: His Majesty, King George VI, died peacefully in his sleep at Sandringham House. The official announcement from Sandringham, given at 1045 GMT, said the King retired in his usual health, but passed away in his sleep and was found dead in bed at 0730 GMT by a servant.
1958: Seven Manchester United footballers were among 21 dead after an air crash in Munich. The British European Airways (BEA) plane caught fire shortly after take off with 38 passengers and six crew on board.
1964: The British and French Governments announced their commitment to build a tunnel under the English Channel. Both countries now have the capital and technical skills to bring the project - first mooted 162 years ago - to life but their official statements do not give a definite timetable.
1973: While preparing an article about the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) study of Uri Geller's abilities, TIME magazine asked for him to submit to tests at their offices in New York on February 6. During and after that test, James Randi and Charles Reynolds showed that what Geller was doing were simple magic tricks.
1966: A nuclear reactor described as "the system of the next century" is to be built at the Dounreay power station on the north coast of Scotland.
1979: Football club Nottingham Forest clinched Britain's first £1m transfer deal. England forward Trevor Francis signed for Brian Clough's League and Cup winning side in Nottingham after eight seasons with Birmingham City.
1983: A nationwide hunt for 1981 Derby winner Shergar began in Ireland. The prize stallion was kidnapped from stables in County Kildare owned by the Aga Khan and his family for 60 years.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
1983: A nationwide hunt for 1981 Derby winner Shergar began in Ireland. The prize stallion was kidnapped from stables in County Kildare owned by the Aga Khan and his family for 60 years.
The true story about Shergar:
It is 25 years since a world-famous racehorse was kidnapped by the IRA, never to be seen again. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never been found and uncovered the truth about the bungled ransom attempt that led to his demise
As scores of British journalists descended on Co Kildare, the hunt for Shergar turned into a media circus. Chief Supt James "Spud" Murphy became the darling of the media for his bizarre pronouncements and his determination to use psychics and mediums to try to solve the case. "A clue? That is something we haven't got," he once said.
1840: Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg-Gotha.
1933: The singing telegram was introduced by the Postal Telegraph Company of New York City
1962: American spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers has been freed from prison in the Soviet Union in exchange for a Russian spy jailed in the US. Gary Powers was sentenced to 10 years in a Soviet prison after his U-2 plane was shot down over Russia in May 1960.
1983: Police launched a mass murder investigation in London after discovering human remains in drains. They were looking for a total of 16 victims who they describe as male and probably young and homeless. Civil servant Dennis Andrew Nilsen, 37, was charged with the murder of a homeless man - Stephen Sinclair - just after 1900GMT the next day.
1992: Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, Miss Black American contestant.
1999: Avalanches killed at least 10 people when they roared down the French Alps 30 miles from Geneva.
2005: North Korea publicly announced for the first time that it had nuclear arms. The country also rejected attempts to restart disarmament talks in the near future saying that it needed the weapons as protection against an increasingly hostile United States.
1858: A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes.
1972: David Bowie performed as "Ziggy Stardust" for the first time.
1975: Tories choose first woman leader. The British Conservative Party chose Margaret Thatcher as its new leader. She will be the first woman to head a British political party after a landslide victory over the other four - male - candidates.
1976: Figure skater John Curry won Britain's first Olympic gold in the sport. It is the country's first medal at the winter games for 12 years.
1986 - Boy George guest-stared on an episode of "The A-Team."
1990: Leading anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela was freed from prison in South Africa after 27 years. His release follows the relaxation of apartheid laws - including lifting the ban on leading black rights party the African National Congress (ANC) - by South African President FW de Klerk.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
1554: Lady Jane Grey was beheaded after being charged with treason. She had claimed the throne of England for only nine days.
1993: In Liverpool, 2-year-old James Bulger was lured away from his mother at a shopping mall and beaten to death. Two ten-year-old boys were responsible.
1994: Art thieves snatch Scream. Thieves stole one of the world's best-known paintings from a gallery in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Two men took just 50 seconds to climb a ladder, smash through a window of the National Art Museum in Oslo and cut The Scream, by Edvard Munch, from the wall with wire cutters.
2001: The space probe NEAR landed on the asteroid Eros. It was the first time that any craft had landed on a small space rock.
2004: Mattel announced that "Barbie" and "Ken" were breaking up. The dolls had met on the set of their first television commercial together in 1961.
2012: Singer Whitney Houston, died unexpectedly at the age of 48.
1542 - Catherine Howard was executed for adultery. She was the fifth wife of England's King Henry VIII.
1945 - During World War II, Allied aircraft began bombing the German city of Dresden.
1955 - Israel acquired 4 of the 7 Dead Sea scrolls.
1960 - France detonated its first atomic bomb.
1965 - Sixteen-year-old Peggy Fleming won the ladies senior figure skating title at Lake Placid, NY.
1997 - Astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery brought the Hubble Space Telescope aboard for a tune up. The tune up allowed the telescope to see further into the universe.
2002 - Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.
1876 - Alexander Graham Bell filed an application for a patent for the telephone. It was officially issued on March 7, 1876.
1895 - Oscar Wilde's final play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," opened at the St. James' Theatre in London.
1929 - The "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in Chicago, IL. Seven gangsters who were rivals of Al Capone were killed.
1983 - A 6-year-old boy became the first person to receive a heart and liver transplants in the same operation.
1989 - The first satellite of the Global Positioning System was placed into orbit around Earth.
2002 - Sylvester Stallone filed a lawsuit against Kenneth Starr. The suit alleged that Starr had given bad advice about selling Planet Hollywood stock.
2003 - In Madrid, Spain, a ceramic plate with a bullfighting motif painted by Pablo Picasso in 1949 was stolen from an art show. The plate was on sale for $12,400.
"Astrology teaches us one thing and one thing only.... There's one born every minute!" Patrick Moore.