Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John
Jeffries traveled from Dover, England, to Calais, France,
in a gas balloon, becoming the first to cross the English
Channel by air.

Just before reaching the French coast, the two balloonists
were forced to throw nearly everything out of the balloon,
and Blanchard even threw his trousers over the side in a
desperate, but apparently successful, attempt to lighten
the ship.

          
                                                                                   John Jeffries

Congress set January 7, 1789 as the date by which states
are required to choose electors for the country’s first-ever
presidential election. A month later, on February 4, George
Washington was elected president by state electors and
sworn into office on April 30, 1789.

As it did in 1789, the United States still uses the Electoral
College system, which today gives all American citizens
over the age of 18 the right to vote for electors, who in
turn vote for the president.

The president and vice president are the only elected
federal officials chosen by the Electoral College instead
of by direct popular vote.

The Pacific Clipper (Boeing 314) arrives at LaGuardia.

Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan was attacked at a Detroit
ice rink following a practice session two days before the
Olympic trials. A man hit Kerrigan with a club on the back
of her knee, causing the figure skater to cry out in pain and bewilderment. When the full story emerged a week later,
the nation became caught up in a real-life soap opera.

One of Kerrigan’s chief rivals for a place on the U.S. Figure
Skating Team was Tonya Harding. In mid-December 1993,
Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, approached Shawn
Eckardt about somehow eliminating Kerrigan from the
competition. Eckardt set up a meeting with Derrick Smith
and Shane Stant, who agreed to injure Kerrigan for a fee.

Tonya Harding (left) says she was scared for her own       
safety after the infamous 1994 baton attack on her fellow
fellow Olympic figure skater and longtime competitor
Nancy Kerrigan (right).  

        
        

Tonya Maxene Price (54) was born
in Portland, Oregon.

On January 5, 1920, the New York Yankees major league baseball
club announced its purchase of the heavy-hitting outfielder
George Herman “Babe” Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for the
sum of $125,000.

Ruth had played six seasons with the Red Sox, leading them to
three World Series victories. On the mound, Ruth pitched a total
of 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings, setting a new league
record that would stand for 43 years.

George Herman "Babe" Ruth
(February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948)