Nancy Kerrigan                             Tonya Harding
  
 

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.          

SANDY KOZEL

The Stamp Act was passed on this day in 1765. It was the first direct British tax on the American colonists. It was repealed on March 17,
1766.

On this day in 1987, a barge loaded with 32,000 tons of refuse left
Islip, NY, to find a place to unload. After being refused by several
states and three countries space was found back in Islip.

    
On NBC-TV, Tom Brokaw (above) called the barge the“homeless
garbage barge” from Islip, N.Y. On CBS-TV, Dan Rather called the
Mobro barge “the most-watched load of garbage in the memory
of man."

Tara Lipinski, at 14 years and 10 months, became the youngest
women’s world figure skating champion on this day in 1997.

Tara Kristen Lipinski will be 36 June 10.

The Beatles‘ first album, "Please Please Me," was released in the
U.K. on this day in 1963.

Andrew Lloyd Webber (Baron Lloyd-Webber) is 70 today.

Legendary showman and musical theatre impresario Andrew
Lloyd Webber is known for "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera,"
and "Jesus Christ Superstar." He was honored with a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was also inducted into the
Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Jan. 18, 1988