On January 13, 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia crashed into a reef near the Italian coast and capsized, killing 32 people.File photo courtesy of Wikimedia
L. Douglas Wilder smiles broadly after receiving the 75th NAACP Spingarn Medal from former recipient Percy Ellis Sutten (left) of New York on July 12, 1990 in Los Angeles. right). On January 13, 1990, Wilder was sworn into office in Virginia, becoming the first African American governor elected in a state in the United States. File photo: Jim Ruymen/UPI
On January 13, 1999, Michael Jordan, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, announced his retirement for the second time. File photo: Nell Redmond/UPI
Members of the Mexican military participate in search and rescue operations in the hills of Santa Tecla, New El Salvador, where the January 13, 2001 earthquake destroyed more than 250 homes. File photo: Alejandro Ancona/Notimex
On January 13, 1915, an earthquake in Avezzano, Italy killed nearly 30,000 people. File Photo courtesy of E. Navone & Co.
Jan. 13 (UPI) — This day in history:
In 1910, radio pioneer and electron tube inventor Lee DeForest organized the world’s first public radio broadcast, a performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
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In 1915, an earthquake in Avezzano, Italy killed approximately 30,000 people.
In 1941, Irish novelist James Joyce died at the age of 58 after undergoing surgery for a perforated ulcer in Zurich, Switzerland.
In 1968, Johnny Cash recorded his infamous work. at Folsom Prison live record.
File photo: Ezio Petersen/UPI
In 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington, killing 78 people.
In 1985, a passenger train traveling through Ethiopia ran off the tracks and fell into a ravine. More than 400 people were killed and 500 injured.
In 1990, L. Douglas Wilder took office in Virginia, becoming the first black person elected governor of a U.S. state.
In 1991, fighting broke out during a soccer match in Orkney, leaving at least 40 South Africans dead and 50 injured.
In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to seven African American soldiers for their bravery in Italy during World War II. This is the first time the medal has been awarded to a black World War II veteran.
In 1999, Michael Jordan, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, announced his second retirement. He led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships.
In the early morning hours of 2001, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck El Salvador, killing more than 800 people, injuring hundreds more, and causing widespread damage and destruction. A deadly landslide was caused by the earthquake.
File photo: Alejandro Ancona/UPI
In 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia crashed into a reef near the Italian coast and capsized, killing 32 people.
In 2016, the world’s largest lottery jackpot ($1.59 billion) was distributed between three winning tickets. The winning Powerball tickets were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee.
In 2018, an alert was sent to mobile phones in Hawaii falsely warning of a ballistic missile threat. Gov. David Ige said the mistake was caused by someone pressing the “wrong button.”
In 2021, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting the riot at the U.S. Capitol. He was the first president to be impeached twice. The Senate acquitted him both times.
In 2022, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth stripped her son Prince Andrew of his military service and royal patronage after he was accused of sexually abusing an underage girl.
In 2023, a friend reported British actor Julian Sands missing after failing to return from a hike in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department confirmed his death in June 2023 after discovering his body.
File photo: Gus Ruelas/UPI