January 7 in Pop Culture History

1608 – Fire destroyed the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia

1714 – The world’s first patent (#395) for a “Machine for Transcribing Letters” was granted in England by Queen Anne to Henry Mill. This first planned typewriter was never actually produced.

1830 – The 1st U.S. Railroad Station opened in Baltimore, MD

1927 – Commercial telephone service via radio began between New York and London.

1929 – Drawn by Hal Foster, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan comic strip 1st appeared

1929 – Buck Rogers, illustrated by Dick Calkins, appeared in newspaper comics.

1927 – The Harlem Globetrotters played their first game in Hinckley, Ill.

1934 – Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon comic strip debuted in newspapers across the United States.

1948 – Thomas Mantell reported seeing a UFO over Kentucky.

1950 – #1 Hit January 7, 1950 – January 13, 1950: Gene Autry – Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer

1962 – The Avengers premiered on ITV, in the UK

1966 – Gene Kiniski defeated long-time wrestling champ Lou Thesz to become the NWA champion.

1975 – Shenandoah (Broadway Musical) Opened on January 7, 1975, and closed on on August 7, 1977

1980 – President Jimmy Carter authorized legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.

1990 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed, citing safety concerns, and after some repairs, reopened on June 16, 2001.

1994 – Cabin Boy was released in theaters.

2004 – The Apprentice premiered on NBC

2012 – #1 Hit January 7, 2012 – February 3, 2012: LMFAO – Sexy and I Know It

2017 – January 7, 2017 – January 20, 2017: The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk –