January 20, 2012

120 years ago
1892

Basketball
The first official game of basketball was played on a YMCA court in Springfield, Massachusetts. There were nine players to a side, and peach baskets hung at each end of the court.

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Beryl Coronet

75 years ago
1937

Politics
Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated into his second term as 32nd President of the United States of America, becoming the first U.S. president to be inaugurated on January 20. Inaugurations previously took place on March 4, but with the long "lame duck" period between President Herbert Hoover's loss to Mr. Roosevelt in the election of November 1932 and the March 4, 1933 inauguration, it was thought expedient to move the date forward to speed the transition to a new administration. John Nance Garner was inaugurated into his second term as U.S. Vice-President.

70 years ago
1942

Abominations
At the Wannsee Conference, the Nazis formulated their "final solution" regarding Jews in Germnay.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Twist--Chubby Checker (3rd week at #1)

40 years ago
1972

Economics and finance
The number of people in the U.K. listed as unemployed topped one million for the first time since the 1930s.

10 years ago
2002

World events
The publication of photographs of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba sparked concern that their rights were being abused.

Football
NFL
AFC
Divisional Playoff
Baltimore 10 @ Pittsburgh 27

NFC
Divisional Playoff
Green Bay 17 @ St. Louis 45