January-This Month in History

1794: To deliver his wife's baby, Jesse Bennet, M.D., performs the first caesarean operation.

1892: On New Years Day, Ellis Island open. Over time, more than 20,000 immigrants are processed through the site into the United States.

1916: Thirty-five pro golfers from the Professional Golfer's Association of America (PGA) develop the idea for a national championship.

1936: "Billboard" magazine publishes it inaugural music hit-parade list.

1943: The pentagon, headquarters for the Department of Defense and one of the world's largest office buildings, is completed.

1946: In Philadelphia, the first and almost 78 million baby boomers are born.

1946: Delegates from 51 countries meet in London, England, for the first United Nations General Assembly

1966: Bruce Wayne's superhero alter ego, Batman, makes his television debut.

1966: Robert Weaver is sworn in as the first U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first black person to hold a cabinet post.

1968: Country music legend Johnny Cash performs for 2,000 inmates at Folsom Prison.

1974: President Nixon limits state highway speeds to a maximum of 55 mph to conserve energy during the Arab oil embargo.

1982: American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) disbands its "Baby Bell" companies thus ending the corporation's monopoly on U.S. telephone service.

1982: The camcorder, a portable videocassette recorder with built-in camera, is developed.

1988: "Phantom of the Opera," now the longest-running musical in Broadway history, premieres in New York City.