A Blast from the Past

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Today is Jan. 19.

Millions of G.I.s knew her as Tokyo Rose, the voice of World War II Japanese propaganda broadcasts. Later, under her real name, Iva Toguri D'Aquino was convicted of treason. It was on this date in 1977 that she got a pardon from President Ford.

It was on this date in 1994 that Tonya Harding's former husband, Jeff Gillooly, was arrested and charged with conspiracy in the attack two weeks earlier on skater Nancy Kerrigan. The bashing had forced Kerrigan to drop out of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a competition Harding won.

Despite Kerrigan's non-participation, U.S. Figure Skating officials named her and Harding to the U.S. Olympic team. Kerrigan would win a silver medal at the Winter Olympics in Norway, while Harding could finish no better than 8th place.

Celebrities ranging from Barbra Streisand to Michael Jackson to a reunited Fleetwood Mac threw a nationally televised pre-inaugural bash for President-elect Clinton on this date in 1993.

And Georgia seceded from the Union on this date in 1861.

We now return you to the present, already in progress.