On Jan. 20, 1892, students at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Mass., played the first official basketball game– invented by Dr. James Naismith to provide indoor exercise between the football and baseball seasons.
In 1896 comedian George Burns was born in New York City.
In 1920 movie director Federico Fellini was born in Rimini, Italy.
In 1926 actress Patricia Neal was born in Packard, Ky.
In 1929 the first sound movie to be filmed outdoors, “In Old Arizona,” was released.
In 1936 King George V of Britain died and was succeeded by his son, Edward VIII.
In 1937, taking the oath for his second term, Franklin Roosevelt became the first president to be sworn in under terms of the 20th Amendment, which moved inauguration day to Jan. 20 from March 4.
In 1942 Nazi officials at the Wannsee conference in Berlin decided on the “final solution,” calling for the extermination of Europe’s Jews.
In 1945 President Franklin Roosevelt was sworn into office for a fourth term. (No other president served more than two; a limit of two terms by election was established in 1951 by the 22nd Amendment.)
In 1981, minutes after the presidency passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan, Iran freed 52 American hostages it had held for 444 days.
In 1982 the Bears named Mike Ditka as their head coach.
In 1990 actress Barbara Stanwyck died at 82.
