Moments in Time: John Lennon
The History Channel
On Jan. 26, 1875, a gang of men likely led by Pinkerton Detective Agency staff, who mistakenly believed that outlaws Frank and Jesse James were holed up in their family home, raided the house, leaving their mother, Zerelda James, permanently maimed and their 9-year-old half-brother, Archie Samuel, dead from an exploded flare meant to flush the brothers out.
On Jan. 27, 1970, John Lennon composed and recorded "Instant Karma," his third solo single prior to the Beatles' official breakup, in one day. Though he remarked that he "wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch, and we're putting it out for dinner," the song was actually released to the public almost two weeks later.
On Jan. 28, 1777, poet, playwright and British General John Burgoyne submitted a plan to the British government that would isolate New England from the other colonies, which involved an invasion of 8,000 British troops from Canada moving south through New York and taking the Americans by surprise. Its failure that autumn launched severe criticism, and soon after Burgoyne retired from active service.
On Jan. 29, 1929, The Seeing Eye, America's first school designed to train guide dogs for the visually impaired, opened in Tennessee. For the benefit of skeptical reporters, co-founder Morris Frank showcased his own dog, Buddy, on busy New York streets.
On Jan. 30, 1994, American speed skater Dan Jansen set a new world record of 35.76 at the World Sprint Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
On Jan. 31, 1961, a chimp named Ham became the first hominid in space, after a 16.5-minute suborbital flight, paving the way for the first human in space three months later.
On Feb. 1, 1917, Germany returned to the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare it had suspended in response to pressure from America and other neutral countries. The previous day, German chancellor Theobald Bethmann Hollweg had announced that "the destructive designs of our opponents cannot be expressed more strongly. We have been challenged to fight to the end. We accept the challenge. We stake everything, and we shall be victorious."
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