This Day In History for January 28

1986, the space shuttle "Challenger" exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members.

On this date:
In 1547, England's King Henry the Eighth died; he was succeeded by his nine-year-old son, Edward the Sixth.

In 1596, English navigator Sir Francis Drake died off the coast of Panama; he was buried at sea.

In 1853, Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti was born in Havana.

In 1902, the Carnegie Institute was established in Washington DC.

In 1909, the United States ended direct control over Cuba.

In 1915, the Coast Guard was created by an act of Congress.

In 1916, Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by President Wilson to the Supreme Court, becoming its first Jewish member.

In 1945, during World War Two, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.

In 1980, six US diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats.

In 1982, Italian anti-terrorism forces rescued US Brigadier General James L. Dozier, 42 days after he had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades.