January 15

This Day in History

Also on This Day

Lead Story
Packers face Chiefs in first Super Bowl, 1967
American Revolution
New Connecticut (Vermont) declares independence, 1777
Automotive
Ford Foundation is born, 1936
Civil War
Fort Fisher falls to Union forces, 1865
Cold War
Dulles calls for "liberation of captive peoples", 1953
Crime
Hill Street Blues begins run, 1981
Disaster
Molasses floods Boston streets, 1919
General Interest
Elizabeth crowned queen of England, 1559
First appearance of the Democratic donkey, 1870
Martin Luther King Jr. born, 1929
Biafra surrenders to Nigeria, 1970
Qaddafi becomes premier of Libya, 1970
Sully Sullenberger performs Miracle on the Hudson, 2009
Hollywood
Last episode of soap opera Santa Barbara airs, 1993
Literary
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is finished, 1831
Music
"American Pie" hits #1 on the pop charts, 1972
Old West
The utopian Amana colony embraces capitalism, 1933
Presidential
Nixon suspends military action in North Vietnam, 1973
Sports
Packers beat Chiefs in first Super Bowl, 1967
Vietnam War
Kennedy says U.S. troops are not fighting, 1962
Nixon halts military action against North Vietnam, 1973
World War I
Rebel leaders are murdered in failed coup in Berlin, 1919
World War II
The "Witch of Buchenwald" is sentenced to prison, 1951

General Interest

Jan 15, 2009:

Sully Sullenberger performs Miracle on the Hudson

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On this day in 2009, a potential disaster turned into a heroic display of skill and composure when Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III safely landed the plane he was piloting on New York City’s Hudson River after a bird strike caused its engines to fail. David Paterson, governor of New York at the time, dubbed the incident the “miracle on the Hudson.” Sullenberger, a former fighter pilot with decades of flying experience, received a slew of honors for his actions, including an invitation to Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration and resolutions of praise from the U.S. Congress.

About a minute after taking off from New York’s La Guardia Airport on January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 collided with one of the aviation industry’s most threatening foes: a flock of geese. Crippled by the bird strike, both engines lost power and went quiet, forcing Captain Sullenberger to make an emergency landing. When air traffic controllers instructed the seasoned pilot to head for nearby Teterboro Airport, he calmly informed them that he was “unable” to reach a runway. “We’re gonna be in the Hudson,” he said simply, and then told the 150 terrified passengers and five crew members on board to brace for impact.

Ninety seconds later, Sullenberger glided the Airbus 320 over the George Washington Bridge and onto the chilly surface of the Hudson River, where it splashed down midway between Manhattan and New Jersey. As flight attendants ushered passengers into life jackets, through emergency exits and onto the waterlogged wings of the bobbing jet, a flotilla of commuter ferries, sightseeing boats and rescue vessels hastened to the scene. One survivor suffered two broken legs and others were treated for minor injuries or hypothermia, but no fatalities occurred. After walking up and down the aisle twice to ensure a complete evacuation, Sullenberger was the last to leave the sinking plane.

In October 2009, the now-famous pilot, known to his friends as “Sully,” published a book about his childhood, military background and career entitled “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters.” He retired from US Airways after 30 years in the airline industry on March 3, 2010, and has since devoted his time to consulting, public speaking and advocating for aviation safety.

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This Week in History, Jan 15 - Jan 21

Jan 15, 1559
Elizabeth crowned queen of England
Jan 15, 1870
First appearance of the Democratic donkey
Jan 15, 1929
Martin Luther King Jr. born
Jan 15, 1970
Biafra surrenders to Nigeria
Jan 15, 1970
Qaddafi becomes premier of Libya
Jan 15, 2009
Sully Sullenberger performs Miracle on the Hudson
Jan 16, 1979
Shah flees Iran
Jan 16, 1991
The Persian Gulf War begins
Jan 17, 1893
Americans overthrow Hawaiian monarchy
Jan 17, 1961
Eisenhower bids farewell
Jan 17, 1966
H-bomb lost in Spain
Jan 17, 1977
The execution of Gary Gilmore
Jan 18, 1778
Cook discovers Hawaii
Jan 18, 1912
Scott reaches the South Pole
Jan 19, 1840
Wilkes claims portion of Antarctica for U.S.
Jan 19, 1966
Indira Gandhi becomes Indian prime minister
Jan 19, 1983
Butcher of Lyons arrested in Bolivia
Jan 20, 1841
Hong Kong ceded to the British
Jan 20, 1945
FDR inaugurated to fourth term
Jan 20, 1961
John F. Kennedy inaugurated
Jan 20, 1987
Terry Waite disappears
Jan 20, 1996
Arafat elected leader of Palestine
Jan 21, 1793
King Louis XVI executed
Jan 21, 1924
Vladimir Lenin dies
Jan 21, 1976
Concorde takes off

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