Major Milestones: From Smoking Ban to Snow Days

Waking up on January 11th and finding out that something you've been doing for years is actually harmful. That's what happened in 1964 when U. S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released a report saying smoking cigarettes is a serious health risk. This wasn't just any report; it was a game-changer that made people think twice about lighting up. But let's not forget what else happened on this date. In 1785, the Continental Congress met in New York City. Fast forward to 1861, Alabama decided to leave the United States. And in 1922, a Canadian teenager named Leonard Thompson became the first person to receive insulin for diabetes treatment. That's a lot of history in one day! In 1935, Amelia Earhart made flying history by completing the first solo flight between Hawaii and the mainland United States. And hey, even Los Angeles had its fair share of snow in 1949, with a rare storm dumping over a foot of the white stuff. Skip to 1964, and the big news was the smoking report. But there were other significant events too. In 1984, the U. S. Supreme Court backed a $10 million award for the family of nuclear worker Karen Silkwood. In 1990, martial law in Beijing, imposed after the Tiananmen Square protests, was lifted. And the story continues. In 2002, Ford announced some tough job cuts. In 2011, Brazil faced a natural disaster that killed over 900 people and left thousands homeless. In 2014, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon passed away after being in a coma for eight years. Even more recently, in 2018, President Donald Trump caused a stir with his comments about certain countries. And in 2020, the world learned about a new virus that would change everything - COVID-19. Finally, in 2024, the United States took a big step towards green energy with grants for electric vehicle charging stations. Each of these events, from the smoking warning to the snowfall, has shaped our world in some way. It's fascinating how much can happen on a single day.