GMT

Today in History January 11

49 BC
Julius Caesar leads his army across the Rubicon River, plunging Rome into civil war.

1861
Alabama secedes from the Union.

1941
Adolf Hitler orders forces to be prepared to enter North Africa to assist the Italian effort, marking the establishment of the Afrika Korps.

2003
Illinois Gov. George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on the state's death row in the wake of allegations that Chicago police detective and commander Jon Burge tortured confessions from some 200 suspects over a 19 year period.

2007
Author J. K. Rowling finishes the 7th and last Harry Potter novel in room 552 of the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh

2021
Ireland becomes the country with the world's highest COVID-19 infection rate after a dramatic surge results in seven-day rolling average of 1,394 cases per million

2021
The king of Malaysia, Al-Sultan Abdullah declares a state of emergency over COVID-19 till 1 August, suspending parliament and giving the government new powers

2021
US House Democrats introduce one article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for "incitement of insurrection" for encouraging his supporters to riot at the Capitol

Born on January 11

1757
Alexander Hamilton, first U.S. Secretary of Treasury, killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

1864
H. George Selfridge, founder of Selfridge and Co., Ltd., coined the phrase "the customer is always right."

1943
Jim Hightower, radio host, author, social activist; created concept of the "Doug Jones Average"—how is "Doug Jones" (i.e., your neighbor) doing financially—as a better measure of the economy than the Dow Jones Average.


JOTD

A boy is selling fish on a corner. To get his customers' attention, he is yelling, "Dam fish for sale! Get your dam fish here!" A pastor hears this and asks, "Why are you calling them 'dam fish.'" The boy responds, "Because I caught these fish at the local dam." The pastor buys a couple fish, takes them home to his wife, and asks her to cook the dam fish. The wife responds surprised, "I didn't know it was acceptable for a preacher to speak that way." He explains to her why they are dam fish. Later at the dinner table, he asks his son to pass the dam fish. He responds, "That's the spirit, Dad! Now pass the f*cking potatoes!"