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Today in History: January 29

1813
Jane Austin publishes Pride and Prejudice.

1861
Kansas is admitted into the Union as the 34th state.

1942
German and Italian troops take Benghazi in North Africa.

1944
The world's greatest warship, Missouri, is launched.

1967
Thirty-seven civilians are killed by a U.S. helicopter attack in Vietnam.

1979
President Jimmy Carter commutes the sentence of Patty Hearst.

1984
President Ronald Reagan announces that he will run for a second term.

1991
Iraqi forces attack into Saudi Arabian town of Kafji, but are turned back by Coalition forces.

2019
Tehran, Iran bans dog walking in public, and driving with dogs

2020
Number of COVID-19 cases passes those of SARS with over 7,700 cases in China confirmed, with 170 deaths

Today in History: Born on January 29
1737
Thomas Paine, political essayist (The Rights of Man, The Age of Reason).

1843
William McKinley, 25th President of the United States.

1880
W.C. Fields, comedian and actor (David Copperfield, My Little Chickadee).

JOTD
The FBI are looking to recruit an assassin...

The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews and testing were done, there were 3 finalists; Two women and a man. For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the women to a large metal door and handed her a gun. 'We must know that you will follow your Instructions no matter what the circumstances.

Inside the room you will find your husband sitting in a chair .... Kill him!!'

The woman said, 'You can't be serious I could never shoot my husband .'

The agent said, 'Then you're not the right woman for this job. Take your husband and go home.'

The second woman was given the same instructions. She took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet forabout 5 minutes.

The woman came out with tears in her eyes, 'I tried, But I can't kill my husband .' The agent said, 'You don't have what it takes. Take your husband and go home.'

Finally, it was the man’s turn. He was given the same instructions, to kill his wife. He took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls.. After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the man, wiping the sweat from his brow.

'This gun is loaded with blanks' he said. 'I had to kill her with the fricking chair!