Today in History....January 30

On this day in …

1835, in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol, President Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, survives the first attempt against the life of a U.S. president
1883, James Ritty and John Birch received a U.S. patent for the first cash register

1933, Adolf Hitler, ym"sh, became chancellor of Germany

1942, the last pre-war automobiles produced by Chevrolet and DeSoto rolled off the assembly lines today. Wartime restrictions had shut down the commercial automobile industry almost completely, and auto manufacturers were racing to retool their factories for production of military gear

1943, the British Royal Air Force begins a bombing campaign on the German capital that coincides with the 10th anniversary of Hitler's accession to power

1945, a vital supply route linking India to China through Burma is finally cleared for Allied military transports 1948, Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist

1968, during the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive began as Communist forces launched surprise attacks against South Vietnamese provincial capitals

1969, perhaps the most influential musical group of all time, the Beatles make their last public performance, giving an impromptu concert on the roof of their London recording studio. Neighbors complained about noise, and police broke up the concert. John Lennon closed the performance announcing, "I'd like to say thank you very much on behalf of the group and myself and I hope we passed the audition." In April 1970, Paul McCartney formally announced the group's breakup

1972, 13 Roman Catholic civil rights marchers were shot to death by British soldiers in Northern Ireland on what became known as "Bloody Sunday"

1981, an estimated 2 million New Yorkers turned out for a ticker-tape parade honoring the freed American hostages from Iran

2002, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the U.S. would watch closely to see what Iraq, Iran and North Korea did next, a day after President Bush singled them out as part of a dangerous "axis of evil"