This day in history

"If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly find fault with, you will not do much.”

–Charles Lutwidge Dodgson ("Lewis Carroll”), English author (1832-1898).

On Jan. 14, 1784, the United States ratified a peace treaty with England, ending the Revolutionary War.

On this date:

In 1639, the first constitution of Connecticut — the "Fundamental Orders” — was adopted.

In 1858, French emperor Napoleon III escaped an attempt on his life.

In 1900, Puccini’s opera "Tosca” received a mixed reception at its world premiere in Rome.

In 1914, Ford Motor Co. greatly improved its assembly line operation by employing a chain to pull each chassis along.

In 1943, President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill opened a wartime conference in Casablanca.

In 1952, NBC’s "Today” show premiered, with Dave Garroway as the host, or "communicator,” as he was officially known.

In 1953, Josip Broz Tito was elected president of Yugoslavia by the country's Parliament.

In 1963, George C. Wallace was sworn in as governor of Alabama with a pledge of "segregation forever.”

In 1969, 25 crew members of the U.S. aircraft carrier Enterprise were killed in an explosion that ripped through the ship off Hawaii.

Ten years ago: Several thousand government, Serb and Croat troops withdrew from their front-line trenches and bunkers across central and northeastern Bosnia, beating a deadline to create buffer zones. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 20-16, to win the AFC championship. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Green Bay Packers, 38-27, to win the NFC championship.

Five years ago: The matchup for Super Bowl 35 was decided as the New York Giants shut out the Minnesota Vikings, 41-0, to win the NFC championship and the Baltimore Ravens beat the Oakland Raiders, 16-3, to gain the AFC title.

One year ago: Army Specialist Charles Graner Jr., the reputed ringleader of a band of rogue guards at the Abu Ghraib prison, was convicted at Fort Hood, Texas, of abusing Iraqi detainees. (He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison.) A European space probe sent back the first detailed pictures of the frozen surface of Saturn’s moon, Titan. Mystery writer Charlotte MacLeod died in Lewiston, Maine, at age 82.

Today’s Birthdays

Country singer Billy Walker is 77. Blues singer Clarence Carter is 70. Country singer Billie Jo Spears is 69. Singer Jack Jones is 68. Singer-songwriter Allen Toussaint is 68. NAACP Chairman Julian Bond is 66. Actress Faye Dunaway is 65. Actress Holland Taylor is 63. Actor Carl Weathers is 58. Singer-producer T-Bone Burnett is 58. Movie writer-director Lawrence Kasdan is 57. Rock singer Geoff Tate (Queensryche) is 47. Movie writer-director Steven Soderbergh is 43. Actor Mark Addy is 42. Fox News Channel anchorman Shepard Smith is 42. Rapper Slick Rick is 41. Actor Dan Schneider is 40. Actress Emily Watson is 39. Actor-comedian Tom Rhodes is 39. Rock musician Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne Band) is 39. Rapper-actor LL Cool J is 38. Actor Jason Bateman is 37. Rock singer-musician Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) is 37. Actress Jordan Ladd is 31.<