On This Day for January 12 - Haiti severely damaged by earthquake, John Hancock is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. January 12 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY John Hancock READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 2010 Haiti severely damaged by earthquake READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2005: The U.S. space probe Deep Impact was launched, and in July it shot a 370-kg (810-pound) mass into the nucleus of the comet Tempel 1 in order to study its cometary structure. [ Sort fact from fiction in our space objects quiz.] 1971: The groundbreaking television series All in the Family debuted on CBS; the sitcom became known for its frank and satirical treatment of sensitive or important topics. [ Read our list of the 10 best American sitcoms.] 1966: The live-action TV series Batman premiered on ABC; a huge hit, it starred Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as Robin. [ How much do you know about superheroes?] 1964: American entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, who played a key role in the growth of e-commerce as the founder of Amazon.com, was born. [ Take our quiz about tech companies.] 1951: American radio personality and author Rush Limbaugh, who was known for his conservative and often controversial opinions, was born. [Test your knowledge of American personalities.] 1932: Hattie Ophelia Caraway became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate. [Read about seven female firsts in U.S. politics.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1628 Charles Perrault French author 1863 Vivekananda Hindu leader 1964 Jeff Bezos American entrepreneur 1954 Howard Stern American radio host 1893 Hermann Göring German minister 1949 Haruki Murakami Japanese author SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2021 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help