Today in History: January 23, 24th Amendment bans poll taxes in federal elections
Today in History
Today is Tuesday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2024. There are 343 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 23, 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified as South Dakota became the 38th state to endorse it.
On this date:
In 1368, China’s Ming dynasty, which lasted nearly three centuries, began as Zhu Yuanzhang (zhoo whan-zhahng) was formally acclaimed emperor, following the collapse of the Yuan dynasty.
In 1789, Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.
In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
In 1962, Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War, and would be formally signed four days later in Paris.
In 1977, the TV mini-series “Roots,” based on the Alex Haley novel, began airing on ABC.
In 1998, fighting scandal allegations involving Monica Lewinsky, President Clinton assured his Cabinet during a meeting that he was innocent and urged them to concentrate on their jobs.
In 2002, John Walker Lindh, a U.S.-born Taliban fighter, was returned to the United States to face criminal charges that he’d conspired to kill fellow Americans. (Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to providing support for the Taliban; he was released in May 2019...