On this date in history:

In 1820, 10 years after mental illness forced him to retire from public life, Britain's King George III, who lost the American colonies, died at the age of 82.

In 1845, Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven was published.

In 1861, Kansas became the 34th state of the United States. It joined as a free or non-slavery state at a time when southern states were seceding from the Union.

In 1886, German Karl Benz was awarded a patent for the gasoline-driven automobile.

In 1900, eight baseball teams were organized as the professional American League. They were in Buffalo, N.Y.; Chicago; Cleveland; Detroit; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

In 1963, the first inductees named for the Pro Football Hall of Fame included Sammy Baugh, Harold Red Grange, George Halas, Don Hutson, Earl Curly Lambeau, Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe.

In 1979, Deng Xiaoping, deputy premier of China, and U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed accords reversing decades of U.S. opposition to the People's Republic of China.

In 1995, the San Francisco 49ers became the first team to win five Super Bowls when they routed the San Diego Chargers 49-26.

In 2000, delegates from more than 130 nations meeting in Montreal adopted the first global treaty regulating trade in genetically modified food products.

In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush warned in his State of the Union address that the war on terrorism was just beginning, with thousands of potential terrorists spread throughout the world like ticking time bombs. It was in this speech he referred to Iran, Iraq and North Korea as part of an Axis of Evil.

In 2006, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was sworn in as the 5th emir of Kuwait. He replaced the 4th emir, Sheikh Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah, who ruled for nine days following the death of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, 3rd emir of Kuwait.

In 2010, Scott Roeder was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2009 Wichita, Kan., church slaying of Dr. George Tiller, noted for performing late-term abortions. Roeder, 52, was sentenced to life in prison.

In 2013, Ray LaHood, U.S. transportation secretary, announced his resignation.

In 2022, world No. 1 Ash Barty beat American Danielle Collins in the Australian Open women's singles final, becoming the first Australian to win the tennis tournament since Christine O'Neil in 1978.

In 2023, Novak Djokovic overwhelmed Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the 2023 Australian Open men's singles final. It gave the Serbian his 22nd Grand Slam title, tying him with Rafal Nadal for the most major titles in men's tennis history. Djokovic surpassed Nadal with a 23rd title at the French Open later in the year.

Copyright 2024 by United Press International