In 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney defended the administration's domestic surveillance program, calling it an essential tool in monitoring al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations.
In 2009, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal restoring natural gas shipments to Ukraine and paving the way for an end to the nearly two-week cutoff of most Russian gas to a freezing Europe.
In 2020, health officials in central China reported that 17 more people had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, which had killed two patients and placed other countries on alert.
Ten years ago: Six U.S. Marines were killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. Texas Gov. Rick Perry abruptly quit the Republican presidential race. One of the world's most popular file-sharing sites, Megaupload.com, was shut down as its founder and several company officials were accused of facilitating millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content. Rupert Murdoch's media empire apologized and agreed to cash payouts to 37 people who'd been harassed and phone-hacked by its tabloid press.
Five years ago: With fireworks heralding his big moment, Donald Trump swept into Washington on the eve of his presidential inauguration and pledged to unify a nation sorely divided and clamoring for change. Actor Miguel Ferrer died at his Los Angeles home at age 61.
One year ago: On President Donald Trump's last full day in office, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell placed blame on Trump for the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6; McConnell said the mob had been "fed lies," and that Trump and others "provoked" those who were intent on overturning Democrat Joe Biden's election. Twelve National Guard members were removed from the security operation for Biden's inauguration after vetting by the FBI, including two who had made extremist statements in posts or texts about the event. The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 400,000 in Trump's waning hours in office. Just before midnight, Trump signed a flurry of pardons and commutations for more than 140 people, including his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, as well as rap performers and ex-members of Congress. Don Sutton, a Hall of Fame pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, died at 75.
