ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 28th day of 2026 and the 39th day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1547, King Henry VIII of England died and was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.

In 1871, France surrendered to Germany, ending the Franco-Prussian War.

In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating the modern U.S. Coast Guard.

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff, killing six astronauts and Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who was to become the first civilian in space.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Jose Marti (1853-1895), poet/activist; Charles Williams Nash (1864-1948), entrepreneur; Colette (1873-1954), author; Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), artist; Alan Alda (1936- ), actor; Carlos Slim Helu (1940- ), business magnate; Gregg Popovich (1949- ), basketball coach; Frank Darabont (1959- ), filmmaker; Rakim (1968- ), rapper; Sarah McLachlan (1968- ), singer-songwriter; Rick Ross (1976- ), rapper; Nick Carter (1980- ), singer-songwriter; Elijah Wood (1981- ), actor; J. Cole (1985- ), rapper; Will Poulter (1993- ), actor; Ariel Winter (1998- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: The modern Lego brick was patented on this day in 1958. Lego bricks from that year are compatible with bricks produced today.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1959, Vince Lombardi was named the Green Bay Packers' head coach and general manager.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "It doesn't make much difference how the paint is put on, as long as something has been said. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement." -- Jackson Pollock

TODAY'S NUMBER: 21,000 -- estimated number of genes in the human genome, revised from estimates of as many as 140,000 in 2001.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Jan. 25) and full moon (Feb. 1).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 27th day of 2026 and the 38th day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1944, the German siege of Leningrad ended after 872 days.

In 1945, Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.

In 1967, astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee died in a cabin fire during a launchpad test of the Apollo 1 command module.

In 1973, the Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris by delegations representing the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), composer; Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), writer; Donna Reed (1921-1986), actress; Mordecai Richler (1931-2001), author; James Cromwell (1940- ), actor; Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948- ), dancer; John G. Roberts Jr. (1955- ), chief justice of the United States; Cris Collinsworth (1959- ), football player/sportscaster; Keith Olbermann (1959- ), TV personality; Bridget Fonda (1964- ), actress; Alan Cumming (1965- ), actor; Patton Oswalt (1969- ), actor/comedian.

TODAY'S FACT: The U.S. Supreme Court decided 67 cases during the 2024-2025 term.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1991, the New York Giants won Super Bowl XXV, defeating the Buffalo Bills 20-19 when Bills kicker Scott Norwood's 47-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds sailed wide right. The loss was the first of four consecutive Super Bowl losses for the Bills.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I want to experience as many different tastes, sights, emotions, conflicts, and cultures as possible, so that I can expand the canvas of my memory and enrich my comedy." -- Patton Oswalt, "Zombie Spaceship Wasteland"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 105.8 million -- estimated population of Vietnam in 2025.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Jan. 25) and full moon (Feb. 1).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 26th day of 2026 and the 37th day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1837, Michigan was admitted as the 26th U.S. state.

In 1950, the Indian Constitution went into effect, marking the birth of the Republic of India.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton denied allegations of an extramarital affair during a televised speech.

In 2020, NBA great Kobe Bryant and eight others onboard were killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), military leader; Maria von Trapp (1905-1987), matriarch of singing family/memoirist; Paul Newman (1925-2008), actor/philanthropist; Jules Feiffer (1929-2025), cartoonist/writer; Gene Siskel (1946-1999), journalist/critic; David Strathairn (1949- ), actor; Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020), guitarist/songwriter; Ellen DeGeneres (1958- ), comedian/talk show host; Wayne Gretzky (1961- ), hockey player; Vince Carter (1977- ), basketball player; Sasha Banks (1992- ), professional wrestler.

TODAY'S FACT: The first Library of Congress was burned (along with the rest of the Capitol building) by British soldiers in 1814, and its 3,000 books were destroyed. The library was rebuilt in part through the purchase of President Thomas Jefferson's personal library of 6,487 books in 1815.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1986, the Chicago Bears crushed the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX, as the Bears' renowned defense held the Patriots to 7 yards rushing.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me." -- Eddie Van Halen

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1.37 -- weight (in pounds) of the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality diamond ever found. The 3,106.75-carat gem was discovered in the Premier Mine near Pretoria, South Africa, on this day in 1905.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Jan. 25) and full moon (Feb. 1).