Cyrus Ryerson Howell (born 1858)

In 1858, in the year that Cyrus Ryerson Howell was born, on January 25th, the "Wedding March" - composed by Felix Mendelssohn - became a popular wedding recessional after being played at the marriage of Queen Victoria's daughter Victoria - eldest child of Victoria and Albert and Princess Royal. Princess Victoria was married to Prince Friedrich of Prussia in St James's Palace, London and as with all things royal in Victorian England, everyone wanted it played at their wedding.

In 1887, on January 20th, the US Senate gave the US Navy the right to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base. Pearl Harbor is on the island of Oahu, a part of the Hawaiian Islands. The Navy was given direction to maintain "a coaling and repair station" at the harbor.

In 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state of the Union in January. Previously a province of Mexico, then a territory of the United States and mostly populated by Native Americans and Mexicans, once it became a U.S. territory it was increasingly colonized by European-American settlers. Its population was over 327,000 when it became a state.

In 1946, pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock's book "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care" was published. It sold half a million copies in the first six months. Aside from the Bible, it became the best selling book of the 20th century. A generation of Baby Boomers were raised by the advice of Dr. Spock.

In 1974, on February 5th, Patty Hearst, age 19 - granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst and daughter of publisher of the San Francisco Examiner Randolph Hearst - was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a left wing terrorist group. She was found, alive, 19 months later.