January 21

1793

King Louis XVI was guillotined for treason.

1915

The first Kiwanis Club was founded in Detroit.

1924

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died in Moscow.

1950

Former State department official Alger Hiss found guilty of perjury.

1950

George Orwell died in London.

1954

USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine was launched.

1977

President Carter pardoned most Vietnam War draft evaders.

2003

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that Hispanics had surpassed Blacks as the largest minority group.

2010

In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the government cannot restrict the spending of corporations for political campaigns, maintaining that it's their First Amendment right to support candidates as they choose. This decision upsets two previous precedents on the free-speech rights of corporations.