January 10, 1776 – Thomas Paine published his 50-page pamphlet on American independence, “Common Sense”, influencing among others the authors of the Declaration of Independence.
January 11, 1964 – The U. S. Surgeon General declared cigarettes may be hazardous to one’s health, the first such official government report.
January 12, 1932 – Hattie Caraway from Arkansas was appointed to the U. S. Senate to fill the unexpired term of her deceased husband and later that year is officially elected to the seat becoming the first woman elected to the Senate. She serves through 1944.
January 15, 1559 – Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, is crowned Queen of England.