Jan. 6: Gas Tax Increase 1983; Nancy Kerrigan Attacked 1994
1983 Gas Tax Increase
President Reagan signs a bill to raise gas taxes to 5 cents per gallon, in hopes of boosting the economy. The federal gas tax had not been raised since 1959.
1992 President of Georgia Fled
Georgia's President Zviad Gamsakhurdia was forced to flee his country when a coup uprooted the government. An opposition group had been firing at the Parliament building until Gamsakhurdia had fled. The rebels felt that Gamsakhurdia possessed too much power in the former Soviet republic. An interim military government decided the next election would select Parliament members, but no one national leader.
1994 Nancy Kerrigan Attacked
In Detroit, American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed in the knee. Kerrigan had been practicing for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and was expected to do well at the winter Olympics. She was forced to withdraw from the next day's National Championship; the attacker and get-away driver were linked to fellow skater Tonya Harding.
Famous Birthdays
1912 Danny Thomas
1913 Loretta Young
1925 John DeLorean
1952 Frank Sivero
1955 Rowan Atkinson
1960 Howie Long
1966 A. R. Rahman
1968 John Singleton
1970 Julie Chen
1976 Danny Pintauro
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