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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