TODAY IN HISTORY

Sunday, January  01, 2012 AP Highlight in History:  On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that slaves in rebel states were free.   AP Photo/National Archives and Records Administration
On this date in: 1808 A law prohibiting the importation of slaves into the United States went into effect. 1892 The Ellis Island Immigrant Station in New York opened. AP Photo 1898 New York City was consolidated into five buroughs. 1901 The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed. 1919 J.D. Salinger, author of "The Catcher in the Rye," was born in New York City. 1953 Country singer Hank Williams Sr., 29, died of a drug and alcohol overdose. 1958 Treaties establishing the European Economic Community went into effect. 1959 Fidel Castro led Cuban revolutionaries to victory over Fulgencio Batista. AP Photo 1979 The United States and China established diplomatic relations. 1984 AT&T was divested of its 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust agreement. 1990 David Dinkins was sworn in as New York City's first African-American mayor. 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 1994 The North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect. 1999 The euro became the official currency of 11 European countries. 2012 Oprah Winfrey launched the OWN cable TV network.		Video Highlights of This Day in History Today's Birthdays: Actor Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon") turns 74 years old today. AP Photo/Evan Agostini Name Profession Age Ernest Hollings Former U.S. senator, D-S.C. 90 Country Joe McDonald Rock singer, musician (Country Joe and the Fish) 70 Don Novello Comedian 69 Jon Corzine Former governor of New Jersey 65 Grandmaster Flash Rapper 54 Dedee Pfeiffer Actress 48 Embeth Davidtz Actress 46 Verne Troyer Actor ("Austin Powers" movies) 43 Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., turns 58 years old today. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin