PHOENIX — It’s no joke. Humorous and quirky messages on electronic signs will soon disappear from highways and freeways across the country.
An electronic highway sign on Interstate 93 shows the term "Use Yah Blinkah" on May 9, 2014, in Boston.
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Today in history: Jan. 16
1912: Robert Scott
In 1912, a day before reaching the South Pole, British explorer Robert Scott and his expedition found evidence that Roald Amundsen of Norway and his team had gotten there ahead of them.
1920: Prohibition
In 1920, Prohibition began in the United States as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, one year to the day after its ratification. (It was later repealed by the 21st Amendment.)
1942: Plane Crash
In 1942, actor Carole Lombard, 33, her mother, Elizabeth, and 20 other people were killed when their plane crashed near Las Vegas, Nevada, while en route to California from a war-bond promotion tour.
1987: Hu Yaobang
In 1987, Hu Yaobang resigned as head of China’s Communist Party, declaring he’d made mistakes in dealing with student turmoil and intellectual challenges to the system.
1989: Miami
In 1989, three days of rioting began in Miami when a police officer fatally shot Clement Lloyd, a Black motorcyclist, causing a crash that also claimed the life of Lloyd’s passenger, Allan Blanchard. (The officer, William Lozano, was convicted of manslaughter, but then was acquitted in a retrial.)
1991: Operation Desert Storm
In 1991, the White House announced the start of Operation Desert Storm to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. (Allied forces prevailed on Feb. 28, 1991.)
2007: Barack Obama
In 2007, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois launched his successful bid for the White House.
2012: Mitt Romney
Ten years ago: Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney fended off attacks from rivals during a debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; hours before the debate, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman withdrew from the race and announced his support for Romney despite their differences.
2017: Eugene Cernan
Five years ago: Former NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan, to date the last man to walk on the moon, died in Houston at age 82.
2020: Impeachment
In 2020, the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump opened in the Senate, with senators standing and swearing an oath of “impartial justice.” Trump again denounced the proceedings as a “hoax,” while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said new evidence reinforced the need to call additional witnesses. (Trump would be acquitted on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.)
2021: National Guard
In 2021: By the busload and planeload, National Guard troops poured into the nation’s capital, as governors answered the urgent pleas of U.S. defense officials for more troops to help safeguard Washington in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, even as they kept anxious eyes on possible violent protests in their own states.
2021: Phil Spector
In 2021: Phil Spector, the eccentric and revolutionary music producer who transformed rock music with his “Wall of Sound” method, died in California at 81 while serving a prison sentence for killing actor Lana Clarkson in 2003 at his mansion.
