January 6, 2026
Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan Is Attacked (1994)
Shortly before the 1994 Winter Olympics, Kerrigan was clubbed in the knee in an attack that had been planned by the ex-husband of Tonya Harding, one of Kerrigan's rivals for a place on the US Olympic team. Footage of Kerrigan's reaction to the attack was replayed heavily on television, and the story became a media sensation. Despite the injury, Kerrigan won an Olympic silver medal. Harding also performed, but poorly. Kerrigan's image suffered after she made what remarks about the gold medalist?
January 5, 2026
Peter Sutcliffe Charged in the "Yorkshire Ripper" Case (1981)
From 1975 to 1981, the Yorkshire area of England was terrorized by a string of murders. Though hundreds of investigators worked to find the killer, they were hampered by false leads, and the case generated so much paperwork that real clues were buried. After Sutcliffe was arrested for having stolen license plates, police noticed his similarity to the killer. What item found in a victim's purse allowed investigators to narrow down the search to a group of 8,000 people—one that included Sutcliffe?
January 4, 2026
Donald Campbell Dies in Water Speed Record Attempt (1967)
Following in the footsteps of his father—record-breaking English racing enthusiast Malcolm Campbell—Donald Campbell set the world speed record on water at 276 mph (445 km/h) in 1964. In 1967, during an attempt to set a new record, Donald's jet-powered boat violently disintegrated over Coniston Water, killing him instantly. Though his teddy bear mascot was found floating among the debris, Donald's body was not recovered until nearly 35 years later. Did he at least succeed in breaking his record?
