Today is Thursday, Jan. 7, the seventh day of 2010. There are 358 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History

On Jan. 7, 1610, astronomer Galileo Galilei began observing three of Jupiter’s moons, which he initially took to be stars; he spotted a fourth moon almost a week later. (Another astronomer, Simon Marius, who claimed to have spotted the moons before Galileo did, later named the Jovian satellites Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.)

On this date

In 1608, an accidental fire devastated the Jamestown settlement in the Virginia Colony.

In 1789, the first U.S. presidential election was held. Americans voted for electors who, a month later, chose George Washington to be the nation’s first president.

In 1927, commercial trans-Atlantic telephone service was inaugurated between New York and London.

In 1972, Lewis Powell Jr. and William Rehnquist were sworn in as the 99th and 100th members of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1979, Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, overthrowing the Khmer Rouge government.

In 1989, Emperor Hirohito of Japan died in Tokyo at age 87; he was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Akihito.

In 1999, for the second time in history, an impeached American president went on trial before the Senate. President Bill Clinton faced charges of perjury and obstruction of justice; he was acquitted.

Ten years ago

U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., subpoenaed Elian Gonzalez to testify before Congress in a bid to keep Elian in the United States for at least another month while courts decided whether the 6-year-old should be returned to Cuba. (Elian never testified.)

Five years ago

Rosemary Kennedy, the oldest sister of President John F. Kennedy and the inspiration for the Special Olympics, died at a Fort Atkinson, Wis., hospital at age 86. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston announced they were separating after 4 1/2 years of marriage.

Today’s Birthdays

Author William Peter Blatty is 82. Pop musician Paul Revere is 72. Singer Kenny Loggins is 62. Singer-songwriter Marshall Chapman is 61. Actress Erin Gray is 60. Actor David Caruso is 54. “CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric is 53. Actor Nicolas Cage is 46.

Thought for Today

“There may be Peace without Joy, and Joy without Peace, but the two combined make Happiness.”

— John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Scottish author (1875-1940)