Professional Commentary

On January 29, 1978, Sweden became the first country to outlaw aerosol sprays. The ban was enacted to address the harmful effects of aerosols on the Earth's ozone layer. Read about aerosol sprays and the ozone layer of Earth's atmosphere from NASA.

On January 29, 1979, kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst's seven-year prison sentence for bank robbery as a member of the Symbianese Liberation Army was commuted by President Jimmy Carter. Hearst was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton.

250 Northern Shoshone men, women, and children were killed on January 29, 1863 by the US Army in what is now the state of Idaho. The army attacked a Shoshone camp after meeting resistance to westward expansion, and the army fired indiscriminately during the attack. Learn more about the Bear River Massacre.