On this day: Historic events that took place on 23 January

Each day of the year has witnessed several note-worthy events, some of which certainly deserve a place in history. If we look at today, 23 January, there are also a number of notable incidents that took place on the date. On this day in 1964, the United States ratified the twenty-fourth Amendment to its Constitution. On the same day in 1977, Roots- a television mini-series- debuted on ABC network. On 23 January 1986, the first class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was inducted. On that very day in 1997, Madeleine Albright became the first female US Secretary of State. 23 January- Historic Events: Twenty-fourth Amendment to the US Constitution ratified; 1964: On 23 January 1964, the twenty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified. It banned poll taxes from being imposed by the federal or state governments prior to a citizen casting his/her vote in a federal election. Two years after the amendment’s ratification, in Harper v. Virginia Board of Electors, the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to ban poll taxes in state elections. Mini-series Roots debuted; 1977: The television mini-series Roots aired on ABC for the first time on 23 January 1977. The show was adapted from renowned American author Alex Haley’s 1964 novel called Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The series clinched 37 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won nine of them. The other accolades won by it included a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. Produced on a budget of $6.6 million, Roots’ final season earned exceptional Nielsen ratings, setting records as one of the highest-watched series finales in American television history. The inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoured; 1986: Eminent musicians like Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Elvis Presley were honoured in the first class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on 23 January 1986. Berry was listed first in the alphabetical list of the inaugural class, which also included the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Presley. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince were all influenced by Berry, who was one of the musical icons who would eventually define the 20th century. The first woman US secretary of state; 1997: On 23 January 1997, Madeleine Albright was sworn in as the first female to hold the cabinet post of the United States Secretary of State. Previously in 1993, after President Bill Clinton took power, she was named the ambassador to the United Nations. She developed a reputation at the UN for being a tough-minded and tenacious defender of American interests. She also favoured enhanced participation of the US in UN operations, particularly those involving a military component. Thus, it hardly took any effort to get her nomination to the position of secretary of state confirmed. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.