January 18

1778--Capt. James Cook is the first known European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the "Sandwich Islands."



1896--The X-ray machine is exhibited for the first time.



1912--British explorer Robert Falcon Scott arrives at the South Pole only to discover that Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen has preceded him by just over a month.



1916--A 611 gram chondrite type meteorite struck a house near the village of Baxter in Stone County, Missouri.



1919--Bentley Motors Limited is founded.



1944--The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City hosts its first jazz concert; performers include Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge and Jack Teagarden.



1964--Plans are revealed for the World Trade Center in New York City.



1964--The Beatles appear on the Billboard magazine charts for the first time.



1993--For the first time, Martin Luther King Day is officially observed in all 50 US states.