On this day

January 17, 2012

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

Historical Context for January 17, 2012

In 2012, the world population was approximately 7,201,202,485 people^[†]

Notable Deaths

2012Julius Meimberg, German soldier and pilot (born 1917)^[†]

Julius Meimberg was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 53 aerial victories—that is, 53 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in over 250 combat missions. In the 1960s, he invented an open-end spinning device and received patents in the US and Germany for it. In 1970, Meimberg founded the travel agency "Meimberg" and in 2001, he received the Rudolf-Diesel-Medaille for his achievements as an inventor.

2012Johnny Otis, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1921)^[†]

Johnny Otis ; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, talent scout, and preacher. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He discovered numerous artists early in their careers who went on to become highly successful in their own right, including Little Esther Phillips, Etta James, Alan O'Day, Big Mama Thornton, Johnny Ace, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard, and The Robins, Sugar Pie Desanto, among many others. Otis has been called the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues".

2012Marty Springstead, American baseball player and umpire (born 1937)^[†]

Martin John Springstead was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1966 to 1985 and had since worked as an umpire supervisor. He was the youngest umpire ever to serve as crew chief in the World Series, heading the staff for the 1973 Series at the age of 36 years and 3 months.

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Headlines from January 17, 2012

Euro Woes Could Revive Bout of Market Volatility

By Nelson D. Schwartz

Renewed gloom about the debt crisis in Europe threatens to end the calm that has prevailed on Wall Street in recent weeks.

Business845 words

Web Gang Operating in the Open

By Riva Richmond

The Koobface gang, a Russian-based group, has grown wealthy by apparently spreading a computer worm on Facebook and other social networks and cashing in on various schemes.

Business1410 words

Learning to Be Lean

By Reed Abelson

Health insurers and employers must now pay to screen children for obesity and provide them with counseling. Experts say creating such programs will be a challenge.

Business1258 words

The Invisible Hand Behind Bonuses on Wall Street

By Kevin Roose

Compensation consultants work in the shadows to help Wall Street banks and other financial institutions set bonuses and devise severance packages.

Business1099 words

Young U.S. Citizens in Mexico Brave Risks for American Schools

By Patricia Leigh Brown

Called “transfronterizos,” these students migrate between two nations every day, straining the resources of public school districts and sparking debate among educators.

National1883 words

Despite Long Slide by Kodak, Company Town Avoids Decay

By Peter Applebome

With the company’s stock price low and talk of bankruptcy inescapable, Rochester, N.Y., ponders life after the fall of a mainstay.

Metro1251 words

Romney Is Opponents’ Main Target in G.O.P. Debate

By Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg

With five days remaining before the South Carolina primary, the Republican challengers wasted little time firing pointed questions at Mitt Romney during Monday night’s debate in Myrtle Beach.

National1464 words

As States Weigh Online Gambling, Profit May Be Small

By Michael Cooper

Raising revenue remains the draw for most, but some wonder whether profits from Internet play would make any significant differences to deficits.

National1067 words

Romney Shares Some Tax Data; Critics Pounce

By Nicholas Confessore, David Kocieniewski and Ashley Parker

Under renewed pressure to release his personal income tax returns, Mitt Romney said that he paid a tax rate approaching 15 percent.

National1208 words

Chef Has Diabetes, and Some Say ‘I Told You So’

By Julia Moskin

Paula Deen’s disclosure that she has Type 2 diabetes has added impetus to the debate on the national diet.

Dining1460 words

Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hosts a Dinner

By Melissa Clark

How to bring the avant-garde recipes of “Modernist Cuisine,” the multivolume cookbook co-authored by Nathan Myrhvold, to a home kitchen.

Dining1169 words

The Agony Behind an Erotic Club’s Ecstasy

By A.O. Scott

Frederick Wiseman’s documentary “Crazy Horse” is a behind-the-scenes look at how seriously the famous Paris erotic revue takes itself as an artistic endeavor.

Culture720 words