Today in History: January 11, Mark McGwire admits to steroids use

"On Jan. 11, 2010, Mark McGwire admitted to The Associated Press that he'd used steroids and human growth hormone when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998. Also on this date: In 1861, Alabama became the fourth state to declare its secession from the Union. In 1908, the Grand Canyon was established as a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. The move protected it from mining and other activities until it became a national park in 1919."

"In 1935, aviator Amelia Earhart began what would be the first solo flight from Hawaii to California, completing the 2,400-mile flight across the Pacific to Oakland in just under 19 hours. In 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued Smoking and Health, a report that concluded that cigarette smoking contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate."

"In 2002, the first al-Qaida prisoners from Afghanistan arrived at the U.S. military's Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. In 2021, House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump, charging him with incitement of insurrection after the attack on the U.S. Capitol building five days earlier. In 2024, U.S. and British forces bombed more than dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, in a massive retaliatory strike for the militant group's attacks on international cargo ships"

Jan. 11, 2026 falls on Sunday and is the 11th day of the year, with 354 days remaining. Historical events on Jan. 11 include Mark McGwire's 2010 admission of steroid and HGH use tied to his 1998 home run record; Alabama's 1861 secession; the 1908 Grand Canyon designation as a national monument by Theodore Roosevelt; Amelia Earhart's 1935 solo flight from Hawaii to California; the 1964 Surgeon General report linking smoking to increased mortality; arrival of the first al-Qaida prisoners at Guantanamo in 2002; a 2021 article of impeachment against Donald Trump; and 2024 strikes against Houthi sites. Notable birthdays include Mary J. Blige, Amanda Peet, Ben Crenshaw, and others.

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