Today is Thursday, Jan. 2, the second day of 2025. There are 363 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 2, 2016, a heavily armed group led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, beginning a 41-day standoff to protest the imprisonment of two ranchers convicted of setting fires on public land and to demand the federal government turn over public lands to local control. Also on this date: In 1942, the Philippine capital of Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II. Related Articles Today In History, January 1: Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation Greg Lopez, Colorado’s six-month congressman, steps aside for Lauren Boebert after role in GOP power play Today in History: December 31, Edison demonstrates incandescent lights in Menlo Park Today in History: December 30, Saddam Hussein executed Today in History: December 29, the Wounded Knee Massacre In 1959, the Soviet spacecraft Luna 1 launched, becoming the first spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravity. In 1971, 66 people were killed in a pileup of spectators leaving a soccer match at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1974, President Richard Nixon signed legislation requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 miles an hour as a way of conserving gasoline in the face of an OPEC oil embargo.