Ups, downs of this week in history

“On Jan. 30, 1835, during a funeral in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol, President Andrew Jackson survives the first attempt against the life of a U.S. president. Richard Lawrence, later found to be insane, discharged two separate pistols in the direction of President Jackson.

“On Feb. 1, 1898, The Travelers Insurance Company extends coverage to an automobile owner, making it the first company to issue an automobile insurance policy to an individual. Dr. Truman J. Martin of Buffalo, N.Y., paid a premium of $11.25 for the policy that covered $5,000 to $10,000 of liability.

“On Jan. 29, 1922, some 2 feet of accumulated snowfall from a two-day blizzard collapses the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C. Tons of steel and concrete fell down on top of theatergoers, killing 108 people. Another 133 were hospitalized.

“On Jan. 31, 1949, “These Are My Children,” the first daytime soap opera, debuts on NBC. The show, only 15 minutes long, aired weekdays at 5 p.m. in January and February 1949.

“On Feb. 3, 1959, rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff on a flight from Mason City to Moorehead, Minn.

“On Feb. 4, 1962, the first U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam. It was one of 15 helicopters ferrying South Vietnamese Army troops into battle near the village of Hong My in the Mekong Delta.

“On Feb. 2, 1982, David Letterman’s offbeat late-night talk show debuts. When Johnny Carson retired in 1992, Letterman and rival comic Jay Leno engaged in a heated battle for the coveted host slot.

When Letterman was passed over, he left NBC for CBS, where his new program, “Late Show with David Letterman,” outperformed Leno’s show almost every week in its first year.