New Orleans broke out into a massive, city-wide party on Sunday after the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts, 31 - 17. It was the first Super Bowl in the Saint's 43-year history. Quarterback (and MVP) Drew Brees - with the help of an on-side kick by Thomas Morstead and a 74-yard returned interception by Tracy Porter - led the team to a rousing victory and tied the record for most completions in a Super Bowl.

On February 5, 1918, United States Army Air Service aviator Stephen Thompson became the first American in history to shoot down an enemy airplane. Thompson had been infatuated with flying since his army training in Norfolk, Virginia, and applied for duty in the Air Service soon after his first ride in a plane.

On February 4, 1992, Venezuelan military commander Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias led five army units through Caracas (the capital of Venezuela) with the intent of disrupting military and communication installations, as well as taking custody of President Carlos Andres Perez as he returned from overseas.

On February 3rd, 1945, 1,000 Allied bombers attacked Berlin, targeting the rail system. The attacks on Berlin had intensified around this time, as the Soviet army was approaching the German capital from the east and western Allied forces were providing air support.

On February 2nd, 1922, James Joyce's masterpiece Ulysses was published. It had been released in serialized form since 1914, but this was the first time the literary work was assembled as a complete work. Since that time, Ulysses has been regarded as one of the most important novels of the modern age. In 1999, the Modern Library (a publishing company owned by Random House) named the work as number one on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

Beyonce won six awards at the 52nd Annual Grammy Award show on Sunday, breaking the previous record (held by her and five other artists) for the most wins by a female artist. Taylor Swift took the coveted Album of the Year, becoming the youngest artist to ever win the award. The Kings of Leon won record of the year, beating out both Swift and Beyonce. Stephen Colbert took best comedy album.

The final season of the hit TV series Lost - a show which has thrilled viewers with its unique blend of science fiction, soap-opera-style drama, engaging characters and more questions than you can shake a stick at - begins on Tuesday, February 2nd. For the millions who have followed the passengers of Flight 815, it is the bittersweet beginning of the end.

Reclusive author J. D. Salinger, best known for his masterpiece Catcher in the Rye, has passed away of natural causes. He was 91.

Tonight, January 26th 2010, President Barack Obama will deliver his first State of the Union address to congress. The address, delivered since 1790, is the annual speech to congress regarding the condition of the nation and the priorities for the upcoming year. Obama is expected to focus on the economy and bringing in jobs, while avoiding the health-care hurdles and the war in Afghanistan. The upcoming speech brings to mind Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1934 speech, addressing the nation on the economic woes of the Great Depression.

The New Orleans Saints have won the NFC Championship game against the Minnesota Vikings, advancing them to their first Super Bowl game. Today I'll look at the Saint's first playoff win, in 2000.

The Indianapolis Colts will face the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. The Colts defeated the New York Jets after trailing in the first half to win the AFC Championship, while the Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings in overtime with a 40-yard field goal. The Colts have played in three other Super Bowls, while this will be the first time the Saints have made it. I'll discuss the Colt's last Super Bowl victory today.

On January 22, 1957 - 52 years ago - the man who had been planting bombs around New York City for seventeen years was arrested. George Metesky, known as the "Mad Bomber," had been injured in an industrial accident at the Consolidated Edison utility company and had been denied workers' compensation. He came to hate the company and certain individuals in it, though his bombings grew to encompass the Grand Central Terminal, Radio City Music Hall, the New York Public Library, and other buildings. In all, he planted 33 bombs - 22 exploded, while 11 were duds.

On January 21, 1924, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - the leader of the Russian Revolution and first head of the Soviet Union - died. During his life, he had been exiled from Russia for plotting against Alexander III, developed the form of Marxism known as Leninism, led the October Revolution to establish Soviet rule in Russia, led the new nation as Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, survived two assassination attempts and led the Red Terror (the mass rounding-up and execution of enemies of the Soviet rule).

Washington Wizards point guard and shooting guard Gilbert Arenas, Jr., has been suspended indefinitely from the NBA and charged with one count of carrying a pistol without a license after it was revealed that he stored weapons in his locker in the Verizon Center stadium. He has entered a guilty plea to the charge.

James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar has been awarded the Golden Globe award for best movie - drama, while Cameron himself won for best director. Jeff Bridges received a standing ovation as his award for best actor - drama was announced (for his role in Crazy Heart). Sandra Bullock won best actress for her role in The Blind Side, Robert Downey Jr.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake which struck Haiti on January 12th has caused untold destruction, leveling most of the capital city Port-au-Prince. A series of powerful aftershocks added to the disaster, and the death toll looks like it will exceed 100,000. Our thoughts go out to the millions affected by the quake.

On January 15, 1967, the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs met in Los Angeles, California, to determine whether the National Football League or the American Football League champions would emerge as world champions. The AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later referred to as the Super Bowl (the name would not be 'official' until 1967, Super Bowl III), was the first championship between the two divisions.

On January 14, 1967, between 20,000 and 30,000 people gathered in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to listen to speakers, jam to music, and enjoy the counterculture. It was a prelude to the "Summer of Love" and spawned a host of related "-ins."

On January 13th, 1968, country music singer and songwriter Johnny Cash appeared in concert at Folsom Prison. The prison, a California State Prison in Sacramento, is the state's second-oldest prison and was the first penitentiary in the world to have electric power. California's license plates are manufactured there. And in 1951, director Crane Wilbur created a film set in the prison.

January 12 is the anniversary of Agatha Christie's death (she passed away in 1976). The famous mystery writer (the 'Queen of Crime') holds quite an expansive catalog of works (including almost 150 short stories, 80 detective novels, romance novels and plays).