Today in the history of the American comic strip: January 14

American cartoonists and writers may not have invented the comic strip, but some argue that the comics, as we know them today, are an American creation. Clearly, the United States has played an outsize role in the development of this underappreciated art form.

1.14.1863: Richard F. Outcault, creator of The Yellow Kid and Buster Brown, is born in Lancaster, Ohio. He became one of the leading pioneers of the modern comic strip.

1.14.1957: Warren Tufts, the creator of Lance, which began as a Sunday strip, adds a daily comic. Lance was a Western cartoon set in the mid 19th century. The Sunday feature was notable as one of the last full-page comics. 

1.14.1991: Harry Shorten dies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 76. He and Al Fagaly created Bitter Laff (later known as There Oughta Be a Law!) in 1945.

Most of the information listed here from one day to the next comes from two online sites -- Wikipedia, and Don Markstein's Toonopedia -- as well as 100 Years of American Newspaper Comics, edited by Maurice Horn. Note that my focus is on American newspaper comic strips (and the occasional foreign strip that gained popularity in the United States). Thus, comic books and exclusively online comics are not included here.