Today is the 21st day of 2016 and the 31st day of winter.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1793, King Louis XVI of France was executed by guillotine in Paris.
In 1861, Jefferson Davis resigned from the U.S. Senate to lead the Confederacy during the Civil War.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter pardoned nearly all Vietnam War draft evaders.
In 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that for the first time, the largest minority group in the United States was Hispanics (who may be of any race).
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Ethan Allen (1738-1789), writer/military leader; Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863), Confederate army general; Christian Dior (1905-1957), fashion designer; Telly Savalas (1922-1994), actor; Wolfman Jack (1938-1995), disc jockey; Jack Nicklaus (1940- ), golfer; Placido Domingo (1941- ), opera singer; Eric Holder (1951- ), attorney general; Paul Allen (1953- ), co-founder of Microsoft; Geena Davis (1956- ), actress; Jam Master Jay (1965-2002), rapper; Ken Leung (1970- ), actor; Cat Power (1972- ), singer-songwriter.
TODAY'S FACT: The guillotine was used for executions in France as recently as 1977. The death penalty was abolished there in 1981.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1979, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII to become the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "I like liquor -- its taste and its effects -- and that is just the reason why I never drink it." -- Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
TODAY'S NUMBER: 35 million -- U.S.-born Hispanics living in the United States, according to a 2013 study by the Pew Research Center. Foreign-born Hispanics in the U.S. numbered 19 million.
TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Jan. 16) and full moon (Jan. 23).