Today is the 16th day of 2014 and the 27th day of winter.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1920, the League of Nations held its first meeting in Paris.
In 1979, the Shah of Iran fled his homeland in the wake of a revolution.
In 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first female elected head of state of an African nation when she was sworn in as president of Liberia.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Ethel Merman (1909-1984), actress/singer; Dizzy Dean (1910-1974), baseball player; Dian Fossey (1932-1985), zoologist; Susan Sontag (1933-2004), author/critic; Ronnie Milsap (1946- ), singer-songwriter; Laura Schlessinger (1947- ), psychologist/author; John Carpenter (1948- ), director; Ruth Reichl (1948- ), food writer/editor; Roy Jones Jr. (1969- ), boxer; Kate Moss (1974- ), model; Albert Pujols (1980- ), baseball player.
TODAY'S FACT: The busiest U.S. airport is Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, which 95.5 million passengers traveled through in 2012.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1961, Mickey Mantle signed a contract for an annual salary of $75,000, making him the highest-paid player in the American League.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "Time exists in order that everything doesn't happen all at once ... and space exists so that it doesn't all happen to you." -- Susan Sontag
TODAY'S NUMBER: 23 -- countries that were members of the League of Nations for its entire duration. Forty other nations were members intermittently.
TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Jan. 15) and last quarter moon (Jan. 23).