Today is the third day of 2016 and the 13th day of winter.
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TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1777, Revolutionary forces under the command of George Washington defeated the British at Princeton, New Jersey.
In 1947, a session of Congress was televised for the first time to viewers in three East Coast cities.
In 1959, Alaska was admitted as the 49th state.
In 1993, President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), women's rights pioneer; J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), author; Victor Borge (1909-2000), comedian/pianist; Hank Stram (1923-2005), football coach; Sergio Leone (1929-1989), director; Robert Loggia (1930-2015), actor; Glen A. Larson (1937-2014), TV producer/writer; Victoria Principal (1950- ), actress; Mel Gibson (1956- ), actor/director; Michael Schumacher (1969- ), race car driver; Danica McKellar (1975- ), actress; Eli Manning (1981- ), football player.
TODAY'S FACT: C-SPAN was launched in 1979 to "provide live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives." C-SPAN2, covering the Senate, was launched in 1986.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1983, Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett set an NFL record that still stands by running 99 yards from scrimmage for a touchdown.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "I do so dearly believe that no half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly." -- J.R.R. Tolkien
TODAY'S NUMBER: 736,732 -- population of the state of Alaska in 2014 -- more than triple the population of the state at the time it attained statehood.
TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Jan. 1) and new moon (Jan. 9).