Today is the 37th day of 2016 and the 47th day of winter.
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TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1778, representatives of the United States and France signed an alliance in Paris.
In 1788, Massachusetts ratified the U.S. Constitution and became the sixth U.S. state.
In 1952, Elizabeth II became queen regnant of the United Kingdom when her father, King George VI, died of cancer.
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan defined the key concepts of his foreign policy, which the media dubbed "The Reagan Doctrine," during his State of the Union Address.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed a bill changing the name of Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan National Airport.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Aaron Burr (1756-1836), politician/U.S. vice president; Babe Ruth (1895-1948), baseball player; Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), 40th U.S. president; Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917- ), actress; Francois Truffaut (1932-1984), filmmaker/critic; Tom Brokaw (1940- ), journalist/author; Bob Marley (1945-1981), singer-songwriter; Natalie Cole (1950-2015), singer-songwriter; Axl Rose (1962- ), singer-songwriter.
TODAY'S FACT: France is the most popular nation in the world among tourists, with 83 million travelers visiting per year.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1958, the Boston Red Sox signed Ted Williams for $135,000, which was then the highest salary in baseball.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other." -- Ronald Reagan
TODAY'S NUMBER: 74.9 -- percentage of Israel's population that is Jewish.
TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Jan. 31) and new moon (Feb. 8).