Today is the 10th day of 2017 and the 21st day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1776, Thomas Paine published his pro-independence pamphlet "Common Sense," which quickly sold some 100,000 copies.

In 1863, the London Underground subway began operations.

In 1901, the Spindletop oil field was discovered in Beaumont, Texas, leading to the Texas Oil Boom.

In 2003, North Korea withdrew from the multination treaty barring it from developing a nuclear weapons program.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Ray Bolger (1904-1987), actor/dancer; Paul Henreid (1908-1992), actor; Stephen E. Ambrose (1936-2002), author/historian; Sal Mineo (1939-1976), actor; Jim Croce (1943-1973), singer-songwriter; Rod Stewart (1945- ), singer-songwriter; George Foreman (1949- ), boxer; Roy Blunt (1950- ), U.S. senator; Pat Benatar (1953- ), singer-songwriter; Jemaine Clement (1974- ), actor/comedian.

TODAY'S FACT: The 29 oil refineries located in the state of Texas can process more than 5.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, accounting for more than a quarter of the total U.S. refining capacity.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1982, Dwight Clark caught a Joe Montana pass for a touchdown with 51 seconds left on the clock, securing a 28-27 San Francisco 49ers victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC championship game.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "At the core, the American citizen soldiers knew the difference between right and wrong, and they didn't want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So they fought, and won, and we all of us, living and yet to be born, must be forever profoundly grateful." -- Stephen E. Ambrose, "Citizen Soldiers"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 8.63 million -- estimated population of London, England, in 2015.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Jan. 5) and full moon (Jan. 12).

Today is the ninth day of 2017 and the 20th day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1788, Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution and became the fifth U.S. state.

In 1861, Confederates fired upon the steamship Star of the West at the garrison of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, an incident many historians consider the "first shots of the American Civil War."

In 1945, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the American Sixth Army invaded the island of Luzon in the Philippines.

In 2015, the two perpetrators of the shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris two days earlier were killed by police after a hostage crisis.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Chic Young (1901-1973), cartoonist; Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), author; Richard Nixon (1913-1994), 37th U.S. president; Judith Krantz (1928- ), author; Bart Starr (1934- ), football player; Bob Denver (1935-2005), actor; Joan Baez (1941- ), singer-songwriter; Jimmy Page (1944- ), musician; J.K. Simmons (1955- ), actor; Mark Martin (1959- ), NASCAR driver; Dave Matthews (1967- ), singer-songwriter; Sergio Garcia (1980- ), golfer; Kate Middleton (1982- ), duchess of Cambridge.

TODAY'S FACT: The comic strip "Blondie," launched by Chic Young in 1930, eventually appeared in more than 2,000 newspapers around the world and spawned 28 film adaptations between 1938 and 1950.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1972, the Milwaukee Bucks ended the Los Angeles Lakers' record 33-game winning streak with a 120-104 win.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth -- and truth rewarded me." -- Simone de Beauvoir, "All Said and Done"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1 billion -- iPhones sold (according to an announcement by Apple in July 2016) since Apple introduced the first-generation unit on this day in 2007.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Jan. 5) and full moon (Jan. 12).

Today is the eighth day of 2017 and the 19th day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1790, President George Washington gave the first State of the Union address.

In 1877, Crazy Horse lost his final battle against the U.S. Cavalry at Wolf Mountain in Montana Territory.

In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson outlined his "Fourteen Points" peace plan.

In 1982, AT&T agreed to give up its 22 local "Baby Bells."

In 2011, a gunman opened fire at a public event for Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, killing six people and injuring 13, including Giffords.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Jose Ferrer (1912-1992), actor; Soupy Sales (1926-2009), TV personality; Elvis Presley (1935-1977), singer/actor; Bob Eubanks (1938- ), TV game show host; Graham Chapman (1941-1989), actor/comedian; Stephen Hawking (1942- ), physicist; Terry Brooks (1944- ), author; David Bowie (1947-2016), singer-songwriter; Michelle Forbes (1965- ), actress; R. Kelly (1967- ), singer-songwriter; Rachel Nichols (1980- ), actress; Kim Jong Un (1983- ), North Korean leader.

TODAY'S FACT: About 600,000 people annually visit Elvis Presley's Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1901, the first tournament sanctioned by the American Bowling Congress was held in Chicago.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "If you do not hear music in your words, you have put too much thought into your writing and not enough heart." -- Terry Brooks, "Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 641 -- projected width (in feet) of the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, which will be the largest sculpture in the world if it is completed.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Jan. 5) and full moon (Jan. 12).