January 16

January 16: This Day in History

• 1547— Ivan the Terrible was crowned the first Tsar of Russia at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow.
• 1919— Prohibition became law in the United States after the 18th Amendment was ratified.
• 1991— The United States and coalition forces began Operation Desert Storm against Iraq, launching the Gulf War.
• 2006— Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was inaugurated as President of Liberia, becoming Africa's first female head of state.

Famous Birthdays on January 16

• Kate Moss (1974) — iconic British supermodel
• Aaliyah (1979) — R&B singer known as the Princess of R&B
• John Carpenter (1948) — horror and science fiction filmmaker
• A.J. Foyt (1935) — legendary American auto racing driver
• Ethel Merman (1908) — Broadway singer known as the Queen of Broadway

What Happens on January 16?

Did You Know? January 16 Fun Facts

• National Religious Freedom Day on January 16 commemorates the 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
• Prohibition, which began on January 16, 1920, lasted 13 years before being repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933.
• Operation Desert Storm launched on January 16, 1991, and was broadcast live on CNN — one of the first wars to be televised in real time.