FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2009

Today is Friday, January 16, the 16th day of 2009. There are 349 days left in the year.

1547 _ Ivan IV the Terrible (17) crowns himself first tsar of Russia

1913 _ British House of Commons accepts home-rule for Ireland

1920 _ Georgia declares independence

1938 _ Benny Goodman refuses to play Carnegie Hall when black members of his band were barred from performing

1939 _ Comic strip ``Superman" debuts

1956 _ Egyptian President Nasser pledges to re-conquer Palestine

1963 _ Khrushchev claims to have a 100-megaton nuclear bomb

1964 _ ``Hello, Dolly!" starring Carol Channing, opens at St. James Theater New York City for 2,844 performances

1979 _ Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi of Iran flees Iran for Egypt

1991 _ Operation Desert Storm begins _ U.S. and 27 allies attack Iraq for occupying Kuwait