Today is Saturday, January 12, the 12th day of 2008. There are 354 days left in the year.
1493 _ The last day for all Jews to leave Sicily
1755 _ Tsarina Elisabeth establishes the first Russian university
1867 _ Leo Tolstoy's ``Smert Ioonna Groznogo" premieres in St Petersburg
1915 _ The U.S. House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women the right to vote
1933 _ U.S. Congress recognizes independence of the Philippines
1948 _ Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi begins his final fast
1961 _ A U.N. genocide pact goes into effect
1966 _ ``Batman" with Adam West and Burt Ward premieres on ABC TV
1975 _ Chrysler Corp offers first car rebates
1976 _ The U.N. Security Council votes 11-1 to seat the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
1995 _ Major earthquake kills 5,092 in Kobe, Japan
1995 _ Pope John Paul II begins visit to Southeast Asia