Daily Facts about January 16

2023

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated in the United States to honor the civil rights leader's legacy.

1979

The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, goes into exile as a result of the Iranian Revolution, paving the way for the establishment of an Islamic Republic.

1920

Prohibition takes effect in the United States with the ratification of the 18th Amendment, prohibiting the sale and production of alcoholic beverages.

1909

During the Nimrod Expedition, led by Ernest Shackleton, explorers reach their southernmost point in Antarctica, coming within 97 miles of the South Pole.