Today is the 11th day of 2016 and the 21st day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1861, Alabama declared its secession from the Union.

In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon a national monument.

In 1964, the U.S. surgeon general issued the first U.S. government report concluding that smoking could be hazardous to health.

In 2003, departing Illinois Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of an unprecedented 156 death row inmates.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804), U.S. statesman; Ezra Cornell (1807-1874), businessman/philanthropist; William James (1842-1910), philosopher/psychologist; Rod Taylor (1930-2015), actor; Jean Chretien (1934- ), Canadian politician; Naomi Judd (1946- ), singer-songwriter; Mary J. Blige (1971- ), singer-songwriter; Amanda Peet (1972- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: Alexander Hamilton was born to a poor family on the Caribbean island of Nevis. Conflicting sets of records leave it unclear whether he was born in 1755 or 1757.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1973, Major League Baseball owners voted in approval of a 10th lineup position for American League rosters, allowing a "designated pinch-hitter" to bat for the pitcher while allowing the pitcher to stay in the game.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "We are all ready to be savage in some cause. The difference between a good man and a bad one is the choice of the cause." -- William James

TODAY'S NUMBER: 158,040 -- estimated number of American lung cancer deaths in 2015.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Jan. 9) and first quarter moon (Jan. 16).

Today is the 10th day of 2016 and the 20th 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 26 oil refineries operating in the state of Texas can process more than 5.1 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

TODAY'S NUMBER: 8.6 million -- estimated population of London, England, in 2015.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Jan. 9) and first quarter moon (Jan. 16).

Today is the ninth day of 2016 and the 19th 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 as it attempted to deliver supplies to 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 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone.

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: 2 million -- active applications available for download on Apple devices through the Apple App Store, as of mid-December 2015. Apple receives more than 30,000 application submissions monthly from developers worldwide.

TODAY'S MOON: New moon (Jan. 9).