1909 – Ernest Shackleton’s Expedition Finds the Magnetic South Pole. The 1907-09 Nimrod Expedition, otherwise known as the British Antarctic Expedition, was the first of three Antarctic expeditions led by Ernest Shackleton. Its main aim, among a range of geographical and scientific objectives, was to be the first in the South Pole.
1962 – dies at the age of 78, Ivan Mestrovic. Mestrovic, was a prominent 20th century Croatian sculptor, architect and writer. He was the foremost sculptor of Croatian modern art and a leading figure in Zagreb’s artistic life. Mestrovic studied at Pavle Bilinic’s Stone Workshop in Split and at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, where he was formed under the influence of the Division.
1969 – Czech student Jan Palach commits suicide by burning himself in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in protest against the Soviet occupation of his country several months ago. Palach, was a Czech student of history and political economy at Charles University in Prague. The Warsaw Pact troops would withdraw from Czechoslovakia a few years later.
1974 – Born in Croydon, Kate Moss. Moss, is an English model and businesswoman. She was recruited as a model in 1988 at the age of 14 by Sarah Doukas, founder of Storm Model Management. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to the status of fashion icon. Moss received an award at the 2013 British Fashion Awards for acknowledging her contribution to fashion over 25 years.
1979 – The last Iranian Shah, Reza Pahlavi, leaves Iran together with his family and relocates to Egypt. Facing a possible execution if he were to return to Iran, Pavlavi died in exile in Egypt, whose president, Anwar Sadat, had granted asylum to the entire royal family. Shah Reza Pahlavi was ousted by demonstrations led by cleric Ayatollah Khomeini.
1991 – Coalition forces wage war on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, officially launching the Persian Gulf War. This war was a conflict waged by coalition forces of the 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to the invasion of Iraq and the annexation of Kuwait stemming from oil prices and production disputes.
1992 – El Salvador rebel officials and leaders sign Chapultepec Peace Agreement in Mexico City. The signing of the agreement ended the 12-year civil war in Salvador that claimed at least 75,000 lives. The treaty was negotiated by representatives of the Salvadoran government, the FMLN rebel movement, and political parties, with the mediation of the Catholic Church and the UN.
1999 – Commemoration of the Recak Massacre (Kosovo): Although the massacre occurred on January 15, 1999, January 16 has historically been the day the world was shocked by the news. It was precisely January 16 that William Walker (head of the OSCE mission) visited the village and declared it a “crime against humanity”, an event that changed the course of history towards NATO intervention.
