January 16 in history: Nani Palkhivala, Kabir Bedi were born

Bengaluru, Jan 16: Today is Friday, January 16, 2015. What happened on this day in history? Oneindia takes a look at the past:

1547: Ivan the Terrible became the first czar of Russia.

1883: The US Civil Service Commission established.

1920: The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, came into effect.

Nani Palkhivala, famous law expert, was born in Mumbai.

1938: Bengali author Sharat Chandra Chattapadhyay passed away.

1942: Jawaharlal Nehru succeeded Mahatma Gandhi as head of the Indian National Congress.

1946: Kabir Bedi was born in Mumbai.

1991: US announced Operation Desert Storm win Iraq.

1992: The El Salvador government signed a peace treaty with guerrilla forces, formally bringing 12 years of civil war to an end.

2001: President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Laurent Kabila was assassinated.

2003: Space shuttle Columbia took off for its final mission. The craft disintegrated on its descent on February 1, killing all seven crew members on board, including Indian-born aerospace engineer Kalpana Chawla.

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