1. On January 3, 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X.

2. On January 3, 1777, the revolutionary army of George Washington defeated the British army in the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey.

3. On January 3, 1840, Father Damien, a Belgian priest, was born.

4. On January 3, 1889, Emperor Meiji of Japan promulgated an imperial edict, announcing the implementation of a constitutional system.

5. On January 3, 1925, Benito Mussolini declared himself the dictator of Italy.

6. On January 3, 1947, the United States Congress passed the National Security Act.

7. On January 3, 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States.

8. On January 3, 1990, Manuel Noriega, the Panamanian military leader, surrendered to the United States.

9. On January 3, 2004, the U.S. Mars Exploration Rover Spirit safely landed on Mars.

10. On January 3, 2009, Israel launched a large-scale military operation against the Gaza Strip.