1. On January 16, 1920, Prohibition officially began in Washington state, banning the sale and production of alcohol.
2. In 1986, on January 16, the state of Washington celebrated the first Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a public holiday, becoming one of the first states in the nation to do so.
3. On January 16, 1856, the Battle of Seattle occurred during the Puget Sound War between settlers and Native American tribes. The battle resulted in the deaths of three settlers and multiple Native Americans.
4. One of the deadliest avalanches in US history occurred on January 16, 1910, killing 96 people in the Cascade Range in Washington state.
5. On January 16, 2013, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was grounded worldwide due to technical issues with its lithium-ion batteries, causing significant disruptions in air travel.