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Today is January 16 2015

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   I.
Today's Holidays and Historical Events (updated daily)
Today's Food Holiday

National Fig Newton Day: More
International Hot and Spicy Food Day: More

Other celebrations/observances today:
  • National Nothing Day: More
  • Appreciate A Dragon Day: More
  • National Religious Freedom Day: More
  • Ride to Cure Diabetes: More
    Charity bicycle ride in Australia
Events in the past on: January 16
  • In 1877, The Color organ (for light shows) was patented, by Bainbridge Bishop.
    From Wikipedia: 'The instruments were lighted attachments designed for pipe organs that could project colored lights onto a screen in synchronization with musical performance. Bishop built three of the instruments; each was destroyed in a fire, including one in the home of P. T. Barnum'. More
    - On YouTube (modern DYI LED project): More
  • In 1883, The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing the United States Civil Service, is passed.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (ch. 27, 22 Stat. 403) of United States is a federal law established in 1883 that decided that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit instead of political affiliation. The act provided selection of government employees by competitive exams, rather than ties to politicians or political affiliation.

    It also made it illegal to fire or demote government officials for political reasons and prohibited soliciting campaign donations on Federal government property. To enforce the merit system and the judicial system, the law also created the United States Civil Service Commission. This board would be in charge of determining the rules and regulations of the act. The Act also allowed for the president, by executive order to decide which positions could be subject to the act and which would not.

    A crucial result was the shift of the parties to reliance on funding from business, since they could no longer depend on patronage hopefuls'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1909, Ernest Shackleton's expedition finds the magnetic South Pole. From Wikipedia: 'The "Great Southern Journey", as Frank Wild called it, began on 29 October 1908. On 9 January 1909, Shackleton and three companions (Wild, Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams) reached a new Farthest South latitude of 88° 23' S, a point only 112 miles (180 km) from the Pole.

    En route the South Pole party discovered the Beardmore Glacier (named after Shackleton's patron) and became the first persons to see and travel on the South Polar Plateau. Their return journey to McMurdo Sound was a race against starvation, on half-rations for much of the way. At one point, Shackleton gave his one biscuit allotted for the day to the ailing Frank Wild, who wrote in his diary: "All the money that was ever minted would not have bought that biscuit and the remembrance of that sacrifice will never leave me". They arrived at Hut Point just in time to catch the ship'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1919, The U.S. ratifies the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, authorizing Prohibition in the United States one year after ratification.
    From Wikipedia: 'The U.S. Senate proposed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 18, 1917. Upon being approved by a 36th state on January 16, 1919, the amendment was ratified as a part of the Constitution. By the terms of the amendment, the country went dry one year later, on January 17, 1920'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1938, Benny Goodman and his band, plus a quartet, played at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
    From Wikipedia: 'Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing".
    In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America. His January 16, 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music.". More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1939, Comic strip "Superman" debuts
    From Wikipedia: 'Superman was a daily newspaper comic strip which began on January 16, 1939, and a separate Sunday strip was added on November 5, 1939. These strips ran continuously until May 1966. In 1941, the McClure Syndicate had placed the strip in hundreds of newspapers. At its peak, the strip was in over 300 daily newspapers and 90 Sunday papers, with a readership of over 20 million'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1954, The Broadway show 'South Pacific' closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 1928 performances. From Wikipedia: 'South Pacific is a musical composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The work premiered in 1949 on Broadway and was an immediate hit, running for 1,925 performances.

    The story is based on James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, combining elements of several of the stories. Rodgers and Hammerstein believed that they could write a musical based on Michener's work that would be financially successful and, at the same time, would send a strong progressive message on racism'. More
    - On YouTube (original overture - audio): More
    - On YouTube (movie trailer): More
  • In 1964, The Broadway show 'Hello, Dolly!' (musical) starring Carol Channing opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 2,844 performances.
    From Wikipedia: 'Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955'

    'Hello, Dolly! was first produced on Broadway by David Merrick in 1964, winning a record 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, a record held for 35 years'. More
    - On YouTube (snip, ot the original): More
    - On YouTube (carol Channing - Hello dolly Song): More

    List of the longest-running Broadway shows: More

  • In 1964, Dr. Charles Dotter performs the first angioplasty.
    From Wikipedia: 'Charles Theodore Dotter (1920–1985) was a pioneering US vascular radiologist who is credited with developing interventional radiology. Dotter, together with his trainee Dr Melvin P. Judkins, described angioplasty in 1964.

    'Dotter invented angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used to treat peripheral arterial disease. On January 16, 1964, at Oregon Health and Science University Dotter percutaneously dilated a tight, localized stenosis of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) in an 82-year-old woman with painful leg ischemia and gangrene who refused leg amputation. After successful dilation of the stenosis with a guide wire and coaxial Teflon catheters, the circulation returned to her leg. The dilated artery stayed open until her death from pneumonia two and a half years later. He also developed liver biopsy through the jugular vein, initially in animal models and in 1973 in humans'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1969, The Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 perform the first-ever docking of manned spacecraft in orbit, the first-ever transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another, and the only time such a transfer was accomplished with a space walk. More
    - On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Fig Newton Day'.
[The Hankster says] This cookie is named after Newton, Massachusetts and not Sir Isaac. It is one of the top selling cookies in the U.S.

We also have a food concept day. Tomorrow will be 'International Hot and Spicy Food Day'.
[The Hankster says] Yes, I am wondering what a Jalapeno Newton would taste like.

For the whimsical. Tomorrow is 'Appreciate A Dragon Day'.
[The Hankster says] I definitely keep this in mind, when I go out to save fair damsels. This was not always the case, and I have several scorched suits of armor to prove it.

An awareness day in In Australia tomorrow. It will be 'Ride to Cure Diabetes'.
[The Hankster says] This is a charity bicycle race.

An for the rest of us. Tomorrow is 'National Nothing Day'.
[The Hankster says] I like the concept and plan to give it my full attention.

Richard Cecil once said 'If I have made an appointment with you, I owe you punctuality, I have no right to throw away your time, if I do my own.'
[The Hankster says] Unless I slept through yet another physics lecture, and appointment, say with January 16 in the past, should not be a problem. We can be fashionably early, late or on time and our host, father time, is not upset.

In 1868, The Refrigerator car was patented by William Davis, a fish dealer in Detroit.

In 1877, The Color organ (for light shows) was patented, by Bainbridge Bishop.
[The Hankster says] Who knew the disco era started back that far. Only three were made, so maybe it was a little before it's time.

In 1883, The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing the United States Civil Service, is passed.

In 1909, Ernest Shackleton's expedition finds the magnetic South Pole.

In 1919, The U.S. ratifies the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, authorizing Prohibition in the United States one year after ratification.

In 1954, The Broadway show 'South Pacific' closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 1928 performances.

In 1964, The Broadway show 'Hello, Dolly!' (musical) starring Carol Channing opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 2,844 performances.

In 1969, The Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 perform the first-ever docking of manned spacecraft in orbit, the first-ever transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another, and the only time such a transfer was accomplished with a space walk.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today

No. 1 song

  • I Feel Fine - The Beatles: More
    'Come See About Me' has been displaced by 'I Feel Fine', which will hold the no. 1 spot until January 23 1965, when 'Downtown (Petula Clark)', takes over.

Top movie

  • My Fair Lady More
    Having displaced 'Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlott', it will be there until the weekend box office of January 31 1965 when, '36 Hours', takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): January 16
   V.
This month January 2015 (updated once a month - last updated - January 1 2015)

Food holidays
Apple and Apricots Month Artichoke and Asparagus Month California Dried Plum Digestive Month Natiionl Candy Month National Egg Month National Hot Tea Month National Soup Month Oatmeal Month
Other holidays and awareness days
Adopt A Rescued Bird Month Bath Safety Month Be Kind to Food Servers Month Birth Defects Month Book Blitz Month Celebration of Life Month Cervical Health Awareness Month Financial Wellness Month Get Organized Month International Brain Teaser Month International Creativity Month National Braille Literacy Month National Clean Up Your Computer Month National Glaucoma Awareness Month National Polka Music Month National Poverty in America Awareness Month National Skating Month National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month National Stalking Awareness Month National Volunteer Blood Donor Month Self-help Group Awareness Month Teen Driving Awareness Month Train Your Dog Month Thyroid Awareness Month Walk Your Dog Month


January is:

January origin (from Wikipedia): 'January is named after Janus, the God of beginnings and transitions; the name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door since January is the door to the year.'

'January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter) and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer). In the Southern hemisphere, January is the seasonal equivalent of July in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa.'

January at Wikipedia: More

  VI.
TV fifty years ago 1965 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2015)

If you couldn't afford 90 cents for a movie ticket, 50 years ago, or your 45 RPM record player was broke, you might watch one of these shows on TV.
From this Wikipedia article: More

 VII.
Best selling books fifty years ago (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2015)

Best selling books of 1965 More

VIII.
Fun (Last link added October 1 2014, but content on each site may change daily)
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day: More
  • NOAA: - National Hurricane Center - Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: More
  • Listen to Old Radio Shows: (streaming mp3 with schedule) More
  • NASA TV: (video feed) More
    NASA TV schedule: More
  • Public Domain eBook Links

    Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More

  • Podcast: A Moment of Science. Approximately 1 minute general science facts.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: The Naked Scientists. Current science, medicine, space and other science
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: Quirks & Quarks. Current science news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Articles and videos: Universe Today. Current space and astronomy news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Old Picture of the Day - "Each day we bring you one stunning little glimpse of history in the form of a historical photograph."
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  IX.
Other Holiday Sites (Last link added October 1 2014. Link content changes yearly)

Below, are listed several holiday sites that I reference in addition to other holiday researches.


US Government Holidays

  • 2015 Postal Holidays More
  • 2015 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

  • List of holidays by country More
  • Holidays and Observances around the World More
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