Today is January 30 2015

National Croissant Day: More

• National Inane Answering Message Day: More
  
• National Pre-school Fitness Day: More
  Last Friday in January
• School Day of Non-Violence and Peace (DENIP): More
  In Spain.

• In 1790, The first boat specializing as a lifeboat is tested on the River Tyne.
  From Wikipedia: 'The first lifeboat station in Britain was at Formby beach, established i n 1776 by William Hutchinson, Dock Master for the Liverpool Common Council.
  
  'The first non-submersible ('unimmergible') lifeboat is credited to Lionel Lukin, an Englishman who, in 1784, modified and patented a 20-foot (6.1 m) Norwegian yawl, fitting it with water-tight cork-filled chambers for additional buoyancy and a cast iron keel to keep the boat upright.
  
  'The first boat specialized as a lifeboat was tested on the River Tyne in England on January 29, 1790, built by Henry Greathead. The design won a competition organised by the private Law House committee, though William Wouldhave and Lionel Lukin both claimed to be the inventor of the first lifeboat. Greathead's boat, the Original (combined with some features of Wouldhave's) entered service in 1790 and another 31 of the same design were constructed. The 28 feet (8.5 m) boat was rowed by up to 12 crew for whom cork jackets were provided. In 1807 Ludkin designed the Frances Ann for the Lowestoft service, which wasn't satisfied with Greathead's design, and this saved 300 lives over 42 years of service. Double-ended designs could operate a rudder from either end so there was no need to turn'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1820, Edward Bransfield sights the Trinity Peninsula and claims the discovery of Antarctica.
  From Wikipedia: 'Unknown to Bransfield, two days earlier, 28 January 1820, the Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen may have caught sight of an icy shoreline now known to have been part of East Antarctica. On the basis of this sighting and the co-ordinates given in his log-book, Bellingshausen has been credited by some (e.g., the British polar historian A. G. E. Jones) with the discovery of the continent'. More
  - On YouTube: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1826, The Menai Suspension Bridge, considered the world's first modern suspension bridge, connecting the Isle of Anglesey to the north West coast of Wales, is opened.
  From Wikipedia: 'Because of the high banks and fast flowing waters of the Strait, it would have been difficult to build piers on the shifting sands of the sea-bed and, even if it could be done, they would have obstructed the navigation. Also, the bridge would have to be high enough to allow the passage of the tall ships of the day. In view of this, Telford proposed that a suspension bridge should be built and his recommendation was accepted by Parliament.
  
  Construction of the bridge, to Telford's design, began in 1819 with the towers on either side of the strait. These were constructed from Penmon limestone and were hollow with internal cross-walls. Then came the sixteen huge chain cables, each made of 935 iron bars, that support the 176-metre (577 ft) span. To avoid rusting between manufacture and use, the iron was soaked in linseed oil and later painted. The chains each measured 522.3 metres (1,714 ft) and weighed 121 tons. Their suspending power was calculated at 2,016 tons. The bridge was opened to much fanfare on 30 January 1826'. More
  - On YouTube (modern bridge): More
• In 1835, In the first assassination attempt against a President of the U.S., Richard Lawrence attempts to shoot president Andrew Jackson, but fails and is subdued by a crowd, including several congressmen.
  From Wikipedia: 'On January 30, Jackson was attending the funeral of South Carolina congressman Warren R. Davis at the United States Capitol. Lawrence originally planned to shoot Jackson as he entered the service but was unable to get close enough to the President. However, when Jackson left the funeral, Lawrence had found a space near a pillar on the East Portico where Jackson would pass. As Jackson walked, Lawrence stepped out and fired his first pistol at Jackson's back; it misfired. Lawrence quickly made another attempt with his second pistol but that also misfired. It was later determined that the weapons he had chosen were noted for being vulnerable to moisture and the weather on that date was extremely humid and damp.
  
  Lawrence's unsuccessful attempts were noticed by Jackson, who proceeded to beat him down with his cane, very brutally. The crowd (which included Congressman Davy Crockett) eventually intervened and wrestled Lawrence into submission'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1862,The first American ironclad warship, the USS Monitor is launched.
  From Wikipedia: 'Construction progressed in fits and starts, plagued by a number of short delays in the delivery of iron and occasional shortages of cash, but they did not significantly delay the ship's progress by more than a few weeks. The hundred days allotted for her construction passed on 12 January, but the Navy chose not to penalize the consortium. The name #Monitor", meaning "one who admonishes and corrects wrongdoers", was proposed by Ericsson on 20 January 1862 and approved by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus Fox. While Ericsson stood on its deck in defiance of all his critics who thought she would never float, Monitor was launched on 30 January 1862 to the cheers of the watching crowd, even those who had bet that the ship would sink straight to the bottom,] and commissioned on 25 February'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1933, The radio show 'The Lone Ranger' begins on station WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend, Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture.
  
  He first appeared in 1933 in a radio show conceived either by WXYZ (Detroit) radio station owner George W. Trendle, or by Fran Striker, the show's writer. The character was originally believed to be inspired by Texas Ranger Captain John R. Hughes, to whom the book The Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey was dedicated in 1915.
  
  The radio series proved to be a hit and spawned a series of books (largely written by Striker), an equally popular television show that ran from 1949 to 1957, comic books, and several movies. The title character was played on the radio show by George Seaton, Earle Graser, and Brace Beemer. Clayton Moore acted the Lone Ranger on television, although during a contract dispute, Moore was replaced temporarily by John Hart, who wore a different style of mask. On the radio, Tonto was played by, among others, John Todd and Roland Parker; and in the television series, by Jay Silverheels, who was a Mohawk from the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada.
  
  'The first of 2,956 radio episodes of The Lone Ranger premiered on WXYZ, a radio station serving Detroit, Michigan, on January 30, 1933 or January 31, 1933'. More
  On Youtube (radio): More
  - On YouTube (TV): More
• In 1945, During WW II, The, Wilhelm Gustloff, overfilled with German refugees, sinks in the Baltic Sea after being torpedoed by a Soviet submarine, killing approximately 9,500 people in what is the deadliest known maritime disaster.
  From Wikipedia: 'The MV Wilhelm Gustloff was a German military transport ship which was sunk on 30 January 1945 by a Soviet submarine S-13 in the Baltic Sea while evacuating German civilians, Nazi officials and military personnel from Gdynia (Gotenhafen) as the Red Army advanced. By one estimate, 9,400 people died, which makes it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history;. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1948, Mahatma Gandhi known for his non-violent freedom struggle, is assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist.
  From Wikipedia: 'Nathuram Vinayak Godse (19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949), was the sole assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, shooting Gandhi in the chest three times at point blank range in New Delhi on 30 January 1948. Godse, an advocate of Hindu nationalism, from Pune, Maharashtra, who thought Gandhi favored the political demands of India's Muslims during the partition of India, plotted the assassination with Narayan Apte and six others. After a trial that lasted over a year, Godse was sentenced to death on 8 November, 1949. Although pleas for commutation were made by India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and by Gandhi's two sons on the grounds that a death sentence would dishonour Gandhi, who was opposed to all forms of violence, Godse was hanged a week later'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1950, The TV show, Robert Montgomery Presents, a dramatic anthology premieres on NBC TV.
  From Wikipedia: 'Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example, Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theater, ....The Johnson's Wax Program, and so on'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1956, Elvis Presley records his version of, Blue Suede Shoes.
  From Wikipedia: 'Recording cover versions of songs was standard practice during the 1940s and 1950s, and "Blue Suede Shoes" was one of the first tunes RCA wanted their new performer, Elvis Presley, to record. "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Shoes" rose on the charts at roughly the same time. RCA, with its superior distribution and radio contacts, knew it could probably steal a hit record from Phillips and Perkins. Presley, who knew both Perkins and Phillips from his days at Sun Records, gave in to pressure from RCA, but he requested that the company hold back his version from release as a single. The Elvis version features two guitar solos by Scotty Moore, along with Bill Black on bass and D.J. Fontana on drums'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1959, The 'MS Hans Hedtoft', said to be the safest ship afloat and 'unsinkable' like the RMS Titanic, strikes an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sinks, killing all 95 aboard.
  From Wikipedia: 'MS Hans Hedtoft was a Danish liner that struck an iceberg and sank on 30 January 1959 on her maiden voyage off the coast of Western Greenland. The only piece of wreckage ever found was a lifebelt. As of 2015, she remains the last ship sunk by an iceberg with casualties'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1969, The Beatles make their last public performance on the roof of their London recording studio.
  From Wikipedia: '... the band could not agree on a location to film a concert, rejecting several ideas, including a boat at sea, a lunatic asylum, the Tunisian desert, and the Colosseum. Ultimately, what would be their final live performance was filmed on the rooftop of the Apple Corps building at 3 Savile Row, London, on 30 January 1969'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1971, Carole King's 'Tapestry' album is released to become the longest charting album by a female solo artist and sell 24 million copies worldwide.
  From Wikipedia: 'Tapestry is the second album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1971 on Ode Records and produced by Lou Adler. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. In the United States, it has been certified diamond by the RIAA with more than 10 million copies sold. It received four Grammy Awards in 1972, including Album of the Year. The lead single from the album — "It's Too Late"/"I Feel the Earth Move" — spent five weeks at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts. In 2003, Tapestry was ranked number 36 on Rolling Stone list of the 500 greatest albums of all time'. More
  On YouTube: More
• In 1975, The 'Monitor National Marine Sanctuary' is established as the first U.S. National Marine Sanctuary.
  From Wikipedia: 'Monitor National Marine Sanctuary is the site of the wreck of the USS Monitor, one of the most famous shipwrecks in U.S. history. It was designated as the country's first national marine sanctuary on January 30, 1975, and is one of only two of the thirteen national marine sanctuaries created to protect a cultural resource rather than a natural resource'. More
  - On YouTube: More

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Croissant Day.'.
[The Hankster says] I like the way these buns seem to smile at you, at breakfast. Make sure it is turned correctly, as we don't want to start the day off wrong. Save the frown for the time you finish the last one. A smiley croissant on the plate, a couple of sunny-side-up eggs for eyes, a couple of bacon strips for eye brows and a small mound of hash browns for a nose, makes a great way to start the day.

Tomorrow is 'National Inane Answering Message Day..
[The Hankster says] The idea is to perhaps rethink the answering machine message that you have on your phone. I wasn't sure either, so I looked it up. Inane: silly; stupid. I have overcome the tendency to make my phone message a major entertainment extravaganza. You guessed it, I still use the factory supplied default message.

An awareness day tomorrow. 'National Pre-school Fitness Day.. The last Friday in January
[The Hankster says] It promotes physical education instruction at an early age so as to instill the idea of fitness into the young mind.

Spain will observe this awareness day, 'School Day of Non-Violence and Peace (DENIP).

Doug Larson once said 'For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.'
[The Hankster says] Ain't it the truth, for us in the present. However, I'm sure you have learned by now that we live in the past, in this section of the post. Others fought for their sage use of those 8 hours. Let us see how well they did on January 30 in the past.

In 1790, The first boat specializing as a lifeboat is tested on the River Tyne.
[The Hankster says] These of course, are the boats of the life saving service who at great risk to themselves were manned by volunteers and saved many a life from ship wreck. There is a lot of good info at the Wikipedia website and a good non-fiction eBook at the Project Gutenberg website called 'Stories of the Lifeboat'.

In 1820, Edward Bransfield sights the Trinity Peninsula and claims the discovery of Antarctica for England.
[The Hankster says] And ever since the Penguins have been required to walk on the left side of the ice shelf, as they make their migration to and from the sea.

In 1826, The Menai Suspension Bridge, considered the world's first modern suspension bridge, connecting the Isle of Anglesey to the north West coast of Wales, is opened.

In 1835, In the first assassination attempt against a President of the U.S., Richard Lawrence attempts to shoot president Andrew Jackson, but fails and is subdued by a crowd, including several congressmen. Lawrence shot two pistols and both misfired due to the humidity that day.

In 1862,The first American ironclad warship, the USS Monitor is launched.

In 1933, The radio show 'The Lone Ranger' begins on station WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan.
[The Hankster says] This program ran on radio for 21 years and of course, came to TV.

In 1945, During WW II, The passenger ship 'Wilhelm Gustloff', overfilled with German refugees, sinks in the Baltic Sea after being torpedoed by a Soviet submarine, killing approximately 9,500 people in what is the deadliest known maritime disaster.

In 1948, Mahatma Gandhi known for his non-violent freedom struggle, is assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist.

In 1956, Elvis Presley records his version of 'Blue Suede Shoes'. Carl Perkins released the song, first on Jan. 1 1956. The 'B' side of the Presley record was 'Tutti Frutti'.

In 1959, The 'MS Hans Hedtoft', said to be the safest ship afloat and 'unsinkable' like the RMS Titanic, strikes an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sinks, killing all 95 aboard.

In 1969, The Beatles make their last public performance on the roof of their London recording studio. This was an impromptu performance and was shut down by the police after complaints of noise.

In 1971, Carole King's 'Tapestry' album is released to become the longest charting album by a female solo artist and sell 24 million copies worldwide.

In 1975, The 'Monitor National Marine Sanctuary' is established as the first U.S. National Marine Sanctuary. This is at the site of the wreck of the USS Monitor,

No. 1 song

• Downtown - Petula Clark: More
  'I Feel Fine' has been displaced by 'Downtown', which will hold the no. 1 spot until February 6 1965, when 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'', 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.

• FamousBirthdays.com: January 30 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: January 30 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 30th January More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 30th January More
• On-This-day.com history 30th January More
• On-This-day.com music history 30th January More
• Wikipedia.com: History January 30 More

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

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

Best selling books of 1965 More

• 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

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