Today is January 31 2015

National Wheat Bread Month: More

• National Backward Day: More
  
• National Inspire Your Heart With Art Day: More
• National Seed Swap Day: More
  Last Saturday in January
• National Bug Busting Day: More
  In Great Britain. Awareness to protect people and pets from parasites.

• In 1930, the 3M company begins marketing Scotch Tape.
  From Wikipedia: 'The precursor to the current tapes was developed in the 1930s in St. Paul, Minnesota by Richard Drew to seal a then-new transparent material known as cellophane.'
  
  'The use of the term Scotch in the name was a pejorative meaning "stingy" in the 1920s and 1930s. The brandname Scotch came about around 1925 while Richard Drew was testing his first masking tape to determine how much adhesive he needed to add. The bodyshop painter became frustrated with the sample masking tape and exclaimed, "Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!" The name was soon applied to the entire line of 3M tapes'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1936, The radio show 'Green Hornet' is first heard on WXYZ Radio in Detroit.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Green Hornet is a fictional character, a masked crime-fighter, created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell, in 1936. Since his radio debut in the 1930s, the Green Hornet has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media. The character appeared in film serials in the 1940s, a network television program in the 1960s, multiple comic book series from the 1940s on, and a feature film in January 2011. '
  
  'Though various incarnations sometimes change details, in most versions the Green Hornet is the alter ego of Britt Reid, wealthy young publisher of the Daily Sentinel newspaper by day. But by night Reid dons the long green overcoat, green fedora hat and green mask of the mysterious "Green Hornet" to fight crime as a vigilante. Reid is accompanied by his loyal and similarly masked partner and confidant, Kato, who drives their technologically advanced car, the "Black Beauty". Though both the police and the general public believe the Hornet to be a criminal, Reid uses that perception to help him infiltrate the underworld, leaving behind for the police the criminals and any incriminating evidence he has found.'
  
  'The character debuted in The Green Hornet, an American radio program that premiered on January 31, 1936, on WXYZ, the same local Detroit station that originated its companion shows The Lone Ranger and Challenge of the Yukon. Beginning on April 12, 1938, the station supplied the series to the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network, and then to NBC Blue and its successors, the Blue Network and ABC, from November 16, 1939, through September 8, 1950. It returned from September 10 to December 5, 1952. It was sponsored by General Mills from January to August 1948, and by Orange Crush in its brief 1952 run'. More
  On YouTube: More
• In 1949, The first daytime soap opera, 'These Are My Children,' is broadcast by NBC.
  From Wikipedia: 'These Are My Children is an American television soap opera which ran on NBC from January 31, 1949 to February 25, 1949. The show was broadcast live from Chicago, Illinois, airing fifteen minutes a day, five days a week, at 5:00 p.m. EST. It is widely credited as the first soap opera broadcast on television. It may be more accurately described as the first daytime drama or the first soap opera strip, as it was preceded by DuMont series Faraway Hill in 1946 and Highway to the Stars in 1947, both of which are described as soap operas but aired later in the evenings and broadcast only once a week'. More
• In 1950, U.S. President Harry Truman announces the development of the hydrogen bomb.
  From Wikipedia: 'A thermonuclear weapon is a nuclear weapon that uses the energy from a primary nuclear fission reaction to compress and ignite a secondary nuclear fusion reaction. The result is greatly increased explosive power when compared to single-stage fission weapons. It is colloquially referred to as a hydrogen bomb or H-bomb because it employs fusion of isotopes of hydrogen. The fission stage in such weapons is required to cause the fusion that occurs in thermonuclear weapons'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1958, 'Explorer 1', becomes the first successful launch of an American satellite into orbit.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Explorers program is a United States space exploration program that provides flight opportunities for physics, geophysics, heliophysics, and astrophysics investigations from space. Over 90 space missions have been launched since 1958, and it is still active. Starting with Explorer 6, it has been operated by NASA, with regular collaboration with a variety of other institutions, including many international partners'.
  
  'Explorer 1 was launched on January 31, 1958. Besides being the first U.S. satellite, it is known for discovering the Van Allen radiation belt'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1958, James Van Allen discovers what will become known as the 'Van Allen radiation belt'.
  From Wikipedia 'A radiation belt is a layer of energetic charged particles that is held in place around a magnetized planet, such as the Earth, by the planet's magnetic field. The Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created. The discovery of the belts is credited to James Van Allen and as a result the Earth's belts are known as the Van Allen belts. The main belts extend from an altitude of about 1,000 to 60,000 kilometers above the surface in which region radiation levels vary. Most of the particles that form the belts are thought to come from solar wind and other particles by cosmic rays. The belts are located in the inner region of the Earth's magnetosphere. electrons that form the outer belt and a combination of protons and electrons that form the inner belt. Other nuclei, such as alpha particles, are less prevalent. The belts endanger satellites, which must protect their sensitive components with adequate shielding if they spend significant time in the radiation belts. In 2013, NASA reported that the Van Allen Probes had discovered a transient, third radiation belt, which was observed for four weeks until destroyed by a powerful, interplanetary shock wave from the Sun'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1961, During Project Mercury, in the Mercury-Redstone 2, rocket, Ham the Chimp travels into outer space.
  From Wikipedia: 'Ham (July 1956 – January 19, 1983), also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was a chimpanzee and the first hominid launched into space, on 31 January 1961, as part of America's space program. Ham's name is an acronym for the lab which prepared him for his historic mission — the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center, located at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1971, American astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa blast off to the moon aboard Apollo 14.
  From WikipedIa: 'Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the United States Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the "H missions," targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks.'
  
  'Shepard and Mitchell made their lunar landing on February 5 in the Fra Mauro formation - originally the target of the aborted Apollo 13 mission. During the two lunar EVAs, 42.80 kilograms (94.35 lb) of Moon rocks were collected, and several scientific experiments were performed. Shepard hit two golf balls on the lunar surface with a makeshift club he had brought from Earth. Shepard and Mitchell spent 33½ hours on the Moon, with almost 9½ hours of EVA'. More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 2010, The movie 'Avatar' becomes the first film to gross over $2 billion worldwide.
  From WikipedIa: 'Avatar (marketed as James Cameron's Avatar) is a 2009 American epic science fiction film directed, written, produced, and co-edited by James Cameron, and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is set in the mid-22nd century, when humans are colonizing Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, in order to mine the mineral unobtanium, a room-temperature superconductor The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi – a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. The film's title refers to a genetically engineered Na'vi body with the mind of a remotely located human that is used to interact with the natives of Pandora', More
  - On YouTube: More

Tomorrow's food holiday will be the last day of 'National Wheat Bread Month'.
[The Hankster says] Couldn't find any food holiday for today, so we will finish out January with a good ole stand by for the month.

Tomorrow is also 'National Backward Day'.
[The Hankster says] Yep, feel free to do and say everything backwards,. I was going to type this sentence backwards, but decided my comments are already kinda mixed up. And then again, posting in a cypher might alert the NSA.

Tomorrow is 'National Inspire Your Heart With Art Day'.
[The Hankster says] I wonder what the world would be like, without the artistic efforts of talented people.

An awareness day in Great Britain tomorrow. It will be 'National Bug Busting Day'. A project to protect people and pets from parasites.

Tomorrow (50 years ago today) we have a new top movie. It is '36 hours'. A story about WW II, where a man who knows information about the European invasion is kidnapped and an attempt is made to convince him that the war is over, so he will reveal his knowledge of the invasion. It starred James Garner, Eva Marie Saint and Rod Taylor. Wait a minute, you haven't seen My Fair Lady yet. Don't worry on Feb. 17 it will again be number one at the box office.

'Downtown' is still number one on the charts and is just waiting for 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' to knock it off on Feb. 6.

Charles Darwin once said 'A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.'
[The Hankster says] I guess there are just so many (unknown) hours to each of us. It was true in the past as it is now. Take a look and see if those from the past, knew and executed this gem of conduct. January 31 might be a good one.

In 1930, the 3M company begins marketing Scotch Tape.

In 1936 - The radio show 'Green Hornet' is first heard on WXYZ Radio in Detroit.

In1949, The first daytime soap opera, 'These Are My Children,' is broadcast by NBC. In 1950, U.S. President Harry Truman announces a plan for the development of the hydrogen bomb.

In 1958, 'Explorer 1', becomes the first successful launch of an American satellite into orbit.

In 1958, James Van Allen discovers the 'Van Allen radiation belt' around the Earth.

In 1971, American astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa blast off to the moon aboard Apollo 14.

In 2010, The movie 'Avatar' becomes the first film to gross over $2 billion worldwide.

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

• 36 Hours More
  Having displaced 'My Fair Lady', it will be there until the weekend box office of February 7, 1965 when, 'My Fair Lady, (returns and', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: January 31 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: January 31 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 31st January More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 31st January More
• On-This-day.com history 31st January More
• On-This-day.com music history 31st January More
• Wikipedia.com: History January 31 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