Two food holidays for tomorrow:
- 'National Fig Newton Day'. From Wikipedia: 'Newtons are a Nabisco trademarked version of the fig roll, a pastry filled with fig paste. Their distinctive shape is a characteristic that has been adopted by many competitors including generic fig bars sold in many markets. They are produced by an extrusion process.'
'Until the late 19th century, many physicians believed that most illnesses were related to digestion problems, and recommended a daily intake of biscuits and fruit. Fig rolls were the ideal solution to this advice, although they remained a locally produced and handmade product. A Philadelphia baker and fig lover Charles Roser in 1891 invented and then patented a machine which inserted fig paste into a thick pastry dough. Cambridgeport, Massachusetts–based Kennedy Biscuit Company
purchased the Roser rend started mass production. The first Fig Newtons were baked at the F. A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in 1891. The product was named "Newton" after the city of Newton, Massachusetts.
'The Kennedy Biscuit Company had recently become associated with the New York Biscuit Company, and after the companies' merger to form Nabisco, the fig rolls were trademarked as "Fig Newton"'.
[The Hankster says] Well that settles the age old question of whether Sir Isaac, was beaned with an apple or a fig. Well, I always wondered anyway. I wonder if the law of gravity would be stated differently if it had been a fig?
- 'Hot and Spicy Food day'. Concerning hot peppers: From Wikipedia: 'The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spicy heat) of chili peppers, Ghost Peppers, the world's hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper, or other spicy foods as reported in Scoville heat units (SHU), a function of capsaicin concentration. The scale is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. His method, devised in 1912, is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test.
Unlike methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography, the Scoville scale is an empirical measurement dependent on the capsaicin sensitivity of testers and so is not a precise or accurate method to measure capsaicinoid concentration'.
[The Hankster says] Hey, what if that apple (or fig) was a hot pepper instead? If Newton's mouth was open at the time, then instead of the law of gravity, we might have just a fiery expletive to guide us.
Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:
Take it easy tomorrow. It will be 'National Nothing Day'. That's it, Don't worry about doing anything. Since 1973 (proposed 1972) by columnist Harold Pullman Coffin.
[The Hankster says] I'm going to take it easy and not put anything here. Wait a minute I just did, but that is OK, it's not tomorrow yet. So, just don't read this comment tomorrow.
Tomorrow is 'Appreciate A Dragon Day'. Celebrate something dragon-ish.
[The Hankster says] No, I have no idea why, but the Internet says it is, and we all know that the Internet doesn't lie. We do, don't we?
Awareness / Observance Days on: January 16
o Other
- 'National Religious Freedom Day'. Since 1993, by presidential proclamation in the U.S.
Historical 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'.
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'.
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'.
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'.
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.".
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'.
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'.
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'.
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 dilatedartery 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'.
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.
Monthly holiday / awareness days in January
Food
California Dried Plum Digestive Month
National Hot Tea Month
National Soup Month
Oatmeal Month
Health
Bath Safety Month
Birth Defects Month
Cervical Health Awareness Month
National Glaucoma Awareness Month
National Personal Trainer Awareness Month
National Volunteer Blood Donor Month
Self-help Group Awareness Month
Self-Love Month
Shape Up US Month
Thyroid Awareness Month
Animal / Pets
Adopt A Rescued Bird Month
Train Your Dog Month
Unchain A Dog Month
Walk Your Dog Month
Other
Be Kind to Food Servers Month
Book Blitz Month
Celebration of Life Month
Financial Wellness Month
Get A Balanced Life Month
Get Organized Month
International Brain Teaser Month
International Change Your Stars Month
International Child-Centered Divorce Awareness Month
International Creativity Month
International Quality of Life Month
International Wayfinding Month
International Wealth Mentality Month
Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
National Be On-Purpose Month
National Braille Literacy Month
National Clean Up Your Computer Month
National Codependency Awareness Month
National Mail Order Gardening Month
National Mentoring Month
National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month
National Polka Music Month
National Poverty in America Awareness Month
National Radon Action Month
National Skating Month
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
National Stalking Awareness Month
Rising Star Month
Teen Driving Awareness 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 1966 More
Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More