Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'Peking Duck Day. From Wikipedia: 'Peking Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era. The meat is prized for its thin, crisp skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred specially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is eaten with scallion, cucumber
and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Sometimes pickled radish is also inside, and other sauces (like hoisin sauce) can be used. In 2012, The Huffington Post ranked Peking duck 1st in list of "10 Foods Around The World To Try Before You Die"'.
[The Hankster says] Hum, one of the ten foods to eat before you die. I have still to make it past the list of several thousand I shouldn't be eating.
Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:
- Get your Pooh Bear out of the old toy box. Tomorrow is 'National Winnie The Pooh Day. Celebrated on the brithday of A. A. Milne on January 18, 1882.. From Wikipedia: 'Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Milne also included a poem about the bear in the
children's verse book When We Were Very Young (1924) and many more in Now We Are Six (1927). All four volumes were illustrated by E. H. Shepard.'
'A. A. Milne named the character Winnie-the-Pooh for a teddy bear owned by his son, Christopher Robin Milne, who was the basis for the character Christopher Robin. The rest of Christopher Robin Milne's toys, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo and Tigger, were incorporated into Milne's stories. Two more characters, Owl and Rabbit, were created by Milne's imagination, while Gopher was added to the Disney version. Christopher Robin's toy bear is on display at the Main Branch of
the New York Public Library in New YorkCity'.
[The Hankster says] This is a children's book right? Then why was Pooh's only garment a small red vest?
- Tomorrow is 'Martin Luther King Jr. Day. From Wikipedia: 'Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other
holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000'.
- Can't think of the best way to say something today? Wait for tomorrow's 'Thesaurus Day. Celebrates the birthday of the thesaurus author Peter Roget. From Wikipedia: 'Peter Mark Roget, 18 January 1779 – 12 September 1869) was a British physician, natural theologian and lexicographer. He is best known for publishing, in 1852, the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases (Roget's Thesaurus), a classified collection of related words.'
- ''Roget retired from professional life in 1840, and about 1848, began preparing for publication the one work that was to perpetuate his memory. This was the catalogue of words organized by their meanings, the compilation of which had been an avocation since 1805. Its first printed edition, in 1852, was called Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition'.
[The Hankster says] Yes I did look it up. The synonym of Thesaurus is 'word finder'. I couldn't find an antonym for it. Perhaps that source was not familiar with my phraseology or they could have a least define by example
Awareness / Observance Days on: January 18
o Health 'Healthy Weight Week. January 18-22 in the U.S. Promotes a constant healthy life style instead of the ups and downs of dieting.
o Animal and Pets
- 'Bald Eagle Appreciation Days. Third weekend in January
Historical events in the past on: January 18
In 1778, – James Cook is the first known European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the "Sandwich Islands".
From Wikipedia: 'Captain James Cook (7 November 1728- 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy. Cook made detailed maps of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, during which he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand'.
In 1896, An X-ray generating machine is exhibited for the first time by H.L. Smith. From Wikipedia: 'The discovery of X-rays came from experimenting with Crookes tubes, an early experimental electrical discharge tube invented by English physicist William Crookes around 1869-1875. In 1895, Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays emanating from Crookes tubes and the many uses for X-rays were immediately apparent. One of the first X-ray photographs was made of the
hand of Röntgen's wife. The image displayed both her wedding ring and bones. On January 18, 1896 an X-ray machine was formally displayed by H.L. Smith'.
In 1911, The first landing of an aircraft on a ship.
From Wikipedia: Eugene Burton Ely (October 21, 1886– October 19, 1911) was an aviation pioneer, credited with the first shipboard aircraft take off and landing.'
'Two months later, on January 18, 1911, Ely landed his Curtiss pusher airplane on a platform on the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania anchored in San Francisco Bay. Ely flew from the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California and landed on the Pennsylvania, which was the first successful shipboard landing of an aircraft. This flight was also the first ever using a tailhook system, designed and built by circus performer and aviator Hugh Robinson. Ely told
a reporter: "lIt was easy enough. I think the trick could be successfully turned nine times out of ten".'.
In 1919, Walter Owen Bentley launches Bentley Motors Limited - the business would later be purchased by Rolls-Royce.
In 1948, Ted Mack's, Original Amateur Hour, begins.
From Wikipedia: 'The Original Amateur Hour is an American radio and television program. The show was a continuation of Major Bowes Amateur Hour which had been a radio staple from 1934 to 1945. Major Edward Bowes, the originator of the program and its master of ceremonies, left the show in 1945 and died the following year. He was ultimately succeeded by Ted Mack, when the show was brought into television in 1948.
The show is a progenitor of later, similar programs such as Star Search, American Idol and America's Got Talent'.
In 1974 - The TV show, The Six Million Dollar Man, starring Lee Majors premieres.
From Wikipedia: 'The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for a fictional government office known as OSI. The series is based on the Martin Caidin novel Cyborg, which was the proposed title of the series during pre-production. Following three television movies aired in 1973, The Six Million Dollar Man aired on the ABC network as a regular series for five seasons from 1974 to 1978.
The title role of Steve Austin was played by Lee Majors, who subsequently became a pop culture icon of the 1970s.
A spin-off series, The Bionic Woman, ran from 1976 to 1978 (and, in turn, was the subject of a remake in 2007). Three television movies featuring both eponymous characters were also produced between 1987 and 1994'.
In 1975, The TV show 'Jeffersons, a spinoff from 'All in the Family' premieres, and runs for 11 seasons.
From Wikipedia: 'The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975 to 1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982 to 1985. The Jeffersons is one of the longest-running sitcoms in the history of American television'.
In 1980, Pink Floyd's, The Wall, hits #1.
From Wikipedia: 'As with Pink Floyd's previous three albums, The Wall is a concept album and explores themes of abandonment and personal isolation'.
In 1981, Phil Smith and Phil Mayfield parachute off a Houston skyscraper, becoming the first two people to BASE jump from objects in all four categories: buildings, antennae, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).
In 1983, IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals 70 years after they were taken from him for being paid $25 in semipro baseball.
From Wikipedia: 'In 1912, strict rules regarding amateurism were in effect for athletes participating in the Olympics. Athletes who received money prizes for competitions, were sports teachers or had competed previously against professionals were not considered amateurs and were barred from competition'.
In late January 1913, the Worcester Telegram published a story announcing that Thorpe had played professional baseball, and other U.S. newspapers followed up the story. Thorpe had indeed played professional baseball in the Eastern Carolina League for Rocky Mount, North Carolina, in 1909 and 1910, receiving meager pay; reportedly as little as US$2 ($51 today) per game and as much as US$35 ($889 today) per week. College players, in fact, regularly spent summers
playing professionally but most used aliases, unlike Thorpe'.
In 1991, Eastern Airlines shut down after 62 years in business due to financial problems.
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