Text size Background

Today is January 26 2016

About     Other days


   I.
Today's Holidays and Historical Events (updated daily)
Today's Food Holiday
  • National Peanut Brittle Day: More
    From Wikipedia: /Brittle is a type of confection consisting of flat broken pieces of hard sugar candy embedded with nuts such as pecans, almonds, or peanuts. It has many variations around the world, .../

    'Traditionally, a mixture of sugar and water is heated to the hard crack stage corresponding to a temperature of approximately 300 øF (149 øC), although some recipes also call for ingredients such as corn syrup and salt in the first step. Nuts are mixed with the caramelized sugar. At this point spices, leavening agents, and often peanut butter or butter are added. The hot candy is poured out onto a flat surface for cooling, traditionally a granite or marble slab. The hot candy may be troweled to uniform thickness. When the brittle cools, it is broken into pieces'.
  • National Green Juice Day: More
    Promotes fresh cold pressed juice from veggies to promote health. By, volution Fresh. a
Other celebrations/observances today:
  • National Spouses Day: More
    An appreciation day.
  • Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement: More
    The fictional Toad Hollow, was created by Ralph C. Morrison. Stories are woven around a 1980's schoolhouse in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Awareness / Observance Days on: January 26
  • Health
    • National Family Health History Day: More
      By the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Emphasis on sharing family medical history.
  • Other
    • Australia Day: More
      From Wikipedia: 'Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. n present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community'.
    • International Customs Day: More
      By the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1983.
Events in the past on: January 26
  • In 1788, The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. Commemorated as Australia Day.
    From Wikipedia: 'Australia officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is an Oceanian country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. '

    'For about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who spoke languages grouped into roughly 250 language groups. After the European discovery of the continent by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788.'

    'The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon. He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, and made landfall on 26 February at the Pennefather River near the modern town of Weipa on Cape York.'

    'In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain.'.

    'With the loss of its American colonies in 1783, the British Government sent a fleet of ships, the "First Fleet", under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, to establish a new penal colony in New South Wales. A camp was set up and the flag raised at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, on 26 January 1788, a date which became Australia's national day, Australia Day, although the British Crown Colony of New South Wales was not formally promulgated until 7 February 1788.

    The first settlement led to the foundation of Sydney, and the exploration and settlement of other regions'. More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson donates books for the revival of the Library of Congress.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Library of Congress is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress, but which is the de facto national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. The Library is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and also maintains the Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, which houses the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center'.

    'The library is the second largest library by collection size, with the largest being the British Library.'.

    'The small Congressional Library was housed in the United States Capitol for most of the 19th century until the early 1890s. Most of the original collection had been destroyed by the British in 1814 during the War of 1812. To restore its collection in 1815, the library bought from former president Thomas Jefferson his entire personal collection of 6,487 books'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1837, Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
    From Wikipedia: 'Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern United States. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake". Michigan is the tenth most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area (the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River). Its capital is Lansing, and the largest city is Detroit'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1875, The electric dental drill was patented by George F Green.
    From Wikipedia: 'In later times, mechanical hand drills were used. Like most hand drills, they were quite slow, with speeds of up to 15 rpm. In 1864, British dentist George Fellows Harrington invented a clockwork dental drill named Erado. The device was much faster than earlier drills, but also very noisy. In 1868, American dentist George F. Green came up with a pneumatic dental drill powered with pedal-operated bellows. James B. Morrison devised a pedal-powered burr drill in 1871'.

    'The first electric dental drill was patented in 1875 by Green, a development that revolutionized dentistry. By 1914, electric dental drills could reach speeds of up to 3000 rpm. A second wave of rapid development occurred in the 1950s and 60s, including the development of the air turbine drill'. More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1905, The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Cullinan diamond is a non-carbonado and gem-quality diamond. At the time of its discovery in South Africa, the rough and unpolished original weighed 3,106.75 carats (621.350 g; 21.9175 oz).[3] About 10.5 cm (4.1 inches) long in its largest dimension, it was found on 26 January 1905, in the Premier No. 2 mine, near Pretoria, South Africa'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1911, Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful American seaplane.
    From Wikipedia: 'Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 - July 23, 1930) was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early as 1904, he began to manufacture engines for airships. In 1908 Curtiss joined the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA), a pioneering research group, founded by Alexander Graham Bell at Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia to build flying machines.'

    'On January 26, 1911, he flew the first seaplane from the water in the United States'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1915, The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.
    From Wikipedia: 'Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. It features majestic mountain views, mountain lakes, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments-from wooded forests to mountain tundra-and easy access to back-country trails and campsites. The park is located northwest of Boulder, Colorado, and includes the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Colorado River'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1920, Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland launches the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer.
    From Wikipedia: 'Henry Leland, a former manager of the Cadillac division of General Motors, and his son, Wilfred Leland, formed The Lincoln Motor Company in August 1917. The Lincoln Motor Company Plant was at 6200 West Warren Avenue (at Livernois) in Detroit, Michigan. Leland named the new company after Abraham Lincoln, his hero and for whom he cast his first presidential vote in 1864, when he was 21. Lincoln's first source of revenue came from assembling Liberty aircraft engines, using cylinders supplied by Ford Motor Company, to fulfill World War I government contracts'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1926, An early Television prototype is first demonstrated by John L Baird, London.
    From Wikipedia: 'On 26 January 1926, Baird repeated the transmission for members of the Royal Institution and a reporter from The Times in his laboratory at 22 Frith Street in the Soho district of London. By this time, he had improved the scan rate to 12.5 pictures per second. It was the first demonstration of a television system that could broadcast live moving images with tone graduation'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1945, The most decorated man in WW II, Audie Murphy was wounded. For his action on this day, he receives the Medal Of Honor.
    From Wikipedia: 'Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 - 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II, receiving every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. At the age of 19, Murphy received the Medal of Honor after single-handedly holding off an entire company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition'. More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1949, The Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until BTA-6 is built in 1976).
    From Wikipedia: 'The Hale Telescope is a 200-inch (5.1 m), f/3.3 reflecting telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, US, named after astronomer George Ellery Hale. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, he orchestrated the planning, design, and construction of the observatory, but did not live to see its commissioning. The Hale was groundbreaking for its time, with double the diameter of the next largest telescope and pioneering the use of many technologies such as vapor deposited aluminum and low thermal expansion glass. It is still in active use.'

    'The 200-inch (510 cm) Hale saw first light on January 26, 1949 under the direction of American astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble, targeting NGC 2261, an object also known as Hubble's Variable Nebula. The photographs made then were published in the astronomical literature and in the May 7, 1949 issue of Collier's Magazine.'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1950, The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1972, Air stewardess Vesna Vulovic survives a 10,160m fall in the wreckage of a bombed airplane.
    From Wikipedia: 'Vesna Vulovic, born 3 January 1950) is a Serbian former flight attendant. She holds the distinction of being the world record holder, according to the Guinness Book of Records, for surviving the highest fall without a parachute: 10,160 metres (33,333 ft).'

    'On 26 January 1972, an explosion on JAT Flight 367, while over Srbsk  Kamenice in Czechoslovakia (now in the Czech Republic) caused the plane to break apart. Vulovic, 22 years old at the time, was a flight attendant on board. She was not scheduled to be on that flight; she had been mixed up with another flight attendant who was also named Vesna'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1979, The TV show 'Dukes of Hazzard' premieres.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1988, The 'Phantom of the Opera', has its first performance on Broadway at the Majestic Theater. It's first performance was in London in 1986.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical's book together. Based on the French novel Le Fant“me de l'Op‚ra by Gaston Leroux, its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daa‚, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 2006, Western Union discontinues the use of its telegram service.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Western Union Company is an American financial services and communications company. Its North American headquarters is in Meridian, Colorado, though the postal designation of nearby Englewood is used in its mailing address. Up until it discontinued the service in 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S. company in the business of exchanging telegrams.'

    'On January 26, 2006, First Data Corporation announced plans to spin Western Union off as an independent, publicly traded company. Western Union's focus will remain money transfers. The next day, Western Union announced that it would cease offering telegram transmission and delivery, the product most associated with the company throughout its history. This was, however, not the original Western Union telegram service, but a new service of First Data under the Western Union banner; the original telegram service was sold off after New Valley Corporation's bankruptcy and now operates as iTelegram'. More
    - On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Two food holidays for tomorrow:
- 'National Peanut Brittle Day'. From Wikipedia: /Brittle is a type of confection consisting of flat broken pieces of hard sugar candy embedded with nuts such as pecans, almonds, or peanuts. It has many variations around the world,
'Traditionally, a mixture of sugar and water is heated to the hard crack stage corresponding to a temperature of approximately 300 øF (149 øC), although some recipes also call for ingredients such as corn syrup and salt in the first step. Nuts are mixed with the caramelized sugar. At this point spices, leavening agents, and often peanut butter or butter are added. The hot candy is poured out onto a flat surface for cooling, traditionally a granite or marble slab. The hot candy may be troweled to uniform thickness. When the brittle cools, it is broken into pieces'.
[The Hankster says] We just had Peanut Butter Day, so why not. Crunchy for the younger teeth and soft for the not so young teeth.

- 'National Green Juice Day'. Promotes fresh cold pressed juice from veggies to promote health. By, volution Fresh.
[The Hankster says] Hey, I let you get away with the candy first, now shape up and eat right.


Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:

- If you are the 'better half' or the other, tomorrow is 'National Spouses Day'. An appreciation day.
[The Hankster says] I wonder what the politically correct opposite of 'better half' is? No matter. There are two of you and maybe this is the day to figure it out or in the spirit of the day, just forget the distinction.

- A kids day tomorrow. It will be 'Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement'. The fictional Toad Hollow, was created by Ralph C. Morrison. Stories are woven around a 1980's schoolhouse in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
[The Hankster says] This is not the Toad Hall from Wind In the Willows.


Awareness / Observance Days on: January 26
o Health
- 'National Family Health History Day'. By the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services. Emphasis on sharing family medical history.

o Other
- 'Australia Day'. From Wikipedia: 'Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. n present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian historycial community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community'.

- 'International Customs Day'. By the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1983.


Historical events in the past on: January 26

- In 1788, The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. Commemorated as Australia Day. From Wikipedia: 'Australia officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is an Oceanian country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. '

'For about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who spoke languages grouped into roughly 250 language groups. After the European discovery of the continent by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788.'

'The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon. He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, and made landfall on 26 February at the Pennefather River near the modern town of Weipa on Cape York.'

'In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain.'.

'With the loss of its American colonies in 1783, the British Government sent a fleet of ships, the "First Fleet", under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, to establish a new penal colony in New South Wales. A camp was set up and the flag raised at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, on 26 January 1788, a date which became Australia's national day, Australia Day, although the British Crown Colony of New South Wales was not formally promulgated until 7 February 1788.

The first settlement led to the foundation of Sydney, and the exploration and settlement of other regions.

- In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson donates books for the revival of the Library of Congress. From Wikipedia: 'The Library of Congress is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress, but which is the de facto national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. The Library is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and also maintains the Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, which houses the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center'.

'The library is the second largest library by collection size, with the largest being the British Library.'.

'The small Congressional Library was housed in the United States Capitol for most of the 19th century until the early 1890s. Most of the original collection had been destroyed by the British in 1814 during the War of 1812. To restore its collection in 1815, the library bought from former president Thomas Jefferson his entire personal collection of 6,487 books'.

- In 1837, Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state. From Wikipedia: 'Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern United States. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "llarge water" or "large lake". Michigan is the tenth most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area (the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River). Its capital is Lansing, and the largest city is Detroit'.

- In 1875, The electric dental drill was patented by George F Green. From Wikipedia: 'In later times, mechanical hand drills were used. Like most hand drills, they were quite slow, with speeds of up to 15 rpm. In 1864, British dentist George Fellows Harrington invented a clockwork dental drill named Erado. The device was much faster than earlier drills, but also very noisy. In 1868, American dentist George F. Green came up with a pneumatic dental drill powered with pedal-operated bellows. James B. Morrison devised a pedal-powered burr drill in 1871'.

'The first electric dental drill was patented in 1875 by Green, a development that revolutionized dentistry. By 1914, electric dental drills could reach speeds of up to 3000 rpm. A second wave of rapid development occurred in the 1950s and 60s, including the development of the air turbine drill'.

- In 1905, The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan weighing 3,106.75 carats (0.621350 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa. From Wikipedia: 'The Cullinan diamond is a non-carbonado and gem-quality diamond. At the time of its discovery in South Africa, the rough and unpolished original weighed 3,106.75 carats (621.350 g; 21.9175 oz).[3] About 10.5 cm (4.1 inches) long in its largest dimension, it was found on 26 January 1905, in the Premier No. 2 mine, near Pretoria, South Africa'.

- In 1911, Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful American seaplane. From Wikipedia: 'Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 - July 23, 1930) was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early as 1904, he began to manufacture engines for airships. In 1908 Curtiss joined the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA), a pioneering research group, founded by Alexander Graham Bell at Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia to build flying machines.'

'On January 26, 1911, he flew the first seaplane from the water in the United States'.

- In 1915, The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress. From Wikipedia: 'Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. It features majestic mountain views, mountain lakes, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments-from wooded forests to mountain tundra-and easy access to back-country trails and campsites. The park is located northwest of Boulder, Colorado, and includes the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Colorado River'.

- In 1920, Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland launches the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer. From Wikipedia: 'Henry Leland, a former manager of the Cadillac division of General Motors, and his son, Wilfred Leland, formed The Lincoln Motor Company in August 1917. The Lincoln Motor Company Plant was at 6200 West Warren Avenue (at Livernois) in Detroit, Michigan. Leland named the new company after Abraham Lincoln, his hero and for whom he cast his first presidential vote in 1864, when he was 21. Lincoln's first source of revenue came from assembling Liberty aircraft engines, using cylinders supplied by Ford Motor Company, to fulfill World War I government contracts'.

- In 1926, An early Television prototype is first demonstrated by John L Baird, London. From Wikipedia: 'On 26 January 1926, Baird repeated the transmission for members of the Royal Institution and a reporter from The Times in his laboratory at 22 Frith Street in the Soho district of London. By this time, he had improved the scan rate to 12.5 pictures per second. It was the first demonstration of a television system that could broadcast live moving images with tone graduation'.

- In 1945, The most decorated man in WW II, Audie Murphy was wounded. For his action on this day, he receives the Medal Of Honor. From Wikipedia: 'Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 - 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II, receiving every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. At the age of 19, Murphy received the Medal of Honor after single-handedly holding off an entire company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition'.

- In 1949, The Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until BTA-6 is built in 1976). From Wikipedia: 'The Hale Telescope is a 200-inch (5.1 m), f/3.3 reflecting telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, US, named after astronomer George Ellery Hale. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, he orchestrated the planning, design, and construction of the observatory, but did not live to see its commissioning. The Hale was groundbreaking for its time, with double the diameter of the next largest telescope and pioneering the use of many technologies such as vapor deposited aluminum and low thermal expansion glass. It is still in active use.'

'The 200-inch (510 cm) Hale saw first light on January 26, 1949 under the direction of American astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble, targeting NGC 2261, an object also known as Hubble's Variable Nebula. The photographs made then were published in the astronomical literature and in the May 7, 1949 issue of Collier's Magazine.'.

- In 1950, The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.

- In 1972, Air stewardess Vesna Vulovic survives a 10,160m fall in the wreckage of a bombed airplane. From Wikipedia: 'Vesna Vulovic, born 3 January 1950) is a Serbian former flight attendant. She holds the distinction of being the world record holder, according to the Guinness Book of Records, for surviving the highest fall without a parachute: 10,160 metres (33,333 ft).'

'On 26 January 1972, an explosion on JAT Flight 367, while over Srbsk Kamenice in Czechoslovakia (now in the Czech Republic) caused the plane to break apart. Vulovic, 22 years old at the time, was a flight attendant on board. She was not scheduled to be on that flight; she had been mixed up with another flight attendant who was also named Vesna'.

- In 1979, The TV show 'Dukes of Hazzard' premieres. From Wikipedia: 'The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts'.

- In 1988, The 'Phantom of the Opera', has its first performance on Broadway at the Majestic Theater. It's first performance was in London in 1986. From Wikipedia: 'The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical's book together. Based on the French novel Le Fant“me de l'Op‚ra by Gaston Leroux, its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daa‚, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius'.

- In 2006, Western Union discontinues the use of its telegram service. From Wikipedia: 'The Western Union Company is an American financial services and communications company. Its North American headquarters is in Meridian, Colorado, though the postal designation of nearby Englewood is used in its mailing address. Up until it discontinued the service in 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S. company in the business of exchanging telegrams.'

'On January 26, 2006, First Data Corporation announced plans to spin Western Union off as an independent, publicly traded company. Western Union's focus will remain money transfers. The next day, Western Union announced that it would cease offering telegram transmission and delivery, the product most associated with the company throughout its history. This was, however, not the original Western Union telegram service, but a new service of First Data under the Western Union banner; the original telegram service was sold off after New Valley Corporation's bankruptcy and now operates as iTelegram'.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today (last updated Jan 23 2016 next Jan 30 2016

No. 1 song

  • We Can Work It Out - The Beatles    On YouTube: More
    At Wikipedia: More
    'Over and Over' has been displaced by 'We Can Work It Out ', which will hold the no. 1 spot until January 29 1966, when 'The Sounds of Silence - Simon AND Garfunkel', takes over.

    From Wikipedia: '"We Can Work It Out" is a song by the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a "double A-sided" single with "ay Tripper", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release. Both songs were recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions'.

Top movie

  • The Ghost and Mr. Chicken  At Wikipedia:  More
    On IMDb: More
    On YouTube (trailer): More
    Having displaced 'Our Man Flint', it will be there until the weekend box office of January 30 1966 when, 'Doctor Zhivago', takes over.

    From Wikipedia: 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 American comedy-drama film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas. The working title was Running Scared. The actual title is presumably a humorous variation of the 1947 film, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir'.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): January 26
   V.
This month January 2016 (updated once a month - last updated - January 1 2016)

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

  VI.
TV fifty years ago 1966 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2016)

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 2016)

Best selling books of 1966 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

  • 2016 Postal Holidays More
  • 2016 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

  • List of holidays by country More
  • Holidays and Observances around the World More
Contact: If you wish to make comment, please do so by writing to this: Email address