On 4 January 1896, Utah became the 45th state of the Union.
Jan 4, 1893. President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation granting full amnesty and pardon to all persons who had since Nov 1, 1890, abstained from unlawful cohabitation in a polygamous marriage. This was intended in the main for a specific group of elderly Mormons who had continued in the practice of contracting serial marriages. Amnesty was based on the condition that those pardoned must obey the law in the future or be “vigorously prosecuted.” The practice of polygamy was a factor interfering with attainment of statehood for Utah.
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Jan 4, 1809. The inventor of a widely used touch system of reading and writing for blind people was born at Coupvray, France.
Permanently blinded at the age of three by a leather working awl in his father’s saddle-making shop, Braille developed a system of writing that used, ironically, an awl-like stylus to punch marks in paper that could be felt and interpreted by people who are blind. The system was largely ignored until after Braille died in poverty, suffering from tuberculosis, at Paris, Jan 6, 1852.
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illustration of music background in doodle style
Jan 4, 1936. Billboard magazine published the first list of bestselling pop records, covering the week that ended Dec 30, 1935. On the list were recordings by the Tommy Dorsey and the Ozzie Nelson orchestras.
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On 5 January 1914, Henry Ford announced that all worthy Ford Motor Company employees would receive a minimum wage of $ 5 a day. Ford explained the policy as “profit sharing and efficiency engineering.” The more cynical attributed it to an attempt to prevent unionization and to obtain a docile workforce that would accept job speedups. To obtain this minimum wage, an employee had to be of “good personal habits.” Whether an individual fit these criteria was determined by a new office created by Ford Motor Company— the Sociological Department.
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On 5 January 1914 the boxer turned actor was born George Keefer Brewer at Woodstock, Iowa. Active in the 1940s in minor Hollywood roles (including a small part in Gone with the Wind), Reeves found stardom on the small screen as Superman/ Clark Kent in “The Adventures of Superman,” which ran from 1952 to 1957. Reeves did his own stunts as the “Man of Steel” and was popular with children all over.
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Source: KWilson.com, fair use
Jan 5, 1913. The “father of the modern hotel,” revolutionized the travel industry by creating the first standardized chain of clean, air-conditioned hotels with swimming pools and ice machines.
Born at Osceola, AR, in 1951 Wilson became angered by the conditions and costs of hotels he encountered during what he called “the most miserable vacation trip of my life.” From this family vacation, the idea for the Holiday Inn chain was born.
Named after the 1942 Bing Crosby film, Holiday Inns were strategically located next to the burgeoning interstate highway system, where growing numbers of post-WWII families could travel from one to the next, knowing there would be no unsavory surprises. Today, there are Holiday Inns in every state and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Wilson died at his home at Memphis, TN, on Feb 12, 2003.
Read more at http://kwilson.com/our-story/history/.
Evening before Epiphany (6 January). Twelfth Night marks the end of medieval Christmas festivities.
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On 6 January 1912, New Mexico was admitted as the 47th state in the Union.
Jan 6. A secular festival preceding Lent. A time of merrymaking and feasting before the austere days of Lenten fasting and penitence (40 weekdays between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday). The word carnival probably is derived from the Latin carnem levare, meaning “to remove meat.” Depending on local custom, the carnival season may start any time between Nov 11 and Shrove Tuesday. Conclusion of the season is much less variable, being the close of Shrove Tuesday in most places. Celebrations vary considerably, but the festival often includes many theatrical aspects (masks, costumes and songs) and has given its name (in the US) to traveling amusement shows that may be seen throughout the year.
Observed traditionally in Roman Catholic countries from Epiphany through Shrove Tuesday.
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Known also as Old Christmas Day and Twelfthtide.
On the 12th day after Christmas, Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi, the first Gentile recognition of Christ. Epiphany of Our Lord, one of the oldest Christian feasts, is observed in Roman Catholic churches in the US on a Sunday between Jan 2 and 8. Theophany of the Eastern Orthodox Church is observed in churches using the Gregorian calendar (Jan 19 in those churches using the Julian calendar). This feast day celebrates the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus at the time of his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Note: In centuries past, the day began at sunset. This custom has often led to confusion between Twelfth Night and Twelfth Day.
Image: “Adoration of the Magi” in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at Conception Abbey in Conception, Mo. 
La Befana is an Epiphany festival in which the “Befana,” a kindly witch, bestows gifts on children— toys and candy for those who have been good, but a lump of coal or a pebble for those who have been naughty. The festival begins on the night of Jan 5 with much noise and merrymaking (when the Befana is supposed to come down the chimneys on her broom, leaving gifts in children’s stockings) and continues with joyous fairs, parades and other activities throughout 6 January.
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Major festival of the Christian Church observed in many parts of the world with gifts, feasting, last lighting of Christmas lights and burning of Christmas greens. Twelfth and last day of the Feast of the Nativity. Commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men (Kings or Magi) to Bethlehem.
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Jan 7, 1912. The prolific cartoonist with a macabre sense of humor was born at Westfield, NJ. He became a full-time staff member of The New Yorker in 1935 and stayed there for his entire career, producing some 1,300 cartoons. His most famous creation was the ghoulish “Addams Family,” who escaped print into television and film. Author of numerous bestselling cartoon collections and the Charles Addams Mother Goose (1967), Addams died Sept 29, 1988, at New York, NY.
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On 7 January, 1927, basketball promoter Abe Saperstein’s “New York Globetrotters” took the floor on this date at Hinckley, Illinois. Despite the “New York” in their name, the Globetrotters (who included Inman Jackson, Lester Johnson and Walter Wright) hailed from Chicago’s South Side. The talented African-American players— unable to play in white professional leagues— barnstormed the nation in serious basketball promotional events. They changed to “Harlem Globetrotters” in the 1930s and added humor to their games in the 1940s.
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A day to fight back and take control of all events that happen in one’s life. Stand up for your rights— it’s so easy to walk away.
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A day to recognize and thank programmers for their contributions to our lives. Programmers are ultimately responsible for many of the conveniences we enjoy such as DVRs, direct deposit, Web surfing, online bill paying, cell phones, etc. Behind most modern-day conveniences, there’s a computer programmer! Annually, Jan 7.
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7 January is Christmas as observed by those churches using the Julian calendar.
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8 January 2017 is the 9th Annual Argyle Day. Bring some brightness to winter by wearing an argyle print— not just socks: anything with the diagonal diamond pattern. The more argyle, the better!
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On 8 January 1982, in the most significant antitrust suit since the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911, American Telephone and Telegraph agreed to give up its 22 local Bell System companies (“ Baby Bells”). These companies represented 80 percent of AT& T’s assets. This ended the corporation’s virtual monopoly on US telephone service.
On 8 January 1815, British forces suffered crushing losses (more than 2,000 casualties) in an attack on New Orleans, Louisiana. Defending US troops were led by General Andrew Jackson, who became a popular hero as a result of the victory. Neither side knew that the War of 1812 had ended two weeks previously with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, 24 December 1814.
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Jan 8, 1935. Popular American rock singer, born at Tupelo, MS. Although his middle name was spelled incorrectly as “Aron” on his birth certificate, Elvis had it legally changed to “Aaron,” which is how it is spelled on his gravestone. Died at Memphis, TN, Aug 16, 1977.
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Midwife’s Day or Women’s Day is celebrated 8 January each year to honor midwives and all women. “On this day women stop their housework and spend their time in cafés, while the men do all the housework chores and look after the children.” In some villages, men caught outside “will be stripped… and drenched with cold water.”
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On 8 January 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a War on Poverty in his State of the Union address. He stressed improved education as one of the cornerstones of the program. The following Aug 20, he signed a $ 947.5 million antipoverty bill designed to assist more than 30 million citizens.
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On 9 January 1793, A Frenchman, Jean-Pierre François Blanchard, made the first manned free-balloon flight in America’s history at Philadelphia, PA. The event was watched by President George Washington and many other high government officials. The hydrogen-filled balloon rose to a height of about 5,800 feet, traveled some 15 miles and landed 46 minutes later in New Jersey. Reportedly Blanchard had one passenger on the flight— a little black dog.
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