Author Archives: Linda

February 2

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February 2 is:

National Tater Tot Day

Candlemas Day celebrates the presentation of the child Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem and the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After observing the traditional 40-day period of purification following his birth, Mary took Jesus to the temple. According to a New Testament gospel, a Jewish man named Simeon held the baby in his arms and said that he would be a light for the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). It is for this reason that this event is called Candlemas.

According to Jewish tradition, a mother who gives birth to a son was excluded from the temple for 40 days. She was then to bring a lamb or a young pigeon or two turtledoves to the temple in order to be “cleansed”. If she had given birth to a daughter, the time was doubled to eighty days.

Ground Hog Day – In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Groundhog Day is observed. Ground Hog Day began in 1887. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will persist for six more weeks.

In Scotland, the poem:

If Candle-mas Day is bright and clear,
There’ll be two winters in the year.

An English poem:

If Candle mas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

On February 2, 1913, Grand Central Terminal in New York City was opened for the first time.

1653 – New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) was incorporated.

President James Madison, born March 16, 1751Publication of Federalist Paper #49: Periodical Appeals to the People Considered written by James Madison in 1788. In his “Notes on the State of Virginia,”, Jefferson is quoted as saying that, since the people “are the only legitimate fountain of power” the encroachments of power cannot be addressed “without an appeal to the people themselves.” The author of this article agrees that there is logic to the idea of allowing the people to appeal through the use of a convention, but explains that it would be unworkable and contradictory to the proposed Constitution. The population would consider the Constitution defective if they had to meet in convention to “correct it”. It would be impractical to provide the opportunity for constant change once it is ratified.

1848 – Mexican–American War: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ceding Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California to the U.S.

February 2, 1905Birthday of Ayn Rand (February 2, 1905), (born Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum), Russian-American author and philosopher, founder of Objectivism. Authored “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead”.

1925 – Serum run to Nome: Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod race.. The race is from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, a distance of 938 miles and takes from 8-20+ days to complete.

February 1

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February 1 is:

National Cake Pops Day
National Baked Alaska Day
National Dark Chocolate Day Studies show that dark chocolate can improve health and lower the risk of heart disease.

1709 – Alexander Selkirk was rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring the book Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

Birthday of Thomas Campbell (February 1, 1763), Irish religious leader who founded the Church of the Disciples of Christ in the U.S.

President James Madison, born March 16, 1751Publication of Federalist Paper #48: These Departments Should Not Be So Far Separated as to Have No Constitutional Control Over Each Other written by James Madison in 1788. Madison continues to discuss the separation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Madison admits that power is by nature encroaching and speaks of the difficult task to prevent invasion of one branch into the workings of another. He singles out the legislative branch as being particularly successful in taking over power. As a final example, Madison describes legislative over-reach in the states of Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Anniversary of the first meeting of the Supreme Court of the U.S. (1790) at New York City with Chief Justice John Jay presiding

1793 – French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

1796 – The capital of Upper Canada was moved from Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York (now Toronto).

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” a poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
While God is marching on!

In 1876, a murder conviction effectively forced the “Molly Maguires “, to disband. They were violent, Pennsylvanian- Irish immigrant, anti-owner, coal miners.

February 1, 1884 – The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary was published.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police began operations in 1920.

In 1968, Canada’s three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, were unified into the Canadian Forces.

Patti Hearst released February 1, 1979February 1, 1979 – Convicted bank robber, Patty Hearst, was released from prison after her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter.

Khomeini February 1, 1979February 1, 1979 – The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.

February 1, 2002 – Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, was kidnapped January 23, 2002 by terrorists in Pakistan. He was beheaded and mutilated by his captors on February 1, 2002.

Space Shuttle Columbia February 1, 2003February 1, 2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board.

The Month of February

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The Month of February, the second month of the Gregorian calendar, gets its name from “Februarius” through the verb “februare” meaning “to purify”.

In ancient Rome it was the month of purification, with special ceremonies of repentance held at the festival of Februa on February 15.

It is the shortest month with 28 days except in Leap Year when it has 29.

In the twentieth century, it is a period for many Christians to prepare for Easter. It is frequently, depending upon the date of Easter, the month of Mardi Gras and other pre-Lenten carnivals. (In 2021, Mardi Gras is held on Feb 16th.)

Valentine HeartIt is also the month of Saint Valentine’s Day!

In the United States, the month of February is sometimes called Presidents’ Month because of the observance of the birthdays of Presidents Washington and Lincoln.

The flowers for February are the violet and the primrose. The birthstone is the amethyst, symbolizing piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity.

…from Gregory, Ruth W. Anniversaries and Holidays, Third Edition;. Chicago: American Library Association, 1975.

Events during the month include:

  • American Heart Month
  • An Affair to Remember Month
  • Black History Month (United States and Canada)
  • Creative Romance Month
  • National Bird-Feeding Month (United States)
  • Super Bowl: First Sunday (United States)
  • World Marriage Day: Second Sunday
  • Presidents Day: Third Monday (United States)
  • Landsegen: February 1 (according to traditions that use the solar calendar, traditions using the lunar calendar may place this holiday later in February) Landsegen means land-blessing, or “Charming of the plow” — A Germanic Heathen rite where farming tools (or other “work” tools) are blessed. The land is honored and cofgoda (household spirits) are venerated.
  • Groundhog Day: February 2 (United States and Canada)
  • Candlemas: February 2
  • Abraham Lincoln’s birthday: February 12 (United States)
  • Valentine’s Day: February 14
  • George Washington’s birthday: February 22 (United States)

Food Holidays:

  • Canned Food Month
  • National Chocolate Lovers Month
  • National Cherry Month
  • National Grapefruit Month
  • Great American Pie Month
  • National Snack Food Month
  • National Potato Lovers Month
  • Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month
  • National Hot Breakfast Month

Feb 6 is the anniversary of the date that Massachusetts became the 6th state.
Feb 14 is the anniversary of the date that Oregon became the 33rd state.
Feb 14 is also the anniversary of the date that Arizona became the 48th state.

January 31

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January 31 is:

Backward Day

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day

National Hot Chocolate Day

1606 – Gunpowder Plot : Guy Fawkes was executed for plotting against Parliament and King James.

Birthday of Robert Morris (January 31, 1734), American merchant and financier of the American Revolution. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, the Second Continental Congress, and the United States Senate, and he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution.

John Marshall January 31 appointed Chief Justice1801 – John Marshall was appointed the Chief Justice of the United States.

1846 – After the Milwaukee Bridge War, Juneautown and Kilbourntown unified as the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Juneautown had been named for Solomon Juneau, cousin to Joseph Juneau of Alaska.

1848 – John C. Frémont was Court-martialed for mutiny, disobedience of a superior officer, and military misconduct. Following the Mexican-American War, Frémont was appointed military governor of California by Commodore Stockton. However, Brig. Gen Stephen Watts Kearny had orders to assume the post from President Polk. He asked Frémont to relinquish the governorship which Frémont initially refused to do. He was then court martialed.

The 13th amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States, passed the Senate on April 8, 1864, and the House on January 31, 1865. On February 1, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Joint Resolution of Congress submitting the proposed amendment to the state legislatures.

Zane Grey born January 31, 1872Birthday of Zane Grey (January 31, 1872), American Western writer

Eddie Cantor born January 31, 1892Birthday of Eddie Cantor (born Edward Israel Iskowitz), (1892), American comedian, performer, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter.

Jackie Robinson, born January 31, 1919Birthday of Jackie Robinson (January 31, 1919), First black man to play in Major League Baseball.

On January 31, 1930, 3M began marketing Scotch Tape.

Apollo 141971 Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on the third successful manned mission to the moon.

January 30

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January 30 is:

National Inane Answering Message Day

National Croissant Day

1661 – Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England was ritually executed two years after his death, on the anniversary of the execution of the monarch he himself deposed.

According to Wikipedia:

Cromwell died on Friday, 3 September 1658. On 30 January 1661, (the 12th anniversary of the execution of Charles I), Cromwell’s body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, and was subjected to the ritual of a posthumous execution, as were the remains of Robert Blake, John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton…. His disinterred body was hanged in chains at Tyburn, and then thrown into a pit. Cromwell’s severed head was displayed on a pole outside Westminster Hall until 1685. Afterwards it allegedly was owned by various people and was publicly exhibited several times. Afterwards, the head changed hands several times, including its sale in 1814 to Josiah Henry Wilkinson, before eventually being buried beneath the floor of the antechapel at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1960. The exact position was not publicly disclosed…

However, many people began to question whether or not the body mutilated at Tyburn was in fact that of Cromwell. These doubts arose because it was assumed that between his death in September 1658 and the exhumation of January 1661, Cromwell’s body was buried and reburied in several places to protect it from vengeful royalists. The stories suggest that his bodily remains are buried in London, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire or Yorkshire. It continues to be questioned whether the body mutilated at Tyburn was in fact that of Oliver Cromwell.

President James Madison, born March 16, 1751Publication of Federalist Paper #47: The Particular Structure of the New Government and the Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts written by James Madison in 1788. It was argued that there must be total separation between the branches of government per writings by Montesquieu. Madison concludes by implying Montesquieu did not mean there had to be total separation of distinct branches of government only that the same person or group could not directly control the actions of more than one branch. Madison considers separation of powers to provide “checks and balances”. He examines the state constitutions and finds that none have absolute separation of the branches.

Andrew Jackson1835 – In the first assassination attempt against a President of the United States, Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house-painter from England, attempted to shoot President Andrew Jackson, but failed and was subdued by a crowd, including several congressmen. He aimed a pistol at Jackson, which misfired. Lawrence pulled out a second pistol, which also misfired. Historians believe the humid weather contributed to the double misfiring. Lawrence was restrained, and legend says that Jackson attacked Lawrence with his cane. Others present, including David Crockett, restrained and disarmed Lawrence.

In 1847 Yerba Buena, California was renamed San Francisco. (“I left my heart in Yerba Buena” has a pleasant ring to it!)

The first American ironclad warship, the USS Monitor was launched in 1862.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, born Jan 30, 1882, died April 12, 1945Birthday of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882), thirty-second president of the United States

Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933.

Dick Cheney, born January 30, 1941 Birthday of Richard Bruce (Dick) Cheney (January 30, 1941), vice-president during the administration of George W. Bush (2001-2009).

On January 30, 1948, Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist.

MS Hans Hedtoft1959 – Danish liner, MS Hans Hedtoft, said to be the safest ship afloat and “unsinkable” like the RMS Titanic, struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank, killing all 95 aboard.

January 29

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January 29 is:

National Puzzle Day

National Corn-chip Day

Birthday of Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737), American Revolutionary, author of “Common Sense”, “The Rights of Man”, and “The Age of Reason”

President James Madison, born March 16, 1751Publication of Federalist Paper #46: The Influence of the State and Federal Governments Compared written by James Madison in 1788. Madison writes of the advantages that State governments have over the Federal government in popular support and in resisting encroachments. He claims that the hypothetical conflicts put forward by the Anti-Federalists are “chimerical” or highly improbably, illusory. He points out that the ultimate control of both state and federal governments resides with the people. On the subject of a possible military takeover by the federal government, Madison proposes that the standing Army of the United States should be no more than 1% of the population (In 1790 the population was about 3 million so he proposed an Army of 30,000); or no more than 4% of the number able to bear arms; and that state militias would have about 500,000 men. The force of the federal government encroaching on the people could not stand up to the might of an armed citizenry.

Britain’s King George III died at Windsor Castle on January 29, 1820. He is believed to have been insane at the time of his death.

President McKinley shot, September 6, 1901Birthday of William McKinley (January 29, 1843), twenty-fifth president of the United States.

He was shot September 6, 1901 and died a week later. He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt.
Assassination of William McKinley

The Raven was published in the New York Evening Mirror on this date in 1845; the first publication with the name of the author, Edgar Allan Poe.

Once upon a midnight dreary,
while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping,
suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—
“‘Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”

Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the U.S. Congress.

Anniversary of the institution of the Victoria Cross in 1856 to reward individual acts of bravery.

Header-KansasKansas Day, on this day in 1861 Kansas became the thirty-fourth state.

  • Capital: Topeka
  • Nickname: Sunflower State
  • Motto: To the stars through difficulties
  • Amphibian – barred tiger salamander
  • Animal – American buffalo (bison)
  • Bird: Western meadowlark
  • Flower: Sunflower
  • Grass – little bluestem
  • Insect – honeybee
  • Language – English
  • Reptile – ornate box turtle
  • Soil – Harney silt loam
  • Kansas State Song – “Home on the Range” by Dr. Brewster Higley and Dan Kelly
  • Tree: Cottonwood

See our page for the state of Kansas for more interesting facts and trivia about Kansas.

Birthday of W.C. Fields (January 29, 1880), American comedian

The American League, consisting of eight baseball teams, was organized in Philadelphia on this day in 1900.

Anniversary of the establishment of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. The first five honorees were Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, and Babe Ruth.

On January 29, 1963, poet Robert Frost died in Boston.

January 28

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January 28 is:

Fun at Work Day

National Blueberry Pancake Day

National Kazoo Day

Henry VIII born January 28, 1457Henry VII was born on Jan 28, 1457.

England’s King Henry VIII died on January 28, 1547. His nine-year-old son, Edward VI became King, and the first Protestant ruler of England.

1624 – Sir Thomas Warner founded the first British colony in the Caribbean, on the Island of Saint Kitts.

1754 – Horace Walpole coined the word serendipity in a letter to Horace Mann.  Serendipity means a “fortunate or happy unplanned coincidence”.

1813 – Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” was first published in the United Kingdom. “Sense and Sensibility” had been published two years earlier in 1811. It is in the public domain and can be read at nextdoor-e-store.com

1820 – A Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovered the Antarctic continent, approaching the Antarctic coast.

Birthday of Sir Henry Morton Stanley (January 28, 1841), Anglo-American explorer remembered for his finding the explorer David Livingstone

Birthday of William Seward Burroughs (January 28, 1855), American inventor of the calculating machine.

GigiBirthday of (Sidonie-Gabrielle) Colette (January 28, 1873), French writer of “Gigi” It was made into a movie in 1958 starring Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier, and Hermione Gingold and featuring songs “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” and “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore”.

In 1909 the United States troops left Cuba with the exception of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, after being there since the Spanish–American War.

Birthday of Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912), American painter, a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. Not my cup of tea but samples of his works can be viewed at Wikiart

Anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Coast Guard (1915), combining the Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service. The Coast Guard March can be heard at benneynlinda.com

Anniversary of the death of John McCrae (1918), author of “In Flanders Field”

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

January 28,On Jan. 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members. (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair; (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik.

January 27

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January 27 is:

Chocolate Cake Day

Punch the Clock Day

Birthday of Wolgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756), Austrian concert pianist and world-renowned composer.

The University of Georgia was founded in 1785, the first public university in the United States.

IndianTerritoryIn 1825 the U.S. Congress approved Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the “Trail of Tears”.

Birthday of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (January 27, 1832), English mathematician and author who wrote under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, author of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”.

Thomas Edison received a patent for his electric incandescent lamp in 1880.

Show Boatauthor born January 27, 1885 Birthday of Jerome Kern (January 27, 1885), American composer who wrote the score for the musical version of Edna Ferber’s novel “Show Boat“. The lyrics were written by Oscar Hammerstein II. Songs included “Ole Man River” and “Make Believe“. Show Boat was made into a movie three times: 1929 starring Laura LaPlante (a semi “talkie” movie”); 1936 starring Irene Dunne; and 1951 starring Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel.

John Roberts born January 27, 1955Birthday of John Roberts (January 27, 1955), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, nominated by President George W Bush.

1956 – Elvis Presley released “Heartbreak Hotel.” It was written by Tommy Durden and Mae Boren Axton. A newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window inspired the lyrics. Axton presented the song to Presley in November 1955 at a country music convention in Nashville. Presley agreed to record it, and did so on January 10, 1956, in a session with his band, The Blue Moon Boys, including guitarist Chet Atkins, and pianist Floyd Cramer. It was released January 27th.

1967 – Astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo I spacecraft at Cape Kennedy, Fla.

1973 – The Paris Peace Accords officially ended the Vietnam War. Colonel William Nolde was killed in action, becoming the conflict’s last recorded American combat casualty.

2010 – Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple iPad.

January 26

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January 26 is:

Spouse’s Day

National Peanut Brittle Day

1564 – The Council of Trent issued its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. It is considered to be one of the Church’s most important councils. It specified Catholic doctrine on salvation, the sacraments, and the Biblical canon. The precepts agreed to have been affirmed by recent Popes.

President James Madison, born March 16, 1751Publication of Federalist Paper #45: The Alleged Danger From the Powers of the Union to the State Governments Considered written by James Madison in 1788. Madison declares that the Primary Purpose of government is the happiness of the people. He shows that states will “retain extensive portion of active sovereignty”. The federal government will be involved in war, peace, immigration, taxation, and trade. The states retain all other powers. Madison fortells the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights which states that the federal government has only those powers delegated to it; all remaining powers are reserved for the states or the people. He refers to “Achaean League” and “Lycian Confederation” which were associations of Greek city-states which enjoyed “home rule”.

From Turkish Coalition of America:

In summary, the Lycian confederacy made three contributions to the American Constitution. First, it was a model of a federal union the strength of whose parts in the national councils is proportionate to their size. Second, it showed the possibility of popular government that was representative. Third, it offered the example of a strong national government with its own strong officers and the power to make laws that applied directly to individual citizens.

Madison never viewed a national government which would be involved in social issues (abortion, drinking and drug use, gay rights, etc.), education, minimum wages, fuel efficiency, global warming, light bulbs, seat belts, and all the other issues currently discussed at a federal level.

born January 26Birthday of Julia Grant (1826), wife of Ulysses S Grant; First Lady 1869-1877. Per Wikipedia:

As First Lady it was suggested to her that she have an operation to correct her crossed eyes, but President Grant said that he liked her that way.

Header-Michigan-Isle RoyaleMichigan Day On Jan 26, 1837 Michigan became the twenty-sixth state.

  • Capital: Lansing
  • Nickname: Great Lakes State/Wolverine State/Water Wonderland
  • Motto: If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.
  • Bird: Robin
  • Fish – brook trout
  • Flower: Apple blossom
  • Fossil – mastodon
  • Game Mammal – white-tailed deer
  • Gem – Isle Royal greenstone
  • Reptile – painted turtle
  • Stone – Petoskey stone
  • Tree: White Pine
  • Wildflower – dwarf lake iris

See our page for the state of Michigan for more interesting facts and trivia about Michigan.

Tennessee enacted the first prohibition law in the United States on Jan 26, 1838.

1855 – Point No Point Treaty was signed in Washington Territory. Point No Point is on the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula. The treaty was with the S’Klallam, the Chimakum, and the Skokomish tribes which ceded ownership of their land in exchange for a small reservation and payment of $60,000 from the federal government. The land is now owned jointly by the U. S. Coast Guard and a private landowner and is one of the best birdwatching sites in the state of Washington.

On January 26, 1870, the state of Virginia rejoined the Union.

On Jan. 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur, the American general who achieved acclaim as a grand strategist in World War II and in Korea, was born.

The Rocky Mountain National Park was established by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1915.

1920 – Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland launched the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer.

Actor Paul Newman was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio on January 26, 1925. He died Sept 26, 2008 in Westport, Connecticut. As well as acting and directing, Paul Newman was a professional race car driver and enthusiast and co-founder of Newman’s Own, a food company from which all profits are donated to charity.

1956 – At Decca Records’ Nashville studios, Buddy Holly‘s first official recording session took place. “Blue Days, Black Nights” was recorded and became his debut single.

1988 The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running show in Broadway history, opened at the Majestic Theater in New York.

January 25

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January 25 is:

National Irish Coffee Day

Opposite Day

Birthday of Robert Burns (January 25, 1627), celebrated in Scotland, England, and Newfoundland.

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee well, my only Luve
And fare thee well, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

Shays’ Rebellion of 1787: The rebellion’s largest confrontation, outside the Springfield Armory, resulted in the killing of four rebels and the wounding of twenty. In 1787, Shays’ rebels marched on the federal Springfield Armory in an unsuccessful attempt to seize its weaponry and overthrow the government. The federal government found itself unable to finance troops to put down the rebellion, and it was consequently put down by the Massachusetts State militia and a privately funded local militia. The widely held view was that the Articles of Confederation needed to be reformed as the country’s governing document, and the events of the rebellion served as a catalyst for the Constitutional Convention and the creation of the new government.

President James Madison, born March 16, 1751Publication of Federalist Paper #44: Restrictions on the Authority of the Several States written by James Madison in 1788. In this article, Madison discusses the Constitution’s limitation on the powers of the states. The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution on the basis of state sovereignty. Madison explains the necessity of having a “supreme law of the land” and justifies its reserving of some, enumerated powers to the federal government, many of which were in the Articles of Confederation. He discusses the “Necessary and Proper Clause” and the “Supremacy Clause”. He also gives reason to the necessity of state legislative and judicial authorities as well as federal to swear by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution.

“The Wedding March”” by Felix Mendelssohn was played at the marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia in 1858, and became a popular wedding recessional.

Birthday of W. Somerset Maugham (January 25, 1874), English novelist/playwright who penned The Razor’s Edge and Of Human Bondage.

In 1890 Nellie Bly completed her round-the-world journey in 72 days.

On Jan. 25, 1915, the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, inaugurated U.S. transcontinental telephone service.

On January 25, 1959, American Airlines was the first transcontinental commercial airline to offer flights from Los Angeles to New York. Tickets cost $301.