Let’s get creative!
Thursday, the 1st of January, 2015 is the 1st day in 2015 and in the 1st calendar week.
Mentoring Month
January 1 – 31, 2015 in the USA
January 2015 is National Mentoring Month. National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote youth mentoring in the United States. It was inaugurated in 2002, and is spearheaded by the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Each year since 2002, President George W. Bush has endorsed the campaign by proclaiming January as National Mentoring Month. The declaration has been endorsed by both chambers of the United States Congress. The campaign’s media partners have included ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC; Comcast; the National Association of Broadcasters; Time Warner; and Viacom.
Participants in the National Mentoring Month campaign include leading nonprofit organizations and numerous governors and mayors. Designated nonprofit and governmental agencies are responsible for coordinating local campaign activities in communities across the country, including media outreach and volunteer recruitment.
General Events:
New Year’s Day
January 1, 2015 in the World
New Year’s Day is the first day of the year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome (though other dates were also used in Rome). In all countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar with the exception of Israel, it is a public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts. January 1 on the Julian calendar corresponds to January 14 on the Gregorian calendar, and it is on that date that followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year. In Western Christianity New Year’s Day, January 1, is the eighth day of Christmas.
January 1 marks the end of a period of remembrance of a particular passing year, especially on radio, television and in newspapers, which usually starts right after thanksgiving. Publications often have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. Common topics include politics, natural disasters, music and the arts and the listing of significant individuals who died during the past year. Often there are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year, such as the description of new laws that often take effect on January 1.
This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s has become an occasion to celebrate the night of December 31, called New Year’s Eve. There are often fireworks at midnight. Some countries, Germany for example, permit individuals to burn fireworks, even if it’s usually outlawed the rest of the year. It is also customary to make New Year’s resolutions, which individuals hope to fulfil in the coming year. The most popular resolutions in the Western world include to quit tobacco smoking, stop excessive drinking of alcohol, lose weight, get physically fit, and save money.
Where is New Year’s Day?
Worldwide
Japanese New Year
January 1, 2015 in Japan
Japanese New Year takes place on January 01, 2015. The Japanese New Year is an annual festival with its own customs. The preceding days are quite busy, particularly the day before, known as Omisoka. Since 1873, the Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, New Year’s Day. However, the original celebration of the Japanese New Year is still marked, in Okinawa for instance, on the same day as the contemporary Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese New Years. Japanese people eat a special selection of dishes during the New Year celebration called osechi-ryori, typically shortened to osechi. This consists of boiled seaweed, fish cakes, mashed sweet potato with chestnut, simmered burdock root, and sweetened black soybeans. Another custom is creating rice cakes. Boiled sticky rice is put into a wooden shallow bucket-like container and patted with water by one person while another person hits it with a large wooden mallet. Mashing the rice, it forms a sticky white dumpling. This is made before New Year’s Day and eaten during the beginning of January.
Where is Japanese New Year?
Nationwide Japan
Global Family Day
January 1, 2015 in the USA
Global Family Day, One Day of Peace and Sharing, is celebrated every January 1 in the United States as a global day of peace and sharing. Global Family Day grew out of the United Nations Millennium celebration, “One Day In Peace”.
Originally supported in the United States by Linda Grover, the source of the idea itself is difficult to pin down because many grassroots efforts around the world had independently targeted this date as a day for peace and had worked separately to prevail on local governments and the U.N. to establish such a day. These efforts included a 1996 children’s book One Day In Peace, January 1, 2000 by Steve Diamond and Robert Alan Silverstein, which was translated into 22 languages, and a utopian novel Tree Island by Glover herself.
Where is Global Family Day?
Nationwide USA
First Foot Day
January 1, 2015 in England/Scotland
The custom of firstfooting, or being the first to cross the threshold of a home in the early hours of New Year’s Day, was so popular in England and Scotland during the 19th century that the streets were often more crowded between midnight and one o’clock in the morning than they would normally be at midday. If the “First Foot,” traditionally a man, was to bring the family luck, he had to arrive with his arms full of cakes, bread, and cheese for everyone to share. He should be dark-haired, not fair, and must not have flat feet.
Today the custom may still be observed in Britain and in scattered areas of the United States.
Where is First Foot Day?
Nationwide England/Scotland
Jump-up Day 2015
January 1, 2015 in Montserrat
Jump-up Day is observed on January 01, 2015. Jump-up Day is a holiday celebrated in Montserrat. It commemorates the emancipation of the slaves of Montserrat, and is the last day of Carnival on the island. Jump-up Day incorporates steelbands and masquerades, as well as male dancers chosen for their large size, who dance encumbered by chains to represent slavery.
Where is the event?
Nationwide Montserrat
Triumph of the Revolution
January 1, 2015 in Cuba
Triumph of the Revolution is celebrated on January 01, 2015. Triumph of the Revolution (Triunfo de la Revolución) is a celebration in Cuba of the anniversary of the victory of the revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959 which established the present government in Cuba. It is celebrated on January 1st every year.
Where is Triumph of the Revolution?
Nationwide Cuba
Public Domain Day
January 1, 2015 in the World
Public Domain Day is celebrated on January 01, 2015. Public Domain Day is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain. This legal transition of copyright works into the public domain usually happens every year on 1 January based on the individual copyright laws of each country.
Where is Public Domain Day?
Worldwide
Euro Day
January 1, 2015 in Europe
The Euro has been a consistently interesting topic since it came into existence in 1999—its occasional rapid climbs and drops, the controversy its introduction has caused in some countries, and the way it is an excellent reflection of the mindset of today’s Europe. For all of these reasons, the euro is more than deserving of its very own day!
The name euro was officially adopted on 16 December 1995, and the euro currency came into existence on 1 January 1999, after well over 30 years of planning—European leaders had, in fact, been wanting to introduce one currency for the whole of continent since the 1960s. After years and years tough negotiations, and plenty of opposition from the United Kingdom, the currency was finally born virtually in 1999. Actual notes, however, and coins did not circulate until 2002. Since then, the euro has been rapidly taking over one European Union country after another, and its reach has been expanding along with the constant increase in the amount of countries belonging to the EU. It is currently used daily by about 334 million Europeans in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain and is expected to be introduced into many more countries in the near future.
Where is Euro Day?
Nationwide Europe
National Bloody Mary Day
January 1, 2015 in the USA
Bloody Mary Day celebrates the drinking of the Bloody Mary cocktail, which is described by some as the perfect hangover cure despite containing the very thing that made you hung over in the first place: alcohol! The Bloody Mary is most often made with vodka, tomato juice and some spices, served on the rocks with a celery stalk or a dill pickle.
The origin of Bloody Mary Day is as shrouded in mystery and intrigue as the history of the drink itself. Even the name is quite enigmatic, with various scholars suggesting it was named after Queen Mary I of England, Hollywood star Mary Pickford, or even a waitress named Mary who worked at the Bucket of Blood bar in Chicago all given as possible namesakes.
There are also three versions of the story of where the Bloody Mary drink was first made. Fernand Petiot, a bartender that was originally from France, claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921 when he was working at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris that was popular with Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates at the time. Veterinarian-turned-writer James Rollins, on the other hand, claims) that the Bloody Mary was invented in the Hemingway Bar at The Ritz Paris. And an ocean away, New York’s 21 Club claims that the Bloody Mary was first made there, though they do have two versions of the story. One is that it was invented in the 1930s by a bartender named Henry Zbikiewicz, and another attributes its invention to the comedian George Jessel, who frequented the 21 Club.
The best and easiest way to celebrate Bloody Mary Day is by inviting some friends over to mix up and then enjoy a Bloody Mary or two. Or three. If you’ve never tried one before, and the idea of combining tomato juice with vodka just doesn’t sound particularly appetizing to you, this is the time to do it—there is a good reason why this is one of the most famous and popular drinks the world over, find out for yourself what it is!
Classic Bloody Mary recipe:
(serves 2)
2 lime wedges
4 oz high quality vodka
8 oz Tomato juice
4 dashes Tabasco Sauce
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 pinches celery salt
2 pinches ground black pepper
2 pinches smoked paprika
Put a little celery salt onto a small plate. Rub the juicy side of a lime wedge along the lip of a pint glass. Then, roll the outer edge of the glass in celery salt to coat it; repeat with the second glass. Put some ice cubes in both glasses and set aside. Put the lime wedges into a shaker and add the remaining ingredients. Shake gently several times, then strain into the prepared glasses. Garnish with a celery stalk and the leftover 2 lime wedges.
If you are looking for something to pair the drinks with, maybe try a platter of simple crackers with cubed cheeses or spicy salamis, as their flavor will complement the drink nicely. You could also put out some olives or pickles. Obviously, you should steer clear of anything sweet, like fruits, or heaven forbid, chocolates.
But the truth is that if there are enough Bloody Mary’s, nobody should care too much about what snacks there are!
Where is National Bloody Mary Day?
Nationwide USA
Natural Events:
Quadrantids 2015
January 1 – 5, 2015 in the World
The Quadrantids are an easily visible January meteor shower. The entire activity period of the Quadrantids runs from January 1 to 5, 2015.
The radiant of this shower is an area inside the constellation Boötes. The name comes from Quadrans Muralis, an obsolete constellation that is now part of Boötes. It lies between the end of the handle of the Big Dipper and the quadrilateral of stars marking the head of the constellation Draco.
Adolphe Quetelet of the Brussels Observatory discovered the shower in the 1830s, and shortly afterward it was noted by several other astronomers in Europe and America.
Where is Quadrantids?
The sky World
Historical Events on 1st January:
45 BC – The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time.
1 – Origin of Christian Era
313 – Start of Roman (Pontifical) Indiction
630 – The Prophet Muhammad sets out toward Mecca with the army that captures it bloodlessly.
1502 – Portuguese navigators discover Rio de Janeiro
1610 – German astronomer Simon Marius 1st discovers the Jupiter moons, but does not officially report it, Galileo does on July 1 1610
1700 – Russia begins using the Anno Domini era and no longer uses the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire.
1758 – The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature establish the “starting point” for standardized species names across the animal kingdom. This naming system is based on the binomial nomenclature laid out in Carolus Linnaeus 10th edition of Systema Naturae
1788 – Quakers in Pennsylvania emancipate their slaves
1801 – The Irish Parliament votes to join the Kingdom of Great Britain, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
1804 – Haiti gains independence from France (National Day)
1808 – Congress prohibits importation of slaves
1818 – Official reopening of the White House
1818 – Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” is published anonymously by the small London publishing house of Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones
1827 – Dutch Trade Company NHM gets opium monopoly on Java
1846 – Yucatan declares independence from Mexico
1848 – Britain takes Mosquito Coast from Nicaragua
1858 – Canada begins using decimal currency system
1860 – Slavery ends of in Neth Indies
1861 – President-elect of the United States Abraham Lincoln declares slavery in Confederate states unlawful (US Civil War)
1863 – Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln to free slaves in confederate states
1873 – Origin of Japanese Era
1877 – England’s Queen Victoria proclaimed empress of India
1881 – Dr John H Watson is introduced to Sherlock Holmes
1891 – French troops occupy Nioro, West-Sudan, 3000 killed
1896 – Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of x-rays
1899 – Cuba liberated from Spain by US (Natl Day) (US occupies till 1902)
1901 – Australia declares independence from federation of UK colonies
1904 – Neth Indies colony begins opium production
1906 – The poll tax of £1 per head on all adult male inhabitants of Natal, South Africa, except indentured Indians and married Blacks, imposed by the Natal parliament in 1905, becomes payable
1909 – In Great Britain, the Old Age Pension Law is finally instituted, providing pensions for every British subject over 70 with low income
1912 – Sun Yat-sen forms Chinese Republic
1917 – T. E Lawrence joins the forces of the Arabian sheik Feisal al Husayn, beginning his adventures that will lead him to Damascus by October, 1918
1922 – Coal miners in the Transvaal, South Africa, embark on a strike in response to a wage cut, which quickly escalated into a large-scale revolt against the government, known as the Rand Rebellion.
1934 – Alcatraz officially becomes a federal prison
1941 – Netherlands begins taxing wages
1948 – Italy adopts constitution
1948 – After partition, India declines to pay the agreed share of Rs.550 million in cash balances to Pakistan.
1950 – Ho Chi Minh begins offensive against French troops in Indo China
1956 – Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) declares independence from Egypt & UK
1959 – Cuban Dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba for the Dominican Republic
1961 – Largest check issued, Natl Bank of Chicago to Sears ($960.242 billion)
1962 – Western Samoa gains independence from New Zealand Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II becomes co-chief of Western Samoa
1972 – Policewomen are enlisted as full members of South African Police Force for the first time
1975 – Sweden adopts constitution
1980 – Sweden changes order of succession to throne
1984 – Brunei becomes independent of UK
1985 – The Internet’s Domain Name System is created
1992 – Europe breaks down trade barriers
1992 – The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is renamed the Russian Federation, becoming the successor state to the Soviet Union.
1994 – The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican State of Chiapas.
1995 – The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves.
1999 – The Euro currency is introduced.
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