Today is...
National Hugging Day!

Whether you prefer Bear Hugs, Heart-to-Heart Hugs, Cheek Hugs, or Side Hugs, embrace your loved ones today to show your love and affection.
Scientific studies have demonstrated that hugs are incredibly good for us. A hug can lower your blood pressure, trigger the release of healthy hormones (like oxytocin), and relieve stress. Doctors recommend a minimum of 4-6 hugs per day for our emotional and physiological well-being, but more is always better!
The record for most hugs given in one hour by an individual is 1,749. Nick Vujicic achieved this feat at an expo center in Oregon in 2010.
Find out more about National Hugging Day and celebrate it in your own special way. Create a hug chain, host a hug-a-thon, initiate a group hug, or substitute hugging for handshakes in honor of the occasion!

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Today is also New England Clam Chowder Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is Sundance Film Festival & Slam Dance Week
 

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 21st 1903 - "Wizard of Oz," premieres in New York City NY 1954 - World's first nuclear submarine enters service 1977 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter provides a presidential pardon to most Vietnam War draft dodgers. 1977 -  Italy legalizes abortion   1991 -  CBS News correspondent Bob Simon captured by Iraqis in Persian Gulf ______________________________________________________ "Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today is...
Martin Luther King Day!

On this day we celebrate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who devoted his life to the pursuit of justice and equality for all.
President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law on November 2, 1983—fifteen years after the assassination of the civil rights leader. A congressman from Michigan introduced the legislation just a few months after Dr. King’s death in 1968, but it took years of petitions, politics, and personal appeals from Coretta Scott King to get it passed.
Martin Luther King Day is celebrated every year on the third Monday in January. There are only two other federal holidays that honor individuals—Washington’s Birthday (also known as Presidents Day) and Columbus Day.
Today, take a moment to honor Dr. King’s work and reflect on his dream for America. Find out how you can participate in the national day of service and volunteer on Martin Luther King Day.

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Today is also National Cheese Lover's Day & National Buttercrunch Day & Penguin Awareness Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is Sundance Film Festival & Slam Dance Week
 

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 20th 1783 - Great Britain signs preliminary peace treaty ending American Revolutionary War 1920 - American Civil Liberties Union Founded 1942 - Japanese invade Burma 1949 -  President Truman announces his Point Four program   1981 -  Ronald Reagan inaugurated as President ______________________________________________________ "We make our fortunes, and we call them fate." -- Earl of Beaconsfield

Today is...
Kid Inventors' Day!

Today we celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of young people all around the world. Kids have invented all sorts of things that we use in our everyday lives including earmuffs, popsicles, trampolines, Braille, and even the television! One of the earliest known kid inventors was Benjamin Franklin. He invented swim flippers at the age of twelve.
Many school systems hold an annual Invention Convention to encourage students to come up with creative solutions to the problems they find in their own environment. The prize winners sometimes go on to receive U.S. patents for their work!
To celebrate Kid Inventors’ Day, visit the official website to learn more about this special occasion. You can also help organize a local Invention Convention in your community, and encourage the kids in your life to be young inventors!

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Today is also Hot-Buttered Rum Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is Cuckoo Dancing Week & Sundance Film Festival & Slam Dance Week
 

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 17th 1773 - Resolution, under Captain James Cook, becomes the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle. 1929 - Popeye the Sailor Man first appears in Thimble Theatre comic strip 1946 - United Nations Security Council holds first ever meeting 1987 -  President Reagan signed a secret order permitting the covert sale of arms to Iran.   1996 -  The Czech Republic applies for membership of the European Union. ______________________________________________________ "A good name will shine forever." -- Proverb

Today is...
National Fig Newton Day!

Popular myth has it that Nabisco's chewy cookies were named after Sir Isaac Newton. In reality, they were named after their birthplace of Newton, Massachusetts. Did you know that these cookies are made in over 5 varieties aside from original fig, including strawberry, apple & cinnamon, sweet peach & apricot, and triple berry? 
This popular snack food was created by the Kennedy biscuit Works located in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts. They were known for naming many of their cookie after neighboring towns - the "Newton" in Fig Newton is a nod to the nearby town. They rank as the 3rd most popular cookie in the United States, with over 1 billion each each year.
To celebrate this holiday, open up a fresh pack of them to enjoy as a snack, or as a sweet ending to your meal!

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Today is also International Hot & Spicy Food Day & Appreciate a Dragon Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is Cuckoo Dancing Week
 

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 16th 1776 - General George Washington allows enlistment of free blacks 1777 - Independent Republic of Vermont asks recognition from Congress 1919 - Volstead Act passes, beginning Prohibition 1939 -  Comic strip "Superman" debuts   1944 -  Eisenhower takes command of the allied invasion force in London ______________________________________________________ "Reputation is for time; character is for eternity." -- J. B. Gough

Today is...
Tu B'Shevat!

Send a free eCard to friends and family to celebrate! Tu B’Shevat is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the New Year for Trees. According to an ancient tradition, people are not supposed to eat the fruit from any tree that is less than five years old. Tu B’Shevat is used as the universal day of measurement when each tree turns one year older.
To celebrate the New Year for Trees, people plant saplings and give thanks for spring, which is just around the corner. Another custom is to eat dishes made with the Seven Species (also known as the Shivat Haminim): wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.
Cook up a delicious dinner with lots of fresh vegetables, start a container garden in your kitchen, and make plans for the spring season in honor of Tu B’Shevat!

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Today is also National Strawberry Ice Cream Day & American Idol - New Season Begins
January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is Cuckoo Dancing Week
 

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 15th 1844 - The University of Notre Dame is founded 1870 - Thomas Nast creates the symbol of the democratic party, the donkey 1943 - The world's largest office building, The Pentagon, is dedicated (Arlington, Virginia). 1973 -  President Nixon suspends all US offensive action in North Vietnam   2009 -  Miracle on the Hudson ______________________________________________________ "The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook." -- William James

Today is...
National Dress Up Your Pet Day!

Does your pet have an impeccable sense of style? Today is the perfect opportunity to break out the bejeweled collars, sassy sweaters, and fashion accessories.
A Weimaraner named Man Ray is arguably the most famous dressed-up pet in American history. In the 1970s he collaborated with his owner, photographer William Wegman, to produce a collection of internationally acclaimed portraits.
Whether you choose to dress your pet in a little devil costume from Halloween, a miniature tiara, or your Aunt Mildred’s floral dress, snap a photo of your pet in a fabulous outfit to celebrate National Dress Up Your Pet Day!

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Today is also National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is Cuckoo Dancing Week
 

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 14th 1914 - Henry Ford introduces assembly line, for T-Fords 1942 - President Roosevelt signs into law Japanese detention 1979 - President Carter proposes Martin Luther King's birthday be a holiday 1984 -  Madonna first sings "Holiday" on American Bandstand   1990 -  "Simpsons" premiered on Fox-TV ______________________________________________________ "Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another." -- John Dewey

Today is...
National Rubber Ducky Day!

In 1970, Jim Henson performed the song “Rubber Duckie” as Ernie on Sesame Street, and the rubber duck bath toy has been an iconic American symbol ever since. Rubber ducks have been around since the rise of the rubber industry in the late 1800s, but no one knows their exact origin.
Did you know that in January of 1992, a shipment of 29,000 rubber duckies fell off a cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean? By 2007, the “Friendly Floatees” had traveled 17,000 miles around the world on the ocean currents. Some are still afloat today! Over the years, people reported sightings in Indonesia, Australia, South America, the Bering Straight, the Arctic, and (eventually) the Atlantic Ocean.
Happy Rubber Ducky Day!

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January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is Cuckoo Dancing Week
 

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 13th 1920 - New York Times editorial (falsely) reports rockets can never fly 1930 - "Mickey Mouse" comic strip first appears 1939 - Doc Barker, member of Bloody Barkers Gang, shot trying to escape Alcatraz 1942-  Henry Ford patents a method of constructing plastic auto bodies   1966 -  First black man serves on a Presidential cabinet ______________________________________________________ "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else." -- Yogi Berra