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 the day of New Year. 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).
January symbols: The birthstone of January is the garnet which represents constancy. Its birth flower is the cottage pink Dianthus caryophyllus or galanthus. In Finnish, the month of tammikuu means the heart of the winter and because the name literally means Oak moon. The zodiac signs for the month of January are Capricorn (until January 19) and Aquarius (January 20 onwards). The traditional English birth month flower is the Carnation.
Historical Events for January, 1944
Day of Week 3rd » World War II: Top Ace Major Pappy Boyington or Greg "Pappy" Boyington is shot down in his Vought F4U Corsair by Captain List of World War II aces from Japan known as Masajiro Kawato flying a Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
Day of Week 4th » World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins.
Day of Week 5th » The 'Daily Mail' becomes the first transoceanic newspaper.
Day of Week 17th » World War II: Allies of World War II e.g Allied forces launch the first of Battle of Monte Cassino or four assaults on Monte Cassino with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome, an effort that would ultimately take four months
Day of Week 22nd » World War II: The Allies of World War II known as Allies commence Operation Shingle, an assault on Anzio, Italy.
Day of Week 25th » Florence Li Tim-Oi is ordained in China, becoming the first woman Anglican priest.
Day of Week 27th » World War II: The 900-day Siege of Leningrad is lifted.
Day of Week 29th » World War II: Approximately 38 people are killed and about a dozen injured when the Polish village of Koniuchy (present-day Kaniūkai, Lithuania) is Koniuchy massacre e.g attacked by Soviet partisan units.
29th » In Bologna, Italy, the Anatomical theatre of the Archiginnasio is destroyed in an air-raid.
Day of Week 30th » World War II: The Battle of Cisterna, part of Operation Shingle, begins in central Italy.
30th » World War II: American troops land on Majuro.
Day of Week 31st » World War II: American forces land on Kwajalein Atoll and other islands in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.
Famous Birthdays on January in 1944
1st » Omar al-Bashir, Sudanese politician, 7th List of heads of state of Sudan or President of Sudan
1st » Jimmy Hart, American wrestling manager and singer (The Gentrys)
1st » Jeremy Hindley, British horse trainer (d. 2013)
1st » Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Pakistani politician, 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan
1st » Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist (d. 2013)
1st » Mati Unt, Estonian director (d. 2005)
2nd » Péter Eötvös, Hungarian composer and conductor
9th » Ian Hornak, American painter and sculptor (d. 2002)
9th » Jimmy Page, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Honeydrippers, The Firm (rock band) e.g The Firm, and XYZ (UK band) e.g XYZ)