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, 1968
Day of Week 5th » Alexander Dubček comes to power: "Prague Spring" begins in Czechoslovakia.
Day of Week 7th » Surveyor Program: 'Surveyor 7', the last spacecraft in the Surveyor series, lifts off from Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 36 e.g launch complex 36A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station or Cape Canaveral.
Day of Week 13th » Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison named performs live at Folsom State Prison
Day of Week 21st » Vietnam War: Battle of Khe Sanh One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.
21st » A B-52 bomber 1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash e.g crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete.
Day of Week 22nd » Apollo 5 lifts off carrying the first Lunar module into space.
Day of Week 23rd » North Korea seizes the USS Pueblo AGER-2 6, claiming the ship had violated its territorial waters while spying.
Day of Week 30th » Vietnam War: Tet Offensive launch by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army against South Vietnam, the United States, and their allies.
Day of Week 31st » Viet Cong attack the United States embassy in Saigon, and other attacks, in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the Tet Offensive.
24th » Michael Kiske, German singer-songwriter (Helloween, Unisonic (band) known as Unisonic, Place Vendome (band) or Place Vendome, and Kiske/Somerville)
27th » Tricky (musician) known as Tricky, English rapper, producer, and actor (The Wild Bunch (sound system) called The Wild Bunch and Massive Attack)
27th » Patrick Blondeau, French footballer
27th » Mike Patton, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas (band) Fantômas, Tomahawk (band) Tomahawk, and Lovage (band) Lovage)
27th » Matt Stover, American football player
27th » Deb Talan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Weepies)
28th » Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
28th » DJ Muggs, American DJ and producer (Cypress Hill and The 7A3)
29th » Edward Burns, American actor, director, and producer
29th » Susi Erdmann, German bobsledder
29th » Sora Jung, South Korean actress
29th » Aeneas Williams, American football player
30th » Trevor Dunn, American bass player and songwriter (Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3, Fantômas (band) or Fantômas, and Tomahawk (band) called Tomahawk)
30th » Tony Maudsley, English actor
30th » Felipe, Prince of Asturias
31st » Matt King (comedian) known as Matt King, English comedian and actor
31st » Ulrica Messing, Swedish politician
31st » Patrick Stevens, Belgian sprinter
Famous Deaths for January 1968
1st » Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, American publisher, founded DC Comics (b. 1890)