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, 1996
Day of Week 1st » Curaçao gains limited self-government, though it remains within free association with the Netherlands.
Day of Week 3rd » The Motorola StarTAC, the first Flip (form) e.g flip phone and one of the first mobile phones to gain widespread consumer adoption, goes on sale.
Day of Week 9th » First Chechen War: Chechen people Chechen Separatism separatists launch a raid against the helicopter airfield and later a civilian hospital in the city of Kizlyar in the neighboring Dagestan, which turns into Kizlyar-Pervomayskoye hostage crisis a massiv
Day of Week 11th » Space Shuttle program: STS-72 launches from the Kennedy Space Center marking the start of the 74th Space Shuttle mission and the 10th flight of 'Space Shuttle Endeavour or Endeavour'.
Day of Week 17th » The Czech Republic applies for membership of the European Union.
Day of Week 19th » The barge 'North Cape (ship) known as North Cape' oil spill occurs as an engine fire forces the tugboat 'Scandia' ashore on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
Day of Week 24th » Poland called Polish Prime Minister of Poland named Prime Minister Józef Oleksy resigns amid charges that he spied for Moscow.
Day of Week 25th » Billy Bailey becomes the last person to be hanged in the USA.
Day of Week 27th » Germany first observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Day of Week 29th » President Jacques Chirac announces a "definitive end" to French nuclear weapons testing.
Day of Week 31st » An explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in Colombo, Sri Lanka killing at least 86 and injuring 1,400.
31st » Comet Hyakutake is discovered by Japanese amateur astronomer Yuji Hyakutake.
Famous Birthdays on January in 1996
4th » Jade Jones (Paralympian) e.g Jade Jones, English wheelchair racer