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, 2006
Day of Week 2nd » An Sago Mine disaster or explosion in a coal mine in Sago, West Virginia traps and kills 12 miners, while leaving one miner in critical condition.
Day of Week 4th » Prime Minister of Israel named Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Day of Week 12th » Incidents during the Hajj e.g A stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.
12th » The French warship French aircraft carrier Clemenceau (R98) e.g Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal. Greenpeace activists board the ship.
Day of Week 19th » The New Horizons probe is launched by NASA on the first mission to Pluto.
Day of Week 20th » Witnesses report seeing a bottlenose whale River Thames whale named swimming in the River Thames, the first time the species had been seen in the River Thames or Thames since records began in 1913.
Day of Week 25th » Three independent observing campaigns announce the discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb through gravitational microlensing, the first cool rocky/icy extrasolar planet around a main-sequence star.
25th » Mexico Mexican lucha libre professional wrestler Juana Barraza is arrested in connection with the serial killer serial killing of at least 10 elderly women.
Day of Week 27th » Western Union discontinues its Telegraphy called Telegram and Commercial Messaging services.
Day of Week 28th » The roof of one of the buildings at the Katowice International Fair in Chorzów/Katowice, Poland, Katowice Trade Hall roof collapse e.g collapses due to the weight of snow, killing 65 and injuring more than 170 others.