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, 871
Day of Week 4th » Battle of Reading (871) called Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex fights, and is defeated by, a Denmark named Danish invasion army.
Day of Week 8th » Alfred the Great leads a Wessex called West Saxon army to Battle of Ashdown or repel an invasion by Danelaw Vikings.
Famous Birthdays on January in 871
1st » Zwentibold, Frankish son of Arnulf of Carinthia (d. 900)