This Month In History: January
By Nicholas Isaacs
January is a month that is filled with so many events that shaped the United States and the world. Here are some of those events. On January 1st, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation stating that all slaves in the Confederacy would be free. Also on January 1st, 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban government after a few years of revolution. On January 4th, 1790, President George Washington delivered the first presidential state of the union address. On January 11th, 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General declared that cigarettes were bad for people’s health.
On January 15th, 1535, King Henry VIII of Britain declared himself the head of the English Church after breaking away from the Vatican and the Pope. On January 24th, 1848, the California Gold Rush started after John W. Marshal discovered a gold nugget in a California river. On January 27th, 1967, 3 astronauts were killed in a tragic fire that engulfed Apollo I. Also on January 27th, 1973, the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War ended when American representatives signed a peace treaty in the city of Paris. On January 28th, 1915, the U.S. Coast Guard was created when Congress combined the Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutting Service. Also on January 28th, 1986, the U.S. space shuttle Challenger tragically exploded, killing all seven crew members.
Now here are some historical birthdays. On January 1st, 1735, Paul Revere, who was famous for his midnight ride, was born, and on January 1st, 1752, Betsy Ross, the person who is credited with making the first American flag, was born. Born on January 6th, 1412, Joan of Arc, the famous women knight who fought for the French in the Hundred Years’ War. On January 8th, 1935, Elvis Presley, the world famous musician known as “the King of Rock”, was born. On January 11th, 1755, Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, was born. On January 12th, 1737, John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born.
On January 14th, 1741, Benedict Arnold, a U.S. general who later betrayed the United States and joined the British, was born. On January 15th, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr, the famous African-American civil rights leader, was born. Two famous men were born on January 17th. In the year of 1706, Benjamin Franklin, the famous American scientist, was born. In the year 1942, Muhammad Ali, the famous multi time World Boxing Champion, was born. On January 19th, 1807, General Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general that led all Confederate forces during the Civil War, was born. Born on January 27th, 1757, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the famous Austrian composer. Also on January 27th, 1859, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the leader of Germany during World War I, was born. On January 30th, 1882, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the president during World War II, and creator of the now famous “New Deal”, was born. And born on January 31st, 1919, Jackie Robinson, the first African-American baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of This Month In History and can’t wait for the next installment of it! Goodbye!
