On this day
1st January
New Year's Day
If Auld Lang Syne left your throat dry? And dancing left your feet sore? And drinking left your head fuzzy? Then resist the temptation to curl up in bed
2nd January
The Second Day of Hogmanay
While the rest of Britain is beginning to return to normality after a seasonal binge, Scotland is still going strong. Hogmanay is the Scottish equivalent
3rd January
The drinking straw was patented this day
Where would the frozen cocktail or those thick shakes be without the straw? This day in 1888, the drinking straw was patented by Marvin Stone.
4th January
Sir Isaac Newton's birthday
On this very day, in a Lincolnshire hamlet in 1643, Hannah Ayscough gave birth to a son so small he could fit in a 1 litre jug. Little would anyone have
5th January
Joma Shinji
The Joma Shinji Japanese New Year archery ritual is based on the Japanese belief that arrows have the power to banish evil – the word Joma translates
6th January
The anniversary of Fernand Petiot's death
Fernand Petiot was a legendry bartender credited with inventing the Bloody Mary. As if that wasn't great enough, he served drinks to every US President
7th January
Christmas Day in Russia
Happy Christmas to all our Russian readers, who celebrate all things Christmassy a couple of weeks after we do here in Blighty, though normally with a
8th January
Elvis Presley's birthday
The man who was to become The King of Rock 'n' Roll was born on this day in 1935 in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi. His twin brother, Jessie Garon,
9th January
Financial Times' birthday
On this day in 1888, James Sheridan and Horatio Bottomley put out a four-page pamphlet, drily entitled the London Financial Guide - a month later, they
10th January
The London Underground's birthday
The London Underground, and indeed the world's first underground railway, made its debut today back in 1863 as the Metropolitan Railway.
11th January
Hot Toddy Day
In the days before ice was easily available - and in most parts of the world, you needed to be pretty much royalty to own an ice house and keep it stocked
12th January
Joe Frazier's birthday
One of the legends of boxing, and one of the great heavyweights of all time, Smokin' Joe Frazier was born this day in 1944 and died 7th November 2011,
13th January
The day an asteroid just missed earth
This day in 2004, the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research observatories in New Mexico alighted on a new and mysterious object in the sky - the asteroid
14th January
Dress Up Your Pet Day
Today is a day the internet was almost certainly invented for (sorry, Tim Berners-Lee): National Dress Up Your Pet Day.
15th January
Anniversary of the Boston Molasses Disaster
On this day in 1919, as Martin Luther King was being born in Atlanta, Georgia, a giant molasses tank exploded in Boston, flattening homes, shops and people
16th January
Kate Moss' birthday
Since first appearing on the cover of British Vogue in 1993, the Croyden stunner has been on it over 30 times since, as well as having campaigns with Gucci,
17th January
The day Prohibition started
One minute after midnight on this day in 1920, the Volstead Act became law and Prohibition descended on the United States, making it illegal to possess,
18th January
Winnie the Pooh Day
We all have our favourite line from Winnie the Pooh, but not the late Dorothy Parker who hated the books and famously remarked in a review for the New
19th January
Janis Joplin's birthday
One of the first rock stars to form the 27 Club, Janis Joplin died aged only 27 soon after Brian Jones and Jimi Hendrix. Later entrants include Jim Morrison,
20th January
U.S. Presidential Inauguration Day
Every four years on 20th January, a new U.S. President is sworn in, on an inauguration day which is set by law. Election Day is always the Tuesday after
21st January
The anniversary of the last Blitz
On the night of 21 January, 1944, with Germany firmly losing the war and British bombers already flattening German cities, Hitler's forces began Operation
22nd January
Felix Kir's birthday
Felix Kir led quite a life. He was a French priest at the outbreak of the Second World War, though when he heard that the German army had infiltrated his
23rd January
Anniversary of the Mississippi's 1st bridge
Now, we're not the types to go about celebrating the building of any old bridge, but we are particularly fond of New Orleans and so by extension the Mississippi,
24th January
Beer Can Appreciation Day
Here at Difford's Guide we're huge fans of beer cans – indeed we prefer cans to bottles. So we're happy to support this marketing gimmick of a day from
25th January
Burns Night
The evening of January 25th is when Scots everywhere hold Burns Suppers in honour of the birth of Scotland's favourite poet and son, Robert Burns. Born
26th January
Australia Day
Australia Day is the anniversary of the First Fleet of convict ships arriving at Sydney Cove in 1788. Today though, it's all about celebrating everything
27th January
Mozart's birthday
If you thought child stars like Lindsay Lohan and Macaulay Culkin had it hard, spare a thought for the infant prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born on
28th January
The word serendipitous was invented today
The word Serendipity means a fortunate happenstance or pleasant surprise.
29th January
The Victoria Cross' birthday
It was on this day back in 1856 that Queen Victoria established the Victoria Cross which is the highest award that a British or commonwealth serviceperson
30th January
Franklin Roosevelt's birthday
Let's raise a glass to the President who repealed Prohibition, and let alcohol flow freely once more!
31st January
Brandy Alexander Day
For no particular reason we know of, today has been declared Brandy Alexander Day. Hoorah!
