Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
Chocolate Covered Cherry Day is celebrated annually on January 3rd in the United States. This delightful food holiday honors the decadent combination of sweet cherries, sugary filling, and rich chocolate coating. It’s a favorite treat for many, especially during the holiday season and special occasions.
Drinking Straw Day
Drinking Straw Day is celebrated annually on January 3rd to commemorate the invention of the modern drinking straw. This day marks the anniversary of the patent issued to Marvin C. Stone on January 3, 1888, for the spiral-wound paper straw. Before Stone’s invention, people commonly used natural rye grass straws, which often gave drinks an unpleasant flavor. Stone’s innovation used paper coated with wax to create a more durable and flavor-neutral straw, revolutionizing beverage consumption.
Women Rock! Day
Women Rock! Day is celebrated annually on January 3rd, recognizing the immense contributions and influence of women in the music industry. This day honors female musicians, singers, and songwriters who have shaped music history, broken barriers, and inspired generations. The date is tied to a significant event in music history: on January 3, 1987, Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her groundbreaking achievement paved the way for many women to be recognized in the male-dominated rock and roll genre.
Significant Historical Events on January 3
1496: Leonardo da Vinci tests his flying machine, a pioneering attempt at human flight, but it is unsuccessful.
1521: Martin Luther is officially excommunicated from the Catholic Church by Pope Leo X through the papal bull “Decet Romanum Pontificem.”
1777: The Battle of Princeton during the American Revolutionary War sees George Washington’s army defeat British forces.
1870: Construction begins on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, an engineering marvel of its time.
1888: Marvin C. Stone receives a patent for the modern drinking straw.
1925: Benito Mussolini declares himself dictator of Italy, establishing a fascist regime.
1938: The March of Dimes is established by Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat polio.
1957: The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the world’s first electric watch.
1959: Alaska is admitted as the 49th state of the United States.
1961: The United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba after Fidel Castro’s rise to power.
1987: Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1993: The United States and Russia sign the START II Treaty, a nuclear arms reduction agreement.
2009: Bitcoin’s genesis block, the first block of the blockchain, is mined by its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
Famous Birthdays
106 BC: Cicero, Roman philosopher, orator, and statesman.
1892: J.R.R. Tolkien, British author best known for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
1909: Victor Borge, Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist.
1932: Dabney Coleman, American actor (Tootsie, WarGames).
1956: Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor and director (Braveheart, Mad Max).
1969: Michael Schumacher, German racing driver and seven-time Formula 1 World Champion.
Notable Deaths
236: Pope Anterus, the 19th pope of the Catholic Church, martyred for his faith.
1322: Philip V of France, also known as “Philip the Tall,” King of France and Navarre.
1437: Catherine of Valois, French princess and Queen of England as the wife of Henry V.
1641: Jeremiah Horrocks, English astronomer who was the first to predict and observe a transit of Venus.
1777: Richard Montgomery, Irish-born American general killed during the Revolutionary War.
1892: George Biddell Airy, English astronomer and mathematician, known for his work as Astronomer Royal.
1946: William Joyce (“Lord Haw-Haw”), a Nazi propagandist executed for treason in Britain.
1967: Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy.
1980: Joy Adamson, Austrian author and conservationist best known for her book Born Free.
1988: Rose Ausländer, Romanian-born German poet noted for her Holocaust-themed works.
2005: Will Eisner, American cartoonist and graphic novelist, pioneer of the modern graphic novel (The Spirit).
2010: Mary Daly, American radical feminist theologian and philosopher.
2012: Josef Škvorecký, Czech-Canadian writer and publisher.
2014: Alicia Rhett, American actress known for her role in Gone with the Wind.
2021: Gerry Marsden, British singer-songwriter and lead singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers (You’ll Never Walk Alone).
