Event Calendar

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.,^[1] and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Born in 1929, King’s actual birthday is January 15 (which in 1929 fell on a Tuesday). The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.

King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

Each year on January 16th, people across the nation recognize National Nothing Day.

The observance was created as a day to provide Americans with one National Day when they can just sit without celebrating, observing or honoring anything.  (National Day Calendar only reports the Days, sometimes they may contradict themselves.)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on the third Monday of January which means that one-in-seven January 16th’s will fall on the same day as Nothing Day, effectively usurping the nature of Nothing Day.

While it may be a good day to celebrate nothing at all, we suppose putting nothing in a glass and setting it on a table might suffice for celebration. You might leave your diary page blank on every January 16th. Don’t mark anything on the calendar on the 16th, either. It would be interesting to see what would happen if you sent a blank email dated January 16th. How many replies would you get saying, “There’s nothing here.”

For people whose birthday lands on January 16th, wrap an empty box. That should elicit and a nothing response appropriate for the celebration.

When asked, “What are your plans, today?” your response should definitely be, “Nothing.” What else would your answer be on a day like today? Now that we think about it, “Nothing” works well as an answer when recognizing the day.

Q: What’s for supper?

A: Nothing

Q: What are you reading?

1. Nothing. (Even though you’re clearly reading something.)
2. What’s your homework assignment?
3. Nothing. (As you’re working on your homework.)
4. What are you drinking.
5. Nothing. (As you sip on the best non-fat latte ever.)

Each year on National Without a Scalpel Day January 16th recognizes the opportunities to treat disease without a scalpel. On this day in 1964, pioneering physician Charles Dotter performed the first angioplasty. The ground-breaking procedure to open a blocked blood vessel took place in Portland, Oregon. Not only did the angioplasty allow the patient to avoid leg amputation surgery, but she left the hospital days later with only a Band-Aid.

No surgery, no stitches, no scars…

In doing so, Dr. Dotter created a cutting-edge medical specialty called Interventional Radiology, where doctors treat disease through a tiny pinhole instead of open surgery. These doctors use x-rays and other medical imaging to see inside the body while they treat disease.

Today, minimally invasive, image-guided procedures (MIIP) can treat a broad range of diseases throughout the body, in adults and children:

• cancer
• heart disease
• stroke
• aneurysms
• life-threatening bleeding
• infertility

Today, minimally invasive, image-guided procedures (MIIP) can treat a broad range of diseases throughout the body, in adults and children:

• cancer
• heart disease
• stroke
• aneurysms
• life-threatening bleeding
• infertility

On National Classy Day, we celebrate those who are graced with the ability to live their lives with class, passion, and who are driven to share it with others. On January 17th, honor those class acts and commemorate the birth of one of the most legendary comedians ever to walk the Earth.

Classy people draw others to them. They have a grace and knack for bringing light into a room with humor, beauty, or inspiration. For example, American comedian, Betty White, was graced with a seemingly unlimited ability to make us laugh. Her humor transcended age, gender, and race, and her vibrant energy was contagious. Knowing her or someone like her is an unforgettable experience that lives far beyond a single moment.

National Thesaurus Day, on January 18th, honors Peter Mark Roget, the author of Roget’s Thesaurus, who was born on this day in 1779.

In 1840, Roget retired from a successful career in medicine and spent the rest of his life working on Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases. The work was the result of decades of collecting lists of words and categorizing them, much like a scientist would collect specimens. In Roget’s case, he collected words. He first published his thesaurus in 1852. And it was more than a book of synonyms – it was a complete categorization and organization of each word by meaning.

National Winnie the Pooh Day on January 18th commemorates author A.A. Milne’s birthday in 1882. He brought the adorable, honey-loving bear to life in his stories, which also featured his son, Christopher Robin.

Milne’s lovable Pooh Bear, as he was fondly called, is a fictional bear inspired by a black bear named Winnie. Winnie lived at the London Zoo during World War I. The author’s son, Christopher Robin, would visit the bear often and named his own teddy bear after her and a swan named Pooh.

This friendship inspired a collection of books starting with Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926. E.H. Shepard beautifully illustrated the books.

Their adventures took them and millions of children through the Hundred Acre Woods. Each character played a unique role in the books. Whether the wisdom of Owl or Rabbit lead the group awry or a celebration ensued, the story’s characters became beloved around the world.

In the 1960s, Disney bought the rights to the Winnie-the-Pooh characters dropping the hyphen from Pooh’s name. The illustrations were a bit different, too.

Milne’s stories have been translated into over 50 languages and are considered classic children’s stories today.

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