🗞️Today’s Headlines

Everything important that’s ever happened on January 6:

Today ─ Christians all over the world celebrate Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, a holiday celebrating the arrival of the Magi, or three kings, to the birthplace of Jesus. In some cultures, the holiday is accompanied by gift-giving. 

2001 ─ After one of the closest elections in US history, George W. Bush was certified as the winner of the 2000 presidential election after a legal battle that reached all the way to the Supreme Court.

1974 ─ In response to an energy crisis, the US started Daylight Saving Time earlier than usual, and wanted to keep the change permanent. It was very unpopular, and the law was repealed within the year.

1950 ─ Great Britain becomes one of the first non-communist countries to recognize Chairman Mao’s People's Republic of China as the official Chinese government. 

1941 ─ In his State of the Union address, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined his Four Freedoms that should be enjoyed by everyone worldwide: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and the freedom from want.

1759 ─ George Washington married the widowed Martha Dandridge. The two were married for 40 presumably happy years until George died in 1799. 

1540 ─ King Henry VIII of England married Anne of Cleves, his fourth of six wives, and the second one named Anne. The marriage lasted only six months, but Anne of Cleves remained on surprisingly good terms with Henry.

🎂 Today’s Birthdays

On January 6, we’re singing to:

Samuel Alexander (1859) ─ Influential British philosopher whose seminal work Space, Time and Deity, posited that mind “emerges” from matter. 

Alan Watts (1915) ─ Writer who introduced the concepts of Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism to a Western audience through 25 books plus numerous radio appearances and lectures. 

Rowan Atkinson (1955) ─ Famous for his portrayal of Mr. Bean, a meandering, befuddled, accident-prone everyman, who has amused audiences worldwide on stage, television, and the big screen.

Eddie Redmayne (1982) ─ British actor who won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Theory of Everything, in which he portrayed Stephen Hawking. 

 🪦Who Died Today?

On January 6, we’re saying goodbye to:

Louis Braille (1852) ─ French inventor who overcame his own blindness by developing a tactile system of reading and writing for the blind that is still in use today. 

Theodore Roosevelt (1919) ─ Naturalist, “Rough Rider,” conservationist, and 26th president of the United States, who is known for championing national parks, trust-busting, and his larger-than-life personality. 

Ida Tarbell (1944) ─ Ida Tarbell was a US “muckraker” whose investigative journalism led to significant reforms, particularly her work investigating the monopolistic practices of Standard Oil.

Peter Bogdanovich (2022) ─ Influential American film director, actor, producer, and writer best known for his works The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon.

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