Buzz
January often gets a bad reputation. It carries the dreary cold and the dark days of December, but without the excitement of the holiday season. Many of us simply want to get through it as quickly as possible.
However, January has more to offer than just work and dieting. It’s the month when some of the most joyous and transformative events in history unfolded. Here are 10 examples of significant moments that shaped human history for the better, and perhaps something equally remarkable could still happen before this month ends.
10. The Discovery of the X-Ray is Unveiled
Since we can't all be superheroes like Superman, it's fortunate that the X-ray was invented to help detect various medical conditions. What many people don't realize is that the announcement of this breakthrough happened in January 1896.
The inventor was Wilhelm Roentgen, a German physics professor, who was experimenting with passing an electrical discharge through a glass tube in late 1895. During his experiment, he discovered that it emitted a fluorescent light that made materials like aluminum, wood, and paper appear transparent.
To test his discovery, Roentgen took an X-ray of his wife’s hand. She was terrified to see her own skeleton and it made her think about her own mortality. On January 1, 1896, he sent an article and photographs detailing his findings to fellow physicists and friends.
However, the general public didn’t learn about the invention until four days later, when it appeared on the front page of the Austrian newspaper Die Presse, which also emphasized the potential of X-rays in treating various medical issues. Roentgen later received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery.
9. The First US Flag is Raised
While the Stars and Stripes are synonymous with the United States, they weren't the first American flag. That distinction belongs to the Grand Union. This flag had the same red stripes on a white field as the one that came later, but it lacked stars. Instead, the top left corner featured the Union Jack.
The Grand Union Flag was the official flag during the first year and a half of the American Revolutionary War, first raised on January 1, 1776. It can be argued that the flag played a key symbolic role in the US’s path toward independence, with the 13 stripes representing the 13 colonies that were the first to break free from British rule.
This view is reinforced by the fact that the Grand Union Flag, not the familiar Stars and Stripes, flew on the very first Independence Day, July 4, 1776. Although the flag only served as the national symbol until June 14, 1777, when the Stars and Stripes was officially adopted, its place in American history should not be overlooked.
8. The First Photograph of the Moon Is Captured
Many photography enthusiasts have captured images of the Moon, but it wasn't until January 1839 that someone actually succeeded in taking the first photograph of it. The man responsible for this groundbreaking achievement was Louis Daguerre, a French artist and photographer. In addition to photographing the Moon, he also invented the first practical photographic process known as the “daguerreotype.”
This process involved fixing images onto steel-plated copper using a technique that involved mercury fumes and saltwater. Daguerre managed to capture his Moon image using this method on January 2, 1839.
Although the image of the crescent Moon lacked the clarity and detail that modern photography provides, it was a critical step in the evolution of astronomy. Prior to this, astronomers had to rely on drawings, which often omitted important details or contained errors as they attempted to recall what they had observed from memory.
7. The Mona Lisa is Displayed in the US for the First Time
The Mona Lisa may not seem like the kind of woman who would embark on a journey across the United States, yet that is precisely what she did in early 1963. The famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci was first shown in America on January 9, 1963, with its debut at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Over 500,000 people viewed it there before it left in early February 1963.
The tale of how this iconic painting made its way to America began nearly two years earlier when US President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, visited France. During the trip, Jackie befriended Andre Malraux, France's Minister of Culture.
Malraux visited the US in 1962, and while at the National Gallery of Art with Jackie, she charmed him into convincing the French government to allow the painting to be brought across the ocean. French President Charles De Gaulle approved the plan, seeing it as a way to ease tensions between the two nations at the time.
As a result, the delicate masterpiece was transported by boat in a specially designed case to protect it from vibrations and surface contact. After its time in Washington, the Mona Lisa was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York before returning to France.
6. Tamla Motown Is Established
Tamla Motown is widely regarded as one of the most influential record labels in music history, and its songs are recognized by many. Yet, fewer people are aware of the exact date when the label was founded: January 12, 1959.
The visionary behind the label was Berry Gordy Jr., a young and ambitious songwriter from Detroit. Having written hits for artists like Jackie Wilson, he originally named the label Tamla Records. With just $800 borrowed from his family, Gordy Jr. launched the label and established the iconic Hitsville USA studio that same year.
An interesting tidbit is that Gordy Jr. named “Tamla” after Tammy, a popular teen movie series featuring Debbie Reynolds. “Motown” came from the nickname “Motor Town” given to Detroit because of its thriving automobile industry. The label was initially set up as a separate entity.
Under the name Tamla Motown, the studio’s productions quickly became chart-topping hits across the US. The Miracles’ “Shop Around” became the label’s first major hit in 1960, followed by The Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman,” which gave Motown its first No. 1 hit in 1961.
Along with dominating the charts, it’s important to remember that Motown was a trailblazing company run entirely by Black individuals during a period marked by severe racial inequality.
5. The First Super Bowl is Played
For sports enthusiasts, January also marks a significant event in history: the very first Super Bowl. On January 15, 1967, the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Green Bay Packers in this inaugural AFL-NFL showdown, held at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
The first Super Bowl was a far cry from the grand spectacle we know today. At that time, the stadium was mostly empty, and fans within a 120-kilometer (75 mi) radius of Los Angeles couldn't watch the game on television. This led to odd scams, like one man offering to send a super-powered TV antenna to anyone for just $2.
In its inaugural year, it wasn’t even officially called the Super Bowl. Instead, it went by the name AFL-NFL World Championship. As for the entertainment, it was a far cry from today's performances—a university marching band, a trumpeter, and, for reasons unknown, a group of men wearing jetpacks.
The Packers crushed the Chiefs 35-10, scoring three touchdowns in the second half. At that time, it seemed unimaginable that this game would eventually grow into one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
4. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Becomes a Federal Holiday
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) is widely recognized as a pivotal figure in U.S. history. However, the effort to make his birthday a national holiday was a long and arduous process.
The minister and activist, born on January 15, 1929, had always envisioned the day honoring him to be as close as possible to his birthday. The initial push for this came from Michigan Congressman John Conyers Jr. during the 93rd Congress in 1973–74.
The first time the day was recognized occurred in January 1969 when the newly established King Memorial Center took the initiative. However, it was not officially acknowledged by the government. The idea was championed throughout the 1970s by Conyers Jr. and Coretta Scott King, MLK's widow.
The movement gained momentum when President Jimmy Carter supported it on January 14, 1979. Later, his successor, Ronald Reagan, made it an official federal holiday. The first official Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated on January 20, 1986, with a variety of events, from a freedom train to marches, concerts, and vigils.
Despite this, only 27 states officially acknowledged the holiday, with Arizona's refusal leading to the state losing the 1993 Super Bowl. It wasn’t until January 18, 1993, that the holiday was officially recognized in all 50 states.
3. The 13th Amendment Is Passed
In January 1865, one of the most pivotal pieces of legislation in U.S. history was finally passed: the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. On January 31, the House of Representatives approved the amendment.
The amendment had already been approved by the Senate the previous year. However, it had failed to pass through the House of Representatives due to resistance from Democrats, who argued that it infringed upon states' rights.
Following the 1864 election, which gave the Republican Party majorities in both chambers of Congress, the amendment was able to pass and become law. President Abraham Lincoln played a key role in securing this victory on the second attempt.
Lincoln pressured Unionists to support the amendment and convinced members of the House by offering them key positions in his administration. He even brought them to his office in the White House for face-to-face discussions to ensure their support.
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution made any form of 'involuntary servitude' illegal in the U.S., except for individuals convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison. The bill passed with a vote of 119–56.
2. Apple Announces The iPad
January has also been a month that has delivered exciting news for tech enthusiasts. On January 27, 2010, Apple unveiled a groundbreaking technological advancement with the release of the iPad tablet. The iPad became the first tablet to truly capture the public's attention, despite many critics at the time predicting that it would be rejected, just like all the tablets before it.
A major factor in the iPad's success was Apple CEO Steve Jobs' recognition that people primarily use technology for everyday tasks such as checking emails, browsing social media, listening to music, and watching videos. He positioned the iPad as the ideal device for these activities. The screen was much larger than a smartphone's, but its size made it more portable and less cumbersome than a laptop.
Since then, Apple has released five more generations of the iPad, along with models like the iPad Pro and Mini. By the spring of 2017, more than 360 million iPads had been sold.
1. The First Canned Beer Is Produced
Though not as monumental as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it's hard to imagine a world without cold canned beer. Thanks to a historic event on January 24, 1935, we no longer have to.
On that day, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company and the American Can Company partnered to put cans of Krueger’s Cream Ale and Krueger’s Finest Beer on store shelves in Richmond, Virginia, marking the first time beer was sold in cans. While cans had long been used for food packaging, the idea of putting beer in them had been circulating since 1909.
The breakthrough came after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, when the American Can Company developed a can with an enamel coating and brewer’s pitch. This innovation prevented the beer from reacting with the metal, which could alter its taste and color. Additionally, the pressurized can helped manage the internal pressures caused by pasteurization.
Krueger was the first brewery brave enough to embrace the idea of canned beer. Despite its success, which earned public approval ratings exceeding 90 percent, it didn't convince other breweries to follow suit.
It wasn't until competitors like Anheuser-Busch saw a decline in their market shares due to the rise of canned beer that they began to reconsider. By the end of 1935, over 200 million cans of beer had been sold in US stores.
