Since 1986, the third Monday in January has been a federal holiday in observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and civil rights leader dedicated to nonviolence. This is a day to honor King’s principles, perhaps best exemplified by his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” Learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. Day and how to celebrate.
Daily Calendar for Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Born
- Philip Livingston (patriot, and signer of the Declaration of Independence) –
- The Earl of Derby, Lord Stanley (Canadian Governor General 1888 - 1893) –
- Goodman Ace (radio performer) –
- Gene Krupa (drummer) –
- Lloyd Bridges (actor) –
- Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader) –
- Ernest J. Gaines (novelist) –
- André Alexis (writer) –
- Chad Lowe (actor) –
- Regina King (actress) –
- Howie Day (singer) –
- Dove Cameron (actress) –
Died
- Mathew Brady (photographer) –
- Ray Bolger (actor) –
- Ruth Warrick (actress) –
- Percy Saltzman (first meteorologist to appear on Canadian television) –
Events
- Elizabeth I of England was crowned in Westminster Abbey –
- Dramatist Molière was baptized –
- Vermont declares its independence from Great Britain and the colony of New York as a republic originally called New Connecticut –
- The University of N.C., the first state university in the US, opens –
- E. G. Otis received a patent for an elevator safety brake –
- Great Molasses Flood, Boston, Massachusetts –
- Ford Foundation is incorporated to administer funds for scientific, educational and charitable purposes –
- First U.S. all-glass windowless structure completed, in Toledo, Ohio –
- First Pro Bowl game in NFL history is played in Los Angeles, California –
- The Pentagon Building in Virginia was completed –
- First nonstop trans-Canada flight completed –
- The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I –
- Happy Days made its television debut –
- First transpacific hot air balloon flight began, Japan to Canada –
- Online encyclopedia Wikipedia launched –
- Stardust capsule landed in Utah, after record re-entry speed of 28,860 mph –
Weather
- New York harbor froze over completely and was sealed for five weeks –
- Los Angeles, California, received 2” of snow –
- 7.8 inches of snow at Forth Worth, Texas –
- Loma, Montana, set a record for the greatest temperature change in a 24 hour period. Temperatures went from -54 degrees F on January 14 to 49 degrees F on January 15 –
- It was so cold in Kapuskasing, Ontario, that tires fell off the rims of cars. (it was -45F or -42.8C) –
