ST. KNUT’S DAY

In Sweden, January 13 is the traditional day to discard the Christmas tree and end the season’s festivities. A children’s party is the favored way to strip the tree of its decorations, after which the children are free to “plunder” the edible treats and small gifts placed on the tree especially for the occasion. This Christmas tree plundering is often accompanied by smashing up the gingerbread houses and eating them while discarding of the decorations. Finally, everyone “dances” the tree out the door. Singing special songs, they pick up the tree and toss it out into the snow.

Every Year

• STEPHEN FOSTER MEMORIAL DAY (UNITED STATES)
• ST. KNUT’S DAY

1740s

• BORN 1749: FRIEDRICH MULLER (PAINTER)

1830s

• BORN 1832: HORATIO ALGER (AUTHOR)

1840s

• 1846: AMERICAN TROOPS ORDERED INTO DISPUTED TERRITORY BETWEEN THE NUECES AND RIO GRANDE RIVER

1880s

• BORN 1884: SOPHIE TUCKER (SINGER)
• 1888: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY FOUNDED

1900s

• BORN 1905: KAY FRANCIS (ACTRESS)

1910s

• 1910: OPERA WAS HEARD LIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE RADIO
• BORN 1919: ROBERT STACK (ACTOR)

1920s

• BORN 1925: GWEN VERDON (ACTRESS)
• DIED 1929: WYATT EARP (LEGENDARY MARSHAL)

1930s

• 1930: MICKEY MOUSE COMIC STRIP DEBUTED IN NEWSPAPERS
• BORN 1931: CHARLES NELSON REILLY (ACTOR)

1940s

• DIED 1941: JAMES JOYCE (AUTHOR)

1950s

• 1957: THE WHAM-O COMPANY DEVELOPED THE FIRST FRISBEE

1960s

• 1961: BRAZIL AND THE U.S. SIGNED THEIR FIRST EXTRADITION TREATY
• BORN 1961: JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS (ACTRESS)
• 1966: ROBERT C. WEAVER, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN EVER NOMINATED TO THE U.S. CABINET, NAMED SECRATARY OF THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
• BORN 1966: PATRICK DEMPSEY (ACTOR)

1970s

• 1971: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR APPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF THE ALASKAN PIPELINE50 Years Ago
• BORN 1977: ORLANDO BLOOM (ACTOR)
• DIED 1978: HUBERT HUMPHREY (VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES)

1980s

• 1982: AIR FLORIDA PLANE CRASHED INTO A BRIDGE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., KILLING 78 PEOPLE
• 1982: HANK AARON WAS ELECTED TO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
• 1988: THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RULED THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL OFFICIALS CAN CENSOR STUDENT NEWSPAPERS

1990s

• 1994: FIGURE SKATER TONYA HARDING’S BODYGUARD, SHAWN ECKARDT, WAS ARRESTED FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE IN THE ATTACK ON SKATER NANCY KERRIGAN

2000s

• 2000: EXISTENCE OF MONKEY CLONE TETRA ANNOUNCED
• DIED 2002: CHARITY ADAMS EARLEY (FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN OFFICER IN THE WOMEN’S ARMY CORPS AND COMMANDER OF THE ONLY UNIT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN TO SERVE OVERSEAS IN WW II)
• DIED 2009: PATRICK MCGOOHAN (ACTOR)

2010s

• DIED 2010: TEDDY PENDERGRASS (R&B SINGER)
• DIED 2014: BLACKIE (THOUGHT TO BE THE OLDEST MALE NILE HIPPOPOTAMUS RECORDED IN NORTH AMERICA AT THE TIME; HE DIED AT AN ESTIMATED AGE 59)
• DIED 2019: ALFRED K. NEWMAN (U.S. MARINE CORPS SPECIALIST)

COURTESY www.almanac.com