🗓️ On This Day - January 25th
January 25th is an important day for millions of people celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and more - but did you know it's a highly important date in the Scottish calendar, too? You'll find out why below - but first, let's dig into a few interesting things that happened on this day going back years, decades, centuries…
On this day
Second time’s the charm!
It’s thought that King Henry VIII - famed for marrying multiple times over - got betrothed the second time on January 25th back in 1533. He tied the knot secretly to Anne Boleyn, with his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon eventually getting nixed in the May of that year. Unfortunately for Ms Boleyn, the marriage didn’t end so well… divorced, beheaded, died, as they say…
What’s in the water?
Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the world’s very first city to start using public water with added fluoride - back on January 25th 1945. The move was said to help promote better dental health, but it’s still seen as a controversial decision even decades later.
Blistered thumbs ahoy!
January 25th marks the birthdate of the arcade game - as the very first system of its kind was patented by Thomas Goldsmith, all the way back in 1947. 40 years later, they’d be all the rage - he was ahead of his time!
And the winner is…
The Emmy Awards first started on January 25th 1949, allowing TV stars and production crews to take home plaudits for incredible televisual entertainment for that year prior. Even now, it’s still one of the most important occasions on the showbiz calendar - if you win an Emmy, your show has made it!
Worth spotting!
On January 25th 1961, Disney first released their iconic animated movie, 101 Dalmatians, to US audiences. To this day, the tale of Pongo, Perdita and Cruella De Vil remains one of the studio's most memorable animated outings. It was even re-released multiple times over the decades, having headed back to the cinema in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Special Days Falling on January 25th
Just in case you’re not celebrating any major occasions of your own today, here are a few great reasons why January 25th is well worth remembering.
Burns Night
For Scottish people, January 25th marks Burns Night - an annual celebration of the legendary poet Robert Burns. January 25th was the wordsmith’s birthday, and people celebrating famously cook (and even sing to) a traditional serving of haggis! To many people, Burns is perhaps most famous for having written the New Year song, “Auld Lang Syne”.
National Opposites Day
Ever fancied changing things up ever so slightly? January 25th is National Opposites Day, meaning it’s a great chance for you to do everything backwards or other-way-around - you never know, you might see things in a whole new light!
National Irish Coffee Day
This delicious beverage is as popular outside Ireland as much as in its native home! Topped with a floating layer of cream, the coffee is rich and includes some Irish whisky and typically a little sugar - January 25th just happens to be the best day to give the tipple a tickle.
This page was last modified on August 4, 2024. Suggest an edit
This month in history
England breathed a sigh of relief back in January 1486, as the War of the Roses officially came to an end. The marriage between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York effectively joined together the houses of Lancaster and York - and the rest is history! In fact, Henry VII and Elizabeth were the parents of someone we’ve already talked about in this list - King Henry VIII!
Famous Birthdays on January 25th
Robert Burns, Scottish poet, born 1759
Virginia Woolf, English author, born 1882
Etta James, American musician, born 1938
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian statesman and Time Person of The Year 2022, born 1978
Alicia Keys, American musician, born 1981
If you were born on January 25th…
That’d make you an Aquarius! Practical, reasoned, and highly creative, you enjoy your own space, but are great at solving all kinds of problems and puzzles. No wonder people love having you around!
You can learn more about Aquarius as a Zodiac sign over at our fact page.
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