Benjamin Franklin, born on January 17, 1706, not only was a world-renowned statesman, inventor, and scientist, but also was fascinated by agriculture. To demonstrate the value of gypsum as fertilizer, he applied it to a field in a pattern that spelled out, “This land has been plastered.” Sure enough, clover in the fertilized area exhibited more vigorous growth.
Daily Calendar for Monday, January 17, 2022
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.
In 2022, the full Moon rises on January 17 at 6:48 P.M. EST. Traditionally, this full Moon was called the “Wolf Moon,” appearing when wolves howled outside the villages in hunger. The January Moon has also been called the Old Moon. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February. See our Full Moon for January Guide.
Question of the Day
Is it true that Benjamin Franklin invented an odometer?
Yes. While Franklin (1706-90) was postmaster in Philadelphia, he created an odometer to measure postal route distances and attached the contraption to his carriage. However, other inventors preceded him.
Roman engineer Vitruvius (1st century B.C.) once described an odometer. He is generally credited as the first inventor, although some historians believe that the actual creator was Greek scientist Archimedes (c.287-212 B.C.). 1st century Greek scientist Heron (aka Hero) of Alexandria also described an odometer in his work Dioptra. Chinese scholar Zhang (aka Chang) Heng (78-139 A.D.), invented an odometer, as well. French scientist Blaise Pascal (1623-62) came up with an odometer prototype called the Pascaline, and English engineer Thomas Savery (c.1650-1715) invented an odometer for ships.
Roman engineer Vitruvius (1st century B.C.) once described an odometer. He is generally credited as the first inventor, although some historians believe that the actual creator was Greek scientist Archimedes (c.287-212 B.C.). 1st century Greek scientist Heron (aka Hero) of Alexandria also described an odometer in his work Dioptra. Chinese scholar Zhang (aka Chang) Heng (78-139 A.D.), invented an odometer, as well. French scientist Blaise Pascal (1623-62) came up with an odometer prototype called the Pascaline, and English engineer Thomas Savery (c.1650-1715) invented an odometer for ships.
Advice of the Day
When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody will believe them. —The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1832
Home Hint of the Day
You can protect barn boards or any other rough-finish paneling from the drying effects of a wood stove by applying a coat of equal parts boiled linseed oil and turpentine. Apply the mixture with a paintbrush.
Word of the Day
Boondoggle
Work of little or no value done merely to look busy.
Puzzle of the Day
How does the transposition of the parts of a word express the difference between a welcome and a wish for your departure?
Wel-fare and fare-well.
Born
- Benjamin Franklin (statesman) –
- James Madison Randolph (grandson of Thomas Jefferson; first baby born in the White House) –
- Anne Brontë (novelist) –
- Al Capone (gangster) –
- Betty White (actress) –
- James Earl Jones (actor) –
- Shari Lewis (actress and puppeteer, best know for Lamb Chop) –
- Maury Povich (talk show host) –
- Muhammad Ali (boxer) –
- Mick Taylor (musician) –
- Andy Kaufman (comedian & actor) –
- Jim Carrey (actor) –
- Michelle Obama (U.S. First Lady) –
Died
- Thomas Lincoln (father of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln) –
- John Baker (Canada’s last ex-slave) –
- Chang and Eng Bunker (Siamese twins) –
- Rutherford B. Hayes (19th U.S. president) –
- Camilo Jose Cela (won the 1989 Nobel Prize in Literature for works such as The Family of Pascual Duarte) –
- Harvey Matusow (former aide to Sen. McCarthy who was imprisoned for lying before the House of Un-American Activities) –
- Norman Kay (dubbed the Babe Ruth of bridge”“) –
- Gertrude Janeway (the last widow of a Union veteran from the Civil War) –
- Noble Willingham (actor) –
- Virginia Mayo (actress) –
- Art Buchwald (humorist) –
- Bobby Fischer (champion chess player) –
- Johnny Otis (musician; known as the godfather of R&B) –
Events
- Andrew S. Hallidie received a patent for a cable car system–
- Meeting held to form the Professional Golfers Association–
- The first Volkswagen Beetle arrived in the United States from Germany–
- President Dwight Eisenhower delivered his farewell address on television–
- Simon and Garfunkel released their album, Sounds of Silence–
- Gary Gilmore was the first person legally executed in the U.S. after the death penalty was reinstated–
- British Telecom announced the retirement of Britain’s red telephone boxes–
- 6.7 earthquake occurred in Northridge, California–
Weather
- St. Elmo’s fire occurred in the Connecticut River Valley–
- Seventeen degrees below zero F, Millsboro, Delaware–
- Washington, D.C., had a temperature of -5 degrees F–
- Chicago, Illinois, had a temperature of -23 degrees F–
- Boulder, Colorado, had wind gusts up to 135 mph–
- Snow and hail fell in Los Angeles and Malibu, California–