On This Day, January 1st! Happy New Year's

January 1^st, New Year’s Day, is the day when many people have made many resolutions that won’t be kept.  For those same people, it’s also a day of recovering from excessive partying and drinking with family, friends, and/or strangers.  For myself, it’s a little different story…I’m usually at home hanging with kids; but not as a punishment, more so because my oldest son’s birthday is today.  Being that he’s 7 years old today boggles my mind, but I also know that sooner rather than later he will not want to spend his New Year’s with his parents.  So not only are we celebrating a new year, I want to wish my son a Happy 7^th birthday!  Here are some other major events:

Paul Revere in AC3

1735 Paul Revere, American patriot, was born

1752 Betsy Ross, American seamstress, was born

1773 The hymn that became known as "Amazing Grace", then titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17" is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, England.

1788 First edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.

1804 French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black republic and second independent country in North America after the United States

1806 The importation of slaves into the United States is banned.

1863 American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory

1885 Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming's proposal for standard time (and also, time zones)

1902 The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Stanford, is held in Pasadena, California

1908 For the first time, a ball is dropped in New York, New York's Times Square to signify the start of the New Year at midnight.

1927 Doak Walker, American football star, was born

1934 Nazi Germany passes the "Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring".

1944 “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart, American wrestling manager, was born

1954 NBC makes the first coast-to-coast NTSC color broadcast when it telecast the Tournament of Roses Parade, with public demonstrations given across the United States on prototype color receivers.

1959 Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro's forces during the Cuban Revolution.

1961 Sam Palahnuk, American video game designer for Sega Genesis, was born

1962 United States Navy SEALs established.

1983 The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.

1998 Quake is released on Nintendo 64.

2006 Jason, American awesome kid, was born