131+ Uncommon January Facts That You've Never Heard Before

January and February were added to the Roman calendar by the second King of Rome, King Numa Pompilius, to ensure that the calendars would be of the same duration as the lunar year.

But even at that time, the month of January featured only 30 days; it was Julius Caesar who added the 31st day to the month, which is still being followed to date. Did you know that during every leap year, the month of January starts on the same day as April and July?

In the Gregorian calendar, January is the first month. It has 31 days, and the month is named after the Roman god of a new journey and beginnings, Janus.

The first of January is celebrated as New Years' Day. But several communities in this culturally diverse world celebrate the New Year on several other dates too. For instance, the Chinese calendar follows the movements of the Moon and the Sun. Hence, their new year usually falls between January 21 and February 21 every year.

The same is the case with Korea. For them, it is a three-day celebration as per the Lunar New year, and thus, the dates of the New Year change every year. For Islamic people, Muharram marks the New Year.

But how did the world come to make January the first month of the year? Was it like that from the beginning? Or is it because of the change in time? The article that follows this will give you the answers to these questions.

Let us have a look at some of the most random facts about January. Henry Ford introduced his first assembly line for automobile manufacturing in January 1914. The birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King is celebrated as Humanitarian Day on January 15 every year.

After reading the fun facts on the month of January, also check January birthdays facts and born in January facts.

Place Of January In Calendar

Did you know that January was introduced in the calendar by the second Roman King in history?

But why did January get first place in the calendar and no other month? Let us check some interesting facts on the place of January in the calendar.

Did you know that initially, there were only 10 months? There was no January or February. March used to be the starting month. It was around 700 BCE when Numa Pompilius, a Roman King, wanted to add the two winter months.

January became a part of the calendar and consisted of only 29 days, but March was still considered the first month. The Roman Senate in 154 BC was forced by civilians to make January the first month.

Then, Julius Caesar, in 46 BCE, added 10 extra days to the calendar and also introduced the leap day. He called it the Julian calendar and gave January its 31 days.

The term 'Gregorian Calendar' was introduced when Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julius calendar in 1582. He solved the issue of leap years and made January 1 the start of the New Year.

Countries like Italy, France, and Spain eagerly adopted the Gregorian calendar, but British and American colonies started to follow it only after 1752. Before then, they celebrated New Year on March 25 every year.

Highlights Of January 2021

The month of January is one of the most interesting months of the year. It is interesting to learn about January but remember how the first month started in 2021 with a bang? Some highlights of January 2021 are listed below.

Some interesting things happened in the very beginning of 2021, and Donald Trump supporters staging a coup at the US Capitol tops it. Following this, Trump was banned from several social media platforms, including Twitter. Joe Biden was sworn as the President of the USA later in the year.

Rapper Kanye (now Ye) and his wife Kim’s marriage was reportedly over. On the other hand, American singer-songwriter Halsey announced her pregnancy, and in July, she gave birth to a beautiful boy.

In January 2021, India commenced its UNSC tenure as a non-permanent member for the next two years. India also approved two vaccines against the coronavirus, namely, Covaxin and Covishield.

North Korean head of state Kim Jong Un announced that his country would be developing nuclear-powered weaponry, including submarines, weapons, and warheads.

In Belgium, there were protests after the death of a black man in police custody.

There was an incident of suicide bombing in Baghdad, Iraq, and ISIS claimed responsibility without providing evidence.

Fun Facts About January

You know that January is the first month of the Roman calendar but do you know that this month is also known for some interesting developments in history? Here are some of the most interesting and fun facts about the month of January, which will certainly intrigue you.

Did you know that January is a part of the second-largest city in Brazil? Yes. For Brazil, January isn’t only a month. When the Portuguese came to Brazil under Gaspar de Lemos, they landed on the South American coast of Guanabara Bay in 1502.

And the date was January 1. This coast is in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The name was given by the Portuguese, and it meant 'River of January.'

January is the coldest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, while at the same time, the weather in the Southern Hemisphere is summer in its full swing.

In leap years, January, April, and July commence on the same day.

January 1 is famous for the opening of Ellis Island in the US as it allowed room for 20 million immigrants. Ellis Island Day is observed every January 1.

Fans of the entertainment world might be aware that on January 25, 1949, the first-ever Emmy Awards were held.

Also, do you know that the day right after the very festive New Year is considered the unluckiest day? People belonging to Medieval times believed that January 2 was not a good day to plan anything as it might lead to early or timely death or some other inauspicious events would follow.

We can’t be sure how many people still believe it, but it surely gave a reason to people everywhere to have a day off and relax after partying hard on New Year's Day.

January was named after a Roman god of beginnings. Hence, it was understood that the month of January means a fresh start. The word is derived from a Latin word. Some people consider this month to be the coldest month of the year, specifically in the Northern Hemisphere.

This month also consists of the Twelfth Night of Christmas celebrations.

Carnations are the official flower of the month of January.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday in January to honor the American preacher, activist, and leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

Then there are the zodiac signs; the primary sign of this month is Capricorn, then comes Aquarius. January's birthstone is Garnet.

The January full moon is also called the Wolf Moon; this dates back to some native cultural beliefs. Consequently, January was dubbed the wolf month. The most probable reason for this is that when these names were assigned, farmers used to hear the loudest howls of hungry wolves during January's full moon.

The annual War on Poverty Day is held on January 8 as an unofficial holiday.

Dry January that some celebrate is a month-long period during which individuals refrain from consuming alcohol.

Roman leaders of the earlier first programs believed that the Roman god Janus was born this month. In modern times, the Gregorian calendars have this month as the very first.

The Roman god Janus is said to be the god of beginnings. This month in human history is named after the Roman god Janus, especially since it was accepted by most of the world as the first month of the year.

Holidays In January

It is the New Year month for some, while it is just another month for others. But it holds a lot of importance everywhere. People with different cultures and histories have different reasons to celebrate January.

This cold month is full of historical events and full of interesting facts. It is a pleasure to read what happened in January. Other than news and other events, January is also full of holidays and observances across the world. Here are some of the most important holidays and events that are observed in the month of January.

New Year's Day: January 1.

World Family Day: January 1.

World Braille Day: January 4.

World Orphans Day: January 6.

International Programmers’ Day: January 7.

Indian Republic Day: January 26.

Australia Day: January 26.

World Religion Day: January 17.

International Customs Day: January 26.

World Leprosy Eradication Day: January 31.

Dry January is observed by some of the people in the UK as a part of the movement to encourage people who want to quit drinking. This aims to encourage people to quit drinking and encourage public health awareness.

December and January are two of the coldest months in most of the Northern Hemisphere. This is also the time when the Christmas and New Year festivities are at their full swing in most countries.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 131+ uncommon January facts that you've never heard before, then why not take a look at in what country is Christmas celebrated on January 7? Or February leap year.