Category: Today’s Holiday

This island in the Pacific Ocean gained independence from Great Britain on January 31, 1968. It had been governed by Australia. Independence Day is a national holiday in Nauru. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Charles I, crowned king of England in 1625, was illegally executed on January 30, 1649, primarily for defending the Anglican Church. His body was secretly buried in Windsor Castle, and he was widely acclaimed as a martyr. A royal decree ordered a special service on this day to be in the Book of Common Prayer from 1662 to 1859. It also ordered it to be a day of national fasting. The anniversary of this event is commemorated by the Society of Charles the Martyr with an annual service at the site of his execution in Whitehall, London.

Source: The Free Dictionary

NASA established the Day of Remembrance to honor those who have died in America’s space program. The day focuses on those who died in three NASA space tragedies: the Apollo 1 fire on January 27, 1967; the Shuttle Challenger disaster of January 28, 1986; and the Shuttle Columbia tragedy of February 1, 2003. The day also remembers NASA employees who died in training and maintenance accidents. NASA headquarters observes the day with a roll call of all those who have died. At Cape Canaveral in Florida, a moment of silence is observed at noon.

Source: The Free Dictionary