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.
Daily Calendar for Monday, January 17, 2028
Explore Other Dates on the Calendar
Daily Calendar
View daily calendar information including holidays, advice, and daily features.
Monday, January 17, 2028
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.
Born
- Benjamin Franklin (U.S. statesman and polymath; born in Boston, Massachusetts) –
- James Madison Randolph (grandson of Thomas Jefferson; first baby born in the White House) –
- Anne Brontë (novelist) –
- Al Capone (gangster) –
- Betty White (Actress; born in Oak Park, Illinois) –
- Eartha Kitt (American singer ) –
- 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) –
- Steve Harvey (actor and television host) –
- 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) –
- Norman Kay (dubbed the Babe Ruth of bridge”“) –
- 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) –
- 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 –
- Boulder, Colorado, had wind gusts up to 135 mph –
- Washington, D.C., had a temperature of -5 degrees F –
- Chicago, Illinois, had a temperature of -23 degrees F –
- Snow and hail fell in Los Angeles and Malibu, California –
- St. John’s, Newfoundland, recorded new record for most snow in one day with 30 inches (76.2 centimeter) –