International History

February 5 is celebrated annually as National Weatherpersons Day in honor of Dr. John Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers. National Weatherpersons Day is held on February 5 to mark Jeffries’s birthday in 1744.

On January 28, 1945, the Burma Road, linking Burma with the southwest of China, was reopened. It was a vital supply road that helped contribute to victory in the region.

On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords ended US involvement in the Vietnam War. It marked the end of a decade of US presence in Vietnam, though the fighting would continue for two more years.

On January 25, 1932, the US Post Office Department issued its first stamp honoring the Olympic Games.  Those games were the first to be held in the US.

This year, January 22, 2023, marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit on the Chinese calendar.  The New Year celebration – also known as the Spring Festival – is the most important holiday in Chinese culture.

On January 18, 1919, composer-turned statesman Ignacy Paderewski was sworn in as the first prime minister of newly independent Poland.

On January 17, 1898, the first US stamp created to conform to the change in colors recommended by the Universal Postal Union was issued.  The UPU had recommended the standardization of colors to make international mail easier to process.

On January 7, 1927, men in New York and London staged the first official telephone call across the Atlantic Ocean. Using radio waves, it made instant communication across the ocean a reality, paving the way for our modern communication systems.

US Navy Lieutenant Commander John McCloy was born on January 3, 1876, in Brewster, New York.  Serving with the Navy for 30 years, he’s one of just 19 servicemen to receive two Medals of Honor.