JANUARY 18, 2026 | NATIONAL WINNIE THE POOH DAY | NATIONAL THESAURUS DAY | NATIONAL PEKING DUCK DAY | NATIONAL MICHIGAN DAY
JANUARY 18, 2026 | NATIONAL WINNIE THE POOH DAY | NATIONAL THESAURUS DAY | NATIONAL PEKING DUCK DAY | NATIONAL MICHIGAN DAY
National Winnie the Pooh Day
NATIONAL WINNIE THE POOH DAY
National Winnie the Pooh Day on January 18th commemorates author A.A. Milne's birthday in 1882. He brought the adorable, honey-loving bear to life in his stories, which also featured his son, Christopher Robin. #WinnieThePoohDay
National Thesaurus Day
NATIONAL THESAURUS DAY
National Thesaurus Day, on January 18th, honors Peter Mark Roget, the author of Roget’s Thesaurus, who was born on this day in 1779. #NationalThesaurusDay
National Peking Duck Day
NATIONAL PEKING DUCK DAY
National Peking Duck Day, on January 18th, recognizes the national dish of China. #NationalPekingDuckDay
National Michigan Day
NATIONAL MICHIGAN DAY
On January 18, National Michigan Day recognizes the Great Lake State. #NationalMichiganDay
Coming on January 19, 2026
National Days
NATIONAL POPCORN DAY
NATIONAL IMAGINATION DAY
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY
Memorable Birthdays for January 18
James Chesnut Jr (1815-1885) - Brigadier General for the Confederate Army.
Thomas A. Watson (1854-1934) - Alexander Graham Bell's assistant who helped with the invention of the telephone.
Daniel Hale Williams (1856-1931) - Cardiologist who performed the first open heart surgery.
Oliver Hardy (1892-1957) - Comedian and half of the duo Laurel and Hardy.
C. M. Eddy Jr. (1896-1967) - Author best known for his horror, mystery and supernatural short stories.
Anthony Galla-Rini (1904-2006) - Accordion player credited with popularizing the use of accordions in contemporary music.
Nicholas Oresko (1917-2013) - Army Sergeant and WWII Medal of Honor recipient.
Esther Coopersmith (1930-2024) - UNESCO goodwill ambassador.
Ray Dolby (1933-2013) - Founder of Dolby Laboratories.
R. Stevie Moore (1952-Still Living) - Considered the musical godfather of home recording.
Kevin Costner (1955-Still Living) - Multi-award winning actor with credits in The Untouchables (1987), Open Range (2003), Black or White (2014), and recently Yellowstone.
Jeffrey N Williams (1958-Still Living) - Army officer and NASA astronaut.
Virgil Hill (1964-Still Living) - Boxer for North Dakota.
Amy Barger (1971-Still Living) - Astronomer who discovered dusty galaxies, quasars and supermassive black holes.
Burnie Burns (1973-Still Living) - Co-founder of Rooster Teeth Productions, a sub company of Warner Brothers.
Joel Stallworth (1983-Still Living) - Gold medal winning sprinter.
Benji Schwimmer (1984-Still Living) - Contemporary dancer and choreographer.
Memorable Events for January 18
1644 - Pilgrims report a UFO sighting.
1733 - The first polar bear exhibit is open to the public in MA.
1778 - Captain James Cook stumbles over the Hawaiian Islands and what he referred to as the Sandwich Islands.
1862 - The first piece of Arizona is formed as Confederate Territory.
1896 - The first demonstration of an X-ray machine is held in NY City.
1903 - The first transatlantic radio transmission in the U.S. is sent by a transmitter in MA.
1916 - A meteorite hits a house in Stone County, MO.
1943 - The U.S. Bans pre-sliced bread to reduce the need for metal parts as part of the war effort.
1962 - The U.S. begins spraying foliage in Vietnam to reveal Viet Cong.
1964 - Plans for World Trade Center announced in NY City.
1993 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is officially observed for the first time in the U.S.