NATIONAL BOBBLEHEAD DAY
Each year on January 7th, National Bobblehead Day recognizes a day of celebration for all spring-connected head bobbing figurines.
#NationalBobbleheadDay
For over 100 years, bobbleheads have been entertaining and fascinating fans and collectors. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, too. Bobbleheads commemorate iconic teams, movies, and cartoon characters. Individually, they represent some of our most exciting athletes or thrilling television and movie characters.
Early bobbleheads, known as bobbers or nodders, developed from Germany. They took root in the United States pop culture in the 1950s and 60s. Bobbleheads resurged in the late 1990s when professional sports teams began using them as promotional items. Today, as toys and collectibles, bobbleheads continue to amuse and captivate us.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL BOBBLEHEAD DAY
National Bobblehead Day is the perfect opportunity to explore the world of bobbleheads.
- Share your favorite bobblehead, or collect a new one!
- Give the gift of a bobblehead to someone you know.
- Learn something new about bobblehead history.
- Visit the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
Use #NationalBobbleheadDay to post on social media.
Do you want to know more about bobbleheads? Read Celebration Spotlight where we interview Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
NATIONAL BOBBLEHEAD DAY HISTORY
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum submitted National Bobblehead Day in December 2014. On November 18, 2014, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum was also announced. The museum opened in 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and houses the world’s most extensive collection of bobbleheads. The museum houses a hall of fame honoring the best bobbleheads and exhibits related to the history and making of bobbleheads.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed the National Bobblehead Day in 2014 to be observed annually on January 7th.
Bobblehead FAQ
Q. Are bobbleheads only sports figures and mascots?
A. No. Today, bobbleheads represent pop culture, politics, sports, and history. In addition, custom bobbleheads can be made in your own likeness.
Q. Is a bobblehead the same as a wobbler?
A. Yes. The bobblehead goes by a variety of names including wobbler and nodder.
Q. Do bobbleheads do anything else besides…bobble?
A. Yes. Some of them include prerecorded messages. Press the button to find out what the bobblehead has to say.
Q. Are bobbleheads collectible?
A. Yes. Some bobbleheads can be quite collectible. Their value may be determined by the subject, quality, popularity, and how many were produced.
January 7th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) History
1887
Explorer and adventurer Thomas Stevens completes the first circumnavigation of the world with a bicycle. He departed from Oakland, CA on April 22, 1884. His journey was completed when he arrived in Boston, MA, on August 4, 1884. After wintering in New York, he proceeded across the Atlantic Ocean on the City of Chicago bound for Liverpool, UK. Steven’s final leg of his trip returns him to San Francisco aboard the City of Peking on January 7, 1887. Astonishingly, Stevens covered approximately 13,500 miles on two wheels.
1896
Fannie Merrit Farmer self-publishes Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. The book’s name would later be renamed The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Farmer, a graduate of the Boston Cooking School, later became the school’s principal. Who’s hungry for Fannie Farmer, now?
1927
The Harlem Globetrotters travel to Hinkley, Illinois to play their first basketball game. Since then, the Globetrotters have attained icon status in the world of basketball, and they continue to entertain fans worldwide.
2022
Surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center completed the first transplant of a genetically modified pig’s heart into a human. The patent, David Bennet, suffered from terminal heart disease and did not qualify for a human-to-human transplant. Receiving a porcine heart was the only option available to him.
January 7th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Millard Fillmore – 1800
President Millard Fillmore was elected as the 13th President of the United States under the Whig ticket. Since then, no other third-party candidate has been elected. Fillmore’s presidency was an uneasy if inevitable segue into the Civil War years. While anti-slavery, Fillmore made legislative compromises and did not support his successor, Abraham Lincoln.
Zora Neale Hurston – 1891
One of America’s most important writers, Zora Neale Hurston committed to writing stories about Black culture and experiences. Her books include Barracoon, Dust Tracks on a Road, Mules and Men and her most popular Their Eyes were Watching God.
Jann Wenner – 1946
In 1967, the publisher co-founded Rolling Stone Magazine. The magazine is one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s most definitive publications chronicling the history, culture, and people of the music industry.
Katie Couric – 1957
For more than 40 years, the journalist has been presenting the news. Couric has hosted shows at three major networks, and in 2006 became the first woman to solo anchor the CBS Evening News.