January 2009 current events

January In History

January, first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, consisting of 31 days. The name of the month is derived from Janus, the Roman god of gates and doors.

January 1, 1994, The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), became effective in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The WTO began operation, 1995.

January 1, 1863, The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves held by those Southerners still in rebellion.

On Jan. 7,1789, the first U.S. presidential election was held. Americans voted for electors who, a month later, chose George Washington to be the nation's first president.

In Jan. 10, 1861, Florida seceded from the Union.

June 14, 1777, Congress made the following resolution: “The flag of the United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white on a blue field ...”

On Jan. 15,1929, civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta.

In Jan. 15, 1973, President Nixon announced the suspension of all U.S. offensive action in North Vietnam, citing progress in peace negotiations.

January 20, 1981, release of the American hostages after 444 days of captivity in Iran.

January 20, 1936 Edward VIII (1894-1972), Became king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and emperor of India.

On Jan. 21, 1793, during the French Revolution, King Louis the 16th, condemned for treason, was executed on the guillotine.

January 26, 1962, The Ranger 3 space craft, designed for lunar impact, was launched.

January 27, 1832 Lewis Carroll, (1832-98), English author, mathematician, and logician, best known for his creation of the immortal fantasy Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was born.

January 27, 1967, Apollo 1 astronauts, Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee died from asphyxiation caused by a fire that broke out during tests on the launch pad.

On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger and its crew were destroyed shortly after launch.

January 30, 1968, The Tet offensive was launched during a truce, by communist forces, United States and ARVN troops battled through February, inflicting severe losses on the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. The Viet Cong were effectively destroyed despite communist propaganda to the contrary. The Tet offensive was the beginning of the end of the war, and paved the way for victory for the United States in Viet Nam, and the Cold War.

The first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, launched on January 31, 1958. Instruments aboard Explorer 1 made the first detection of the Van Allen belts, which are bands of trapped radiation surrounding Earth.

Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has declared a "Phase III" (Severe Water Shortage) Order which goes into effect January 16, 2007 and remains in place and has been extended until February 27, 2009 unless otherwise modified or rescinded by the SWFWMD Governing Board. Phase II Severe Water Shortage Order limits watering to one (1) day a week on required schedule.

Disease Updater from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

How is HIV/AIDS affecting African-American communities?

The AIDS crisis is not over and HIV/AIDS continues to disproportionately affect minority communities, including African Americans.

While African Americans represent 13% of the United States population, they account for approximately 46% of new HIV infections and 50% of reported AIDS cases.

While Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and injection drug users continue to be at a higher risk for HIV, the heterosexual transmission of HIV is increasingly becoming a major source of infection in African Americans and other minority communities and is the primary cause of HIV infection among women in the United States.

African-American women accounted for 60% of all new HIV cases among women. In 2001, HIV was the second leading cause of death in African Americans between the ages of 25 and 44.

More than 195,000 African Americans have died with AIDS. Underlying conditions such as higher rates of poverty and limited access to, or use of, health care may account for the high number of AIDS-related deaths.

Alzheimer's Disease is a complex disease, and no single “magic bullet” is likely to prevent or cure it. That’s why current treatments focus on several different issues, including helping people maintain mental function; managing behavioral symptoms; and slowing, delaying, or preventing Alzheimer's Disease.

Vaginal yeast infection, or vulvovaginal candidiasis, is a common cause of vaginal irritation. In addition, 12 to 15 percent of men develop symptoms after sexual contact with an infected partner.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted, bacterial infection that initially causes genital ulcers (sores). If untreated, the disease will progress to more serious stages of infection, including blindness and nerve damage.

Gonorrhea is a curable sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is the second most commonly reported bacterial STI in the United States following chlamydia. In 2004, 330,132 cases of gonorrhea were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When examining race and ethnicity, age, and gender, the highest rates of gonorrhea were found in African Americans, 15 to 24 years of age, and women, respectively.

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