Squiz the Day

Friday
The Tamworth Country Music Festival begins (on until 28 January) 

The birthdays of country music artist Dolly Parton (1946), rocker Janis Joplin (1943) and rapper Mac Miller (1992)

Anniversary of:

• ABC’s Triple J broadcasting for the first time (1975)
• the death of former Aussie cricketer David Hookes (2004). His untimely death led to national discussions on organ donation

Saturday
Penguin Awareness Day

World Religion Day 

A birthday for astronaut Buzz Aldrin (1930), director David Lynch (1946), Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley (1972) and muso Kevin Parker (1986)

Anniversary of:

• China ceding Hong Kong to the British during the 1st Opium War (1841)
• Donald Trump being inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States (2017)
• the car attack in Melbourne’s CBD, which killed 6 people and injured 27 (2017)
• the death of singer/actor Meat Loaf (2022)
• Jacinda Ardern resigning as New Zealand’s PM after serving just shy of 6 years (2023)

Sunday
Midsumma Festival celebrating LGBTQIA+ kicks off (on until 11 February) – Melbourne 

World Snow Day

A birthday for the iconic French fashion designer Christian Dior (1905) 

Anniversary of:

• the execution of the last king of France, King Louis XVI, during the French Revolution (1793), as well as the deaths of Vladimir Lenin (1924) and George Orwell (1950)
• the start of the Battle of Khe Sanh (1968)