MASONIC CALENDAR
JANUARY
JANUARY 1
JANUARY 2
JANUARY 3
JANUARY 4
JANUARY 5
JANUARY 6
In 1759 Bro.
George Washington married the widow Martha Custis. She ad first married Daniel
Parke Custis in 1749 and bore him four children, two of which died in childhood.
Custis died in July, 1757, leaving Martha one of the wealthiest women in
Virginia. Bro. Washington first met her in March, 1758 and lost no time in
proposing marriage, and was just as quickly accepted. Bro. Washington took his
new wife and her family to his Mount Vernon estate. They had no children of
their own. Martha died in 1802.
In 1880, was
born in Driftwood, PA, Bro. Thomas Edwin Mix, American motion picture actor,
best known for his 400 western cowboy films. He was a real life US Marshal
before becoming a film actor. Bro. Mix was initiated in Utopia Lodge 537,. Los
Angeles, CA, in 1925. He died near Florence, AZ, October 10, 1940.
In 1912., Bro.
Danny Thomas, was born Muzyad Yakhoob, later Amos Jacobs, at Deerfield, MI.
Bro.; Thomas began is acting career as a radio actor and nightclub comedian,
then went on to the movies in the 1940s and 1950s. His greatest fame came from
his television show, "Make Room for Daddy" (1953-64), and later as a television
producer. He was also a tireless philanthropist. Founder of St. Jude's
Children's Research Hospital at Memphis, TN., Bro. Thomas often told the story
of how physicians at his hospital explained to him the need for a very unique
therapy for a patient at St. Jude's which was only available at a Shrine Masons'
Hospital. Bro. Thomas told the doctors to proceed with the treatment, regardless
of the cost. When he was advised by the Shriners that there would be no cost,
Bro. Thomas was shocked and vowed to find out more about this organization.
Shortly thereafter, he petitioned for and became a Mason. Prior to his death, he
was featured in videos and wrote articles praising the good works of
Freemasonry. Bro. Thomas died February 6, 1991, at Los Angeles, CA.
In 1919. Bro.
Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, died at his
home at Oyster Bay, NY. Bro. Roosevelt was initiated January 2, 1801, passed
March 27 and raised April 24 of the same year in Matinecock Lodge 806, Oyster
Bay, NY. He was made an honorary member of Pentalpha Lodge 23 at Washington, DC
and took active part in many Masonic ceremonies. Newsday ALMANAC; Freemasonry: A
Celebration of the Craft.
By this day in
1941, most of Europe had been conquered and occupied by the Germans. Among the
larger democracies, only Britain had been able to resist the Nazi aggression and
was continuing to fight. While many Americans, including President and Bro.
Franklin Roosevelt, wanted the United States to help, there was strong sentiment
against entering the war in Europe. Bro. Roosevelt used his annual State of the
Union address to urge Congress to approve an ambitious "Lend-Lease" program
whereby the U.S. would become the "arsenal of democracy" and provide weapons to
help Britain and any other Allies to defend their freedom against the Axis
powers. In the speech, Bro. Roosevelt also defined four essential freedoms worth
defending: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom
from fear. Congress responded two months later with Lend-Lease legislation,
which released vast quantities of war materials to Britain, and later to China
and the USSR, and got the U.S. industrial economy on a war footing before the
country entered WWII.
In 1941, Bro.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd US President, citing what he called the "Four
Freedoms," asked Congress to approve a multimillion-dollar pogrom of aid to the
countries fighting the war against Nazi Germany. The President called the
proposed lend-lease program vital in promoting the defense of the nation, His
speech outlined four goals: (1) Freedom of speech and expression; (20 Freedom of
people to worship God in their own way; (3) Freedom from want; and (4) Freedom
from Fear,. All of the points referred to the Freedoms as fundamental "to all
peoples anywhere in the world."
JANUARY 7
In 1745 was
born at Vidalon-lez Annonay, Ardeche, France, Bro. Jacques Etienne Montgolfier
who, with his brother, co-invented the hot air balloon and made human's first
flight . With his older brother, Joseph Michel, also a Mason, he conducted
experiments with paper and fabric bags filled with smoke and hot air which led
to their invention of the balloon and their first flight, witnessed in Paris by
Bro.. Benjamin Franklin. Bro. Montgolfier was initiated in Loge Les Neuf Soeurs
at Paris, in 1784. Bro. Montgolfier died August 2, 1799, at Serrieres, France.
JANUARY 8
In 1815 British
forces lost more than 2,000 men in an attack on New Orleans, LA. Defending US
troops were led by General and Bro. Andrew Jackson, who became a popular hero as
a result of the victory. Neither side, however, knew that the War of 1812 had
ended two weeks earlier with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, December 24,
1814. Bro. Jackson went on to become the 7th President of the US and a very
active Freemason. He was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee from
October, 1822 to October 1824, was a member of Harmony Lodge No. 1 at Nashville,
TN, an honorary member of Federal Lodge No. 1 at Washington, DC, and was also a
Royal Arch Mason.
In 1964 Bro.
Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th United States President, declared a War on Poverty in
his State of the Union address. He stressed improved education as one of the
cornerstones of the program. The following August 20 he signed a $947.5 million
antipoverty Bill designed to assist more than 30 million citizens.
In Greece women
stop their housework and spend their time in cafes while the men do all the
housework chores and look after the children. In some villages men caught
outside the house will be stripped and drenched with cold water. AMERICAN MASON
magazine joins our Greek Brethren in celebrating Midwives Day (or Women's Day)
honoring mid wives and all women.
JANUARY 9
In 1908 US
President and Bro; Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Muir Woods a National Monument.
Most of the majestic redwood trees that once covered many of northern
California's coastal valleys were cut down during the extensive logging of the
19th century. Only the least accessible trees were spared. Fortunately, a stand
of old-growth redwood survived in Marin County, a short distance from San
Francisco. Congressman William Kent purchased the land in 1905 and donated it to
the Federal Government. Although Roosevelt had suggested naming it after Kent,
the congressman requested that it honor the name of John Muir, the naturalist,
writer, and crusader for national parks who founded the Sierra Club
conservationist organization.
In 1945 General
and Bro. Douglas Mac Arthur landed 67,000 troops in the Gulf of Lingayen on the
western coast of the big island of Luzon. Here US forces began the final push to
retake the Philippines by attacking at the same location where the Japanese had
begun their invasion nearly four years earlier. The Japanese offered little
opposition to the landing itself but fought fiercely against Allied advancement,
particularly around Clarke Field, the major air base of the islands. Thus Bro.
Douglas MacArthur was able to redeem his pledge "I shall return" when he
successfully invaded Luzon this date 55 years ago. In about a month's time his
tanks would be going through the gates of Santo Tomas University where allied
civilians were interned by the Japanese who drove him out of the former
Philippine colony in 1942.
JANUARY 10
In 1984 Bro.
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's Food Chain, made of Clara Peller an instant cult
figure in the first of the "Where's The Beef?" TV advertisements promoting
Wendy's Hamburgers. The ornery old lady appeared in a total of four commercials,
which created record levels of consumer awareness and won a Clio award.
In 2001 US
President Bill Clinton unveiled a statue of the late President and Bro. Franklin
Delano Roosevelt seated in his wheelchair. The unveiling which took place at the
FDR Memorial in Washington, DC ended an emotional six-year campaign led by
disability advocacy groups to show the 32nd President as he lived, not as he
portrayed himself to the public. The life-size bronze statue shows FDR's
upturned face beaming the faith and optimism, that inspired the nation during
the Great Depression and World War II. It is at ground level. Its small scale,
in stark contrast, to the larger than life-size Lincoln and Jefferson monuments
nearby, is designed to show the humanity of the man and the personal
difficulties he overcame. Robert Graham of California is the sculptor.
JANUARY 11
In 1815, Bro.
Sir John A. MacDonald, the first prime minister of Canada, was born in Glasgow,
Scotland. In 1867 he was responsible for uniting the Canadian provinces into the
Dominion of Canada, of which he became the first Prime Minister until 1873. He
held the office again from 1878 until his death in 1891. He was initiated in St.
John's Lodge 758, at Kingston, Ontario, in 1844.
JANUARY 12
In 1737 Bro.
John Hancock, American patriot, statesman, and first signer of the Declaration
of Independence, was born at Braintree, MA. Because of his conspicuous signature
on the Declaration, Bro. Hancock's name has become part of the American
language, referring to any handwritten signature, as in "Put your John Hancock
on that." One of nine Masons to sign the Declaration, he was President of the
Continental Congress and served nine terms as Governor of Massachusetts. Bro.
Hancock died at Quincy, MA October 8, 1793.
In 1886 – Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 Consecrated in London.
JANUARY 13
In 1794,
President and Bro. George Washington approved a measure adding two stars and two
stripes to the U.S. flag, following the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the
union (The number of stripes was later reduced to 13 again.)
JANUARY 14
In 1943, US
President and Bro. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Bro.
Winston Churchill opened a conference in Morocco.. The conference would end on
January 24 with the announcement by both wartime leaders and Masons that the war
would not end until the allies achieved the unconditional surrender of Germany,
Italy and Japan Bro. Roosevelt would be heard to say that he was determined to
destroy the "philosophies of those countries which are based on conquest and the
subjugation of other people. .The conference would also lead to the opening of a
southern front and the invasion of Sicily.
JANUARY 15
JANUARY 16
In 1991 the US
began Operation Desert Shield (later to be called Desert Storm);. The military
conflict known as the Persian Gulf War started when Iraq invaded and occupied
Kuwait in August 1990. In November, the United Nations Security Council passed a
resolution demanding that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait and setting January 15, 1991
as the deadline. Allied forces, chiefly from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Britain,
Egypt, Syria, and France, prepared to enforce the demand. Within 24 hours after
the deadline expired, the allies launched Operation Desert Storm against the
Iraqi military. Under the command of U.S. General and Bro. Norman Schwarzkopf,
the offensive began on January 16 with massive bomb and missile attacks on Iraqi
air defenses. Following a month of airborne attacks on Iraq's troops and
infrastructure, the allied forces launched a ground assault. Within five days,
Kuwait had been liberated and much of southern Iraq was under Allied occupation.
On February 27, President Bush announced that Desert Storm had accomplished its
goals and declared a cease-fire.
JANUARY 17
In 1706 in
Boston, MA was born Bro. Benjamin Franklin, "Elder Statesman of the American
Revolution" Bro. Franklin was the oldest signer of both the Declaration of
Independence and the US Constitution. This amazing man and Mason was scientist,
diplomat, author, printer, publisher, philosopher, philanthropist ,self-made,.
and self-educated. His many inventions and public improvements included street
lighting, a heating stove and the lightening rod. He gained French support for
the colonies and negotiated a peace treaty with Britain in 1781, ending the
Revolutionary War,. He was author, printer and publisher of Poor Richard's
Almanac. His birthday is commemorated each year by the Poor Richard Club of
Philadelphia with graveside observances. He died in Philadelphia April 17, 1790.
Bro. Franklin was initiated in 1731 in St. John 's Lodge, Philadelphia, PA, and
was always an enthusiastic Mason.
In 1876, the
saxophone made what many consider to be its first public appearance in the US
when it was played by Etta Morgan at New York City's Olympic Theatre. The
instrument had been invented in the first half of the 19th century by Belgian
musician Adolphe Sax.. Early on the saxophone became an integral part of the
wind band, and later on of jazz music. Bro. Sax also invented the Saxhorn in
1845 which helped usher in a new range of musical expression. Bro. Sax was
initiated in Belgium's Lodge Les Vrais Amis de l'Union in 1842.
JANUARY 18
In 1892, Bro.
Oliver Hardy, film comedian, was born at Atlanta, GA. Bro. Hardy teamed up with
Stan Laurel in 1926 to form the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy. Among their
most popular films were Soup to Nuts, Babes in Toyland, Swiss Miss and many
others. Bro. Hardy died at Hollywood, August 7, 1957. Bro. Hardy was a member of
Solomon Lodge 20, Jacksonville, Fla.
JANUARY 19
JANUARY 20
In 1801 Bro.
John Marshall (1775-1835) was named Chief Justice of the United States Supreme
Court, 1801-1835. He is credited with reshaping the court to become the final
authority on questions of constitutionality. He was a member of Richmond Lodge
13, Richmond, VA.
In 1936
Britain's King George V died making the successor to the throne the Prince of
Wales who was to become Bro. Edward VIII. Bro. Edward reigned less than a year,
abdicating the throne in order to marry American Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson.
He then became the Duke of Windsor. He was Grand Master of the United Grand
Lodge of England at the time of his succession to the throne.
In 2001, Bro.
Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin, former astronaut and one of the first three men to walk on
the moon, turned 71 years of age. In 1969 he co-piloted the landing on the moon
the Apollo 11 lunar module , the mission which took the first men to the moon..,
The photograph of Aldrin on the Moon has become the classic image of man's
conquest of space. He was born in Montclair, NJ January 20, 1930, and initiated
in Montclair Lodge 144, New Jersey. Bro. Aldrin is currently a member of Newark
Lodge, No. 7, F&AM in Montclair, NJ.
JANUARY 21
JANUARY 22
In 1875 was
born at LaGrange, KY David Wark Griffith, pioneer producer-director in the
American motion-picture industry. Bro. Griffith is best remembered for his
films, "Birth of a Nation" (19215) and "Intolerance" (1916). He was a member of
St. Cecile Lodge 568, New York City. . He died at Hollywood, CA July 23, 1948.
In 1890 the
13th Chief Justice of the United States was born at Louisa, KY. Bro. Frederick M
Vinson served in the US House of Representatives, was appointed Director of War
Mobilization during World War II, and became Secretary of the Treasury under
Bro. Harry S Truman. He was nominated by Bro. Truman to succeed Harlan F. Stone
as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Bro. Vincent died at Washington, DC,
September 8, 1953.
JANUARY 23
In 1737 was
born Bro. John Hancock, American merchant and patriot , who became President of
the Continental Congress and whose signature appeared first, and in ever
pronounced characters, at the foot of the Declaration of that George can read it
without his spectacles." He was made a Mason in Massachusetts Lodge 277, Quebec,
Canada, in 1762, and on October 14, the same year, affiliated with St. Andrew's
Lodge at Boston, MA. He died there in 1793.
In 18498, Bro.
James W,. Marshal, a New Jersey mechanic and employee of John Sutter,
accidentally discovered gold while building a sawmill near Caloma, CA., on the
south fork of the American River. Efforts to keep the discovery secret failed,
and the gold rush of 1849 was soon off and running.
In 1915, Bro.
Potter Stewart was born at Jackson, MI. Bro. Stewart was nominated as Associate
Justice of the US supreme Court by President Dwight Eisenhower January 17, 1959.
He took the oath of office on May 15 of that year. Bro. Stewart retired in July,
1981 and died December 17, 1985, at Putney, VT, five days after suffering a
stroke. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1932 New
York Governor and Bro. Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his candidacy for the
Democratic presidential nomination - which he went on to win and re-win for an
unprecedented four terms. The Mason who became the nation's 32nd President was
initiated on October 11, passed on November 14, and raised on November 28, 1911,
in Holland Lodge No. 8, New York City. He was elected honorary member of
Stansburg Lodge No. 24 at Washington, DC. He was present when his three sons
were raised: Elliot on February 17, 1933; James and Franklin d., Jr. in
November, 1935, all of them in Architect Lodge No. 519, New York City. Bro.
Roosevelt was also a Scottish Rite Mason.
In 1973, Bro.
Lyndon B. Johnson 36th US President who served from 1963-1969, died in San
Antonio, T X. . In 1965: Bro. Johnson, as US President, outlined the goals of
his "Great Society" in his State of the Union Address. Like Bro. Franklin
Roosevelt's New Deal, and Bro. harry Truman's Fair Deal, before it, Bro. Johnson
designed his "Great Society" to help the politically and economically
impoverished. It was founded on the premise that poverty and racial strife
beleaguer the whole nation. "The Great Society," he said, "rests on abundance of
liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice - to which we
are totally committed." He asked for federal support for urban renewal, health
care, education and the basic needs of the poor. Bro. Johnson was initiated
October 30, 1937 in Johnson City Lodge 5761, Johnson City, TX. He did not go on
beyond the degree of Entered Apprentice.
JANUARY 24
In 1917, born
in Hamden, CT. was Ermes Borgnino, better known as Ernest Borgnine. Bro.
Borgnine was best known for his tough guy roles, but won his Oscar for playing
the shy butcher in "Marty" in 1955. He also became well known for his role in
television's and film's "McHale's Navy." He is a member of Abington Lodge No.
48, Abington, VA.
In 1943, Bro.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, US President, and Bro. Winston Churchill, British
Prime Minister, held a press conference at the conclusion of the Casablanca
Conference. "Peace can come to the world,": announced Bro. Roosevelt, "only by
the elimination of German and Japanese war power. That means the unconditional
surrender of Germany, Italy and Japan. " And so Allied policy went until the end
of the war.
JANUARY 25
In 1759 born at
Ayshire Scotland was the beloved Scottish poet Bro. Robert Burns ("Oh wad some
power the giftie gie us, To see oursels as others see us."). Bro. Burns died at
the early age of 37. Through his poetry Bro. Burns lives on as the national poet
of Scotland and as one of the foremost poets of the world Bro. Burns was an
enthusiastic Mason from the day of his initiation into St. David's Lodge No. 174
at Tarbolton, on July 4, 1781. He subsequently joined a number of other Lodges
including Canongate-Killwinning No. 2 at Edinburgh where he was made poet
laureate of the Lodge in 1787. His poems include some which are specifically
Masonic, while the words of Auld Lang Syne have become an essential part of New
Year celebrations across the world. Bro. Burns died at the early age of 37 at
Dumfries, Scotland, July 21, 1796.
JANUARY 26
In 1880 the
Mason who was to become US General and Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the
Southwest Pacific during World War II, was born in Little Rock, AR. Bro. Douglas
MacArthur served as commander of the Rainbow division's 84th Infantry Brigade i
World war I, leading it in the St. Mihiel, Meuse -Argonne and Sedan offensives.
Remembered for his "I shall return" prediction when forced out of the
Philippines by the Japanese during World war II,. a promise he fulfilled.
Relieved from Far Eastern command by President and Bro. Harry S Truman on April
11, 1951, during the Korean war. . Bro. MacArthur died at Washington, DC, April
5, 1964.
JANUARY 27
In 1756, Bro.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the world's greatest music makers, was born at
Salzburg , Austria. Born into a gifted musical family, Bro. Mozart began
performing at age 3, and composing at age 5. Some of the best known of his more
than 600 known woks include the operas "the Marriage of Figaro," "Don Giovanni,"
"Cosi fan tutti," and the "Magic Flute," with is Freemasonry allusions, his
unfinished "Requiem Mass," his C major symphony known as the "Jupiter," and many
of his quartets and piano concertos. He was initiated in 1784 in Lodge Zur
Wohltatigkeit, in Vienna. He died at Vienna December 5, 1791. Bro. Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart - Born at Salzburg, Austria.
In 1850 was
born - Samuel Gompers (1850-1924) founder and first president of the American
Federation of Labor. He was a member of Dawson Lodge No. 16, Washington, D.C.
and remained the organization's president until his death in San Antonio, TX,
December 13, 1924. During his term in office he gained workers higher wages,
shorter hours, and more privileges and headed the battle against the Knights of
Labor.;
JANUARY 28
JANUARY 29
In 1843, Bro.
William McKinley, who was to become the 25th President of the US, was born at
Niles, OH. He died in office at Buffalo, NY on September 14, 1901 . He died as a
result of a gunshot wound from an anarchist assassin on September 6 while he was
attending the Pan-American Exposition. Bro. McKinley was initiated in Hiram
Lodge No. 21 at Winchester, VA, on May 1, passed on may 2, raised on May 5,
1865. He was affiliated with Canton Lodge No. 60 at Canton, OH. He was a member
of Mark and Royal Arch, and was a Knight Templar.
JANUARY 30
In
1833, President and Bro. Andrew Jackson became the first U.S. president to
become the target of an assassination attempt. The would-be assassin, Richard
Lawrence, pulled a gun, which misfired, after which Bro. Jackson struck him with
his cane. Lawrence then pulled a second gun, which also misfired.
In 1882, Bro.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Mason who was to become America's 32nd President,
was born at Hyde Park, NY. The only President to serve more than two terms, he
was elected four times. Bro. Roosevelt supported the Allies in World War II
before the US entered the struggle by supplying them with war materials through
the lend lease Act. He became deeply involved in broad decision-making after the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. He died in office a few
months into his fourth term at Warm Springs, GA, April 12, 1945. Bro. Roosevelt
was initiated on October 11, passed on November 14, and raised on November 28,
1911 in Holland Lodge No. 8, New York City. He was elected an honorary member of
Stansburg Lodge No. 24, at Washington, DC. , and was present when his three sons
were raised: Elliot on February 17, 1933; James and Franklin D., Jr. on
November, 1935, all of them in Architect lodge 519, New York City. He was also a
member of the Scottish Rite.
JANUARY 31
In 1940, among
the most important pieces of New Deal social legislation was the Social Security
Act, signed into law by President and Bro. F.;D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935.
It included a number of provisions for general welfare, and created a social
insurance system to provide a continuing income to retired workers aged 65 or
older. Following the enormous task of registering employers and employees, on
January 1, 1937, workers began acquiring credits towards their retirement
benefits. Payment of monthly Social Security benefits began in 1940, when check
number 00-000-001, in the amount of $22.54 was issued on January 31 to
65-year-old Ida May Fuller, of Ludlow, Vermont. She had worked for three years
under the Social Security program before retiring in 1939 from her job as legal
secretary. She lived to be 100 years old, collecting a total of $22,888.92 in
Social Security benefits. Now a firmly established institution, the Social
Security system pays benefits not only to aged retired workers, but also to
their aged spouses or widows, children under age 18, and surviving aged parents.
This was one of the major promises offered by Bro. Roosevelt in his rn for the
US Presidency while America was in the depths of the Great Depression. It was
but one of Bro. Roosevelt's many demonstrations of the Masonic Way in action.
On his day
every ear Austrial begins the celebration of Mozartwoche (Bro. Mozart week).
Austria celebrates Salzburg's native son, the classical composer Bro.Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, who was born January 27, 1756. Salzburg celebrates the week
around his birthday with a festival of operas and recitals, drawing
distinguished musicians and ensembles from around the world. for good cause.
Bro. Mozart died in Vienna, Austria at age 35. The Austrian's musical genius
shines through all of his works, and his Masonic enthusiasm is reflected in a
number of compositions - most dramatically in "The Magic Flute" which was first
performed shortly before his death in 1791, For years he had lived off the
charity of his Masonic Brethren but was penniless at his death and had to be
buried in a pauper's grave. Bro. Mozart was initiated in 1784 in Lodge Zur
Wohltatigkeit, in Vienna.
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