A Move from March to January by Borgna Brunner
The celebration of the new year on January 1st is a relatively new phenomenon. The earliest recording of a new year celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamia, c. 2000 B.C. and was celebrated around the time of the
vernal equinox in mid-March. A variety of other dates tied to the seasons were also used by various ancient cultures. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the fall equinox, and the Greeks celebrated it on the winter solstice.
Early Roman Calendar: March 1st Rings in the New Year
The early Roman calendar designated March 1 as the new year. The calendar had just ten months, beginning with March. That the new year once began with the month of March is still reflected in some of the names of the months. September through December, our ninth through twelfth months, were originally positioned as the seventh through tenth months (septem is Latin for “seven,” octo is “eight,” novem is “nine,” and decem is “ten.”
January Joins the Calendar
The first time the new year was celebrated on January 1st was in Rome in 153 B.C. (In fact, the month of January did not even exist until around 700 B.C., when the second king of Rome, Numa Pontilius, added the months of January and February.) The new year was moved from March to January because that was the beginning of the civil year, the month that the two newly elected Roman consuls—the highest officials in the Roman republic—began their one-year tenure. But this new year date was not always strictly and widely observed, and the new year was still sometimes celebrated on March 1.
Julian Calendar: January 1st Officially Instituted as the New Year
In 46 B.C. Julius Caesar introduced a new, solar-based calendar that was a vast improvement on the ancient Roman calendar, which was a lunar system that had become wildly inaccurate over the years. The Julian calendar decreed that the new year would occur with January 1, and within the Roman world, January 1 became the consistently observed start of the new year.
Middle Ages: January 1st Abolished
In medieval Europe, however, the celebrations accompanying the new year were considered pagan and unchristian like, and in 567 the Council of Tours abolished January 1 as the beginning of the year. At various times and in various places throughout medieval Christian Europe, the new year was celebrated on Dec. 25, the birth of Jesus; March 1; March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation; and Easter.
Gregorian Calendar: January 1st Restored
In 1582, the Gregorian calendar reform restored January 1 as new year’s day. Although most Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar almost immediately, it was only gradually adopted among Protestant countries. The British, for example, did not adopt the reformed calendar until 1752. Until then, the British Empire —and their American colonies— still celebrated the new year in March.
Article written by: Borgna Brunner & Reprinted Courtesy of http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html
I’d like to wish a very Happy New Year to ALL of my brother & sister Military Veterans & those brave Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, Coast & National Guard personnel currently serving on Active Duty around the world! God Bless You ALL & Thank You for Your Service to our Country! ~JGT
Here It Is! Detailed List of Findings in Wikileaks DNC Document Dump
Brief Reasons & Events leading up to Gettysburg:
General Lee ordered several brigades to travel east to check their location and to forage for supplies for his troops. Northwest of the town of Gettysburg they met. A skirmish ensued and as the battle heated, word was sent back to both commanders that the enemy was found and reinforcement troops proceeded to the area. Over the next 2 days Lee’s army converged onto Gettysburg from the west and north while Meade’s army arrived from the south and southeast. Thus a battle never planned, occurred simply by circumstance. 
The second day of battle began as a series of disorganized and disjointed Confederate attacks on the Union defensive position south of the town. Though simultaneous attacks were supposed to have occurred on Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Ridge, the attacks took place at least six hours apart and ended with consistent retreats. Union forces held onto Culp’s Hill but the Confederate forces eventually drove back the Union troops in the areas referred to as Peach Orchard, Wheatfield, Valley of Death and Devils Den. Each one and each side, had a stunning amount of casualties. The Confederate troops advance of the Union right flank had initially succeeded but was finally stopped by the heroic efforts of the Union forces and most especially~ in an area known as Little Round Top.
FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1863
I love America! I love MY country! I love what our Constitution stands for and I love it for the dream that our founding fathers imagined for us. I would give my life for my country!
In 1979, the United States allowed the then exiled, Shah of Iran entry into our country for medical treatment. Meanwhile; a group of radical Islamists in Tehran violently seized our American Embassy there, burned our flag, looted and destroyed our Embassy (American Territory) & took over 54 American Citizen hostages These Americans were held captive in that disgusting country for 444 days! Eventually; President Carter acted by Executive Order in November of that year by freezing about $12 Billion Iranian assets which included bank deposits, gold & property. But the harm was already done to his weak administration because Americans remained captive in Iran until a new President was sworn into office in January 1981. 
prohibited all trade with Iran. Later that year, Congress passed the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) which included foreign company penalties if they engaged in over $20 Million of petroleum development in Iran.
“The United States and Iran today have settled a long outstanding claim at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in the Hague.
Jersey Girl Today 