Today is January 25: Discover the significance of this day and the historical events that took place.

January 25 marks the birthday of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. In 1965, Joseph Slipiy became a cardinal. In 1923, the unique state of Flaschenhals ceased to exist. In 1896, the premiere of the film "Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat" by the Lumière brothers took place. January 25, 1858, became the day that popularized Mendelssohn's wedding march. In 1831, the Polish Sejm proclaimed the independence of the country (which lasted about six months). January 25, 1648, is considered the date marking the beginning of the Khmelnytsky Uprising.

Holidays and Commemorative Dates on January 25

January 25 is celebrated worldwide as Opposite Day and Weather Observation Day.

January 25 in History

On January 25, 1648, Bohdan Khmelnytsky arrived at the Nikitinskaya Sich with a small detachment to convince the Zaporozhian Cossacks to join his fight against the Polish nobility. This event is traditionally regarded as the beginning of the Khmelnytsky Uprising. Read more.

On January 25, 1831, during the November Uprising, the Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland proclaimed the removal from power of Russian Emperor Nicholas I in Poland. Read more.

On January 25, 1858, Mendelssohn's wedding march became popular. On this day, Crown Prince Friedrich of Prussia married Princess Victoria of England to a fragment of music from the comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Read more.

On January 25, 1896, the premiere of the most famous film of our time by the Lumière brothers — "Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat" — took place. Read more.

On January 25, 1923, the unique state of Flaschenhals ("Bottle Neck") in modern-day Germany ceased to exist. It was formed in 1919 due to an error in calculations by the Allies who occupied parts of the German Empire after World War I.

When the Germans capitulated by signing the Armistice of Compiègne, the troops of the Entente occupied the territories of former opponents on the western bank of the Rhine River and then expanded their occupation zones to partially occupy the eastern bank — near unoccupied Germany. However, during the expansion of their control zones, the occupiers miscalculated. They created three semicircular footholds – British, American, and French, each with a radius of 30 km. But between the French and American zones, there remained a small unoccupied "corridor," which included the towns of Lorch and Kaub, as well as several villages.

Although this territory was adjacent to "Greater Germany" on the map, in reality, it had almost no communication with it. To the northeast, the small unoccupied "Bottle Neck" was cut off by the Taunus mountain range, and there were no roads or railroads leading in that direction. Access through the occupied territories was also unavailable. Thus, locals used horse-drawn carts that could traverse the rough terrain. The main source of goods and food became smuggling.

Despite the difficult situation, representatives of the territory strongly opposed the French proposal to slightly expand their occupation zone to include the formed "gap" into the already occupied Wiesbaden district. This idea did not find support among the British either, as they believed that such an expansion would not stop the French, who would want to "grab" more German territory. As a result, everything was left as it was. On January 10, 1919, a microstate called Flaschenhals was proclaimed in the unexpectedly unoccupied territory. Its population was only about 17,000 people. The largest city, Lorch, was designated as the capital. The mayor, Edmund Pnishek, was later elected president. Since it was challenging to deliver even the most essential products to this isolated territory from "Greater Germany," there was no question of supplying German banknotes here. Therefore, the microstate began issuing its own currency – notgeld.

Thus, the government of Flaschenhals existed until February 25, 1923 — when the French occupied the Ruhr. This territory is now part of the Rhine Gorge, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Numerous excursions are organized to Kaub and Lorch, and the stamps and banknotes of the vanished microstate are of significant interest to collectors worldwide. The same goes for the rare bottles of wine that were smuggled here from neighboring occupied territories. The value of these rarities can reach impressive figures.

On January 25, 1965, Pope Paul VI appointed Ukrainian Metropolitan and Soviet political prisoner Joseph Slipiy as a cardinal.

On January 25, 1978, the current President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was born.

On January 25, 1992, Ukraine established diplomatic relations with Egypt.

Church Holiday on January 25

The Feast of Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople. Read more.

Folk Omens

If the stars are bright at night, spring will come early this year.

If there is a snowstorm during the day, spring will also be early.

Snow that falls on January 25 will not melt until March.

What Not to Do on January 25

Do not brag about your achievements and financial situation.

Do not spit at your feet.

Do not share your worries or speak of actions you are ashamed of with anyone.