Today is January 29: Discover the significance of this date and the historical events that occurred on this day.
January 29 is Memorial Day for the Heroes of Kruty in Ukraine. On this day in 1616, sailors discovered the southernmost point of South America – Cape Horn. In 1805, a decree was signed to establish the first university in Kharkiv. In 1886, Karl Benz received the first patent for his automobile. In 1896, Emil Grubbe became the first in history to use radioactive radiation for cancer treatment. In 1916, the first tank trials took place. In 1918, the battle at the Kruty railway station occurred, and a Bolshevik uprising began at the Arsenal factory in Kyiv. In 1951, future Kharkiv mayor and head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Yevhen Kushnaryov was born.
Holidays and Commemorative Dates on January 29
January 29 is Memorial Day for the Heroes of Kruty in Ukraine.
Worldwide, it is the International Day of Mobilization Against the Threat of Nuclear War.
Additionally, today is: Chinese New Year, Puzzle Day, and Brain Teaser Day.
January 29 in History
On January 29, 1616, Dutch sailors Jacob Le Maire and Willem Schouten discovered the southernmost point of South America – Cape Horn. Learn more.
On January 29, 1805, the university in Kharkiv was officially opened. Today, it is known as V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The university traditionally celebrates two dates related to its founding: the day of establishment (November 17) and the day of opening (January 29).
On January 29, 1886, Karl Benz received the first patent for his automobile. Learn more.
On January 29, 1896, American citizen Emil Grubbe claimed to be the first in history to use radioactive radiation for cancer treatment. In his 1933 articles for the journal "Radiology," Grubbe described this story. In January 1896, he learned about the discovery of X-rays by Röntgen, which were later named after him. Coincidentally, Grubbe was working with the same equipment that Röntgen found a new application for (the cathode or electron beam tube). Thus, the American immediately began experimenting to verify the discovery he had heard about. He repeatedly irradiated his own hand, "playing around" to the point of developing painful dermatitis. The condition of his skin was so severe that on January 27, 1896, Grubbe sought help from a doctor at the Hahnemann Medical College in Chicago, where he had studied (the college was quite interesting as it taught homeopathy, which was later recognized as pseudoscience).
“Dr. Gilman, also a colleague at Hahnemann College, was present during the examination and commented that anything capable of causing such significant harm to normal cells opens up possibilities as a therapeutic agent. Another attendee, Dr. R. Ladlum, was so struck by Gilman’s suggestion that he asked Grubbe to treat his patient with inoperable cancer of the left breast,” — describes the events according to Grubbe's own account, in the article "The Legend of Emil Grubbe" on the ORAU Radiation and Radioactivity Museum website.
Already on January 29, 1896, according to Grubbe, Dr. Ladlum's patient, Mrs. Rose Lee, came to him. He irradiated her breast while covering other parts of her body with lead plates. Such sessions lasted an hour each day. Allegedly, they managed to reduce pain and slow the tumor's growth, but the patient died shortly thereafter.
A number of researchers question the story of the "pioneer of medical radiology." One of the main reasons is that, aside from the first medical application of radiation, Grubbe attributed many other achievements to himself that were later disproven. He is sometimes referred to as the "American Münchhausen." For example, Grubbe claimed to have discovered platinum deposits in the Snake River in Idaho (but platinum was never mined there). Allegedly, he invented an electric furnace for processing platinum and produced synthetic diamonds with it (which is technologically impossible with such primitive equipment). Supposedly, in three years, as a regular, not wealthy student at the end of the 19th century, he managed to travel across three continents, visiting British Columbia, Brazil, the Congo, and South Africa, all while studying and practicing medicine...
This series of fantastical stories was uncovered and debunked by Grubbe's biographer Paul Hodges. Moreover, publishing his biography was a desire of the "American Münchhausen" himself. Grubbe bequeathed his estate to the University of Chicago with the condition that they publish his biography. The biography turned out to be somewhat less heroic than the fantasist had envisioned. However, the "main story of Grubbe's life" – about the first experience of treating cancer with radioactive radiation – was not disproven by the biographer. On one hand, he found no evidence of the mentioned patient – Mrs. Rose Lee, as if such a person never existed. There were no traces of the second patient mentioned by the radiologist either. However, an examination conducted by FBI specialists of Dr. Ladlum's letters, in which he referred Rose Lee to Grubbe for treatment, confirmed their authenticity: both the timing of writing and authorship. So now, whether to consider Grubbe a pioneer of radiotherapy or a fabricator is more a matter of belief than of science.
“The FBI report led Hodges to agree with Grubbe's claim that he was the first to apply X-rays for therapeutic purposes,” the Radiation and Radioactivity Museum writes. “Nevertheless, others remain unconvinced. Ruth and Edward Brecher, for instance, found that Grubbe was so prone to lies and exaggerations that they concluded the letters were forgeries, possibly created in collaboration with Dr. Ladlum. But Nancy Knight, who recently researched this issue, sided with Grubbe. She explains: ‘His vanity may have made Grubbe particularly unattractive as a pioneer to his medical colleagues, so they overlooked the validity of some, if not all, of his claims about early and innovative work in this field.’ If Hodges and Knight are correct, it is impossible to overlook the fact that the father of radiation therapy was a “difficult and often despicable” person “of ruthless bitterness and contradiction,” his own “copywriter, press agent, and advertising manager.”
On January 29, 1916, the English tested the first tank. Learn more.
On January 29, 1918, a battle took place at the Kruty railway station, located 130 kilometers from Kyiv. Concurrently with the fighting at Kruty, battles also occurred in Kyiv. Here, the January Uprising (in Soviet historiography – January Insurrection) organized by the Kyiv committee of the Russian Bolshevik Party (RSDRP(b)) broke out. Learn more.
On January 29, 1921, at a conference in Paris, the victorious countries of World War I determined the amount of war reparations for Germany. Learn more.
On January 29, 1951, Yevhen Kushnaryov was born – the former mayor and head of the regional state administration in Kharkiv. Learn more.
Church Holiday on January 29
On January 29, the transfer of the relics of Saint Ignatius the Godbearer is commemorated. Saint Ignatius was martyred by being thrown to the beasts on the orders of Emperor Trajan. This occurred in 107 AD. Christians gathered his relics and kept them in Rome. In 108 AD, they were transferred to a suburb of Antioch. The second transfer to the city of Antioch occurred in 438 AD. After the Persians captured Antioch, the relics of the saint were returned to Rome, where they were placed in a church dedicated to Pope Clement. This happened around 540 AD (according to other sources, in 637 AD).
Folk Signs
If it snows all day on January 29, fishing will be good in the spring.
A snowstorm on January 29 indicates a cool summer.
A frosty and clear day promises a hot summer.
What Not to Do on January 29
It is not advisable to argue, quarrel, or speak ill of others.
Washing clothes is discouraged.
It is better to dress without looking in the mirror.