BACKWARD DAY - 31st January

Shake up the day-to-day humdrum with Backward Day! 
Try walking backwards, talking backwards, and doing everything the wrong way round.

Can you imagine it?

A little bit of humour...

Out of curiosity...

Australia Day - 26th January

Australia Day
Australia Day on Sydney Harbour, 2004
Also called	Foundation Day, Anniversary Day, Survival Day, Invasion Day.
Observed by	Australian citizens and residents
Type	National
Significance	Date of landing of First Fleet  in Port Jackson in 1788
Observances	Family gatherings, picnics and barbecues; parades; citizenship ceremonies; Australia Day Honours List; Australian of the Year presentation;
Date	26 January

FIND OUT 10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS COUNTRY:

Martin Luther King Day - 20th January 2014

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.

"The Stone Of Hope" memorial by master sculptor Lei Yixin was opened to the public in West Potomac Park, Washington DC, on August 22, 2011.

©iStockphoto.com/Camrocker

What do people do?

Martin Luther King Day is a relatively new federal holiday and there are few long standing traditions. It is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.

Background

Martin Luther King was an important civil rights activist. He was a leader in the movement to end racial segregation in the United States. His most famous address was the "I Have A Dream" speech. He was an advocate of non-violent protest and became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated in 1968.

In 1968, shortly after Martin Luther King died, a campaign was started for his birthday to become a holiday to honor him. After the first bill was introduced, trade unions lead the campaign for the federal holiday. It was endorsed in 1976. Following support from the musician Stevie Wonder with his single "Happy Birthday" and a petition with six million signatures, the bill became law in 1983. Martin Luther King Day was first observed in 1986, although it was not observed in all states until the year 2000. 

PAST SIMPLE - REGULAR VERBS

. Forming the simple past tense

With most verbs, the simple past is created simply by adding -ED. However, with some verbs, you need to add -D or change the ending a little. Here are the rules:

Verb ending in...	How to make the simple past	Examples
e	Add -D	live  lived date  dated
Consonant +y	Change y to i, then add -ED	try  tried cry  cried
One vowel + one consonant (but NOT w or y)	Double the consonant, then add -ED	tap  tapped commit  committed
anything else including w	Add -ED	boil  boiled fill  filled hand  handed show  showed

EXERCISES (click here)

REMEMBER THE FORMS:

EXERCISES (click here)

ELVIS PRESLEY - born on 8th January

Born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley came from very humble beginnings and grew up to become one of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll.
 By the mid-1950s, he appeared on the radio, television and the silver screen. 
On August 16, 1977, at age 42, he died of heart failure, which was related to his drug addiction.
 Since his death, Presley has remained one of the world's most popular music icons.

Elvis, the pelvis

WATCH HIS MINI BIOGRAPHY:



Curiosity:

As the world celebrates the King of Rock 'n' Roll on his birthday, Memphis and Shelby County officials have also proclaimed January 8 to be Elvis Presley Day since 2011 due to his lasting legacy and impact on pop culture.