Federal Holidays Through 2020
Federal holidays for years 1997-2020.
Source: Office of Personnel Management

United Nations Observances

This site contains information on United Nations days, weeks, years, decades and other observances, resolutions declaring them and links to events websites.

United Nations observances are used to contribute to the achievement of the purposes of the UN Charter and promote awareness of and action upon, important political, social, cultural, humanitarian or human rights issues. They provide a useful means for the promotion of international and national action and stimulate interest in United Nations activities and programmes. For international years and decades the UN Secretary General takes action to establish preparatory process, evaluation and follow-up procedures.

The majority of observances have been established by the UN General Assembly and some have been designated by UN specialized agencies.

Source: United Nations Department of Public Information

Hat tip: UN Pulse

Compiled by USA.gov

Source: USA.gov

International Council of Air Shows Searchable Database

Search for events around the world by:
+ Name
+ Date
+ Location (Country, State, Province)

Source: International Council of Air Shows

+ Stats and Facts from the U.S. Census

+ Asian Pacific American Heritage Resources
From the Library of Congress.

“Leadership, Diversity and Harmony–Gateway to Success” is the theme of this year’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and honors the many contributions citizens of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry have made to America.

Presidents’ Day features papers, biographical information, and other resources for learning about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and other Presidents.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

+ Fast Facts: Chinese New Year (Year of the Rat) (via FactMonster)
See Also: Chinese Zodiac

A new “Fact for Features” guide from the U.S. Census

Super Bowl XLII will be played Feb. 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. To commemorate this occasion, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of facts examining the demographics of the host area, as well as the cities represented by the contenders, in this year’s edition of our nation’s most celebrated sporting event.

Facts include:
39 minutes
Average amount of time it took New York’s residents to get to work. Twenty-four percent of the city’s workers drove to work alone, 6 percent carpooled and 54 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took workers an average of 25 minutes to get to work.

23rd
Where Boston ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous cities. Boston’s estimated population on July 1, 2006, was 595,698. Boston’s population declined by 940 people between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006. (The Patriots actually play in suburban Foxborough, Mass., which had an estimated July 1, 2006, population of 16,274.)

26%
Percentage of Arizona’s residents 25 or older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2006; this compares with 27 percent in the Phoenix metro area and 19 percent in Glendale. The respective national figure was 27 percent.

$236,500
Median value of owner-occupied homes in Arizona. The respective medians in the Phoenix metro area and Glendale were $266,300 and $243,900. The national median was $185,200.

Source: U.S. Census

New: 2008 Defense Intelligence Agency Calendar
Includes fast facts about the U.S. military history.
28 pages; PDF. Color.

Source DIAq

Jan 6th: 1412: Joan of Arc Birth Anniversary
Jan 6th: 1916: Eugene Maleska Birth Anniversary…Maleska was the Crossword Puzzle Editor of the NY Times and invented new puzzle formats and clues in 1977. He died in 1993.
Jan 6th: Three Kings Day
Jan 6th: 1942: Anniversary of First Round-the-World Flight by a Commercial Aircraft (Pan Am Airways)
Jan 7th: 1752: First U.S. Commercial Bank Opens in Philadelphia
Jan 7th: Consumer Electronics Show Opens in Las Vegas
Jan 7th: National Thank God It’s Monday Day
Jan 7th: 1927: Transatlantic Phoning Anniversary. 31 calls made the first day.
Jan 8th: 1982: AT&T Divestiture Anniversary
Jan 8th: Elvis Presley (1935) and David Bowie (1947) Birth Anniversary and Birthday
Jan 9th: 1788: Connecticut Ratifies U.S. Constitution
Jan 9th: 100th Anniversary of Birth, Simone De Beuvoir
Jan 9th: 95th Anniversary of Birth, Richard Nixon
Jan 10th: 1776: Common Sense Published
Jan 10th: National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
Jan 10th: Islamic New Year
Jan 10th: 1878: Women’s Suffrage Amendment Introduced in Congress
Jan 11th: 1964: U.S. Surgeon General Declares Cigarettes Hazardous
Jan 12th: 1932: Hattie Caraway: First Elected Women to U.S. Senate
Jan 12th: 1971: “All in the Family” Premieres on CBS; Batman Premieres on ABC (1966); Dynasty Premieres on ABC (1981)
Jan 12th: 100th Anniversary of Birth, Jack London

Source: Chase’s Calendar of Events

As one of the great annual reference books, Chase’s Calendar of Events, celebrates its 50th anniversary edition in 2008, ResourceShelf will use the book to highlight various months and special days throughout the year. We will do our best to provide this selected list near the end of the month. During the month, we plan make note of special days and weeks.

January, 2008

+ National Mentoring Month

+ Get Organized Month

+ International Creativity Month

+ National Clean Up Your Computer Month

+ National Skating Month

+ UN: International Year of the Potato Begins

+ California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month

+ National Glaucoma Awareness Month

+ National Poverty in America Awareness Month

+ UN: International Year of Sanitation Begins

We’ve added Sources.com, an interactive planning calendar for events in Canada. Very impressive.

For more planning calendars see:

1) Calendars: World Events Calendar and Other Online Calendars

2) Time to Plan! Calendars, Calendars, and More Calendars

3) 2008 Election Timeline (Presidential Debates, Primaries, Caucuses & Other Events); List of 2008 Presidential Candidates

See Also: Today in History Sources

Hat tip, Stuart Basefsky

The Washington Diplomat (TWD) is a monthly publication (print and web) aimed at the DC dimplomatic community. It might be of interest to those of you with track international relations, area studies, government, etc. You’ll often find profiles of diplomatic leaders.

TWD also publishes a fortnightly email newsletter, The Diplomatic Pouch with updates and more info. You can subscribe (free) to it here or read it online.

Finally, The Washington Diplomat (TWD) also provides several useful reference lists and calendars:

+ Ambassadors to the United States

+ Diplotic Appointments

+ World Holidays (Look for the 2008 list to be posted shortly)
Archive back to 2003.

See Also: ResourceShelf Calendar Collections 1 ||| 2

See Also: Even More Calendars

From Publisher’s Weekly: On Sale Calendar Thru 2008.
Available thru April, 2008. Additions to come in the future to this list.

Source: Publisher’s Weekly.

See Also: ResourceShelf’s Two Large Planning Calendar Collections
1 ||| 2

See Also: More Calendars

Fast Facts: Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, Formats and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2008 General Election

The dates and sites are:
+ First presidential debate: Friday, September 26 University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

+ Vice presidential debate: Thursday, October 2 Washington University in St. Louis, MO

+ Second presidential debate: Tuesday, October 7 Belmont University, Nashville, TN

+ Third presidential debate: Wednesday, October 15 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

The two backup sites are Centre College in Danville, KY and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.

The Commission also announced formats for the debates.
All debates will be ninety minutes in length and start at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Each debate will be administered by a single moderator.

Additional info in the news release.

See Also: Commission on Presidential Debates Web Site

See Also: Presidential Debate History

See Also: CPD Announces 2008 Debate Host Applicants (April, 2007)

Source: Commission on Presidential Debates