Thesaurus Day
About Thesaurus Day
When is Thesaurus Day? This holiday is always observed on January 18
Thesaurus Day celebrates the birthday of the author of Roget’s Thesaurus. Peter Roget was born on this day in 1779. This January 18 holiday encourages us to appreciate and utilize the Thesaurus as an excellent resource for all of our writing projects.
The Thesaurus has been an invaluable reference book for hundreds of years. Students and writers use it to improve the quality of their literary work. Do you remember how the book works? After High School, many of us forget. If you have forgotten, you’re in good company.
The Thesaurus lists synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning) for words. It allows you to avoid repetition in writing and speeches. It also lists antonyms…words with opposite meanings.
Enjoy today appreciating the value of the Thesaurus. If you haven’t seen it in a while, take a moment to browse through it.
Did You Know? There is no synonym or antonym for “Thesaurus”.
How to Celebrate Thesaurus Day
- If you don’t have one, buy one today.
- Refresh your memory of how the Thesaurus works.
- Use the Thesaurus to substitute similar words and often more appropriate words in the things you write today.
Today's Quote
“One person can make a difference and everyone should try.” – – John F. Kennedy
History and Origin of Thesaurus Day
We know that Thesaurus Day was created to honor Peter Roget, the author of Roget’s Thesaurus. We fully expected to find a book company, or the folks at thesaurus.com to claim to be the originators. However, we did not find the originator or the date of origin for this special day. Perhaps it was one of the millions of people who appreciate the value of this reference book.
During our original research in the early 2000s, this was called Thesaurus Day. In recent years, a few internet sites have referred to this say as National Thesaurus Day. We did not find any documentation confirming this to be a “National” day. We found no congressional records or presidential proclamation.
Definition of “National” Days – And, why it is important to identify the distinction.
More January 18 Holidays
Here is another January 18 holiday we are certain you will enjoy:
Winnie the Pooh Day – the Birthday of Winnie’s author A.A. Milne
More About Today
Flower of the Day: Cathedral Bells
Today’s Recipe: Potato Soup
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Did You Know? There are literally thousands of daily holidays, special events, and observances, more than one for every day of the year. Many of these holidays are new. People and organizations are creating new holidays regularly. January is no exception. Consequently, at Holiday Insights, we take great efforts to thoroughly research and document the details of each one, as completely and accurately as possible.