January 30 is Croissant day
A croissant is a buttery, flaky light breads and pastries that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.ย Crescent-shaped breads have been made since the Renaissance, and crescent-shaped cakes possibly since antiquity.
The key to a perfect croissant is laminating the dough. Laminating the dough is a process by which butter is folded into the mixture creating multiple thin layers of butter and dough. The result is a mouth-watering flaky crust and airy body.
Celebrate Croissant Day by stopping by the bakery for some of these delicious rolls, or bake some of your own to serve with dinner.
Today in history: January 30, 1968: The Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War launched by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army against targets in the South. The attacks coincided with the celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year.
The North Vietnamese launched a wave of attacks in the late night hours of 30 January in South Vietnam. This early attack did not lead to widespread defensive measures, and in fact many people thought the gunfire and explosions were fireworks that were part of the Tet celebration.
When the main North Vietnamese operation began the next morning, the offensive was countrywide and well coordinated. More than 80,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops struck more than 100 towns and cities, including 36 of 44 provincial capitals, five of the six autonomous cities, 72 of 245 district towns, and the southern capital. The offensive was the largest military operation conducted by either side up to that point in the war.
Though initial attacks stunned both the US and South Vietnamese armies, causing them to temporarily lose control of several cities, they quickly regrouped, beat back the attacks, and inflicted heavy casualties on North Vietnamese forces. During the Battle of Huแบฟ, intense fighting lasted for a month, resulting in the destruction of the city. During their occupation, the North Vietnamese executed thousands of people in what became known as the Massacre at Huแบฟ. Around the US combat base at Khe Sanh, fighting continued for two more months.
Although the offensive was a military defeat for North Vietnam, it had a profound effect on the US government and shocked the US public, which had been led to believe by its political and military leaders that the North Vietnamese were being defeated and incapable of launching such an ambitious military operation; American public support for the war soon declined.
This is CBS News reporting of the offensive in and around the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. Warning, some footage in the following videos may be unsettling to some readers. This is what was shown to American audiences on the CBS Evening news.
The Battle for Huแบฟ as shown on CBS โGood Morning Sundayโ some years after the war had ended.
January 30, 1969: The Last Concert
At lunchtime on a grey Thursday afternoon on January 30, 1969, John Lennon, Paul McCartney George Harrison and Ringo Starr climbed the steps to the roof of the headquarters for Apple Records in London. A stage had been built, and the bandโs equipment was ready.
Unannounced, the Beatles began to play. A crowd began to gather, and traffic slowed down as the Fab Four played 9 songs from five stories above the busy street.
With them was keyboardist Billy Preston, who Harrison had invited along in an attempt to keep the band focused. The Beatles had been experiencing internal strife over artistic ideas, and Harrison thought the addition of Preston to the group for the day would serve to stabilize the rift growing between McCartney and Lennon.
The Metropolitan Police shut the power off 42 minutes into the set. As they mounted the stars to the roof, the band played one of itโs last great hits; โGet Backโ, with McCartney changing the lyric to fit the situation. โYou’ve been playing on the roofs again, and you know your Momma doesn’t like it, she’s gonna have you arrested!”
The concert came to an end with the conclusion of “Get Back”, with John Lennon saying, “I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we’ve passed the audition”
The Beatles would never play in public as a group again.