One-Liners Day for the year 2023 is celebrated/observed on Saturday, January 21st. There are until the next observance.
Every year on January 21, we commemorate the famous one-liners that have left us shocked, temporarily puzzled, or rolling on the floor laughing with tears in our eyes. Did you know that the first piece of comedy was written in ancient Greece almost 2,500 years ago? One-liners are jokes, wisecracks, or responses given in a single line or sentence. This comic style is commonly used by comedians and performers in their shows. “I have nothing to declare except my genius” (Oscar Wilde), “Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in” (“The Godfather”), and “My precious” are some of the most renowned one-liners (“Lord of the Rings”).
📆 When is One-Liners Day?
This year, One-Liners Day is on January 21st. It is the 3rd Saturday in January; in 2024, it is on Sunday.
→ Did you know: The stand-up comedian worked for the National Security Agency as a contractual expert. In that job, he was in charge of getting the logistics for the agency.
You can also view all fun things you didn’t know about and facts about January 21, 2023.
📜 History of One-Liners Day
Aristophanes, a comedy playwright and satirical novelist, wrote the earliest known collection of comedic plays in ancient Greece, beginning in 425 B.C. In his 335 B.C. work “Poetics,” Aristotle defined the origins of comedy—from phallic processions and the light treatment of the otherwise low and ugly—in his 335 B.C. work “Poetics,” and split comedy into three sub-genres: farce, romantic comedy, and satire.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, comedy took on a new meaning. It was playful and occasionally used to resist authority. Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is an example of the former, and the “Punch and Judy” play is an example of the latter. “Punch and Judy” defied the puritanical attitude of the time and was so well received by audiences that they were converted into hand puppets and became popular in Britain. “Punch and Judy” was the political cartoon counterpart of today.
The emergence of pantomime, which comprised slapstick humor and sketch comedy without language, occurred in the early nineteenth century. In the 1890s, Fred Karno, an English music hall comic and theater producer, pioneered this type of humor. Two of the most well-known comedians who worked for Karno’s business were Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel. Joseph Grimaldi, the first mainstream clown, was also born during this time period.
American vaudeville was popular from the 1880s until the 1930s, when it declined. Its growth coincided with the birth of popular entertainment as a business. The emergence of film, radio, and television in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries enhanced comedians’ appeal and allowed them to reach a wider audience. Some of the best comedians of the time were Charlie Chaplin, Rowan Atkinson, and Bozo the Clown.
☑️ One-Liners Day facts
✅ Dave Chappelle features on an album cover
like the cover for his single “Breakfast Can Wait.” Prince utilized a shot of Dave Chappelle dressed up as him from one of his gigs.
✅ Jim Gaffigan performed for Pope Francis
Jim Gaffigan was the only comedian set to perform before Pope Francis on his 2015 visit to Philadelphia for the Festival of Families.
✅ Dangerous for television
N.B.C. management was so concerned about Richard Pryor that they insisted on a five-second delay when he hosted “Saturday Night Live.”
✨ Things to do on One-Liners Day
⚡ Watch movies that have some of the best one-liners
Some of the finest one-liners we’ve ever heard came from the silver screen, and many of them are still applicable today. These one-liners can be found in films such as “The Godfather,” “The Titanic,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “Rocky.”Watch or revisit them on One-Liners Day.
⚡ Show off your best one-liners on social media
How effective are your one-liners? We’re not talking about pick-up lines here. You may show off your abilities on social media if you think you’re skilled at saying something clever and hilarious in one line. A site like Twitter is ideal for this.
⚡ Perform a stand-up comedy show
One-liners are an essential component of stand-up comedy. You may do a stand-up comedy show by stringing together one-liners or humorous lines. Organize your own performance and invite friends, family, and neighbors, including those who want to perform.
📅 One-Liners Day Observances
| YEAR | DATE | DAY |
| 2023 | January 21 | Saturday |
| 2024 | January 21 | Sunday |
| 2025 | January 21 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | January 21 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | January 21 | Thursday |
Learn all January holidays, including Fun and other Activities holidays.
We will continue to update this page with new information and must-know facts about One-Liners Day. So be sure to check back soon.