William McKinley
January’s puzzle is essentially about carefully following directions.  The steps are:
1. Write down the name of this month
JANUARY
2. Switch the R and the N
JARUANY
3. Change atomic number 44 to atomic number 46 (Ru to Pd)
JAPDANY
4. Insert an O after the P
JAPODANY
5. Change the Eastern Bluebird's state into the Yellow-shafted Flicker's (NY to AL)
JAPODAAL
6. Switch the 3rd letter with the last
JALODAAP
7. Change the P to a T
JALODAAT
8. Add to the front the four-letter abbreviation for the organization that hosts the World Cup (FIFA)
FIFAJALODAAT
9. Delete the third consonant from the left
FIFAALODAAT
10. Change the first pair of doubled vowels to O’s
FIFOOLODAAT
11. Reverse all letters
TAADOLOOFIF
12. Switch the 3rd letter with the last
TAFDOLOOFIA
13. Reverse the 8th through 10th letters from the left
TAFDOLOIFOA
14. Turn the second consonant from the left into the vowel that precedes it alphabetically
TAEDOLOIFOA
15. Move the I to the left of the D
TAEIDOLOFOA
16. Add the first Galilean moon to the end (Io)
TAEIDOLOFOAIO
17. Change the A’s to H’s
THEIDOLOFOHIO
The sequence of letters revealed following step 17 is The Idol of Ohio.  This was the nickname given to the twenty-fifth president of the United States, William McKinley.