What are the important events that happened on January 1? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
January 1: Facts & Myths About This Day
January 1 is the 1st day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 19, 2024 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 482,136 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.
Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘henagon’ day.
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Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Garnet is the modern birthstone for this month. Emerald is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 28 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.
The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,394 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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January 1: This Day In History
The preceding day is December 31 of the previous year.
During the Middle Ages under the influence of the Christian Church, many countries moved the start of the year to one of several important Christian festivals — December 25 (the Nativity of Jesus), March 1, March 25 (the Annunciation), or even Easter. Eastern European countries (most of them with populations showing allegiance to the Orthodox Church) began their numbered year on September 1 from about 988.
In England, January 1 was celebrated as the New Year festival, but from the 12th century to 1752 the year in England began on March 25 (Lady Day). So, for example, the Parliamentary record records the execution of Charles I occurring in 1648 (as the year did not end until March 24), although modern histories adjust the start of the year to January 1 and record the execution as occurring in 1649.
Most western European countries changed the start of the year to January 1 before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to January 1 in 1600. England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to January 1 in 1752. Later that year in September, the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies. These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.
January 1 became the official start of the year as follows:
- 1522 The Republic of Venice
- 1544 Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
- 1556 Spain, Portugal
- 1559 Prussia, Sweden
- 1564 France
- 1576 Southern Netherlands
- 1579 Lorraine
- 1583 United Provinces of the Netherlands (northern)
- 1600 Scotland
- 1700 Russia
- 1721 Tuscany
- 1752 Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies
January 1 Historical Events
- 1527 –Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as king of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin.
- 1833 –The United Kingdom claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
- 1847 –The world’s first “Mercy” Hospital is founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Sisters of Mercy, the name will go on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world.
- 1863 –American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory.
- 1901 –Nigeria becomes a British protectorate.
- 1909 –Drilling begins on the Lakeview Gusher.
- 1949 –United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
- 1960 –Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom.
- 1986 –Aruba becomes independent of Curaçao, though it remains in free association with the Netherlands.
- 1995 –Sweden, Austria, and Finland are admitted into the European Union.
Who were born on January 1?
- 1648 –Elkanah Settle, English writer (d. 1724)
- 1860 –John Cassidy, Irish sculptor and painter (d. 1939)
- 1876 –Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (d. 1933)
- 1879 –William Fox, Hungarian-born American film producer (d. 1952)
- 1909 –Stepan Bandera, Ukrainian nationalist leader (d. 1959)
- 1925 –Matthew “Stymie” Beard, American actor (d. 1981)
- 1947 –Jon Corzine, American politician, 54th Governor of New Jersey and former United States Senator from New Jersey
- 1960 –Rayo de Jalisco, Jr., Mexican wrestler
- 1965 –John Sullivan, American politician
- 1981 –Eden Riegel, American actress
Who died on January 1?
- 962 –Baldwin III, Count of Flanders (b. c. 940)
- 1387 –King Charles II of Navarre (b. 1332)
- 1559 –Christian III of Denmark and Norway (b. 1503)
- 1631 –Thomas Hobson, the “Cambridge Carrier”, eponym of Hobson’s Choice (b. 1544)
- 1782 –Johann Christian Bach, German composer (b. 1735)
- 1994 –Edward Arthur Thompson, British historian (b. 1914)
- 1996 –Arthur Rudolph, German engineer (b. 1906)
- 2001 –Ray Walston, American actor (b. 1914)
- 2007 –Darrent Williams, American football player (b. 1982)
- 2007 –Leonard Fraser, Australian serial killer (b. 1951)
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