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 1^st 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, 28,928,160 minutes 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.

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.

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

• 1739 –
  Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier.
• 1863 –
  American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory.
• 1880 –
  Ferdinand de Lesseps begins French construction of the Panama Canal.
• 1908 –
  For the first time, a ball is dropped in New York, New York’s Times Square to signify the start of the New Year at midnight.
• 1929 –
  The former municipalities of Point Grey, British Columbia and South Vancouver, British Columbia are amalgamated into Vancouver.
• 1939 –
  Sydney, Australia, swelters in 45 ˚C (113 ˚F) heat, a record for the city.
• 1989 –
  The Montreal Protocol Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer comes into force.
• 1994 –
  The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican State of Chiapas.
• 2004 –
  In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is “deemed to be elected” to the office of President until October 2007.
• 2008 –
  Malta and Cyprus officially adopt the Euro currency and become the fourteenth and fifteenth Eurozone countries.

Who were born on January 1?

• 1618 –
  Bartolomé Estéban Murillo, Spanish painter (baptism) (d. 1682)
• 1704 –
  Soame Jenyns, English writer (d. 1787)
• 1876 –
  Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (d. 1933)
• 1912 –
  Kim Philby, British spy (d. 1988)
• 1925 –
  Raymond Pellegrin, French actor (d. 2007)
• 1932 –
  Jackie Parker, American football player (d. 2006)
• 1937 –
  Adam Wiśniewski-Snerg, Polish author (d. 1995)
• 1948 –
  Ashok Saraf, Marathi/Hindi actor
• 1958 –
  Dave Silk, American ice hockey player
• 1975 –
  Chris Anstey, Australian basketball player

Who died on January 1?

• 1759 –
  Jacques-Joachim Trotti, marquis de La Chétardie, French adventurer (b. 1705)
• 1796 –
  Alexandre-Théophile Vandermonde, French mathematician (b. 1735)
• 1835 –
  Mátyás Godina, writer, teacher and pastor (b. 1768)
• 1954 –
  Duff Cooper, British diplomat and writer (b. 1890)
• 1960 –
  Margaret Sullavan, American actress, screenwriter (b. 1909)
• 1986 –
  Bruce Norris, American hockey executive (Detroit Red Wings) (b. 1924)
• 1996 –
  Arthur Rudolph, German engineer (b. 1906)
• 2006 –
  Dawn Lake, Australian TV comedienne (b. 1927)
• 2007 –
  Tillie Olsen, American writer (b. 1912)
• 2012 –
  Carlos Soria, politician, Secretary of Intelligence (2002) and Governor of Río Negro (2011) (b. 1948)