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 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 365 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 19, 2023 – a Monday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 473,352 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.

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 40 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 4,028 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

• 404 –
  An infuriated Roman mob tears Telemachus, a Christian monk, to pieces for trying to stop a gladiators’ fight in the public arena held in Rome.
• 1651 –
  Charles II is crowned King of Scotland.
• 1772 –
  The first traveler’s cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities, go on sale in London, England, Great Britain.
• 1808 –
  The importation of slaves into the United States is banned.
• 1812 –
  The Bishop of Durham, Shute Barrington, orders troops from Durham Castle to break up a miners strike in Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham
• 1890 –
  Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government.
• 1934 –
  Nazi Germany passes the “Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring”.
• 1947 –
  The American and British occupation zones in Germany, after World War II, merge to form the Bizone, that later became West Germany.
• 1973 –
  Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Ireland are admitted into the European Community.
• 1997 –
  Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan is appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Who were born on January 1?

• 1833 –
  Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect (d. 1902)
• 1859 –
  Thibaw Min, King of Burma (d. 1916)
• 1873 –
  Mariano Azuela, Mexican novelist (d. 1952)
• 1874 –
  Frank Knox, American journalist and 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1944)
• 1917 –
  Albert Mol, Dutch actor (d. 2004)
• 1948 –
  Ashok Saraf, Marathi/Hindi actor
• 1950 –
  Wayne Bennett, Australian rugby league coach
• 1957 –
  Evangelos Venizelos, Greek lawyer and politician
• 1969 –
  Melissa DiMarco, Canadian actress
• 1987 –
  Chris Collins, American actor and comedian

Who died on January 1?

• 1204 –
  King Haakon III of Norway (b. c. 1170)
• 1748 –
  Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (b. 1667)
• 1931 –
  Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (b. 1851)
• 1989 –
  Aleka Stratigou, Greek actress (b. 1926)
• 1991 –
  Buck Ram, American songwriter and businessman (The Platters) (b. 1907)
• 1994 –
  Edward Arthur Thompson, British historian (b. 1914)
• 1997 –
  Townes Van Zandt, American country musician (b. 1944)
• 2007 –
  Del Reeves, American country singer (b. 1932)
• 2008 –
  Peter Caffrey, Irish actor (b. 1949)
• 2009 –
  Aarne Arvonen, Finnish supercentenerian (b.1897)

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