Major Events
- 45 BC The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time, by edict of Roman consul Julius Caesar
- 630 Prophet Muhammad sets out with an army 10,000 strong to conquer Mecca
- 1758 The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature establish the "starting point" for standardized species names across the animal kingdom, based on the binomial nomenclature by Carolus Linnaeus 10th edition of Systema Naturae
- 1863 Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln to free slaves in US confederate states
- 1892 Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station - it would go on to be the gateway to the US for more than 12 million people
- 1896 German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of x-rays
- 1958 European Economic Community, better known as the European Common Market starts operation
- More January 1 Events
Jan 1 in Film & TV
- 1953 The first TV detector van, used to track down users of unlicensed television sets, begins operation in the UK
Jan 1 in Music
- 1960 Johnny Cash plays first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin Prison, California; Merle Haggard among the inmate audience
Jan 1 in Sport
- 1902 1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan beats Stanford, 49-0; MVP: Neil Snow, Michigan, FB
Did You Know?
The St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line becomes the world's first scheduled airline, covering the 18 mile distance 23 minutes. Service ceased after three months.
Paul Revere
Anthony Wayne
Betsy Ross
Manuel Roxas
J. Edgar Hoover
Omar al-Bashir
Chai Jing
Poppy [Moriah Rose Pereira]
Angourie Rice
Tim Keefe
Hank Greenberg
Peter Burling
Fun Fact About January 1
Paris merchant Jean Marius obtains 5-year royal privilege for his invention of a folding umbrella - first in Europe
Famous Weddings
- 49 Roman Emperor Claudius marries his fourth wife and niece Agrippina the Younger
- 414 King Ataulf of Narbonne marries emperor Honorius sister Galle Placidia
- 1772 US founding father Thomas Jefferson (30) marries Martha Wayles Skelton (23)
More January 1 Weddings
Louis XII
Christian III
Hank Williams
Grace Hopper
Cesar Romero
Helen Wills MoodyArticles, Photos and Quiz
United Kingdom Forms
The Union Jack, national flag of the United Kingdom
January 1, 1801
Emancipation Proclamation
The first and last page of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln
January 1, 1863
The Beatles? 'They have no future in show business'
In 1962, an unknown group called the Beatles travelled to London for a recording contract audition with one of the major record labels. They were rejected.
January 1, 1962
