A complete timeline of historical events, famous births, notable deaths, and holidays that occurred on January 1 throughout history.
183
Events
22
Births
6
Deaths
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who was the dictator of the Roman Republic at various points from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC.
The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature establishes the starting point for standardized species names across the animal kingdom, based on the binomial nomenclature in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12 million people
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays
The European Economic Community comes into effect, better known as the European Common Market
Johnny Cash performs the first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin State Prison in California
1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow
Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of…
King Ataulf of Narbonne marries emperor Honorius sister Galle Placidia
Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.
BC Roman consuls begin their year in office
1 Origin of the Christian Era, now widely accepted as "Common Era"
69 Roman garrison at Mainz (Mogontiacum) rises in rebellion, refusing allegiance to Emperor Galba
Start of Roman (Pontifical) Indiction
Co-emperors and brothers Valentinian I and Valens are made consuls to signify their new reign, and shortly after, they divide the empire into East and West
Last known gladiator competition in Rome
Gallo-Roman scholar Sidonius Apollinaris recites a panegyric in verse in honor of the Emperor Anthemius, his third panegyric, in Rome
Hofmeister Charles Martel flees from Bishop Willibrord
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1261 until his death in 1282, and previously as the co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea from 1259 to 1261.
Jews of Sicily are no longer required to attend conversion services
Albert the Magnanimous , elected King of the Romans as Albert II (10 August 1397 – 27 October 1439), was a member of the House of Habsburg. By inheritance he became Albert V, Duke of Austria.
Potestaat was the title of a supposed governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century forgery, Charlemagne had first granted the title of potestaat to…
The Kingdom of Croatia (Croatian: Kraljevina Hrvatska; Latin: Regnum Croatiae; Hungarian: Horvát Királyság, German: Königreich Kroatien) was part of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown, but was subject...
Woudrichem is a city and former municipality in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands.
Korean naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin begins his famous war diary "Nanjung ilgi" (included in UNESCO's Memory of the World 2013) [1]
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year.
Papal Chancery adopts January 1 as the beginning of the year (previously March 25)
English Colonel George Monck, with two brigades of troops, crosses the Anglo-Scottish border by fording the River Tweed at Coldstream and heads through knee-deep snow to London to end military rule and restore the monarchy
Don Carlos de Gurrea becomes the Spanish land guardian of Southern Netherlands
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull Inter gravissimas issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it...
Dom John V (Portuguese: João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo; 22 October 1689 – 31 July 1750), known as the Magnanimous (o Magnânimo) and the Portuguese Sun King (o Rei-Sol Português), was King…
Parisian merchant Jean Marius obtains a five-year royal privilege for his invention of a folding umbrella, the first in Europe
French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier discovers and names the uninhabited Bouvet Island, the world's most remote island, 1,700 km from Antarctica in the South Atlantic Ocean [1]
French explorers Louis-Joseph and François de La Vérendrye are the first Europeans to reach the foot of the Rocky Mountains at the Yellow River, having crossed the Great Plains [1]
Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"
The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
Albany ( AWL-bə-nee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York. It is also the county seat of, and the most populous city in, Albany County.
Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874.
Giuseppe Piazzi was an Italian Catholic priest of the Theatine order, mathematician, and astronomer.
Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tây Sơn Dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Huế, Vietnam
Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares Saint-Domingue (Haiti) independent from France, ending the 13-year-long Haitian Revolution; becoming the only state ever founded by formerly enslaved people and without slavery
The French Republican calendar (French: calendrier républicain français), also commonly called the French Revolutionary calendar (calendrier révolutionnaire français), was a calendar created and…
The Spanish American wars of independence (Spanish: Guerras de Independencia Hispanoamericanas) were a series of conflicts fought across Spanish America during the early 19th century.
African Benevolent Society (education) forms
Holland Brigade under Brigadier-General David Hendrik Chassé reaches Madrid during the Napoleonic Wars
Field Marshal Blücher's troops cross the Rhine at Kaub
Godert van der Capellen resigns as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The Dutch Trading Company (NHM) is granted a monopoly on the sale of opium in Java and Madura
Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador), the only plantation diary to survive from the Bahamas (ends Dec 1832) [1]
Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people
The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories.
Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the fifth-most populous city in Australia.
First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York
The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.
First issue of "Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant" newspaper is published; issued three times per week
Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn is completed, becoming the world's first subway tunnel
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to...
British forces forcibly seize the port of San Juan del Norte (later Greytown) from Nicaragua
City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line
National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582
The first practical horse-drawn fire engine in the US enters service
Presbyterian minister John Miller Dickey and his wife, Sarah Emlen Cresson, found Ashmun Institute, a historically Black college later known as Lincoln University, in Hinsonville, Pennsylvania
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.
Belgium disbands its salt tax
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that time
Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the…
The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that compose New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
Britain's Midland Railway abolishes second-class travel, ending the practice of carrying third-class passengers in open-air wagons [1]
The Reichsbank, the central bank of the German Empire, opens in Berlin
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara.
French troops occupy Nioro, West Sudan, and 3,000 people are killed
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, UChi, or U of C) is a private research university in the Hyde Park community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The university is composed of an...
Central European Time (CET) is a standard time observed in Central as well as parts of Western and Southeast Europe, which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Central European Time (CET) is a standard time observed in Central as well as parts of Western and Southeast Europe, which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who was the first president of the Philippines from 1899 to 1901, and the first president of an Asian...
The City of Greater New York was the consolidation of the City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Island, which took effect on January 1, 1898.
The Military Government of the Philippine Islands (Spanish: Gobierno militar de los Estados Unidos en las Islas Filipinas; Tagalog: Pamahalaang Militar ng Estados Unidos sa Kapuluang Pilipinas) was a...
Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is oriented toward the needs and background of the pupil.
The Commonwealth of Australia is formed when the British (Imperial) Parliament Act and the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 come into effect
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.
Dutch law makes a driver's license mandatory
Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing title with an 8th-round knockout in Tonopah, Nevada
American Robert Fowler runs the then-world-record marathon (2:52:45.4) at Yonkers, New York
Belgian mining law introduces a 9.5-hour workday
First running of San Francisco's famed "Bay to Breakers" footrace (7.63 miles/12.3 km); Robert Vlught wins in 44:10
The Bronx General Post Office (also known as the Bronx Central Post Office or Bronx Central Annex) is a historic post office building at 558 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx in New York City, New…
Kornelis "Klaas" ter Laan becomes the Netherlands' first socialist mayor in Zaandam
The first blood transfusion using stored and cooled blood is performed during World War I
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception).
The Battle of Jutland (German: Skagerrakschlacht, lit. 'Battle of the Skagerrak') was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German...
The Byelorussian Communist Organisation was a communist group in Belarus, led by Usievalad Ihnatoŭski.
British Columbia, Canada, starts driving on the right-hand side of the road
The "Big Four" was a name used to describe the four largest railway companies in the United Kingdom in the period 1923–1947.
Grossdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft and Völkische Block replace the banned NSDAP
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality.
Cologne is the fourth-most populous city of Germany and the largest city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and over 3.1 million...
Communist uprising in West Sumatra
Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) begins broadcasting in the Netherlands
Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of...
Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr. (April 16, 1854 – May 18, 1951), sometimes known as General Coxey, was an American politician and perennial candidate.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (US bank guarantor) comes into effect
1st Orange Bowl: Bucknell beats Miami (FL), 26-0
Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua
The Declaration by United Nations was the main treaty that formalized the Allies of World War II and was signed by 47 national governments between 1942 and 1945.
Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of…
Negro Baseball League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to the hospital for rest and treatment; he is released in time for preseason training
Army defeats Navy 10-7 in football "Arab Bowl," Oran, North Africa
German air raid on Allied airfields at Eindhoven, Saint-Trond, and Brussels
Benelux agrees to work on related issues
The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 59) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which nationalised, or brought into state control, the coal industry in the United…
25 states merge under the Government of Orissa
The Dutch government raises all wages by a maximum of 5%
The 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 by Dmitri Shostakovich are a set of 24 musical pieces for solo piano, one in each of the major and minor keys of the chromatic scale.
Ernest Bloch's work for viola and piano, "Suite Hébraïque," part of his "Jewish Cycle," premieres in Chicago
KSLA (channel 12) is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Ark-La-Tex region.
The first postage stamps of Bhutan were issued in 1962, the same year that the first motorable road was opened.
A New Year's event causes panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine in central Niigata, Japan, killing 124 people
An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in one of the most famous incidents of the IRA's Operation Harvest
The French Community (French: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of…
A photograph of a 13-year-old South African boy in a torn vest working in a mine is published in the Daily Herald; employing a 'native' under 18 in the mines is illegal under the Native Labour Regulation Act
Belgium grants Rwanda internal self-governance
George David Woods (July 27, 1901 – August 20, 1982) was an American investment banker and financier. He served as the fourth President of the World Bank, from January 1963 until March 1968.
49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews is the only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing for Stoke City
A 1980 transit strike in New York City halted service on the New York City Transit Authority (a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority) for the first time since 1966.
AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2 TDs, RB Mike Garrett runs for 2 TDs
ABC Radio splits into four networks: Info, Entertainment, Contemporary, and FM
Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the NHL's LA Kings, fines each player $100 for not arguing with the referees
Charles Stoneham "Chub" Feeney (August 31, 1921 – January 10, 1994) was an Irish-American front office executive in Major League Baseball.
Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US
International Book Year begins
Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that...
Ernie DiGregorio of Buffalo hands out 25 assists in the Braves' 120-119 win over Portland, establishing an NBA single-game record for assists by a rookie
Lee MacPhail takes over as AL president, succeeding Joe Cronin
After 45 years of coaching, Paul Brown (Cleveland Browns; Cincinnati Bengals) announces his retirement from the National Football League
Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596
Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)
Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978.
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia...
"Thirtysomething" stars Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig meet; they later marry
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director.
'New Age' music radio program "Hearts of Space," hosted by Stephen Hill, makes its national syndication debut on U.S. National Public Radio
The Bell System was a system of telecommunication companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by AT&T, that dominated the telephone services industry in North America for over 100 years…
This is a list of the oldest extant registered generic top-level domains used in the Domain Name System of the Internet. Until 1986, Domain Registration was limited to organizations with access to…
The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
60 bodies are recovered from the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico
Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen
Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S.
The history of the United States from 1980 until 1991 includes the last year of the Jimmy Carter presidency, eight years of the Ronald Reagan administration, and the first three years of the George...
"Farewell My Concubine," directed by Chen Kaige from a novel by Lilian Lee, starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, and Gong Li, premieres in Hong Kong (wins Cannes Palme d'Or 1993)
Aleksandr Popov swims a world record 100m freestyle of 47.83 seconds
Centennial of the Canadian Mounties' presence in Canada's Yukon Territory
After 27 years, Betty Rubble debuts as a Flintstone chewable vitamin character
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo, or less often Zaire, is a country in Central Africa.
A paper published by Bryony Coles highlights the submerged land between Britain and Europe in the modern North Sea as a once crucial inhabited landmass and names it Doggerland [1]
The European Currency Unit (French: Unité de compte européenne, Spanish: Unidad Monetaria Europea, German: Europäische Währungseinheit ; ⟨₠⟩, ECU, or XEU) was a unit of account used by the European...
Gisborne, New Zealand, with a population of approximately 32,754, is the first city in the world to welcome the new Millennium
There are eight denominations of euro coins, ranging from one cent to two euro (the euro is divided into a hundred cents). The coins first came into use in 2002.
Sydney, Australia, swelters through its hottest New Year's Day on record, with the temperature peaking at 45.8 degrees Celsius, sparking bushfires and power outages
Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board
On 1 January 2007, Bulgaria and Romania became member states of the European Union (EU) in the fifth wave of EU enlargement. Bulgaria and Romania did not have a referendum related to European Union…
A New Hampshire law legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples comes into effect
A fireworks accident and nightclub fire occurred on 1 January 2009 in the Santika Club in Ekkamai, Watthana, Bangkok, where New Year celebrations were taking place.
New FINA rules re competition swimsuits come into effect; all body-length swimsuits banned; men's suits to maximally cover from the waist to knee, and women's from shoulder to knee; fabric must be a "textile" or woven material
10 people are killed, and 120 are injured in a stampede in Luanda, Angola
Dutchman Michael van Gerwen wins his first PDC World Darts Championship, defeating Peter Wright of Scotland 7-4; it is the first time no Englishman has been in the final
Lithuania adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the Litas and becoming the 19th member of the Eurozone
After floods along the Mississippi River kill 31 people, Exxon Mobil Corp decides to close a plant in flood-threatened Memphis
An initiative of 300 Hollywood women called "Time's Up" announces a fight against sexual harassment
Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem is a Spanish actor. In a career spanning over three decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics'…
Dutchman Michael van Gerwen wins his 3rd PDC World Darts Championship; beats Englishman Michael Smith 7-3 at the Alexandra Palace in London
Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq
Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maximums, and 53% on doubles to seal his first PDC World Darts Championship in London
Cuba's "day zero" unifies its two currencies by withdrawing the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), alongside steep increases in prices and salaries, effectively devaluing the remaining Cuban Peso for the first time since 1959 [1]
Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; he hits 3-pointers to beat the Washington Wizards 120-119 and the previous night the Indiana Pacers 108-106
Avenger's actor Jeremy Renner is accidentally run over by a snowplow, breaking more than 30 bones in his body near Reno, Nevada [1]
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Japan's western coast, killing an estimated 120 people and injuring more than 100
A 42-year-old American army veteran plows through a New Year's Eve celebration on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in a rented pick-up truck; 14 people die, dozens are injured, and the driver is killed in a shoot-out with police [1]
9,500-year-old cremation pyre is discovered in Malawi, believed to be the oldest in the world containing adult remains [1]
Paul Revere silversmith and military officer, known for american silversmith and military officer, was born on 1735-01-01. Paul Revere (December 21, 1734 O.S.
Betsy Ross upholsterer, known for american upholsterer, was born on 1752-01-01. Elizabeth Griscom Ross, also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn and Claypoole, was an American…
Charlie Munger, American businessman, known for american businessman, was born on 1924-01-01.
Vernon L. Smith, American economist and nobel laureate, known for american economist and nobel laureate, was born on 1927-01-01.
Omar al-Bashir is born
Christine Lagarde is born
Chai Jing, Chinese journalist and environmental activist, known for chinese journalist and environmental activist, was born on 1976-01-01. Chai Jing is a Chinese journalist.
Poppy [Moriah Rose Pereira] is born
Angourie Rice, Australian actress, known for australian actress, was born on 2001-01-01. Angourie Isabel Teresa Rice is an Australian actress.
Tim Keefe, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1857-01-01.
Hank Greenberg, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1911-01-01.
Peter Burling, New Zealand athlete, known for new zealand sailor, was born on 1991-01-01. Peter Burling is a New Zealand sailor.
Lorenzo de' Medici is born
Anthony Wayne, American statesman and soldier, known for american statesman and soldier, was born on 1745-01-01.
Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer, known for american photographer, was born on 1864-01-01.
Qi Baishi, Chinese painter, known for chinese painter, was born on 1864-01-01. Qi Baishi (1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painter, noted for the whimsical, often playful style of…
E. M. Forster, English novelist and writer, known for english novelist and writer, was born on 1879-01-01. Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author.
Manuel Roxas is born
J. Edgar Hoover, American law enforcement administrator, known for american law enforcement administrator, was born on 1895-01-01.
Stepan Bandera, Greek ukrainian nationalist leader, known for ukrainian nationalist leader, was born on 1909-01-01.
Kim Philby, British intelligence officer and soviet double agent, known for british intelligence officer and soviet double agent, was born on 1912-01-01.
J. D. Salinger, American author, known for american author, was born on 1919-01-01.
Louis XII dies
Hank Williams, American singer, songwriter, and musician, known for american singer, songwriter, and musician, died on 1953-01-01.
Paul Belmondo dies
Grace Hopper, American u.s. naval officer and computer scientist, known for u.s. naval officer and computer scientist, died on 1992-01-01.
Helen Wills Moody, American tennis player, known for american tennis player, died on 1998-01-01.
Shirley Chisholm politician, known for american politician, died on 2005-01-01. Shirley Anita Chisholm ( CHIZ-əm; née St.
1 Origin of the Christian Era, now widely accepted as "Common Era"
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who was the dictator of the Roman Republic at various points from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC.
Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of…
69 Roman garrison at Mainz (Mogontiacum) rises in rebellion, refusing allegiance to Emperor Galba
BC Roman consuls begin their year in office
Start of Roman (Pontifical) Indiction
Co-emperors and brothers Valentinian I and Valens are made consuls to signify their new reign, and shortly after, they divide the empire into East and West
Last known gladiator competition in Rome
King Ataulf of Narbonne marries emperor Honorius sister Galle Placidia
Gallo-Roman scholar Sidonius Apollinaris recites a panegyric in verse in honor of the Emperor Anthemius, his third panegyric, in Rome
Hofmeister Charles Martel flees from Bishop Willibrord
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1261 until his death in 1282, and previously as the co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea from 1259 to 1261.
Jews of Sicily are no longer required to attend conversion services
Albert the Magnanimous , elected King of the Romans as Albert II (10 August 1397 – 27 October 1439), was a member of the House of Habsburg. By inheritance he became Albert V, Duke of Austria.
Lorenzo de' Medici is born
Potestaat was the title of a supposed governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century forgery, Charlemagne had first granted the title of potestaat to…
Louis XII dies
The Kingdom of Croatia (Croatian: Kraljevina Hrvatska; Latin: Regnum Croatiae; Hungarian: Horvát Királyság, German: Königreich Kroatien) was part of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown, but was subject...
Woudrichem is a city and former municipality in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands.
Korean naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin begins his famous war diary "Nanjung ilgi" (included in UNESCO's Memory of the World 2013) [1]
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year.
Papal Chancery adopts January 1 as the beginning of the year (previously March 25)
English Colonel George Monck, with two brigades of troops, crosses the Anglo-Scottish border by fording the River Tweed at Coldstream and heads through knee-deep snow to London to end military rule and restore the monarchy
Don Carlos de Gurrea becomes the Spanish land guardian of Southern Netherlands
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull Inter gravissimas issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it...
Dom John V (Portuguese: João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo; 22 October 1689 – 31 July 1750), known as the Magnanimous (o Magnânimo) and the Portuguese Sun King (o Rei-Sol Português), was King…
Parisian merchant Jean Marius obtains a five-year royal privilege for his invention of a folding umbrella, the first in Europe
Paul Revere silversmith and military officer, known for american silversmith and military officer, was born on 1735-01-01. Paul Revere (December 21, 1734 O.S.
French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier discovers and names the uninhabited Bouvet Island, the world's most remote island, 1,700 km from Antarctica in the South Atlantic Ocean [1]
French explorers Louis-Joseph and François de La Vérendrye are the first Europeans to reach the foot of the Rocky Mountains at the Yellow River, having crossed the Great Plains [1]
Anthony Wayne, American statesman and soldier, known for american statesman and soldier, was born on 1745-01-01.
Betsy Ross upholsterer, known for american upholsterer, was born on 1752-01-01. Elizabeth Griscom Ross, also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn and Claypoole, was an American…
The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature establishes the starting point for standardized species names across the animal kingdom, based on the binomial nomenclature in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus
Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"
Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.
The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
Albany ( AWL-bə-nee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York. It is also the county seat of, and the most populous city in, Albany County.
Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874.
Giuseppe Piazzi was an Italian Catholic priest of the Theatine order, mathematician, and astronomer.
Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tây Sơn Dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Huế, Vietnam
Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares Saint-Domingue (Haiti) independent from France, ending the 13-year-long Haitian Revolution; becoming the only state ever founded by formerly enslaved people and without slavery
The French Republican calendar (French: calendrier républicain français), also commonly called the French Revolutionary calendar (calendrier révolutionnaire français), was a calendar created and…
The Spanish American wars of independence (Spanish: Guerras de Independencia Hispanoamericanas) were a series of conflicts fought across Spanish America during the early 19th century.
African Benevolent Society (education) forms
Holland Brigade under Brigadier-General David Hendrik Chassé reaches Madrid during the Napoleonic Wars
Field Marshal Blücher's troops cross the Rhine at Kaub
Godert van der Capellen resigns as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The Dutch Trading Company (NHM) is granted a monopoly on the sale of opium in Java and Madura
Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador), the only plantation diary to survive from the Bahamas (ends Dec 1832) [1]
Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people
The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories.
Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the fifth-most populous city in Australia.
First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York
The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.
First issue of "Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant" newspaper is published; issued three times per week
Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn is completed, becoming the world's first subway tunnel
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to...
British forces forcibly seize the port of San Juan del Norte (later Greytown) from Nicaragua
City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line
National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582
The first practical horse-drawn fire engine in the US enters service
Presbyterian minister John Miller Dickey and his wife, Sarah Emlen Cresson, found Ashmun Institute, a historically Black college later known as Lincoln University, in Hinsonville, Pennsylvania
Tim Keefe, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1857-01-01.
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer, known for american photographer, was born on 1864-01-01.
Qi Baishi, Chinese painter, known for chinese painter, was born on 1864-01-01. Qi Baishi (1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painter, noted for the whimsical, often playful style of…
Belgium disbands its salt tax
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that time
Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the…
The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that compose New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
Britain's Midland Railway abolishes second-class travel, ending the practice of carrying third-class passengers in open-air wagons [1]
The Reichsbank, the central bank of the German Empire, opens in Berlin
E. M. Forster, English novelist and writer, known for english novelist and writer, was born on 1879-01-01. Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author.
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara.
French troops occupy Nioro, West Sudan, and 3,000 people are killed
Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12 million people
Manuel Roxas is born
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, UChi, or U of C) is a private research university in the Hyde Park community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The university is composed of an...
Central European Time (CET) is a standard time observed in Central as well as parts of Western and Southeast Europe, which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Central European Time (CET) is a standard time observed in Central as well as parts of Western and Southeast Europe, which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who was the first president of the Philippines from 1899 to 1901, and the first president of an Asian...
J. Edgar Hoover, American law enforcement administrator, known for american law enforcement administrator, was born on 1895-01-01.
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays
The City of Greater New York was the consolidation of the City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Island, which took effect on January 1, 1898.
The Military Government of the Philippine Islands (Spanish: Gobierno militar de los Estados Unidos en las Islas Filipinas; Tagalog: Pamahalaang Militar ng Estados Unidos sa Kapuluang Pilipinas) was a...
Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is oriented toward the needs and background of the pupil.
The Commonwealth of Australia is formed when the British (Imperial) Parliament Act and the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 come into effect
1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.
Dutch law makes a driver's license mandatory
Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing title with an 8th-round knockout in Tonopah, Nevada
American Robert Fowler runs the then-world-record marathon (2:52:45.4) at Yonkers, New York
Stepan Bandera, Greek ukrainian nationalist leader, known for ukrainian nationalist leader, was born on 1909-01-01.
Belgian mining law introduces a 9.5-hour workday
Hank Greenberg, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1911-01-01.
First running of San Francisco's famed "Bay to Breakers" footrace (7.63 miles/12.3 km); Robert Vlught wins in 44:10
Kim Philby, British intelligence officer and soviet double agent, known for british intelligence officer and soviet double agent, was born on 1912-01-01.
The Bronx General Post Office (also known as the Bronx Central Post Office or Bronx Central Annex) is a historic post office building at 558 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx in New York City, New…
Kornelis "Klaas" ter Laan becomes the Netherlands' first socialist mayor in Zaandam
The first blood transfusion using stored and cooled blood is performed during World War I
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception).
The Battle of Jutland (German: Skagerrakschlacht, lit. 'Battle of the Skagerrak') was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German...
J. D. Salinger, American author, known for american author, was born on 1919-01-01.
The Byelorussian Communist Organisation was a communist group in Belarus, led by Usievalad Ihnatoŭski.
British Columbia, Canada, starts driving on the right-hand side of the road
The "Big Four" was a name used to describe the four largest railway companies in the United Kingdom in the period 1923–1947.
Grossdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft and Völkische Block replace the banned NSDAP
Charlie Munger, American businessman, known for american businessman, was born on 1924-01-01.
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality.
Cologne is the fourth-most populous city of Germany and the largest city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and over 3.1 million...
Communist uprising in West Sumatra
Vernon L. Smith, American economist and nobel laureate, known for american economist and nobel laureate, was born on 1927-01-01.
Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) begins broadcasting in the Netherlands
Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of...
Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr. (April 16, 1854 – May 18, 1951), sometimes known as General Coxey, was an American politician and perennial candidate.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (US bank guarantor) comes into effect
1st Orange Bowl: Bucknell beats Miami (FL), 26-0
Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua
The Declaration by United Nations was the main treaty that formalized the Allies of World War II and was signed by 47 national governments between 1942 and 1945.
Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of…
Negro Baseball League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to the hospital for rest and treatment; he is released in time for preseason training
Army defeats Navy 10-7 in football "Arab Bowl," Oran, North Africa
Omar al-Bashir is born
German air raid on Allied airfields at Eindhoven, Saint-Trond, and Brussels
Benelux agrees to work on related issues
The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 59) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which nationalised, or brought into state control, the coal industry in the United…
25 states merge under the Government of Orissa
The Dutch government raises all wages by a maximum of 5%
The 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 by Dmitri Shostakovich are a set of 24 musical pieces for solo piano, one in each of the major and minor keys of the chromatic scale.
Ernest Bloch's work for viola and piano, "Suite Hébraïque," part of his "Jewish Cycle," premieres in Chicago
Hank Williams, American singer, songwriter, and musician, known for american singer, songwriter, and musician, died on 1953-01-01.
KSLA (channel 12) is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Ark-La-Tex region.
The first postage stamps of Bhutan were issued in 1962, the same year that the first motorable road was opened.
A New Year's event causes panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine in central Niigata, Japan, killing 124 people
Christine Lagarde is born
An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in one of the most famous incidents of the IRA's Operation Harvest
The European Economic Community comes into effect, better known as the European Common Market
Johnny Cash performs the first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin State Prison in California
The French Community (French: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of…
A photograph of a 13-year-old South African boy in a torn vest working in a mine is published in the Daily Herald; employing a 'native' under 18 in the mines is illegal under the Native Labour Regulation Act
Belgium grants Rwanda internal self-governance
George David Woods (July 27, 1901 – August 20, 1982) was an American investment banker and financier. He served as the fourth President of the World Bank, from January 1963 until March 1968.
49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews is the only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing for Stoke City
A 1980 transit strike in New York City halted service on the New York City Transit Authority (a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority) for the first time since 1966.
AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2 TDs, RB Mike Garrett runs for 2 TDs
ABC Radio splits into four networks: Info, Entertainment, Contemporary, and FM
Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the NHL's LA Kings, fines each player $100 for not arguing with the referees
Charles Stoneham "Chub" Feeney (August 31, 1921 – January 10, 1994) was an Irish-American front office executive in Major League Baseball.
Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US
International Book Year begins
Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that...
Ernie DiGregorio of Buffalo hands out 25 assists in the Braves' 120-119 win over Portland, establishing an NBA single-game record for assists by a rookie
Lee MacPhail takes over as AL president, succeeding Joe Cronin
After 45 years of coaching, Paul Brown (Cleveland Browns; Cincinnati Bengals) announces his retirement from the National Football League
Chai Jing, Chinese journalist and environmental activist, known for chinese journalist and environmental activist, was born on 1976-01-01. Chai Jing is a Chinese journalist.
Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596
Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)
Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978.
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia...
"Thirtysomething" stars Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig meet; they later marry
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director.
Paul Belmondo dies
'New Age' music radio program "Hearts of Space," hosted by Stephen Hill, makes its national syndication debut on U.S. National Public Radio
The Bell System was a system of telecommunication companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by AT&T, that dominated the telephone services industry in North America for over 100 years…
This is a list of the oldest extant registered generic top-level domains used in the Domain Name System of the Internet. Until 1986, Domain Registration was limited to organizations with access to…
The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
60 bodies are recovered from the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico
Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen
Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S.
The history of the United States from 1980 until 1991 includes the last year of the Jimmy Carter presidency, eight years of the Ronald Reagan administration, and the first three years of the George...
Peter Burling, New Zealand athlete, known for new zealand sailor, was born on 1991-01-01. Peter Burling is a New Zealand sailor.
Grace Hopper, American u.s. naval officer and computer scientist, known for u.s. naval officer and computer scientist, died on 1992-01-01.
"Farewell My Concubine," directed by Chen Kaige from a novel by Lilian Lee, starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, and Gong Li, premieres in Hong Kong (wins Cannes Palme d'Or 1993)
Aleksandr Popov swims a world record 100m freestyle of 47.83 seconds
Centennial of the Canadian Mounties' presence in Canada's Yukon Territory
Poppy [Moriah Rose Pereira] is born
After 27 years, Betty Rubble debuts as a Flintstone chewable vitamin character
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo, or less often Zaire, is a country in Central Africa.
A paper published by Bryony Coles highlights the submerged land between Britain and Europe in the modern North Sea as a once crucial inhabited landmass and names it Doggerland [1]
Helen Wills Moody, American tennis player, known for american tennis player, died on 1998-01-01.
The European Currency Unit (French: Unité de compte européenne, Spanish: Unidad Monetaria Europea, German: Europäische Währungseinheit ; ⟨₠⟩, ECU, or XEU) was a unit of account used by the European...
Gisborne, New Zealand, with a population of approximately 32,754, is the first city in the world to welcome the new Millennium
Angourie Rice, Australian actress, known for australian actress, was born on 2001-01-01. Angourie Isabel Teresa Rice is an Australian actress.
There are eight denominations of euro coins, ranging from one cent to two euro (the euro is divided into a hundred cents). The coins first came into use in 2002.
Shirley Chisholm politician, known for american politician, died on 2005-01-01. Shirley Anita Chisholm ( CHIZ-əm; née St.
Sydney, Australia, swelters through its hottest New Year's Day on record, with the temperature peaking at 45.8 degrees Celsius, sparking bushfires and power outages
Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board
On 1 January 2007, Bulgaria and Romania became member states of the European Union (EU) in the fifth wave of EU enlargement. Bulgaria and Romania did not have a referendum related to European Union…
A New Hampshire law legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples comes into effect
A fireworks accident and nightclub fire occurred on 1 January 2009 in the Santika Club in Ekkamai, Watthana, Bangkok, where New Year celebrations were taking place.
New FINA rules re competition swimsuits come into effect; all body-length swimsuits banned; men's suits to maximally cover from the waist to knee, and women's from shoulder to knee; fabric must be a "textile" or woven material
10 people are killed, and 120 are injured in a stampede in Luanda, Angola
Dutchman Michael van Gerwen wins his first PDC World Darts Championship, defeating Peter Wright of Scotland 7-4; it is the first time no Englishman has been in the final
Lithuania adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the Litas and becoming the 19th member of the Eurozone
After floods along the Mississippi River kill 31 people, Exxon Mobil Corp decides to close a plant in flood-threatened Memphis
An initiative of 300 Hollywood women called "Time's Up" announces a fight against sexual harassment
Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem is a Spanish actor. In a career spanning over three decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics'…
Dutchman Michael van Gerwen wins his 3rd PDC World Darts Championship; beats Englishman Michael Smith 7-3 at the Alexandra Palace in London
Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq
Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maximums, and 53% on doubles to seal his first PDC World Darts Championship in London
Cuba's "day zero" unifies its two currencies by withdrawing the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), alongside steep increases in prices and salaries, effectively devaluing the remaining Cuban Peso for the first time since 1959 [1]
Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; he hits 3-pointers to beat the Washington Wizards 120-119 and the previous night the Indiana Pacers 108-106
Avenger's actor Jeremy Renner is accidentally run over by a snowplow, breaking more than 30 bones in his body near Reno, Nevada [1]
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Japan's western coast, killing an estimated 120 people and injuring more than 100
A 42-year-old American army veteran plows through a New Year's Eve celebration on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in a rented pick-up truck; 14 people die, dozens are injured, and the driver is killed in a shoot-out with police [1]
9,500-year-old cremation pyre is discovered in Malawi, believed to be the oldest in the world containing adult remains [1]