What happened on
January 1?
People born on January 1st are natural pioneers — they arrive exactly when the world is ready for a fresh start. There's something fitting about being born the moment the calendar turns: January 1st people tend to carry an innate sense of possibility and new beginnings wherever they go.
Historical Events
Julius Caesar's reformed Julian calendar took effect, introducing leap years for the first time.
The Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring enslaved people in Confederate states to be free.
The European Economic Community came into existence, the precursor to the modern European Union.
The Internet was born — ARPANET officially adopted TCP/IP protocols, creating the network architecture still used today.
Famous Birthdays
American author of The Catcher in the Rye, one of the most influential novels of the 20th century.
American seamstress credited with sewing the first American flag, though historians debate this.
Award-winning Canadian filmmaker who became one of the youngest directors at the Cannes Film Festival.
#1 Songs on This Date
On January 1, 1999, 11 European countries simultaneously abandoned their national currencies and adopted the Euro — one of the largest coordinated economic events in human history.