On This Day January 1st

 

OTD

January 1st is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 364 days remain until the end of the year.

 

 Events

153 BC – For the first time, Roman consuls begin their year in office on January 1

45 BC – The Julian calendar took effect as the civil calendar of the Roman Empire, establishing January 1 as the date of the new year.

1502 – The Portuguese first explored the present-day location of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

1600 – Scotland recognizes January 1 as the start of the year instead of March 25.

1773 – The hymn known as "Amazing Grace," then titled "1 Chronicle 17:16–17", is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.

1788 – The first edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.

1809 - The United States bans the importation of slaves.

1845 – The Philippines began in sync with Asian dates by redrawing the International Date Line by skipping Tuesday, December 31, 1844. Governor–General Narciso Claveria ordered reforming the country's calendar to align with the rest of Asia. Its territory was one day behind for 323 years since the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines on March 16, 1521.

1901 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister.

1902 – The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Stanford, is held in Pasadena, California.

1947 – The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.

1999 – The euro currency was introduced in 11 member nations of the European Union (except the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece, and Sweden).

 

Birthdays

1628 – Christoph Bernhard, German composer, and theorist (d. 1692)

1735 – Paul Revere, American silversmith and engraver (d. 1818)

1752 – Betsy Ross, an American seamstress, sewed flags for the Pennsylvania Navy during the Revolutionary War (d. 1836)

1854 – James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist and academic (d. 1941)

1879 – William Fox, Hungarian-American screenwriter and producer, founded the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theatres (d. 1952)

1919 – J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (d. 2010)

1919 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer and actor (d. 1990)

1933 – James Hormel, American philanthropist and diplomat (d. 2021)

1958 – Grandmaster Flash, Barbadian rapper and DJ

1955 – Mary Beard, English classicist, academic and presenter

1993 – Larry Nance Jr., American basketball player

 

Holiday Spotlight

Ellis Island Day

  Long before it became the site of the immigration processing stations of 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was a public execution site for pirates. It was supposedly used during the 1760s to hang pirates on the ‘Gibbet Tree.’ Years later, the island was sold to a colonial New York merchant, Samuel Ellis, who tried to resell it but was unsuccessful.

 In 1808, the United States government fully acquired the island for $10,000. The government converted it into a military fort to protect the New York Harbor from possible British and French armed attacks. The military upgraded the island to include a 14-gun battery, mortar battery, magazine, and barracks. After its fortification, Ellis Island was renamed Crown Fort but was later changed to Fort Gibson after the War of 1812.

 After the war, Fort Gibson changed hands and went through various states of disuse. By 1881, almost all its firepower had been removed from the island. Its administration passed to the Navy’s Bureau of Ordnance. In 1890, the U.S. government ordered the remaining firepower to be released. The island converted to a federal immigration station, with its administration handed over to the Department of the Treasury.

 The immigration station started receiving immigrants on January 1, 1892, and by June 15, 1897, before its wooden structures were razed in a fire accident, it had processed about 1.5 million immigrants. After the reconstruction and expansion, the immigration station opened again on December 17, 1900. But it closed for the final time on November 12, 1954. The closure was due to new laws limiting immigration, the aftermath of the Second World War, the cost of keeping the station running, and the federal government’s plan to construct a replacement facility in Manhattan.

 In 1965, Ellis Island was added to the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and in 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson approved its redevelopment. In 1990, the island’s main building, a museum, was opened to the public. The American Family Immigration History followed that in 2001, and the ferry building in 2007.

 

Other Include

Apple Gifting Day

Bonza Bottler Day

Commitment Day

Copyright Law Day

Divorce Monday - (First Monday of the year is when most divorces are filed)

Euro Day

First Foot Day

Global Family Day

National Bloody Mary Day

National Hangover Day

New Years Day

New Year's Dishonor List Day

Polar Bear Plunge or Swim Day

Public Domain Day

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - (Catholic)

St. Basil's Day

World Day of Peace

Z Day

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In This Day December 3rd

  O.T.D December 3rd is the three hundred thirty-third day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 33 days remain until the end of the year. Events 1775—American Revolutionary War: The USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); John Paul Jones hoists the flag. 1800 – United States presidential election: The Electoral College casts votes for president and vice president that result in a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. 1854 – Battle of the Eureka Stockade: More than 20 gold miners at Ballarat, Victoria, are killed by state troopers in an uprising over mining licenses. 1898 – The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club defeats an all-star collection of early football players 16–0 in the first all-star game for professional American football. 1904 – Charles Dillon Perrine discovers the Jovian moon Himalia at California's Lick Observatory. 1910 – Georges Claude first demonstrates modern neon lighting at the Paris Moto...
Read more

The Lightning Mind of Benjamin Franklin: Innovator, Statesman, and Sage

Image
   Benjamin Franklin, one of the most extraordinary figures in American history, was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. His life spanned an era of remarkable change and progress, and Franklin himself was a driving force behind much of this transformation.  Franklin's thirst for knowledge was evident from a young age. Born into a modest family, he had limited formal education but compensated for this with an insatiable curiosity and a passion for self-learning. His early exposure to books and learning, mainly through his apprenticeship at his brother's printing shop, laid the foundation for his lifelong pursuit of knowledge.  Regarding Franklin's IQ, it's important to note that the concept of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and IQ tests were not developed during Franklin's lifetime. Thus, it's impossible to accurately state his IQ. However, his broad range of achievements and intellectual pursuits indicate high intelligence and creativity.  Franklin e...
Read more

On This Day January 13th

 OTD January 13th is the Thirteenth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 352 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the Roman Senate's and the people's free disposal. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years. 532 – The Nika riots break out during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople because of discontent with the rule of Emperor Justinian 1815 – War of 1812: British troops capture Fort Peter in St. Mary’s, Georgia, the only battle of the war to take place in the state. 1888 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C. 1910 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the operas Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci is sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. 1920 – The Reichstag Bloodbath of January 13, 1920, the bloodiest demonstration in German history. 1966 – Robert C. Weaver became the f...
Read more