Daily Facts about January 1

2023

New Year's Day, celebrated as the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar with festivities and traditions worldwide.

1993

Czechoslovakia undergoes a peaceful dissolution, leading to the establishment of two independent nations, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

1892

Ellis Island, located in New York Harbor, opens as an immigration processing station, welcoming millions of immigrants to the United States.

1863

President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, a historic step toward the abolition of slavery in Confederate-held territories.

1801

The Act of Union takes effect, officially uniting Great Britain and Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.