What Happened on Jan 1

Jean Jacques Dessalines Declares Haiti's Independence with Himself as Emperor

On January 1, 1804 Dessalines then declared independence, reclaiming the indigenous Taíno name of Haiti ("Land of Mountains") for the new nation.... Read more

'Frankenstein' is Published

Over the course of time, Frankenstein's monster has usurped the very name of his creator, Victor Frankenstein, the precocious student of natural... Read more

Abraham Lincoln Presents Final Draft of the Emancipation Proclamation

In the Second Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln also formally recognised the right of black men to enlist in the army, and shortly afterwards the... Read more

Second Battle of Galveston

Description: Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder, who became the Confederate commander of military forces in Texas on November 29, 1862, gave the recapture... Read more

First Immigrants Pass through Ellis Island on way to US Citizenship

On January 1, 1892, a fifteen-year old Irish girl named Annie Moore became the first of the more than twelve million immigrants who would pass... Read more

Franklin D. Roosevelt Elected to the New York State Senate

In 1910, FDR won a seat in the New York State Senate. It would be the only election in which he carried the Republican stronghold of Dutchess... Read more

First Issue of 'Boy's Life' is Published

In 1911, George S. Barton, of Somerville, Massachusetts, founded, and published the first edition of Boys' Life magazine. It was edited by 18-year... Read more

Sinking of HMS Iolaire

Iolaire cast off from Kyle at 7.30pm on Old Year’s Night. At half past midnight she was twelve miles from Stornoway where the armed drifter Budding... Read more

Defense of the Great Wall

Falling back from Rehe, Wan Fulin's 32nd Corps retreated to Lengkou Pass, while the 29th Corps of General Song Zheyuan also fell back, Zhang... Read more

Agatha Christie publishes Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on January... Read more

Joseph Stalin Is Named Time Magazine's 'Person Of The Year'

Since J. Stalin became the supreme power in Russia, much of the Revolution's history has been rewritten to magnify his part in those stirring... Read more

Operation Nordwind

Operation North Wind (Unternehmen Nordwind) was the last major German offensive of the Second World War on the Western Front. It began on 1 January... Read more

Unternehmen Bodenplatte

Unternehmen Bodenplatte (English: Operation Baseplate or Operation Ground Plate), launched on January 1, 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to... Read more

Rhys M. Sale Becomes President & CEO of Ford of Canada

When he retired as Chairman of the Board of Ford of Canada in 1962, the tall, athletic figure of Rhys Manly Sale had been a part of the growth of... Read more

'Profiles in Courage' is Published

Profiles in Courage is a 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning book attributed to John F. Kennedy, describing acts of bravery and integrity by eight United... Read more

Collapse of the Fulgencio Batista regime

After the loss at the Battle of Santa Clara, expecting betrayal by his own army and having lost all backup from the previously supportive US... Read more

"Sanjuro" Is Released

Sanjuro (椿三十郎, Tsubaki Sanjūrō?) is a 1962 black and white Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune. It is a... Read more

The Beatles' Decca audition

The Decca audition is the name given to the now-famous Beatles audition for Decca Records at their Decca Studios in West Hampstead, north London,... Read more

Ronald Reagan Announces Candidacy for Governor of California

Reagan moved immediately to capitalize on the momentum of the Goldwater speech and began appearing before Republican gatherings in California and... Read more

"The Magic Flute" Is Released

The Magic Flute (Swedish: Trollflöjten) is Ingmar Bergman's 1975 highly acclaimed film version of Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte. It was intended... Read more

Instrument Malfunction to Blame for Air India Flight 855 Crash

An Air India Boeing 747 jet crashes into the sea just after takeoff from a Bombay airport on this day in 1978, killing all 213 people on board. The... Read more

Rush release Permanent Waves

Permanent Waves is the seventh studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released January 1, 1980. The album was recorded at Le Studio, Morin... Read more

The Rolling Stones Release 'Slow Rollers'

Slow Rollers is a compilation album of ballads by The Rolling Stones released in 1981. It is a follow-up to the compilation of rock and roll... Read more

Lee Greenwood Releases "God Bless the USA"

"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's... Read more

Racer X Releases "Street Lethal"

Street Lethal is the debut album by Racer X. It introduced the original band lineup featuring drummer Harry Gschoesser. Read more