Today in History - January 1st


  • 404 - Today in history, the last of the gladiator competitions was held in the city of Rome. 
  • 1622 - January 1st was adopted by the Pope as the start of the New Year. 
  • 1772 - On this day in history, the first set of travelers' checks was issued in England. 
  • 1797 - Albany was named the capital of New York State.
  • 1808 - Today in history, the US prohibited slaves from Africa to arrive in the country. 
  • 1863 - President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation: all slaves in the dissident states were free. 
  • 1892 - On this day in history, Ellis Island Immigrant Station opened. 
  • 1892 - Brooklyn and New York united to form the city of New York. 
  • 1898 - Today in history, Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island were combined into what we know as New York City. 
  • 1913 - The post office began parcel post deliveries.
  • 1934 - On this day in history, Alcatraz became a Federal Prison. 
  • 1934 - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) began operations.
  • 1942 - Today in history, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill issued a pronouncement called the "United Nations."
  • 1959 - Fidel Castro defeated the government of Batista and seized power in Cuba. 
  • 1971 - On this day in history, tobacco ads were forbidden in TV and radio. 
  • 1979 - The United States and China held celebrations to signal the beginning of diplomatic relations. 
  • 1984 - Today in history, AT&T was broken up into 22 Bell Companies.
  • 1990 - David Dinkins was installed as New York City's first black mayor. 
  • 1994 - On this day in history, The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. 
  • 1995 - The World Trade Organization began to operate.
  • 1998 - Today in history, a new anti-smoking law premiered in California.

SCIENCE, DISCOVERIES, PATENTS - Today in History, January 1st

  • 1801 - Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the asteroid Ceres.
  • 1924 - On this day in history, Frank B. Cooney patented ink paste. 
  • 1975 - "Popular Electronics" announced the invention of a PC called Altair.

SPORTS - Today in History, January 1st

  • 1840 - Today in history, the first bowling match was recorded.
  • 1902 - The first Tournament of Roses football game was played in Pasadena, CA.
  • 1937 - On this day in history, The First Cotton Bowl football game took place in Dallas, TX.

MUSIC HISTORY - Today in History, January 1st

  • 1964 - The Beach Boys recorded "Fun Fun Fun." 
  • 1968 - Today in history, The Blue Velvets changed the name to Creedence Clearwater Revival. 
  • 1981 - Prince and the Revolution premiered their first home video "Live."
  • 1985 - VH-1 debuted as a contemporary music video channel for adults.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS - January 1st

  • Paul Revere 1735
  • Betsy Ross 1752 
  • George Washington Carver 1860
  • J. Edgar Hoover 1895 
  • Xavier Cugat 1900
  • Barry Goldwater 1909
  • J.D. Salinger 1919