January 1
Updated November 6, 2026 · Edited by the JanuaryCalendar.com team
January 1 is New Year's Day, the first day of the Gregorian calendar year and a public holiday in most countries. The date has also marked major beginnings, from Haiti's independence in 1804 and the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to the founding of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
January 1 is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 364 days remain in the year (365 in leap years). In 2027, January 1 falls on a Friday.
- Day of year
- 1
- Days left
- 364 (365 in leap years)
- Zodiac sign
- Capricorn ♑︎
- Birthstone
- Garnet
- ISO week (2027)
- Week 53
- Weekday (2027)
- Friday
Holidays and observances on January 1
- US federal New Year's Day (US; public holiday in most countries) — Marks the first day of the Gregorian calendar year.
- Religious Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Catholic Church) — Feast honoring Mary, held on the octave day of Christmas.
- Religious World Day of Peace (Catholic Church) — Established by Pope Paul VI and first observed in 1968; the pope issues a message on peace.
- Public holiday Independence Day (Haiti) — Marks Haiti's 1804 declaration of independence from France.
- Cultural Last day of Kwanzaa (US) — The seven-day celebration of African American culture runs from December 26 to January 1.
- Astronomy Full moon (Wolf Moon) on January 1 in 2037 (Eastern Time)
Events on January 1 in history
- 1801 – The Acts of Union took effect, joining Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- 1801 – Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi discovered Ceres, the first object found in the asteroid belt and now classed as a dwarf planet.
- 1804 – Haiti declared its independence from France following a successful revolt by enslaved people.
- 1863 – The Emancipation Proclamation took effect, declaring enslaved people in Confederate-held states free.
- 1892 – Ellis Island opened in New York Harbor and began processing immigrants to the United States.
- 1901 – Six British colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia.
- 1959 – Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country as Fidel Castro's rebel forces took power.
- 1973 – Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community.
- 1983 – ARPANET officially switched to the TCP/IP protocols, a milestone often cited as the birth of the modern internet.
- 2002 – Euro banknotes and coins entered circulation in 12 European Union countries.
Famous birthdays on January 1
- 1863 – Pierre de Coubertin, French founder of the modern Olympics
- 1879 – E. M. Forster, English novelist of A Passage to India
- 1894 – Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist behind Bose-Einstein statistics
- 1895 – J. Edgar Hoover, First director of the FBI
- 1911 – Hank Greenberg, American Hall of Fame baseball slugger
- 1919 – J. D. Salinger, American author of The Catcher in the Rye
- 1938 – Frank Langella, American stage and film actor
- 1956 – Christine Lagarde, French lawyer and central banker
- 1975 – Eiichiro Oda, Japanese manga artist who created One Piece
What day is January 1?
Frequently asked questions
Why is New Year's Day on January 1?
Rome began its civil year on January 1 from 153 BC, when consuls started taking office that day, and Julius Caesar's Julian calendar of 45 BC and the Gregorian calendar of 1582 kept it. Many European countries once began the year on other dates such as March 25; England and its colonies switched to January 1 in 1752.
Is January 1 a federal holiday in the US?
Yes. New Year's Day is a federal holiday. When January 1 falls on a Saturday, federal employees get the preceding Friday off, and when it falls on a Sunday, the holiday is observed the following Monday.
Which countries became independent on January 1?
Haiti declared independence from France on January 1, 1804. Sudan became independent on January 1, 1956, and Brunei became fully independent from Britain on January 1, 1984.
What day of the week is January 1, 2027?
January 1, 2027 is a Friday. In 2028 it falls on a Saturday.
What zodiac sign is January 1?
People born on January 1 are Capricorns (December 22 – January 19) in Western astrology.