What Day of the Week
January 1: Day of the Week
January 1, 2020 was the 1st day of the year 2020 in the Gregorian calendar. There were 365 days remaining until the end of the year. The day of the week was Wednesday.
If you are trying to learn Spanish then this day of the week in Spanish is miércoles.
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Here’s the January calendar. You can also browse the full year monthly calendar.
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Zodiac & Birthstone
Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Garnet is the modern birthstone for this month. Emerald is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
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January 1: This Day in History
The preceding day is December 31 of the previous year.
During the Middle Ages under the influence of the Christian Church, many countries moved the start of the year to one of several important Christian festivals — December 25 (the Nativity of Jesus), March 1, March 25 (the Annunciation), or even Easter. Eastern European countries (most of them with populations showing allegiance to the Orthodox Church) began their numbered year on September 1 from about 988.
In England, January 1 was celebrated as the New Year festival, but from the 12th century to 1752 the year in England began on March 25 (Lady Day). So, for example, the Parliamentary record records the execution of Charles I occurring in 1648 (as the year did not end until March 24), although modern histories adjust the start of the year to January 1 and record the execution as occurring in 1649.
Most western European countries changed the start of the year to January 1 before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to January 1 in 1600. England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to January 1 in 1752. Later that year in September, the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies. These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.
January 1 became the official start of the year as follows:
- 1522 The Republic of Venice
- 1544 Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
- 1556 Spain, Portugal
- 1559 Prussia, Sweden
- 1564 France
- 1576 Southern Netherlands
- 1579 Lorraine
- 1583 United Provinces of the Netherlands (northern)
- 1600 Scotland
- 1700 Russia
- 1721 Tuscany
- 1752 Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies
January 1 Historical Event(s)
- 1515King Francis I of France succeeds to the French throne.
- 1910Captain David Beatty is promoted to Rear Admiral, and becomes the youngest admiral in the Royal Navy (except for Royal family members), since Horatio Nelson.
- 1927Turkey adopts the Gregorian calendar: December 18, 1926 (Julian), is immediately followed by January 1, 1927 (Gregorian).
- 1949United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
- 1962Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa.
- 1978The Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands becomes effective.
- 1981Greece is admitted into the European Community.
- 1983The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.
- 1995Sweden, Austria, and Finland are admitted into the European Union.
- 2008Malta and Cyprus officially adopt the Euro currency and become the fourteenth and fifteenth Eurozone countries.
Who were born on January 1?
- 1516Margaret Leijonhufvud, Queen of Gustav I of Sweden (d. 1551)
- 1863Pierre de Coubertin, French aristocrat and founder of the modern Olympic Games (d. 1937)
- 1864Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (d. 1957)
- 1933Joe Orton, English writer (d. 1967)
- 1942Al Hunt, American reporter and news anchor
- 1944Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Pakistani politician
- 1960Rayo de Jalisco, Jr., Mexican wrestler
- 1966Anna Burke, Australian politician
- 1972Lilian Thuram, French footballer
- 1984José Paolo Guerrero, Peruvian footballer
Now try another date like anniversaries, birthdays of someone you know or any other date that is special to you. Don’t forget to share the info to your friends, loved ones or social media followers. Who knows, they might appreciate and thank you for it.