What Day of the Week
January 1: Day of the Week
January 1, 2021 was the 1st day of the year 2021 in the Gregorian calendar. There were 364 days remaining until the end of the year. The day of the week was Friday.
If you are trying to learn Japanese then this day of the week in Japanese is Kin'yōbi.
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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)
- 69The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.
- 417Emperor Honorius forces Galla Placidia into marriage to Constantius, his famous general (magister militum).
- 1901Nigeria becomes a British protectorate.
- 1934Nazi Germany passes the “Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring”.
- 1949United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
- 1957George Town, Penang becomes a city by a royal charter granted by Queen Elizabeth II.
- 1986Aruba becomes independent of Curaçao, though it remains in free association with the Netherlands.
- 1989The Montreal Protocol Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer comes into force.
- 1995Sweden, Austria, and Finland are admitted into the European Union.
- 2002The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty, initially signed in 1992, officially comes into force.
Who were born on January 1?
- 1714Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian poet (d. 1780)
- 1774André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist (d. 1860)
- 1823Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet and revolutionary (d. 1849)
- 1893Mordehai Frizis, Greek Army officer (d. 1940)
- 1946Susannah McCorkle, American writer and singer (d. 2001)
- 1959Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghan cosmonaut
- 1959Michel Onfray, French philosopher
- 1961Sergei Babayan, American classical pianist
- 1979Koichi Domoto, Japanese artist
- 1985Eyjólfur Héðinsson, Icelandic professional footballer and model
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.