On This Day: 1 January

1 January in Indian history

• 1978Air India Flight 855 crashed into the Arabian Sea seconds after take-off, killing all 213 people.India
• 1949United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.India
• 1877Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India.India

1 January in world history

• 2019The NASA space probe New Horizons flew by the trans-Neptunian object Arrokoth, making it the farthest object visited by a spacecraft.
• 2007Adam Air Flight 574 crashed into the sea off Polewali, Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board, when the pilots inadvertently disconnected the autopilot.
• 2004In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007.
• 1994The revolutionary leftist Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiated twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
• 1982Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar becomes the first Latin American to hold the title of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• 1973Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom are admitted into the European Economic Community.
• 1947Cold War: The American and British occupation zones in Allied-occupied Germany, after World War II, merge to form the Bizone, which later (with the French zone) became part of West Germany.
• 1945World War II: In retaliation for the massacre of captured Americans by Waffen SS soldiers, U.S. Army personnel killed an estimated 80 Wehrmacht prisoners near Chenogne, Belgium.
• 1901The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister.
• 1898New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
• 1860The first Polish postage stamp is issued, replacing the Russian stamps previously in use.
• 1801The legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland is completed, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is proclaimed.
• 1776American Revolutionary War: The town of Norfolk, Virginia, was burned and destroyed by the combined actions of British and Whig forces.
• 1726J. S. Bach led the first performance of Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16, his church cantata for New Year's Day to a libretto by Georg Christian Lehms.
• 1725J. S. Bach led the first performance of his chorale cantata Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, which features trumpet fanfares at the start and end.

Born on 1 January

• 1974Christian Paradis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Canadian Minister of Industry
• 1971Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Indian politicianIndia
• 1959Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball player and coach
• 1952Shaji N. Karun, Indian director and cinematographer (died 2025)India
• 1935Om Prakash Chautala, Indian politician (died 2024)India
• 1752Betsy Ross, American seamstress, sewed flags for the Pennsylvania Navy during the Revolutionary War (died 1836)

Died on 1 January

• 2005Ngo Van, Vietnamese revolutionary (born 1913)
• 1955Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, Indian colloid chemist, academic, and scientific administrator (born 1894)India
• 1937Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (born 1874)India
• 1923Willie Keeler, American baseball player (born 1872)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 1 January in history?

2019: The NASA space probe New Horizons flew by the trans-Neptunian object Arrokoth, making it the farthest object visited by a spacecraft. 2007: Adam Air Flight 574 crashed into the sea off Polewali, Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board, when the pilots inadvertently disconnected the autopilot. 2004: In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007. 1994: The revolutionary leftist Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiated twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

What happened on 1 January in Indian history?

1978: Air India Flight 855 crashed into the Arabian Sea seconds after take-off, killing all 213 people. 1949: United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly. 1877: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India.

Which famous people were born on 1 January?

Christian Paradis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Canadian Minister of Industry (1974); Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Indian politician (1971); Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball player and coach (1959); Shaji N. Karun, Indian director and cinematographer (died 2025) (1952).

Which day is observed on 1 January?

The last day of Kwanzaa (African Americans); The eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity); Global Family Day; Jump-up Day (Montserrat); New Year's Day (Gregorian calendar) Japanese New Year.