Today In Historical past, January 1: Ellis Island opens

Today is Thursday, Jan. 1, the primary day of 2026. There are 364 days left within the 12 months. This is New Year’s Day.

Today in historical past:

On Jan. 1, 1892, the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York formally opened, processing almost 700 immigrants on its first day; almost 12 million immigrants would in the end move by the station earlier than its closure in 1954.

Also on this date:

In 1804, Haiti declared itself unbiased from France, changing into the world’s first Black-majority republic.

In 1808, the federal legislation prohibiting the importation of enslaved individuals to the United States took impact.

In 1818, Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” was first printed in London, when Shelley was 20 years outdated.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation throughout the Civil War, declaring that every one enslaved individuals in rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

In 1959, Fulgencio Batista resigned as Cuban president and fled the nation, marking victory for Fidel Castro’s insurgent troops and the Cuban Revolution.

In 2000, an anxious world held its breath as computer systems silently switched to the 12 months 2000, however the dreaded “Y2K bug” induced few critical points.

In 2013, 1000’s had been trampled leaving a New Year’s fireworks show at a stadium in Ivory Coast, leaving no less than 64 individuals useless amid the chaos.

In 2024, an earthquake rocked the west coast of Japan, collapsing houses, killing no less than 260 individuals and forcing the evacuation of greater than 3,000 others.

In 2025, a person driving a pickup truck that bore the flag of the Islamic State group slammed into revelers throughout New Orleans’ raucous New Year’s celebration, killing 15 individuals. The man was shot useless by police and the assault was subsequently investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman is 96.
• Actor Frank Langella is 88.
• Musician Country Joe McDonald is 84.
• Actor-comedian Don Novello is 83.
• DJ Grandmaster Flash is 68.
• Actor Dedee Pfeiffer is 62.
• Actor Morris Chestnut is 57.
• Olympic gold medalist ice dancer Meryl Davis is 39.
• Rapper Ice Spice is 26.