Happy New Year! January 1st is officially known as National Hangover Day as well as Z Day.
It’s the first day of 2026 and we couldn’t be happier to welcome the New Year!
Find out the facts about January 1 with these historical events & fun facts, including what celebrities were born on this day, and how this day has had an important role in history.
Did you know that on this day, January 1, 1502, Portuguese navigators discovered Rio de Janeiro? “Rio de Janeiro” means “River of January”.
Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about January 1st in history!
Historical Events
What memorable events happened on January 1 in history? Keep reading to find out!
A B747 plane by Air India flying from Bombay, India to Dubai, UAE, crashed with no survivors.
The crash site was in the Arabian Sea near Santacruz airport, and onboard there were 190 passengers and 23 crew, all of whom lost their lives. The crash is thought to have been due to a malfunction in the cockpit which left the captain disorientated. This event was one of the deadliest air accidents in India.
The Union Jack flag was flown for the first time in Dublin, Ireland, to commemorate the union between Great Britain and Ireland.
A monk put an end to gladiator fighting in Rome.
The monks' name was Saint Telemachus, and in 391, he bravely attempted to halt a fight in Rome that led to him being stoned to death by spectators. Subsequently, this tragedy resulted in The Christian Emperor Honorius imposing a ban on future fights from 404 AD.
Famous Births
Is today your birthday? If so, you share the same birthday with Verne Troyer. Here are a few other famous people born on New Year's Day.
1995
Poppy
American Singer
Age
30 years old
Born IN
Massachusetts, USA
1969
Verne Troyer
American Actor
Died On
Apr 21, 2018 (Age 49)
Born IN
Michigan, USA
1976
Tank
American Singer
Age
49 years old
Born IN
Wisconsin, USA
1969
Morris Chestnut
American Actor
Age
56 years old
Born IN
California, USA
1945
Yuen Woo-ping
Hong Konger Choreographer
Age
80 years old
Born IN
Guangzhou, China
1943
Don Novello
American Actor
Age
82 years old
Born IN
Ohio, USA
Birthday & Zodiac
Everyone who was born on New Year’s Day shares the same star sign, Capricorn.
Capricorns are ambitious, determined and will consistently apply efforts to any task at hand to get the job done. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, or indeed, how many times they might fail.
Those of you that were born in January have the Garnet birthstone. The garnet is thought to bring love and loyal friendships into their lives while also providing them health.
The carnation, January’s primary birth flower, symbolizes the resilience and warmth of people born this month. Snowdrops, the secondary birth flower, symbolize hope and renewal during the coldest days of winter.
If you were lucky enough to be born on the first day of the year, you were likely conceived around April 10, the year before.
The due date for a baby conceived on New Year’s Day is around September 24, 2026.
Quotes
Who said what today throughout history? Here are the most famous things people have said on this day.
2014
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
Oprah Winfrey
(American TV Host)
1972
“It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was.”
Anne Sexton
(American Poet)
Special Holidays
Here are some unusual holidays that are celebrated on this day.
United States
National Hangover Day
Today is a perfect excuse to stay in bed and eat greasy food all day and know that you’re not the only one struggling. National Hangover Day is a day to look after yourself and cure that headache of the New Year’s celebrations.
International
Z Day
Today is a day for everyone whose name starts with a Z! While this might not seem like much, for every Zac, Zanne, or Zara who's had to wait until the end of the roll-call, it's a pretty big deal - their letter finally comes first!
