Happy New Year! Jan. 1, 2025

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year"s Day! Humans have celebrated the new year since at least 2000 BCE, but various cultures have chosen different days coinciding with equinoxes or lunar cycles. The Romans established January 1 as the beginning of the year in 153 BCE, but this fell out of favour throughout Europe during the medieval era. Since 1582 and the widespread adoption of the Gregorian calendar, however, much of the world now celebrates the new year today. In addition to watching fireworks, drinking champagne and making resolutions in the wee hours of the morning, other global traditions include making noise, eating lucky foods and giving gifts.

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Today in History

Napping near the North Pole
Jan. 1, 2024Happy New Year!
Jan. 1, 2026Happy New Year!

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Dec. 19, 2023Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
A blue-tiful island
Jul. 21, 2024Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Nov. 24, 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
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May 22, 2025International Day for Biological Diversity
Jun. 16, 2025World Sea Turtle Day
Dec. 14, 2025Christmas Bird Count
Jan. 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
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Mar. 30, 2026Demoiselle cranes, India
A public restroom or a tourist spot?
Aug. 20, 2024Sunrise at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Feb. 15, 2026World Whale Day
Nature’s own canvas
Oct. 22, 2023Astoria-Megler Bridge, Oregon
Three petals and three leaves
Oct. 9, 2023Thanksgiving Day
Mar. 20, 2024Cave Dale and Peveril Castle, England
Aug. 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
A galaxy full of stars
Apr. 30, 2026Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands
Clouds dance above Sundance
Apr. 19, 2025Zion National Park, Utah, United States
Bungle beehives
Don’t look down!
Sep. 29, 2024West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA
Blue as far as the eye can see
The animal kingdoms great migration
Sep. 6, 2025Rufous hummingbird