Happy New Year! Jan. 1, 2024

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2024! Did you stay up late last night to ring in the new year? If so, we wouldn"t blame you for sleeping in like this red fox in Abruzzo, Italy. Whenever you wake up, New Year"s Day is a great opportunity for reflection, planning and a sense of renewal for the year that stretches out before us. January 1 has been a big day since the Julian calendar was widely adopted in 45 BCE, and as its use spread across the world—eventually modified in 1582 by the Gregorian calendar to better calculate leap years. Whether you"re taking the day to watch a parade, attend a sports game, take a chilly dip or write resolutions, we hope it"s the beginning of a great year to come.

© marco vancini/500px/Getty Images

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Today in History

Napping near the North Pole
Jan. 1, 2025Happy New Year!
Jan. 1, 2026Happy New Year!

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Aug. 4, 2025Great grey owls in their nest, Finland
Aug. 21, 2023Discovery Day in Canada
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If given Menton, make lemonade
Mar. 16, 2024Giant panda, Chengdu, China
Finding beauty in ruins
Where the rainbow ends
Jun. 20, 2025Summer solstice
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Mar. 30, 2024Brown-throated three-toed sloth
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Jan. 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Jan. 13, 2025Happy Welsh New Year!
Oct. 3, 2024Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Dec. 20, 2024Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
World Hippo Day, a giant celebration
Feb. 8, 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
The top of Tennessee
Jun. 12, 2024Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
Sep. 25, 2023Sea Otter Awareness Week
The only road to P.E.I.
Jul. 13, 2024International Rock Day
Jun 10, 2026Hnausapollur crater lake, Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland
Feb. 15, 2026World Whale Day
Launching hopes and prayers
The sun sets on the Valley of the Moon
Dec. 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Jun 25, 2026Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium
Nov. 21, 2024Aspen trees, British Columbia
Oct. 13, 2023Jasper Dark Sky Festival