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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Aug 14, 2025Cable car station on Piz Nair mountain, Graubünden, Switzerland
Jul 8, 2024Blueberries growing in the wild
Jun 27, 2026Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina, United States
The picturesque Mughal architecture
May 27, 2026World Otter Day
Jul 17, 2025Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
Mar 30, 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
This bird is peak beak
Sep 4, 2025Grizzly bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, United States
Jan 1, 2026Happy New Year!
Jun 20, 2024Summer solstice
Mar 31, 2026Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
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Feb 6, 2024Lake Tahoe, Nevada
The ‘potato chip bird’
Aug 19, 2025Spotted eagle rays
Dec 18, 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Jul 23, 2025Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Jun 6, 2026Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi, United States
Aug 14, 2026Wildlife crossing near Zakrzów, Poland
Apr 21, 2025International Dark Sky Week
Nov 2, 2023Death Valley National Park, California
Mar 20, 2026Spring equinox
Blue Skies in Beautiful Bavaria
May 23, 2025World Turtle Day
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
Oct 11, 2025World Migratory Bird Day
Sep 19, 2023Ganesh Chaturthi
Nov 15, 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Apr 25, 2026World Penguin Day