Jan 1
Annual Catholic Feast of the Circumcision, to celebrate the removal of the Holy Foreskin.
Jan 1 1801
Italian astronomer, Giuseppe Piazzi, became the first person to discover an asteroid. He named it Ceres.
Jan 1 1863
President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves in the rebel states were free.
Jan 1 1943
Josef Stalin appears as Time's 1942 "Man of the Year".
Jan 1 1946
Emperor Hirohito descends from being a divine being to mere mortal man. General MacArthur insisted on it.
Jan 1 1959
Fidel Castro takes control of Cuba from Fulgencio Batista. "Don't worry, Castro's regime can't last."
Jan 1 1966
The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965 goes into effect. Cigarette companies are forced to label their product like so: "Caution: Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health"
Jan 1 1968
Evel Knievel, stunt performing daredevil, lost control of his motorcycle midway through a jump of 141 feet over the ornamental fountains in front of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Jan 1 1976
Potheads alter the "HOLLYWOOD" sign to read "HOLLYWEED". Way to go!
Jan 1 1993
During Hong Kong's new year's festivities, a stampede kills 20 and injures many more.
Jan 1 1995
Fred West, accused of committing England's "House of Horrors" killings, suicides by hanging himself in his prison cell.
Jan 1 1998
Michael Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy, dies in Aspen of traumatic neck and head wounds resulting from an accident while playing "ski football".
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