Happy New Year! Jan. 1, 2025

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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May 1, 2025Lei Day
Apr. 3, 2024Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Aug. 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan, USA
Sep. 25, 2024Sequoia National Park, California, USA
Jul. 25, 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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Aug. 8, 2025The Three Musketeers Falls at Iguazú Falls, Argentina
And so it begins!
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Cascade in the City of Waterfalls
Feb. 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
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Dec. 5, 2023Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles, Bavaria, Germany
Jun. 28, 2025Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising
Pretty in pink
Jan. 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Feb. 17, 2025Coll dAres, Catalan Pyrenees
A triumphant pose
Babbling on and on
An engineering marvel
Jan. 11, 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
Stars in daylight
Trusty water-shifters
Dec. 26, 2024Boxing Day
Nov. 27, 2024Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
A life-sized snow globe
Oct. 25, 2024Frankenstein Friday
Jul. 13, 2025International Rock Day