Events of the day
Global Family Day observed in USA
World Day of Peace is an annual celebration by the Catholic Church

1800 – The Dutch East India Company is dissolved.
1804 – French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black republic and second independent country in North America after the United States
1833 – The United Kingdom claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
1880 – Ferdinand de Lesseps begins French construction of the Panama Canal.
1885 – Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming's proposal for standard time (and also, time zones)
1890 – Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government.
1898 – New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
1899 – Spanish rule ends in Cuba.
1901 – Nigeria becomes a British protectorate.
1901 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister.
1906 – British India officially adopts the Indian Standard Time.
1911 – Northern Territory is separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control.
1912 – The Republic of China is established.
1942 – The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.
1947 – The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.
1948 – The Constitution of Italy comes into force.
1956 – Sudan achieves independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom.
1958 – The European Economic Community is established.
1960 – Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom.
1962 – Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa.
1964 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is divided into the independent republics of Zambia and Malawi, and the British-controlled Rhodesia.
1970 – Unix time begins at 00:00:00 UTC/GMT.
1971 – Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.
1973 – Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Ireland are admitted into the European Community.
1978 – The Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands becomes effective.
1981 – Greece is admitted into the European Community.
1981 – Palau achieves self-government though it is not independent from the United States.
1983 – The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.
1984 – Brunei becomes independent of the United Kingdom.
1985 – The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
1985 – The first British mobile phone call is made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone.
1986 – Aruba becomes independent of Curaçao, though it remains in free association with the Netherlands.
1986 – Spain and Portugal are admitted into the European Community.
1989 – The Montreal Protocol Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer comes into force.
1992 – Russia is officially formed.
1993 – Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
1995 – The World Trade Organization goes into effect.
1995 – Sweden, Austria, and Finland are admitted into the European Union.
1996 – Curaçao gains limited self-government, though it remains within free association with the Netherlands.
1997 – Zaire officially joins the World Trade Organization.
1999 – The Euro currency is introduced in 11 countries - members of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden).
2002 – Taiwan officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei.

Christian Feast Day:
Basil the Great (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Feast of the Circumcision of Christ (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Lutheran Church)
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Octave Day of Christmas, considered a holy day of obligation in some countries. (Roman Catholic Church)
Fulgentius of Ruspe
Telemachus
World Day of Peace (Roman Catholic Church)
Constitution Day (Italy)
Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State (Czech Republic)
Earliest day on which Handsel Monday can fall, while January 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of the year. (Scotland)
Founding Day (Republic of China)
Global Family Day (International)
Independence Day of Brunei (from United Kingdom in 1984).
Independence Day of Haiti (from France in 1804).
Independence Day of Sudan (from United Kingdom in 1956)
National Tree Planting Day (Tanzania)
Public Domain Day
The last day of Kwanzaa (United States)
The presidents of Brazil and Switzerland take possession.
Triumph of the Revolution (Cuba)

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