Notable Birthdays for January 1
Paul Revere (1735-1818) - Alerted the colonial militia "The British Are Coming!!"
Betsy Ross (1752-1836) - Seamstress who is said to have created the first American flag.
George Foster Shepley (1819-1878) - Brigadier General for the Union Army.
Charles Seeberger (1857-1931) - Designed the first commercially-produced escalator.
Michael Joseph Owens (1859-1923) - The inventor who created a machine to automate the production of glass bottles.
Jesse Reno (1861-1947) - Inventor who created the first escalator.
Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) - Photographer who made photography into an art.
J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972) - The first FBI Director.
J. D. Salinger (1919-2010) - Author of The Catcher in the Rye.
Matthew Beard (1925-1981) - Child actor known for his role as Stymie in the Our Gang (Little Rascals).
James Hormel (1933-2021) - Heir to the Hormel fortune.
James Sinegal (1936-Still Living) - Co-founder of Costco.
Verne Troyer (1969-2018) - Actor best known for his character Mini-Me in Austin Powers.
Memorable Events for January 1
1673 - Delivery of regular mail begins in NY and MA.
1776 - General George Washington raises the first American flag.
1797 - Albany becomes the capital of NY.
1808 - The importation of slaves is banned in the U.S.
1840 - The first bowling match is recorded in the U.S.
1852 - The first public bath opens in NY City.
1863 - The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory.
1892 - Ellis Island begins processing immigrants.
1913 - The post office begins delivery of parcels.
1943 - Baseball League player Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to the hospital.
1962 - The Navy SEALs are created.
1966 - Cigarette packs give print a warning of being hazardous to a person's health on each package.
1972 - International Book Year begins
1985 - International Youth Year begins.
1985 - The first mandatory seat belt law goes into effect.
1986 - International Peace Year begins.
1987 - International Year of Shelter for Homeless begins.
1994 - International Year of Family begins.
1994 - The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) takes effect.
1999 - International Year of Elderly begins.
