1801day.year
Ceres, the largest and first known object in the Asteroid belt, is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.
Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi discovers Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, on January 1, 1801.
On January 1, 1801, Giuseppe Piazzi observed a new object moving against the fixed stars while charting the night sky from Palermo Observatory. Initially thought to be a comet, he named it Ceres Ferdinandea after the Roman goddess of agriculture and the ruling monarch of Sicily. Subsequent observations confirmed it as the first known body in the region between Mars and Jupiter, now known as the asteroid belt. Ceres measures nearly 950 kilometers in diameter and would later be reclassified as a dwarf planet. Its discovery marked a milestone in astronomy and expanded our understanding of the solar system’s composition.
Ceres
Asteroid belt
Giuseppe Piazzi
1847day.year
The world's first "Mercy" Hospital is founded in Pittsburgh, United States, by a group of Sisters of Mercy from Ireland; the name will go on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world.
The Sisters of Mercy find the first Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, marking the beginning of a global healthcare network.
On January 1, 1847, a group of Irish Sisters of Mercy established the first Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Motivated by a mission to care for the sick and poor, they converted a former schoolhouse into a medical facility. The hospital offered free care regardless of patients’ backgrounds, pioneering compassionate healthcare in the region. Over time, the Mercy name became synonymous with quality medical services, leading to the founding of more than 30 Mercy hospitals worldwide. The institution’s emphasis on service, education, and innovation influenced modern hospital practices. Today, the Sisters’ legacy continues through expansive healthcare networks and community outreach.
1847
"Mercy" Hospital
Pittsburgh
Sisters of Mercy
1885day.year
Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming's proposal for standard time (and also, time zones).
On January 1, 1885, twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming's global system of standard time zones, revolutionizing international timekeeping.
Canadian engineer Sandford Fleming first proposed dividing the world into 24 standard time zones to simplify timekeeping.
On January 1, 1885, twenty-five countries officially implemented his framework, replacing thousands of local solar times.
This standardization enabled reliable train schedules and improved communication across continents.
Clocks were synchronized based on longitudinal zones, laying the foundation for precise global timing.
Despite initial resistance, nations gradually embraced the system, facilitating international travel and commerce.
Fleming's model remains the basis for the world's time zone map today.
1885
Sandford Fleming
standard time
time zones
1970day.year
The defined beginning of Unix time, at 00:00:00.
The Unix epoch begins at 00:00:00 UTC, defining the start of Unix time.
On January 1, 1970, the Unix time system was defined to start at zero seconds.
Known as the Unix epoch, it serves as a reference point for computing.
Unix time counts the number of seconds elapsed since this date, excluding leap seconds.
The system underpins timekeeping in many operating systems and programming languages.
Its adoption simplified time calculations and data storage across platforms.
Unix time remains widely used in computing, databases, and network protocols.
1970
Unix time
1983day.year
The ARPANET officially changes to using TCP/IP, the Internet Protocol, effectively creating the Internet.
The ARPANET switches to TCP/IP, marking the birth of the modern Internet.
On January 1, 1983, the ARPANET officially transitioned from the Network Control Protocol to TCP/IP as its standard communications protocol.
This milestone established the protocol suite that underpins today’s global Internet.
TCP/IP’s architecture allowed diverse networks to interconnect, enabling scalable and reliable data exchange.
The change paved the way for email, file transfer protocols, and the eventual development of the World Wide Web.
It set the stage for rapid expansion of networked computers beyond academic and military use.
This decision is widely regarded as the birth of the modern Internet that transformed communication and commerce.
1983
ARPANET
Internet Protocol
Internet
1985day.year
The first British mobile phone call is made by Michael Harrison to his father Sir Ernest Harrison, chairman of Vodafone.
The UK’s first public mobile phone call is placed over Vodafone’s new network.
On January 1, 1985, Michael Harrison made the first public mobile phone call in the United Kingdom, calling his father, Sir Ernest Harrison, Vodafone’s chairman.
This milestone marked the commercial launch of Vodafone’s cellular network, pioneering mobile telephony in Britain.
Using analogue technology, the call demonstrated the viability of handheld wireless communication outside experimental settings.
It paved the way for widespread mobile adoption, transforming personal and business communication.
Within years, mobile handsets became ubiquitous, reshaping social interactions and emergency services.
This event foreshadowed the digital revolution in mobile networks and the era of smartphones.
1985
mobile phone
Sir Ernest Harrison
Vodafone
1995day.year
The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves.
Scientists detected the Draupner wave in the North Sea on January 1, 1995, providing the first concrete evidence of freak waves.
On this date, a pressure sensor platform off the coast of Norway recorded an unusually large wave over 25 meters high, later named the Draupner wave. Previously considered maritime folklore, freak waves were thought to be isolated incidents. The confirmation prompted a reevaluation of ship design and offshore platform safety standards. Oceanographers developed new models to explain the formation of such rogue waves, considering factors like current convergence and wave superposition. The discovery has since influenced navigation practices, risk assessments, and climate studies of ocean wave behavior. Research into freak waves continues to be a vital field for maritime safety and coastal engineering.
Draupner wave
North Sea
Norway
freak waves
1998day.year
Argentinian physicist Juan Maldacena publishes a landmark paper initiating the study of AdS/CFT correspondence, which links string theory and quantum gravity.
Argentinian physicist Juan Maldacena publishes a landmark paper introducing the AdS/CFT correspondence, linking string theory and quantum gravity.
In January 1998, Juan Maldacena published a seminal paper introducing the Anti-de Sitter/Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence. This theoretical framework proposed a deep duality between a gravitational theory in a higher-dimensional AdS space and a conformal field theory on its boundary. Maldacena's work provided a concrete realization of string theory as a tool to study quantum gravity. The AdS/CFT correspondence offered new insights into black hole physics and the holographic principle. The paper sparked extensive research that continues to explore its implications in high-energy physics and beyond. Today, AdS/CFT remains a foundational concept in theoretical physics.
Juan Maldacena
AdS/CFT correspondence
string theory
quantum gravity