January 02
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Ancestry Day(Haiti)
Ancestry Day in Haiti is a public holiday celebrating Haitian heritage and honoring ancestors across the nation.
Berchtold's Day(Switzerland)
Berchtold's Day in Switzerland is celebrated on January 2 with traditional regional customs, parades, and festive gatherings.
Christianfeast day:
Basil the Great(Catholic ChurchandChurch of England), Gregory of Nazianzus(Catholic Church), Macarius of Alexandria, Seraphim of Sarov(Eastern Orthodox Church), Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah(Episcopal Church), January 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
January 2 is observed as a feast day across various Christian traditions, honoring saints such as Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and others.
The Day after New Years Day is aPublic HolidayinNew Zealand
In New Zealand, January 2 is a public holiday known as the Day after New Year's Day, extending the holiday season.
Kaapse Klopse(Cape Town, South Africa)
Kaapse Klopse in Cape Town is a vibrant carnival of music, dance, and colorful costumes beginning on January 2 each year.
The first day ofBlacks and Whites' Carnival, celebrated until January 7 (Colombia)
The Blacks and Whites' Carnival in Pasto, Colombia, begins on January 2 with colorful parades and cultural festivities.
The ninth of theTwelve Days of Christmas(Western Christianity)
January 2 falls on the ninth day of the Twelve Days of Christmas in Western Christian tradition, a season of festive reflection.
The Second of January is aBank HolidayinScotland
In Scotland, January 2 is a bank holiday that extends the Hogmanay New Year celebrations.
Basil the Great(Catholic ChurchandChurch of England)
January 2 is the feast day of Saint Basil the Great in the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
Events
The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.
Roman legions in Germania Superior rebelled against Emperor Galba and proclaimed Vitellius as emperor, igniting a civil war.
The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.
Alemanni tribes exploited the frozen Rhine to invade Roman territory, launching a large-scale winter crossing.
Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
Mercurius was elected Pope John II in 533, becoming the first pontiff to adopt a new name upon his elevation.
Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders.
The Emirate of Granada surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs, ending centuries of Moorish rule in Spain.
Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram and his bodyguards execute the rebel leader Trunajaya.
Amangkurat II executed rebel leader Trunajaya, effectively quelling the Trunajaya rebellion in Java.
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria amends the Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana to include the abolition of torture throughout the Habsburg-ruled countries of Austria and Bohemia.
Empress Maria Theresa abolished judicial torture across her Habsburg realms by amending the criminal code in 1776.
American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of General George Washington repulse a British attack led by General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey.
George Washington’s Continental Army repelled Cornwallis’s assault at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton.
Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
Georgia ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 2, becoming the fourth state to join the new federal union.
Northwest Indian War: The Big Bottom massacre is committed by Lenape and Wyandot warriors in the Ohio Country, North America.
Lenape and Wyandot warriors attacked frontier settlers in the Big Bottom massacre during the Northwest Indian War.
Births
Yōzei
The 57th Emperor of Japan, known for ascending the throne as a child and his turbulent reign.
Piero di Cosimo
A Florentine Renaissance painter celebrated for his vivid mythological and allegorical scenes.
Henry of Stolberg
A German nobleman of the House of Stolberg who managed his estates during the Reformation era.
Mehmed IV
The 19th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, known for his long reign and military campaigns.
Nathaniel Bacon
An English-American colonist who led the 1676 uprising in Virginia known as Bacon's Rebellion.
Osman III
The 25th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, remembered for his late accession and interest in scholarship.
Marie Dumesnil
A celebrated 18th-century French actress renowned for her dramatic portrayals at the Comédie-Française.
James Wolfe
A British Army officer best known for his decisive victory over the French at the Battle of Quebec in 1759.
František Brixi
A Czech composer and organist whose works helped shape early Classical music in Bohemia.
Deaths
Liu Chengyou
Emperor of the Later Han dynasty from 948 to 951, known posthumously as Emperor Yin.
Su Fengji
Chinese official and chancellor of the Later Han dynasty during the Five Dynasties period.
William de St-Calais
Norman bishop of Durham and chief counsellor to King William II of England.
Bertrand de Blanchefort
Sixth Grand Master of the Knights Templar who led the order during the 12th century.
Theodora Komnene
Byzantine princess who became Duchess of Austria through marriage.
Lodomer
Hungarian prelate who served as Archbishop of Esztergom in the late 13th century.
Heinrich Reuß von Plauen
Grand Master of the Teutonic Order who led the organization in the mid-15th century.
Svante Nilsson
Swedish statesman who served as Regent of Sweden in the early 16th century.
William Smyth
English bishop and co-founder of Brasenose College, Oxford.