Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/January 1

January 1: New Year's Day.

• 1801 – Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi (pictured) discovered the dwarf planet Ceres, naming it after the Roman goddess of growing plants.

• 1801 – The Kingdom of Ireland formally merged with the Kingdom of Great Britain, adding St. Patrick's saltire to the Union Flag.

• 1808 – As a result of the lobbying efforts by the Abolitionist Movement, the importation of slaves into the United States was officially banned.

• 1901 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia federated as the Commonwealth of Australia.

• 1995 – The World Trade Organization, the international organization designed to supervise and liberalize international trade, came into being to replace the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

More anniversaries:

• December 31
• January 1
• January 2