Fun Facts and Figures

Welcome to our fun facts cornucopia, where you'll find a little bit of everything related to New Years Resolutions. If you've ever wondered how the new year is celebrated in Belgium, you've come to the right place. If you want to find out how Happy New Year is pronounced in Italian, you'll find out here. If you are interested in the learning about the history of new years resolutions, we'll tell you all about it.
The History of New Year's Resolutions
The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.
With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.
The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.
The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.
In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.
The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.
Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.
Ancient New Years
The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.
Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun. In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
January 1st Birthdays in History
Here's a list of lucky people who celebrate the New Year and their birthday at the same time.
January 1, 1975 Becky Kellar, ice hockey defenseman, Canada, 1998 Olympics
January 1, 1975 Chris Anstey, NBA center, Dallas Mavericks
January 1, 1974 Johnie Church, NFL defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks
January 1, 1973 Clyde Wijnhard, soccer player, Ajax, RKC
January 1, 1973 Fang Li, Hunan China, tennis star, 1991 Futures-Bilbao-ESP
January 1, 1973 Justin Armour, NFL wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills
January 1, 1973 Mercury Hayes, wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons
January 1, 1972 Barron Miles, NFL def back for the Pittsburgh Steelers/WLAF corner, Frankfurt
January 1, 1972 Ivan Droppa, hockey defenseman, Team Slovakia 1998
January 1, 1971 Beno Bryant, WLAF running back for the Amsterdam Admirals
January 1, 1971 Bobby Holik, Jihlava Cze, NHL left wing, New Jersey Devils, Team Czech Rep
January 1, 1971 Bridget Pettis, WNBA guard, Phoenix Mercury
January 1, 1971 Kevin Lee, NFL wide receiver for the New England Patriots
January 1, 1971 Kevin Mitchell, NFL linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
January 1, 1970 Brian Morton, Wollongong Australia, canoeist 1996 Olympics
January 1, 1970 Tom Sier, soccer player, South Carolina Heerenveen
January 1, 1970 Vadim Glovatskiy, hockey defenseman, Team Kazakhstan Oly-1998
January 1, 1969 Morris Chestnut, actor, Boyz N the Hood
January 1, 1969 Reemt Pyka, Bremerhaven GER, hockey forward, Team Germany
January 1, 1968 John de Visser, soccer player, South Carolina Heerenveen
January 1, 1968 Sandy Beasley, Richmond BC, softball outfielder 1996 Olympics
January 1, 1967 Andy Heck, NFL tackle, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears
January 1, 1967 Derrick Thomas, NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs
January 1, 1966 Mika Nieminen, Tampere FIN, hockey forward, Team Finland, Oly-br-1998
January 1, 1966 Rawley Valberde, Oceanside California, actor, Amado-Santa Barbara
January 1, 1965 Andrew O Valmon, born in Brooklyn, New York, 400m runner
January 1, 1965 Harry Galbreath, NFL guard for the Green Bay Packers
January 1, 1965 Mark Dewey, U.S. baseball player, Pittsburgh Pirates
January 1, 1964 DeDee Pfeiffer, actress, Cybill
January 1, 1963 Glenn Trimble, cricketer, son of Sam Two ODI's for Australia 1986
January 1, 1963 Lance Smith, NFL guard for the New York Giants
January 1, 1962 Ravshanbek Aliyev, Kirgiz, cosmonaut
January 1, 1961 Irv Eatman, NFL tackle for the Houston Oilers
January 1, 1961 Marcia Cross, actress, Melrose Place
January 1, 1960 Michael David Morrison, actor, Caleb Snyder-As the World Turns
January 1, 1959 Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghanistan, cosmonaut, Soyuz TM-6
January 1, 1958 Grandmaster Flash, [Joseph Saddler], New York City, rocker, Message
January 1, 1958 Ren Woods, born in Portland, Oregon, actress, Fanta-Roots
January 1, 1956 Anatoli Borisovich Polonsky, Russia, Lt-colonel/cosmonaut
January 1, 1956 Sergei Vasiliyevich Avdeyev, Russian cosmonaut, Soyuz TM-15, SK:TM-28
January 1, 1955 Michael James Sullivan, born in Gary, Indiana, PGA golfer, 1980 Southern Open
January 1, 1954 Fr David, Paris, France, rocker
January 1, 1953 Alpha Blondy, [Seydou Kone], Ivory coast, reggae singer, Jerusalem
January 1, 1953 Kevin Hangon, composer
January 1, 1953 Rochelle S Abramson, violinist
January 1, 1951 Frans Kellendonk, author, Ruin, The Good for Nothing
January 1, 1951 Jaco Pastorius, rocker
January 1, 1950 Morgan Fisher, rock keyboardist, British Lions
January 1, 1950 Svetlana Georgievna Beregovkina, Russia, cosmonaut
January 1, 1950 Yevgeni Vladimirovich Saley, cosmonaut
January 1, 1949 Nikolai Tikhonovich Moskalenko, Russia, cosmonaut
January 1, 1949 Peter Dormer, arts writer
January 1, 1947 Alexei Ivanovich Bobrov, Russia, cosmonaut
January 1, 1947 Gary "BB" Coleman, blues vocal/guitarist/producer
January 1, 1947 Peter Lankhorst, Dutch MP, PPR
January 1, 1947 Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov, Rus cosmonaut, Soyuz T-8, TM-4, STS 63
January 1, 1947 Jon Corzine, American Politician
January 1, 1946 Manfred Stengl, Austria, 2 man lugist 1960 Olympics gold
January 1, 1945 Jacques Ickx, Belgium, Le Mans auto race, 6-time winner
January 1, 1944 Charlie Davis, cricketer, WI batsman in 15 Tests 1968-73
January 1, 1943 Jerilyn Britz, Minnesota, LPGA golfer, 1979 U.S. Women's Open
January 1, 1942 Country Joe McDonald, California, rock guitarist and vocalist, & the Fish
January 1, 1942 Don Novello, [Father Guido Sarducci], Ashtabula, Ohio, comedian, SNL
January 1, 1942 Gennadi Vassilyevich Sarafanov, U.S.S.R., cosmonaut, Soyuz 15
January 1, 1942 George Couroupos, composer
January 1, 1942 Martin Frost, Rep-D-TX, 1971-
January 1, 1940 Frank Langella, Bayonne, New Jersey, actor, Dracula, Diary of a Mad Housewife
January 1, 1940 Jack Kiefer, Columbia, Pennsylvania, PGA golfer, 1994 Ralphs Senior Classic
January 1, 1940 Laszlo Sary, composer
January 1, 1940 Richard Henry Orton, composer
January 1, 1938 Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Queen of Netherlands, 1980-
January 1, 1938 Bill Emerson, Rep-R-MO, 1981-
January 1, 1936 Eve Queler, New York City, conductor
January 1, 1936 Willye B White, U.S. jumper, Olympics-silver-1956
January 1, 1935 Harold Martina, Netherland Antilles, pianist/conductor
January 1, 1935 Valentin Nikolaevich N Benderov, Russia, cosmonaut
January 1, 1933 Anders Bo Leif Linde, composer
January 1, 1933 James A Abrahamson, USAF/astronaut
January 1, 1933 Joe Orton, England, actor/dramatist, Prick Up Your Ears
January 1, 1932 Arnfried G D P, Dutch manufacturer, breadcrumbs, /drugs dealer
January 1, 1931 Carel Brons, composer
January 1, 1931 Siddig El Nigoumi, ceramicist
January 1, 1930 Gaafar Muhammad Nimeiry, premier/president, Sudan
January 1, 1930 Werner Heiden, composer
January 1, 1929 Holling Gustav Vapor, character on Northern Exposure
January 1, 1928 Ernest R Tidyman, Ohio, novelist/screenwriter, French Connection
January 1, 1928 Khan Mohammad, cricketer, Paki fast-med bowler, 54 wkts in 13 Tests
January 1, 1927 Barbara Baxley, Stockton California, actress, Norma Rae, Countdown
January 1, 1927 Juliusz Luciuk, composer
January 1, 1927 Maurice Bejart, France, ballet choreographer, Rite of Spring
January 1, 1927 Yuri Grigorovich, Leningrad, choreographer
January 1, 1926 Claire Polin [Schaff], composer flautist/musicologist
January 1, 1925 George Conner, NFL tackle, linebacker for the Chicago Bears
January 1, 1925 Valentina Cortesa, Milan Italy, actress, Kidnap Syndicate
January 1, 1923 Chalmers Goodlin, U.S. test pilot, XS-1
January 1, 1923 Milton Jackson, U.S., vibraphonist, Milt of Bags
January 1, 1922 Ernest F. Hollings, Sen-D-SC, 1966-
January 1, 1921 Alain Mimoun O'Kacha, Algerian/French cross country, Oly-gold-1956
January 1, 1920 Elisabeth Andersen, [Anna de Bruyn], Dutch actress, Yerma, Titania
January 1, 1920 Roger Peacock, writer
January 1, 1919 Bernard Drukker, Dutch organist/pianist/orch leader, Devil's Wheel
January 1, 1919 Carole Landis, Fairchild WI, actress, One Million BC, Topper Returns
January 1, 1919 J. D. Salinger, American Novelist, Catcher in the Rye
January 1, 1918 Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer, WR 100m, 1:04.06
January 1, 1916 Earl Wrightson, Maryland, singer, Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue
January 1, 1915 Francois Bondy, writer
January 1, 1915 Lewis Bingham Keeble, town planner
January 1, 1913 Eliot Janeway, financial writer, Economics of Chaos
January 1, 1912 Kim Philby, British spy/Soviet mole
January 1, 1912 Victor Reuther, Wheeling, West Virginia, labor leader
January 1, 1911 Hank Greenberg, Hall-of-Fame 1st baseman, Detroit Tiger
January 1, 1910 Russ Bender, actor and writer, Amazing Colossal Man, Space Monster
January 1, 1909 Barry Goldwater, Sen-R-Az, 1953-65, 69-, President candidate, R, 1964
January 1, 1909 D. D. Hindlekar, cricketer, Indian batsman and wicket-keeper 1936-46
January 1, 1909 Dana Andrews, Collins Mississippi, actor, Battle of the Bulge, Laura
January 1, 1908 Kinue Hitoma, Japan, 800m runner, Oly-silver-1928
January 1, 1907 Erich Schmid, composer
January 1, 1906 Frank Stack, Canada, speed skater, Olympic-bronze-1932
January 1, 1905 Melvin Price, Rep-D-IL, 1945-
January 1, 1902 Buster Nupen, cricketer, 1-eyed South African quick, great on matting
January 1, 1902 Dimiter Nenov, composer
January 1, 1901 Christine WI Wittewaall van Stoetwegen, Dutch MP, CDD
January 1, 1900 Hubert van Doorne, Dutch auto manufacturer, DAF
January 1, 1900 William Haines, Staunton, Virginia, actor, Fast Life, Little Annie Rooney
January 1, 1900 Xavier Cugat, born in Spain, bandleader, married Abbe Lane, Charo
January 1, 19?? Amban. Beloved Goddess/High Priestess/Patron Saint of a.r.c.
January 1, 1899 Juozas Tallat-Kelpsa, composer
January 1, 1899 Lev V Kuleshov, Russian director/theorist, Po Zakonu
January 1, 1899 Raymond Loucheur, composer
January 1, 1898 George van Derton, Belgian
January 1, 1898 George van Derton, Belgian racer, won 500 race
January 1, 1898 Viktor Ullmann, opera composer, Der Kaiser von Atlantis
January 1, 1897 Walter Greaza, St. Paul, Minnesota, actor, Martin Kane Private Eye
January 1, 1896 Maurice Jacobson, composer
January 1, 1896 Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japans actor and director, Jujiro, Jigoku-mon
January 1, 1896 Yitzhak Edel, composer
January 1, 1895 Nathaniel Shilkret, New York City, conductor
January 1, 1895 J. Edgar Hoover, American Public Servant
January 1, 1892 Artur Rodzinski, Spalato, Dalmatia, Poland, conductor/composer
January 1, 1892 Manuel Roxas y Acuna, 1st president Philippines
January 1, 1892 Miklos Radnai, composer
January 1, 1891 Frank Pettingell, Liverpool England, actor, Gaslight, Goose Steps Out
January 1, 1890 Florence Lawrence, Hamilton Ont, silent screen actress, Confidence
January 1, 1889 Alexander Smallens, St. Petersburg, Russia, conductor
January 1, 1889 Charles Bickford, Cambridge Massachusetts, actor, John-The Virginian
January 1, 1889 Tadeusz Jarecki, composer
January 1, 1889 Tom Dugan, Dublin Ireland, actor, Circus Clown, Drag, Skyway
January 1, 1887 Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral/head German military intelligence
January 1, 1885 Roland Diggle, composer
January 1, 1883 Federigo Tozzi, Italian writer/journalist, La Torre, Tre Croci
January 1, 1883 [Hei]ko E Arnoldi, Dutch actor, 3 Drops of Water, /theater director
January 1, 1882 W C Wendelaar, mayor of Alkmaar, 1919-34, /Dutch MP, VVD
January 1, 1881 Carry van Bridges, [de Haan], Dutch author, Heleen, Eva
January 1, 1880 Edie Martin, born in London, England, actress, Titfield Thunderbolt
January 1, 1880 Shalom Asch, Poland, yiddish writer, Motke Ganev
January 1, 1879 Edward M Forster, England, novelist, Howards End, Passage to India
January 1, 1879 Emile Argand, Swiss geologist, Dekbladen Theory
January 1, 1879 Ernest Jones, British psychoanalyst, Life and Work of Sigmund Freud
January 1, 1879 William Fox, U.S. film pioneer, Nickelodeon
January 1, 1879 Edward M. Forster, English Novelist
January 1, 1878 Edwin Franko Goldman, composer
January 1, 1878 Francois Ambrosiny, French dancer/choreograph, L'oiseau enchante
January 1, 1876 Johan C Altorf, sculptor, October 3rd monument
January 1, 1875 Charles Rist, French economist
January 1, 1875 N F Druce, cricketer, 5 Tests for England vs. Australia 1897-98
January 1, 1874 Hugo Leichtentritt, composer
January 1, 1873 Mariano Azuela, Mexico, novelist, The Flies, The Bosses
January 1, 1869 Louis EJM de la Vallee-Poussin, Belgian indologist
January 1, 1867 Charles Edward Montague, English author/critic, Fiery Particles
January 1, 1867 Lew Fields, comedian, of Weber and Fields
January 1, 1865 Giuseppe Ferrata, composer
January 1, 1864 Alfred Stieglitz, U.S. photographer/art dealer, Camera Work
January 1, 1863 Aleko Konstantinov, Bulgarian writer, To Chicago and Back
January 1, 1863 Pierre de Coubertin, France, baron, revived Olympic games
January 1, 1862 Snitz Edwards, Hungary, actor, College, Phantom of the Opera
January 1, 1854 James Frazer, Britain, anthropologist/author, The Golden Bough
January 1, 1853 Hans Koessler, composer
January 1, 1846 Nikola Pasic, Serbian nationalist/premier, 1891..1926
January 1, 1843 Nikolay Nikolayevich Lodizhensky, composer
January 1, 1838 William Hugh Young, Brig General Confederate Army, died in 1901
January 1, 1831 William Joseph Westbrook, composer
January 1, 1827 William Lewis "Old Tige" Cabell, Brig General Confederate Army
January 1, 1819 Arthur Hugh Clough, poet, friend of Matthew Arnold
January 1, 1819 George Foster Shepley, Brig General Union volunteers, died in 1878
January 1, 1817 Martin H Klaproth, Germany, chemist
January 1, 1815 Charles Renouvier, French philosopher, neocriticism
January 1, 1809 John Pieter Heije, Dutch physician/writer/poet, Silver Fleet
January 1, 1800 Sydney Nelson, composer
January 1, 1800 Vaclav Horak, composer
January 1, 1792 Henrik A Bjerregaard, Norwegian writer/poet, Sonner af Norge
January 1, 1784 William Beale, composer
January 1, 1777 Micah Hawkins, composer
January 1, 1764 John Kinker, Dutch linguist/philosopher/poet, Minderjarige Zangster
January 1, 1752 Elizabeth Griscom, Betsy, Ross, flag maker
January 1, 1748 Giovanni Furno, composer
January 1, 1745 "Mad" Anthony Wayne, general
January 1, 1735 Paul Revere, silversmith/US patriot, British are coming
January 1, 1734 John F E Acton, cruel premier of Naples
January 1, 1729 Edmund Burke, British author, Philosophy and Inquiry
January 1, 1723 Christian Friedrich Gregor, composer
January 1, 1714 Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lutheran pastor, Lithuanian poet, The Seas
January 1, 1709 Johann H H Butz, German/Dutch organ builder
January 1, 1697 Johann Pfeiffer, composer
January 1, 1652 Johann Krieger, composer
January 1, 1638 Antoinette du Ligier de la Guard Deshoulieres, French poet/playwright
January 1, 1628 Christoph Bernhard, German composer
January 1, 1622 Isaac Sweers, Dutch Admiral/general/Civil rights activist
January 1, 1618 Bartolome Esteban Murillo, Spain, Baroque artist [baptized]
January 1, 1520 Franciscus Balduinus, [Francois Baudouin], lawyer
January 1, 1504 Caspar Cruciger, German church reformer
January 1, 1481 Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss Protestant reformer
January 1, 1467 Sigismund I, the old, king of Poland
January 1, 1449 Lorenzo de'Medici, [The Magnificent] of Florence
January 1, 1431 Alexander VI [Rodrigo Borgia], Spanish/Italian pope, 1492-1503
January 1, 1387 Charles, The Angry One, king of Navarra, 1349-87
January 1, 379 Basilius, the Great, of Caesarea, holyman, Moralia


Chinese New Year
Except for a very few number of people who can keep track of when the Chinese New Year should be, the majority of the Chinese today have to rely on a typical Chinese calendar to tell it. Therefore, you cannot talk of the Chinese New Year without mentioning the Chinese calendar at first.
A Chinese calendar consists of both the Gregorian and lunar-solar systems, with the latter dividing a year into twelve month, each of which is in turn equally divided into thirty- nine and a half days. The well-coordinated dual system calendar reflects the Chinese ingenuity.
There is also a system that marks the years in a twelve-year cycle, naming each of them after an animal such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. People born in a particular year are believed to share some of the personalities of that particular animal.


The Sounds of Happy New Year

With the holiday season upon us, here's a list that's sure to be a tongue twister. See how Happy New Year is pronounced around the world.

Arabic: Kul 'aam u antum salimoun

Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo means "Good Parties and Happy New Year"

Chinese: Chu Shen Tan

Czechoslavakia: Scastny Novy Rok

Dutch: Gullukkig Niuw Jaar

Finnish: Onnellista Uutta Vuotta

French: Bonne Annee

German: Prosit Neujahr

Greek: Eftecheezmaenos o Kaenooryos hronos

Hebrew: L'Shannah Tovah Tikatevu

Hindi: Niya Saa Moobaarak

Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit

Italian: Buon Capodanno

Khmer: Sua Sdei tfnam tmei

Laotian: Sabai dee pee mai

Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku

Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo

Russian: S Novim Godom

Serbo-Croatian: Scecna nova godina

Spanish: Feliz Ano Neuvo or Prospero Ano Nuevo

Turkish: Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Vietnamese: Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan

Auld Lang Syne
The song, "Auld Lang Syne," is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English- speaking country in the world to bring in the New Year. In spite of the popularity of 'Auld Lang Syne', it has aptly been described as the song that nobody knows. Even in Scotland, hardly a gathering sings it correctly, without some members of the party butchering the words.
Written by Robert Burns in 1741, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."

Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne
We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne
We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne
And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne