Ellis Island Day is observed every January 1 to celebrate an island that served as a gateway to America during the immigration wave of 1892 through 1954. Can you imagine that during the peak years of immigration operation through Ellis Island, an average of 1,900 people passed through the station every day? Between 1892 and 1954, about 17 million people immigrated to America through the immigration station at Ellis Island. Currently, such an operation no longer exists on the island, which can only be accessed by ferry. The island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, including the Statue of Liberty, a national museum of immigration, and Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital.
Z Day
Z Day is a mysterious yet intriguing day that occurs every January 1. Z Day is not zombies’ day. It’s a day when the alphabetical order is reversed, and those whose names begin with the letter Z come first in all matters of alphabet sequence. If your name is always called out last on the register because it starts with Z, today it’s going to be the other way around. Did you know, around 300 B.C., the letter Z was removed from the alphabet because it was considered useless?! Thankfully, it was returned to the alphabet, so that people named Zack didn’t have to be renamed Gack or Rack or Sack.
Euro Day
Euro Day is celebrated every January 1 in memorial of when 11 European nations adopted the euro, ushering in a new era for the continent. Did you know that the idea of a European currency was raised as early as 1929? But it wasn’t until 70 years later that the euro finally came into existence. The euro is a currency used as a legal tender by 19 countries, including Croatia, Denmark, Sweden, and Hungary. It is also used by non-E.U. member territories such as Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, Kosovo, and Montenegro.