Today In History, January 1: Ellis Island opens

Today is Thursday, Jan. 1, the first day of 2026. There are 364 days left in the year. This is New Year’s Day.

Today in history:

On Jan. 1, 1892, the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York formally opened, processing nearly 700 immigrants on its first day; nearly 12 million immigrants would ultimately pass through the station before its closure in 1954.

Also on this date:

In 1804, Haiti declared itself independent from France, becoming the world’s first Black-majority republic.