Editing January 1 (section)

=== 1901&ndash;1950 ===
* [[1901]] &ndash; [[Australia]] becomes self-governed.
* [[1901]] &ndash; [[Nigeria]] becomes a British [[protectorate]].
* [[1908]] &ndash; For the first time, at what is now [[Times Square]] in [[New York City]], a ball is dropped at [[midnight]] at the start of the [[New Year]].
* [[1911]] &ndash; In [[Australia]], the [[Northern Territory]] separates from [[South Australia]] and is transferred to [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] control.
* [[1912]] &ndash; The [[Republic of China]] begins, under [[Sun Yat-sen]].
* [[1913]] &ndash; The [[British Board of Censors]] is founded.
* [[1927]] &ndash; [[Turkey]] starts to use the [[Gregorian calendar]].
* [[1934]] &ndash; [[Alcatraz]] becomes a federal [[prison]].
* [[1937]] &ndash; [[Safety glass]] on [[vehicle]] windscreens becomes [[law]] in the [[United Kingdom]].
* [[1939]] &ndash; A [[temperature]] of 45 degrees [[Celsius]] is recorded in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], a record for the city.
* [[1941]] &ndash; In [[Austria]], the [[Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra]] holds its first [[New Year's Day]] [[concert]].
* [[1942]] &ndash; The Declaration of the [[United Nations]] is signed by 26 countries.
* [[1945]] &ndash; [[World War II]]: The German [[Luftwaffe]] launches [[Operation Bodenplatte]] to destroy [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] air power in northern [[Europe]]. The operation failed.
* [[1947]] &ndash; The [[Canadian Citizenship Act]] takes effect: [[Prime Minister of Canada]] [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]] becomes the first official Canadian citizen.
* [[1947]] &ndash; The [[Bizone]] is formed out of the [[British occupation zone|British]] and American Occupation zones in [[Germany]]. This later becomes [[West Germany]].
* [[1948]] &ndash; The [[Constitution]] of [[Italy]] takes effect.
* [[1948]] &ndash; The [[British Rail]] network is [[Nationalization|nationalized]].
* [[1949]] &ndash; A [[UN]] [[ceasefire]] to stop the fighting in [[Kashmir]] takes effect.
* [[1949]] &ndash; [[Austria]] regains control of its border with [[Italy]] from the British.