1. New Mexico officially became a state on January 6, 1912, but on January 1 of that year, the state's first governor, William C. McDonald, was inaugurated. McDonald would serve as governor until 1917 and oversee a time of change and progress in the state.

2. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, declaring all slaves in Confederate-held territory to be "forever free." While New Mexico was not directly affected by the proclamation, the state was a Union territory during the Civil War and many New Mexicans served in the Union army.

3. On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. The agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico had a significant impact on New Mexico's economy, particularly in the areas of agriculture and manufacturing.

4. January 1, 1929, marked the official opening of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico. The park features over 119 caves, including the famous Carlsbad Cavern, and attracts over 400,000 visitors each year.

5. On January 1, 1958, a B-47 bomber from Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque accidentally dropped an unarmed nuclear bomb near the town of Mars Bluff, South Carolina. The bomb did not detonate, but the incident highlighted the potential dangers of nuclear weapons and prompted increased safety measures in the years that followed.