1. The first official New Year's Day parade was held in New York City on January 1, 1890. It was led by the Seventh Regiment Band and included floats, marchers, and confetti.

2. On January 1, 1908, the first ball dropped in Times Square. The ball was a 700-pound iron and wood sphere covered in 100 light bulbs. Today, the ball that drops on New Year's Eve in Times Square is made of Waterford crystal and weighs nearly 12,000 pounds.

3. January 1, 1978, marked the opening day of the New York City Transit Museum in Brooklyn. The museum housed a collection of historic subway cars and other transit-related artifacts.

4. On January 1, 1997, Rudy Giuliani was sworn in as the 107th mayor of New York City. Giuliani served two terms as mayor, from 1994 to 2001.

5. January 1, 2014, was the day that New York City implemented a new law banning smoking in parks, beaches, and pedestrian plazas. The ban aimed to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and improve public health.