45 BC - The new calendar, now known as the Julian calendar, is starting to apply.
1502 - The Portuguese discover the Ri de Janeiro.
1610 - German astronomer Simon Marius reveals Jupiter's moons, but does not officially announce it. That's what Galileo did on July 1, 1610.
1700 - Protestant Western Europe (except England) begins to use the Gregorian calendar.
1801 - Cerera, the first known asteroid discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.
1804 - Independence of Haiti from France.
1880 - Ferdinand Lesseps began building the Panama Canal.
1907 - For the first time, the New Year is celebrated at Times Square in New York.
1925 - The capital of Norway changed its name to today's Oslo. The previous name, Christiania, was worn from 1624.
2002 - The euro began to be used in most European Union member states.
