On January 1, 1958, the European Community (EC), the predecessor to the European Union (EU), was created when the Treaty of Rome officially went into effect. This represented the culmination of efforts since the end of World War II to closely tie the nations of Europe as a way of preventing future wars. The original members were France, West Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The EC has since expanded to become the EU, encompassing most of Europe in the fifty years since its creation. Learn more about the early development of the EC from 1945 through 1959.

On January 1, 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln issued the final version of the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in states in rebellion against the Union. Lincoln had issued a previous version in September 1862, warning of the January action. Learn more about the Emancipation Proclamation.