Today
Friday January 2 2026
- Day of the year
- 2/ 365
- Week
- 12,026
- Days left
- 3631%
- Moon
- 99%Full moon
Today is Friday, January 2, 2026. It is day 2 of 2026, a year of 365 days: 363 remain, and 1% of the year has gone. Under ISO 8601 this date falls in week 1.
What's celebrated on this date
No United Nations international day falls on this date.
Coming up
- January 4World Braille Day
- January 24International Day of Education
- January 27International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Saints and name days
Saints whose feast falls on this date, most widely known first.
- Basil of Caesarea4th-century Christian bishop, theologian, and saint (329–379)
- Gregory of NazianzusChristian saint and theologian (c. 329 – 390)
- TelesphorusBishop of Rome from c. 126 to c. 137
- Seraphim of SarovRussian Saint and Wonderworker
- Odilo of ClunyBenedictine Abbot of Cluny (c.962–1049)
Sources : Wikidata (P841) · CC0 1.0
Astronomy
New York
- Sunrise
- 07:20
- Sunset
- 16:40
- Length of day
- 9h 20m+1 min vs yesterday
- Solar noon
- 12:00
Times shown for America/New_York
Season
Winter
began on December 21, 2025
Next season
Spring — 77 days, March 20, 2026 (March equinox)
Public holidays — United States
Not a public holiday in the United States.
Next public holiday : Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. — January 19, 2026
National holidays only. Regions, provinces and Länder add their own.
Moon
Full moon
Illumination : 99%
Moon age : 13.6 days
- Next full moon
- January 3, 2026
- Next new moon
- January 18, 2026
Astrology
Today's zodiac sign
Capricorn
until January 20, 2026 — Aquarius
Zodiac dates are an astrological convention, not the Sun's actual position among the constellations. The astronomy above is measured; this is not.
On this day in history
69
The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. Wikipedia
366
The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire. Wikipedia
533
Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy. Wikipedia
1492
Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders. Wikipedia
1777
American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of General George Washington repulse a British attack led by General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey. Wikipedia
1788
Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution. Wikipedia
Show more (4)
1942
World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces, enabling them to control the Philippines. Wikipedia
1955
Following the assassination of the Panamanian president José Antonio Remón Cantera, his deputy, José Ramón Guizado, takes power, but is quickly deposed after his involvement in Cantera's death is discovered. Wikipedia
1959
Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union. Wikipedia
1971
The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic association football match. Wikipedia
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
Births and deaths
Born on this day January 2
- 1727James Wolfe, English general (died 1759)
- 1822Rudolf Clausius, Polish-German physicist and mathematician (died 1888)
- 1837Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist and composer (died 1910)
- 1873Antonie Pannekoek, Dutch astronomer and theorist (died 1960)
- 1873Thérèse of Lisieux, French nun and saint (died 1897)
- 1886Apsley Cherry-Garrard, English explorer and author (died 1959)
- 1895Folke Bernadotte, Swedish diplomat (died 1948)
- 1896Dziga Vertov, Polish-Russian director and screenwriter (died 1954)
Died on this day January 2
- 1169Bertrand de Blanchefort, sixth Grand Master of the Knights Templar (born c. 1109)aged 60 years
- 1904James Longstreet, American general and diplomat (born 1821)aged 83 years
- 1913Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (born 1855)aged 58 years
- 1963Dick Powell, American actor, singer, and director (born 1904)aged 59 years
- 1974Tex Ritter, American actor (born 1905)aged 69 years
- 1995Siad Barre, Somalian general and politician; 3rd President of Somalia (born 1919)aged 76 years
- 2011Anne Francis, American actress (born 1930)aged 81 years
- 2011Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (born 1946)aged 65 years
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
The day in words
In New York the sun rises at 07:20 and sets at 16:40, giving 9h 20m of daylight — 1 minute more than yesterday. It has been winter since December 21, 2025; spring opens in 77 days, on March 20, 2026 (March equinox).
The moon is full, 99% illuminated. The next full moon falls on January 3, 2026 and the next new moon on January 18, 2026.
The saints' calendar attaches January 2 to Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus and Telesphorus.
No United Nations international day falls on January 2. The next one on the calendar is World Braille Day, on January 4.
It is not a public holiday in the United States.
On this day in history: The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor (69); The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire (366). English Wikipedia records 10 events for this date.
James Wolfe was born on January 2, 1727; Bertrand de Blanchefort died on January 2, 1169.
357 days remain until Christmas and 364 until New Year's Day.
In astrology — kept separate from the measured astronomy above, deliberately — January 2 falls under the sign of Capricorn.
Calendar
By the numbers
- 1%
- of the year elapsed
- 357
- until Christmas
- 364
- until New Year
- 788
- until the next 29 February
2026 — Common year (365 days)
Work with dates
Sources
Every block on this page names where its data comes from. Nothing here is generated when the source is silent.
- United Nations — International Days— What's celebrated today
- Wikidata (P841)— Saints and name days · CC0 1.0
- Wikipedia (en)— On this day in history · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26