Ellis Island
The immigration station on Ellis Island (pictured) in New York Harbor opened, and would process almost 12 million immigrants to the United States over the course of its existence.
In context
- When
- Friday, January 1 1892134 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 19th century · 1890s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.
At a glance
Dates: From 1892.
What happened
The immigration station on Ellis Island (pictured) in New York Harbor opened, and would process almost 12 million immigrants to the United States over the course of its existence.
January 1 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 1892Ellis Island
- 2015Eurasian Economic Union
- 2017Istanbul nightclub shooting
- 2019NASA
- 2023Croatia
- 2024Republic of Artsakh
- 2024Steamboat Willie
- 20242024 Noto earthquake
- 20252025 New Orleans truck attack
- 20262026 Crans-Montana bar fire
- 2026Bulgaria
Also in 1892
- September 9Lick ObservatoryAt the Lick Observatory in California, Edward Emerson Barnard discovered Amalthea (pictured), a moon of Jupiter and the last natural sate…
- December 9Association footballThe English association football club Newcastle United was founded by the merger of Newcastle East End and West End.
- March 18Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of DerbyCanadian governor general Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to donate an award to Canada's top-ranked amateur ice hockey club, now known as…
- October 26Ida B. WellsIda B. Wells (pictured) began publishing her research on lynching in the United States, for which she was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer…
- August 4Lizzie BordenLizzie Borden's father and stepmother were found murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts; Borden was later tried and acquitte…
- August 20Celtic ParkCeltic Park, the largest football stadium in Scotland and home of Celtic F.C., opened.
- October 12Pledge of AllegianceThe Pledge of Allegiance of the United States was first used in public schools to coincide with the opening of the World's Columbian Expo…
- August 6Abir Congo CompanyThe Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company was founded in Antwerp to exploit natural rubber in the Congo Free State.
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“Ellis Island”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/ellis-island-1892-january-1, accessed October 27, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did Ellis Island happen?
January 1 1892 — 134 years ago, on a Friday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
One entry a day, by email
The standout entry each morning. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.