January 1 is known as New Year's Day.
Theme park happenings
- 1959 - The Fantasyland Autopia opens at Disneyland.
- 1974 - The Fort Wilderness Railroad opens at Walt Disney World.
- 1994 - Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe opens at the Magic Kingdom.
- 1995 - Symbiosis closes at Epcot's The Land pavilion to be replaced by Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable.
- 2007- Wonders of Life pavilion at Epcot closes
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- 2000 - Fantasia 2000 is released.
- 2002 - Beauty and the Beast is re-released exclusively in IMAX theatres.
Shorts
- 1925 - Alice Comedies: Alice Cans the Cannibals
- 1926 - Alice Comedies: Alice on the Farm
- 1943 - Der Fuehrer's Face
Television
- 1973 - The Mouse Factory episode "Automobiles" premieres in syndication.
- 1999 - The third season of Timon & Pumbaa premiered with the episode "Whiff/To Be Bee or Not to Bee on Toon Disney.
- 2000 - PB&J Otter premieres on Playhouse Disney with the episode "Butter's First Check-Up/The Legend of Ponce de L'Otter".
Books
- 1978 - Country Mouse, City Mouse
- 1981 - Goofy in the Wild West
- 1985 - Disney's Wonderful World of Knowledge Year Book 1985
- 1986 - Donald Duck Buys a House
- 1992 - Ariel's Painting Party, Castles in the Sand, Flounder's Folly, Flounder, My Hero, and Her Majesty, Ariel
- 1996 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- 2000 - The Emperor's New Groove
- 2001 - Atlantis: The Lost Empire
- 2002 - Cinderella's Countdown to the Ball
- 2008 - Walt Disney
- 2009 - Disney's My First Songbook Vol. 3
- 2010 - Cinderella
- 2012 - Toy Story 3
Trivia
- Walt Disney's parents get married.
People
Births
- 1938 - Frank Langella (actor)
- 1939 - Atsushi Ii (Japanese voice actor)
- 1943 - Don Novello (writer, film director, producer, actor, singer, and comedian)
- 1965 - Jennifer Hale (voice actress and actress)
- 1968 - Cat Cora (chef)
- 1969 - Mr. Lawrence (voice actor, writer, director, and storyboard artist)
- 1981 - Eden Riegel (actress and voice actress)
- 1985 - Sophie McShera (actress)
- 1999 - Diamond White (singer and actress)
Deaths
- 1972 - Maurice Chevalier (actor, singer, and dancer)
- 1994 - Cesar Romero (actor)