Today's Highlight in History:
On January first, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation释放，解放 Proclamation, declaring that slaves in rebel states were free.

On this date:
In 1892, the Ellis Island Immigrant Station in New York formally opened.

In 1898, Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island were consolidated统一，合并 into New York City.

In 1901, the Commonwealth³ of Australia澳大利亚联邦 was proclaimed声明，宣告.

In 1953, country singer Hank Williams Senior, 29, died of a drug and alcohol overdose药量过多 while en route在途中 to a concert date in Canton, Ohio.

In 1958, treaties establishing the European Economic Community went into effect.

In 1959, Fidel Castro led Cuban revolutionaries to victory over Fulgencio Batista.

In 1979, the United States and China held celebrations in Washington and Beijing to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In 1984, the break-up of AT&T took place as the telecommunications giant was divested⁴ of剥夺，取消 its 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust反托拉斯的，反垄断的 agreement.

In 1993, Czechoslovakia捷克斯洛伐克 peacefully split into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia斯洛伐克.

In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect生效.

Ten years ago: David Dinkins was sworn in as New York City's first black mayor.

Five years ago: A cease-fire supposed to last four months began in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sweden, Finland and Austria joined the European Union. Fernando Henrique Cardoso took office as Brazil's 37th president.

One year ago: The euro, the new single currency of eleven European countries, officially came into existence成立，开始存在 with the start of the New Year. Cuban President Fidel Castro, marking the 40th anniversary of his rise to power, portrayed⁵ his socialist⁶ nation as a defender⁷ of humanity against rapacious贪婪的，掠夺的 capitalism⁹资本主义.