TDIH - January 1 In the medieval period, January 1st was the day on which gifts were generally exchanged (rather than December 25th), and was part of the "twelve days of Christmas" which lasted from December 25th through January 6th. One of the most famous paintings from the 15th century, the January calendar page from "Très Riches Heures", shows Duke Jehan de Berri seated at his banquet table on New Years Day. 1068 – Romanos IV Diogenes became leader of the Byzantine Empire and married Eudokia Makrembolitissa. 1259 – Michael VIII Palaiologos and John IV Laskaris became co-leaders of the Empire of Nicaea. 1438 – Albert II of Habsburg became King of Hungary. 1449 - Lorenzo de' Medici was born in Florence, Italy. He would later become the de-facto ruler of Florence and gain the nickname "Lorenzo the Magnificent".