Today in History: Ellis Island

Recently arrived persons at Ellis Island, N.Y.
Today in History–January 1–the Library of Congress features Ellis Island. On this date in 1892 a fifteen-year old Irish girl named Annie Moore became the first person to pass through the doors of the Ellis Island Immigration Station. Between 1892 and 1954, more than 12 million immigrants, as many at 5,000 a day, passed through Ellis Island to start a new life in the United States. At the station, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, immigrants underwent medical examinations and answered questions about their work, money situations, and destinations. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access primary sources related to Ellis Island and immigration.

Selected images of Ellis Island and immigration, ca. 1880-1920

More Ellis Island images

Ellis Island films

Ellis Island oral histories

Ellis Island sheet music

Our immigrants at Ellis Island (1912 booklet)

Ellis Island: select newspaper articles from Chronicling America

More Ellis Island historical newspaper coverage

Modern-day legislation related to Ellis Island

More immigration primary source collections, background information & teaching resources