COVID-19 vaccine
2020
The World Health Organization issues its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine..
Home > December-31
Historical Events on December 31
December
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is informed of cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause, detected in Wuhan. This later turned out to be COVID-19, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019
2018 Magnitogorsk building collapse
Thirty-nine people are killed after a ten-story building collapses in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, Russia.
2018
Downtown Dubai
A fire breaks out at the Downtown Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, located near the Burj Khalifa, two hours before the fireworks display is due to commence. Sixteen injuries were reported; one had a heart attack, another suffered a major injury, and fourteen others with minor injuries.
2015
2014 Shanghai stampede
A New Year's Eve celebration stampede in Shanghai kills at least 36 people and injures 49 others.
2014
NASA
2011
NASA succeeds in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the Moon..
2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak
Tornadoes touch down in midwestern and southern United States, including Washington County, Arkansas; Greater St. Louis, Sunset Hills, Missouri, Illinois, and Oklahoma, with a few tornadoes in the early hours. A total of 36 tornadoes touched down, resulting in the deaths of nine people and $113 million in damages.
2010
Blue moon
Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occur.
2009
Taipei 101
The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft).
2004
President of Russia
The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.
1999
Panama Canal
1999
The U.S. government hands control of the Panama Canal (as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone) to Panama. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties..
Indian Airlines Flight 814
Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking ends after seven days with the release of 190 survivors at Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan.
1999
European Exchange Rate Mechanism
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency.
1998
Calvin and Hobbes
The final comic of Calvin and Hobbes is published.
1995
Kiribati
This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC−11:00 to UTC+13:00 and UTC−10:00 to UTC+14:00, respectively.
1994
First Chechen War
1994
The First Chechen War: The Russian Ground Forces begin a New Year's storming of Grozny..
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia is peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the Velvet Divorce, resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
1992
Soviet Union
All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date, five days after the Soviet Union is officially dissolved.
1991
AT&T Corporation
The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.
1983
Benjamin Ward
Benjamin Ward is appointed New York City Police Department's first ever African American police commissioner.
1983
Nigeria
1983
In Nigeria, a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic..
Coup d'état
A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
1981
Tupolev Tu-144
The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.
1968
MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750
MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750 crashes near Port Hedland, Western Australia, killing all 26 people on board.
1968
Jean-Bédel Bokassa
Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begin a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
1965
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
1963
The Central African Federation officially collapses, subsequently becoming Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia..
RTÉ
RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, launches its first national television service.
1961
TVR (TV network)
The Romanian Television network begins its first broadcast in Bucharest.
1956
General Motors
General Motors becomes the first U.S. corporation to make over US$1 billion in a year.
1955
Cold War
Cold War: The Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Western Europe.
1951
Harry S. Truman
1946
President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II..
Operation Northwind (1944)
World War II: Operation Nordwind, the last major Wehrmacht offensive on the Western Front, begins.
1944
USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex, first aircraft carrier of a 24-ship class, is commissioned.
1942
World War II
World War II: The Royal Navy defeats the Kriegsmarine at the Battle of the Barents Sea. This leads to the resignation of Grand Admiral Erich Raeder a month later.
1942
Times Square Ball
The first ever ball drop in Times Square.
1907
Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar
1906
Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar signs the Persian Constitution of 1906..
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
1879
Carl Benz
Karl Benz, working in Mannheim, Germany, files for a patent on his first reliable two-stroke gas engine. He was granted the patent in 1879.
1878
American Civil War
American Civil War: The three-day Battle of Stones River begins near Murfreesboro, Tennessee between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg and the Union Army of the Cumberland under General William S. Rosecrans.
1862
Abraham Lincoln
American Civil War: Abraham Lincoln signs an enabling act that would admit West Virginia to the Union, thus dividing Virginia in two.
1862
Queen Victoria
1857
Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa, then a small logging town, as the capital of the Province of Canada..
Iguanodon
A dinner party is held inside a life-size model of an iguanodon created by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and Sir Richard Owen in south London, England.
1853
Philippines
The Philippines skipped this date in order to align the country with the rest of Asia, as the trading interest switched to China, Dutch East Indies and neighboring territories after Mexico gained independence from Spain on 27 September 1821. In the islands, Monday, 30 December 1844 was immediately followed by Wednesday, 1 January 1845.
1844
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is deeded to New York City.
1831
Baltimore
The incorporation of Baltimore as a city.
1796
Efimeris
1790
Efimeris, the oldest Greek newspaper of which issues have survived till today, is published for the first time..
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: Battle of Quebec: British forces under General Guy Carleton repulse an attack by Continental Army General Richard Montgomery in a snowstorm.
1775
Arthur Guinness
Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000-year lease at £45 per annum and starts brewing Guinness.
1759
Elizabeth of Russia
Empress Elizabeth I of Russia issues her ukase incorporating Königsberg into Russia.
1757
Huguenots
The first Huguenots set sail from France to the Cape of Good Hope.
1687
English expedition to Valdivia
1670
The expedition of John Narborough leaves Corral Bay, having surveyed the coast and lost four hostages to the Spanish..
James II of England
James, Duke of York is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France.
1660
East India Company
The British East India Company is chartered.
1600
First Battle of Cannanore
The First Battle of Cannanore commences, seeing the first use of the naval line of battle.[citation needed]
1501
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror, King of Aragon, enters Medina Mayurqa (now known as Palma, Spain), thus consummating the Christian reconquest of the island of Majorca.
1229
Lý dynasty
1225
The Lý dynasty of Vietnam ends after 216 years by the enthronement of the boy emperor Trần Thái Tông, husband of the last Lý monarch, Lý Chiêu Hoàng, starting the Trần dynasty.[citation needed].
Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV is forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Henry V, in Ingelheim.
1105
Battle of Englefield
Battle of Englefield: The Vikings clash with ealdorman Æthelwulf of Berkshire. The invaders are driven back to Reading (East Anglia); many Danes are killed.
870
Byzantine Empire
Byzantine general Belisarius completes the conquest of Sicily, defeating the Gothic garrison of Palermo (Panormos), and ending his consulship for the year.
535
Vandals
Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gaul.
406