What are the important events that happened on December 31? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

December 31: Facts & Myths About This Day

December 31 is the 366^th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. The day of the week is Tuesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 18, 2024 – a Tuesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,735,603,200 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘trihectahexacontahexagon’ day.

Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Turquoise is the modern birthstone for this month. Onyx is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 29 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,393 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

December 31: This Day In History

It is widely known as New Year’s Eve since the following day is New Year’s Day. It is the last day of the year.

December 31 Historical Events

• 1229 –
  James I of Aragon the Conqueror enters Medina Mayurqa (now known as Palma, Spain) thus consummating the Christian reconquest of the island of Majorca.
• 1660 –
  James II of England is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France.
• 1695 –
  A window tax is imposed in England, causing many householders to brick up windows to avoid the tax.
• 1831 –
  Gramercy Park is deeded to New York City.
• 1879 –
  Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
• 1906 –
  Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar signs the Persian Constitution of 1906.
• 1944 –
  World War II: Hungary declares war on Nazi Germany.
• 1960 –
  The farthing coin ceases to be legal tender in the United Kingdom.
• 1999 –
  Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia, resigns as President of Russia, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President.
• 1999 –
  The United States 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.

Who were born on December 31?

• 1830 –
  Isma'il Pasha, Governor of Egypt (d. 1895)
• 1860 –
  Joseph S. Cullinan, American oil industrialist (d. 1937)
• 1880 –
  George C. Marshall, United States Secretary of State, Nobel Laureate (d. 1959)
• 1903 –
  Nathan Milstein, Ukrainian violinist (d. 1992)
• 1930 –
  Odetta, American singer (d. 2008)
• 1944 –
  Taylor Hackford, American producer and director
• 1949 –
  Seub Nakhasathien, Thai conservationist (d. 1990)
• 1965 –
  Julie Doucet, Canadian underground cartoonist
• 1974 –
  Tony Kanaan, Brazilian racing driver
• 1981 –
  Jason Campbell, American football player

Who died on December 31?

• 1164 –
  Margrave Ottokar III of Styria (b. 1124)
• 1673 –
  Oliver St John, English statesman and judge
• 1719 –
  John Flamsteed, English astronomer (b. 1646)
• 1891 –
  Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Nigerian bishop. (b. 1809)
• 1964 –
  Ólafur Thors, Prime Minister of Iceland (b. 1892)
• 1977 –
  Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, ruler of Kuwait (b. 1924)
• 1980 –
  Marshall McLuhan, Canadian writer (b. 1911)
• 1985 –
  Ricky Nelson, American singer (b. 1940)
• 1994 –
  Leigh Bowery, Australian-born English fashion performance artist (b. 1961)
• 2007 –
  Kathryn Ish, American actress (b. 1936)