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Historical events on December 31

DECEMBER 31, 1857
Queen Victoria announced the choice of Ottawa , then a small logging town, to be the capital of the British colony of Canada.
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in January 1901. Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1965
Central African military officers led by Jean-Bédel Bokassa began a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
Jean-Bédel Bokassa was a Central African politician and military officer who served as the second president of the Central African Republic (CAR), Read More
DECEMBER 31, 2004
Taipei 101 (pictured) in Taipei, Taiwan, opened to the public as the world's tallest building.
The Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a 508 m, 101-story skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. It is Read More
DECEMBER 31, 2010
28 tornadoes (one depicted) touched down in midwestern and southern United States, part of an outbreak that led to the deaths of nine people and large property damage.
The 2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak was a three-day-long tornado outbreak that impacted the central and lower Mississippi Valley from December 30, Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1909
The Manhattan Bridge, connecting Lower Manhattan to Downtown Brooklyn and considered to be the forerunner of modern suspension bridges, opened to traffic.
The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1999
In accordance with the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, Panama assumed full control of the Panama Canal Zone from the United States.
The Torrijos–Carter Treaties are two treaties signed by the United States and Panama in Washington, D.C., on September 7, 1977, which superseded Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1998
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism froze the exchange rates of the legacy currencies in the eurozone, establishing the value of the euro.
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) is a system introduced by the European Economic Community on 1 January 1999 alongside the introduction Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1999
Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin became acting president upon President Boris Yeltsin's unexpected resignation.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1862
The Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, began with an engagement in which both sides would suffer their highest casualty rates in the American Civil War.
The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1759
Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at £45 per annum to the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and began brewing Guinness.
Arthur Guinness was an Irish brewer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. The inventor of Guinness beer, he founded the Guinness Brewery at St. James's Gate in 1759.
DECEMBER 31, 1961
RTÉ, Ireland's first television network, began broadcasting.
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1972
Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash en route to deliver aid to victims of that year's Nicaragua earthquake.
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1986
Three disgruntled employees set fire to the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, killing more than 90 people and injuring 140 others, making it the second-deadliest hotel fire in American history.
On New Year's Eve, December 31, 1986, three disgruntled employees at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, intentionally set Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1775
American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Quebec, British forces repulsed an attack by the Continental Army to capture Quebec City and enlist French Canadian support.
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1950
Korean War: North Korean troops attacked United Nations forces in the first of two battles at Wonju.
The Korean War was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea and South Korea and their allies. North Read More
DECEMBER 31, 1907
New York City held its first annual ball drop event in Times Square as part of New Year's Eve celebrations.
The Times Square Ball is a time ball located in New York City's Times Square. Located on the roof of One Times Read More

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