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 365^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. The day of the week is Wednesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 18, 2025 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 490,872 hours 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 ‘trihectahexacontapentagon’ 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 48 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 4,758 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

• 1660 –
  James II of England is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France.
• 1907 –
  The first New Year’s Eve celebration is held in Times Square (then known as Longacre Square) in New York, New York.
• 1944 –
  World War II: Hungary declares war on Nazi Germany.
• 1955 –
  The General Motors Corporation becomes the first U.S. corporation to make over US$1 billion in a year.
• 1961 –
  RTÉ Ireland’s state broadcaster launches its first national television service.
• 1963 –
  The Central African Federation officially collapses and splits into Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia.
• 1965 –
  Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begins a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
• 1981 –
  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.
• 1992 –
  Czechoslovakia is peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the Velvet Divorce, resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
• 1999 –
  Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia, resigns as President of Russia, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President.

Who were born on December 31?

• 1668 –
  Herman Boerhaave, Dutch humanist and physician (d. 1738)
• 1720 –
  Charles Edward Stuart, pretender to the British throne (d. 1788)
• 1880 –
  George C. Marshall, United States Secretary of State, Nobel Laureate (d. 1959)
• 1926 –
  Billy Snedden, Australian politician (d. 1987)
• 1929 –
  Mies Bouwman, Dutch television personality
• 1941 –
  Sarah Miles, English actress
• 1952 –
  Vaughan F. R. Jones , New Zealand mathematician
• 1971 –
  Esteban Loaiza, Mexican Major League Baseball player
• 1973 –
  Crystal Knight, American pornographic actress and model
• 1974 –
  Ryan Sakoda, Japanese American professional wrestler

Who died on December 31?

• 1384 –
  John Wycliffe, English theologian and Bible translator (b. circa 1328)
• 1673 –
  Oliver St John, English statesman and judge
• 1799 –
  Jean-François Marmontel, French historian and writer (b. 1723)
• 1872 –
  Aleksis Kivi, Finnish author (b. 1834)
• 1888 –
  Samson Raphael Hirsch, German rabbi (b. 1808)
• 1910 –
  Arch Hoxsey, American aviator (b. 1884)
• 1948 –
  Malcolm Campbell, English race car driver (b. 1885)
• 1980 –
  Raoul Walsh, American film director (b. 1887)
• 1999 –
  Elliot Richardson, American politician (b. 1920)
• 2001 –
  Eileen Heckart, American actress (b. 1919)