Vintage News · Odd history for December 31

What Happened On December 31

Q: What happened on December 31?

1878: 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. 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] 1879: Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey. 1790: Efimeris, the oldest Greek newspaper of which issues have survived till today, is published for the first time. 1687: The first Huguenots set sail from France to the Cape of Good Hope. 1501: The First Battle of Cannanore commences, seeing the first use of the naval line of battle.[citation needed] 2006: War in Somalia: Transitional Federal Government forces attacked the last stronghold of the Islamic Courts Union in the town of Jilib. 1961: RTÉ, Ireland's first television network, began broadcasting. 1950: Korean War: North Korean troops attacked United Nations forces in the first of two battles at Wonju. 1907: New York City held its first annual ball drop event in Times Square as part of New Year's Eve celebrations.

62 events and 225 births, refreshed daily. OddlyTrue's own archive for 31 December →

December 30 January 1

10 odd things that happened on December 31

1878 First ever
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.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1225 Oddly true
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]
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1879 First ever
Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1790 First ever
Efimeris, the oldest Greek newspaper of which issues have survived till today, is published for the first time.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1687 First ever
The first Huguenots set sail from France to the Cape of Good Hope.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1501 First ever
The First Battle of Cannanore commences, seeing the first use of the naval line of battle.[citation needed]
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2006 Oddly true
War in Somalia: Transitional Federal Government forces attacked the last stronghold of the Islamic Courts Union in the town of Jilib.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1961 First ever
RTÉ, Ireland's first television network, began broadcasting.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1950 First ever
Korean War: North Korean troops attacked United Nations forces in the first of two battles at Wonju.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1907 First ever
New York City held its first annual ball drop event in Times Square as part of New Year's Eve celebrations.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Observed today

2020The World Health Organization issues its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine. Wikipedia →
2019The 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. Wikipedia →
2018Thirty-nine people are killed after a ten-story building collapses in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, Russia. Wikipedia →
2015A 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. Wikipedia →
2014A New Year's Eve celebration stampede in Shanghai kills at least 36 people and injures 49 others. Wikipedia →
2011NASA succeeds in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the Moon. Wikipedia →
2010Tornadoes 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. Wikipedia →
2009Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occur. Wikipedia →
2004The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft). Wikipedia →
2001Rwanda adopts a new national flag and anthem. Wikipedia →
1999The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor. Wikipedia →
1999The 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. Wikipedia →
1999Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking ends after seven days with the release of 190 survivors at Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan. Wikipedia →
1998The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency. Wikipedia →
1995The final comic of Calvin and Hobbes is published. Wikipedia →
1994This 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. Wikipedia →
1994The First Chechen War: The Russian Ground Forces begin a New Year's storming of Grozny. Wikipedia →
1992Czechoslovakia 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. Wikipedia →
1991All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date, five days after the Soviet Union is officially dissolved. Wikipedia →
1986Three 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. Wikipedia →
1983The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government. Wikipedia →
1983Benjamin Ward is appointed New York City Police Department's first ever African American police commissioner. Wikipedia →
1983In Nigeria, a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic. Wikipedia →
1981A 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. Wikipedia →
1968The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world. Wikipedia →
1968MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750 crashes near Port Hedland, Western Australia, killing all 26 people on board. Wikipedia →
1965Jean-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. Wikipedia →
1963The Central African Federation officially collapses, subsequently becoming Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia. Wikipedia →
1961RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, launches its first national television service. Wikipedia →
1956The Romanian Television network begins its first broadcast in Bucharest. Wikipedia →
1955General Motors becomes the first U.S. corporation to make over US$1 billion in a year. Wikipedia →
1951Cold War: The Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Western Europe. Wikipedia →
1946President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II. Wikipedia →
1944World War II: Operation Nordwind, the last major Wehrmacht offensive on the Western Front, begins. Wikipedia →
1942USS Essex, first aircraft carrier of a 24-ship class, is commissioned. Wikipedia →
1942World 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. Wikipedia →
1907The first ever ball drop in Times Square. Wikipedia →
1906Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar signs the Persian Constitution of 1906. Wikipedia →
1879Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Wikipedia →
1878Karl Benz, working in Mannheim, Germany, files for a patent on his first reliable two-stroke gas engine. He was granted the patent in 1879. Wikipedia →
1862American 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. Wikipedia →
1862American Civil War: Abraham Lincoln signs an enabling act that would admit West Virginia to the Union, thus dividing Virginia in two. Wikipedia →
1857Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa, then a small logging town, as the capital of the Province of Canada. Wikipedia →
1853A 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. Wikipedia →
1844The 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. Wikipedia →
1831Gramercy Park is deeded to New York City. Wikipedia →
1796The incorporation of Baltimore as a city. Wikipedia →
1790Efimeris, the oldest Greek newspaper of which issues have survived till today, is published for the first time. Wikipedia →
1775American Revolutionary War: Battle of Quebec: British forces under General Guy Carleton repulse an attack by Continental Army General Richard Montgomery in a snowstorm. Wikipedia →
1759Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000-year lease at £45 per annum and starts brewing Guinness. Wikipedia →
1757Empress Elizabeth I of Russia issues her ukase incorporating Königsberg into Russia. Wikipedia →
1687The first Huguenots set sail from France to the Cape of Good Hope. Wikipedia →
1670The expedition of John Narborough leaves Corral Bay, having surveyed the coast and lost four hostages to the Spanish. Wikipedia →
1660James, Duke of York is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France. Wikipedia →
1600The British East India Company is chartered. Wikipedia →
1501The First Battle of Cannanore commences, seeing the first use of the naval line of battle.[citation needed] Wikipedia →
1229James I the Conqueror, King of Aragon, enters Medina Mayurqa (now known as Palma de Mallorca, Spain), thus consummating the Christian reconquest of the island of Mallorca. Wikipedia →
1225The 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] Wikipedia →
1105Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV is forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Henry V, in Ingelheim. Wikipedia →
870Battle of Englefield: The Vikings clash with ealdorman Æthelwulf of Berkshire. The invaders are driven back to Reading (East Anglia); many Danes are killed. Wikipedia →
535Byzantine general Belisarius completes the conquest of Sicily, defeating the Gothic garrison of Palermo (Panormos), and ending his consulship for the year. Wikipedia →
406Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gaul. Wikipedia →

Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.