What Happened on Dec 31

Dec 31 1775

Battle Of Quebec

The Battle of Quebec was an attempt on December 31, 1775, by American colonial forces to capture the city of Quebec, drive the British military... Read more

Dec 31 1821

Andrew Jackson Ends His Reign As Military Governor

The executions, and Jackson's invasion of territory belonging to Spain, a country with which the U.S. was not at war, created an international... Read more

Dec 31 1837

Amasa J. Parker Writes A Letter To His Wife

On December 31, 1837, Democrat Amasa J. Parker, Congressman from New York, sat down at his quarters in Mrs. Pittman's boarding house in Washington,... Read more

Dec 31 1851

Gadsden Secures Land To Serve As The Dividing Line For The Two Californias

Gadsden had supported nullification in 1831, and he advocated secession by South Carolina in 1850 when California was admitted to the Union as a... Read more

Dec 31 1862

Battle of Parker's Cross Roads

Description: As Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s expedition into West Tennessee neared its conclusion, Union Brig. Gen. Jeremiah C. Sullivan,... Read more

Dec 31 1862 to Jan 2 1863

Second Battle of Murfreesboro

Other Names: Murfreesboro Location: Rutherford County Campaign: Stones River Campaign (1862-63) Date(s): December 31, 1862-January 2,... Read more

Dec 31 1878

Benz Finishes Making his Two-Stroke Gas Engine

To get more revenues, in 1878 he began to work on new patents. First, he concentrated all his efforts on creating a reliable gas two-stroke engine.... Read more

Dec 31 1881

Charles Guiteau Writes A Letter To His Jailer

On December 31, 1881, Charles Guiteau, the assassin of President James Garfield, wrote a New Year's greeting to his jailer. Charles Julius... Read more

Dec 31 1904

First New Year's Eve Celebration in Times Square, New York, NY

The first New Year's Eve celebration in what is now known as Times Square was held on New Year's Eve 1904. The New York Times had opened their new... Read more

Dec 31 1913

Louis Armstrong arrested for firing a gun

Armstrong developed his cornet playing seriously in the band of the New Orleans Home for Colored Waifs, where he had been sent multiple times for... Read more

Dec 31 1929

Glen Cinema Disaster

The cinema (opened in 1901), known as 'The Glen' and 'The Royal Animated Pictures' once formed part of the Good Templar Halls (now occupied by... Read more

Dec 31 1929

Indian National Congress Raises the Tricolor Flag of India

In December 1928, Congress held in Calcutta, Mohandas Gandhi proposed a resolution that called for the British to grant dominion status to India... Read more

Dec 31 1931

"Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" Is Released

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) is a horror film directed by Rouben Mamoulian. and starring Fredric March. The film is an adaptation of The Strange... Read more

Dec 31 1954

Marilyn Monroe Productions is Formed

In December 1954, shortly after the completion of The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn formed Marilyn Monroe Productions, Inc., with photographer Milton... Read more

Dec 31 1970

Passage of the Clean Air Act Extension of 1970, Leading to the Adoption of Catalytic Converters

The Clean Air Act Extension of 1970 (84 Stat. 1676, Public Law 91-604) is a United States federal law that requires the Environmental Protection... Read more

Dec 31 1984

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses his arm in a car accident

On 31 December 1984, on the way to a New Year's Eve party at his family's home in Sheffield, England, 21-year-old Allen was driving his Chevrolet... Read more

Dec 31 1985

Ricky Nelson Dies

Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985), was an American singer, musician and actor. He placed... Read more

Dec 31 1986

Dupont Plaza Hotel Arson

A fire that occurred during the afternoon of 31 Dec. 1986 in the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, claimed 97 lives and injured more... Read more

Dec 31 1988

MST3K Ep. K07 - "Gamera vs. Zigra"

In a segment before the film Joel states that this is their last Gamera Film, and is holding a Root beer Kegger on the S.O.L. because of... Read more

Dec 31 1990

Air Diver is Released for the Sega Genesis

Seismic infuses the mach-speed action with a ridiculous story about a Middle Eastern terrorist organization that somehow has alien technology.... Read more

Dec 31 1996

The Offspring release "All I Want" single

"All I Want" is a punk rock song by the Offspring. It is the tenth track on their fourth studio album Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) and was released... Read more

Dec 31 1998

FDA Approves GD Searle's Celebrex

Celebrex is prescribed for acute pain, menstrual cramps, and the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (rheumatoid... Read more

Dec 31 1999

Albert Einstein named Person of the Century by Time

Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century is a compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people, published in Time magazine... Read more

Dec 31 1999

Fantasia 2000 is released

Fantasia 2000, also known as Fantasia Continued in pre-production and concept, is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney... Read more

Dec 31 1999

"It's About the Money!: How You Can Get Out of Debt, Build Wealth, and Achieve Your Financial Dreams" is Published

Reverend Jesse Jackson and his congressman son form the most powerful one-two punch for human rights. In It's About the Money! they take that fight... Read more