Birthday December 31, 1869 Henri Matisse, French Impressionist painter
Birthday December 31, 1880 American general and diplomat George C. Marshall is born
Birthday December 31, 1880 George C Marshall, authored Marshall Plan (Nobel 1953)
Birthday December 31, 1904 Nathan Milstein, concert violinist
Birthday December 31, 1905 Jule Styne, English songwriter
Birthday December 31, 1927 Henry Ford publishes the last issue of the Dearborn Independent
Birthday December 31, 1928 Hugh McElhenny, NFL halfback (SF, Minnesota, Giants, Detroit)
Birthday December 31, 1930 Odetta, folk singer
Birthday December 31, 1932 George Schlatter, TV producer
Birthday December 31, 1937 Anthony Hopkins born
Birthday December 31, 1937 Anthony Hopkins, Actor
Birthday December 31, 1941 Sarah Miles, in England
Birthday December 31, 1943 John Denver born in New Mexico
Birthday December 31, 1943 John Denver, Country Singer (Country Roads, take me home)
Birthday December 31, 1943 Ben Kingsley, Actor
Birthday December 31, 1946 Patty Smith, in Chic
Birthday December 31, 1946 Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer in Brussels Belgium
Birthday December 31, 1947 Tim Matheson, Actor (Animal House, To Be or Not to Be)
Birthday December 31, 1948 Donna Summer, in Boston (On the Radio)
History December 31, 1384 John Wycliffe English religious reformer died
History December 31, 1600 Charter granted to the East India Company
History December 31, 1600 British East India Company chartered
History December 31, 1719 John Flamsteed 1st Astronomer Royal dies at 73
History December 31, 1744 James Bradley announces discovery of earth's motion of nutation
History December 31, 1775 Battle of Qu‚bec
History December 31, 1775 Patriots are defeated at Quebec
History December 31, 1775 Patriots defeated at Quebec
History December 31, 1805 End of French Republican calendar
History December 31, 1852 Future Pres & Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes marry
History December 31, 1857 Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as new capital of Canada
History December 31, 1862 Battle of Parker's Crossroads
History December 31, 1862 Union ironclad ship "Monitor" sank at Cape Hatteras NC
History December 31, 1862 Pres Lincoln signs an act admitting West Virginia to the Union
History December 31, 1879 Edison demonstrates incandescent light
History December 31, 1879 Edison gives public demonstration of his incandescent lamp
History December 31, 1879 Cornerstone laid for Iolani Palace (only royal palace in US)
History December 31, 1890 Ellis Is opens as a US immigration depot
History December 31, 1921 Last SF firehorses retired
History December 31, 1943 NYC's Times Square greets Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater
History December 31, 1944 Hungary declares war on Germany
History December 31, 1944 48 people die in a train accident in Ogden Utah
History December 31, 1946 Pres Truman officially proclaims end of WW II
History December 31, 1951 1st battery to convert radioactive energy to electrical announced
History December 31, 1958 Willie Shoemaker 1st jockey to win national riding championship 4X
History December 31, 1961 Kennedy and Khrushchev exchange holiday greetings
History December 31, 1961 Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than $12 billion
History December 31, 1968 Bloodiest year of the war ends
History December 31, 1968 Soviets test supersonic airliner
History December 31, 1971 U.S. annual casualty figures down
History December 31, 1972 Pete Hamill quits drinking
History December 31, 1972 U.S. and communist negotiators prepare to return to the Paris talks
History December 31, 1972 Baseball star dies in plane crash
History December 31, 1972 Plane carrying Roberto Clemente crashes
History December 31, 1974 US citizens allowed to buy & own gold for 1st time in 40 years
History December 31, 1974 Free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter signs $3 million Yank contract
History December 31, 1978 United States ends official relations with Nationalist China
History December 31, 1981 Lt Rawlings stages coup in Ghana
History December 31, 1984 Bernhard Goetz surrenders to police in NH
History December 31, 1984 Rajiv Gandhi took office as India's 6th PM
History December 31, 1984 Subway vigilante turns himself in
History December 31, 1985 Rick Nelson dies in a plane crash
History December 31, 1999 Control of Panama Canal reverts to Panama
December 31, 1869 Henri Matisse, French Impressionist painter
December 31, 1880 American general and diplomat George C. Marshall is born
December 31, 1880 George C Marshall, authored Marshall Plan (Nobel 1953)
December 31, 1904 Nathan Milstein, concert violinist
December 31, 1905 Jule Styne, English songwriter
December 31, 1927 Henry Ford publishes the last issue of the Dearborn Independent
December 31, 1928 Hugh McElhenny, NFL halfback (SF, Minnesota, Giants, Detroit)
December 31, 1930 Odetta, folk singer
December 31, 1932 George Schlatter, TV producer
December 31, 1937 Anthony Hopkins born
December 31, 1937 Anthony Hopkins, Actor
December 31, 1941 Sarah Miles, in England
December 31, 1943 John Denver born in New Mexico
December 31, 1943 John Denver, Country Singer (Country Roads, take me home)
December 31, 1943 Ben Kingsley, Actor
December 31, 1946 Patty Smith, in Chic
December 31, 1946 Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer in Brussels Belgium
December 31, 1947 Tim Matheson, Actor (Animal House, To Be or Not to Be)
December 31, 1948 Donna Summer, in Boston (On the Radio)
December 31, 1384 John Wycliffe English religious reformer died
December 31, 1600 Charter granted to the East India Company
December 31, 1600 British East India Company chartered
December 31, 1719 John Flamsteed 1st Astronomer Royal dies at 73
December 31, 1744 James Bradley announces discovery of earth's motion of nutation
December 31, 1775 Battle of Qu‚bec
December 31, 1775 Patriots are defeated at Quebec
December 31, 1775 Patriots defeated at Quebec
December 31, 1805 End of French Republican calendar
December 31, 1852 Future Pres & Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes marry
December 31, 1857 Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as new capital of Canada
December 31, 1862 Battle of Parker's Crossroads
December 31, 1862 Union ironclad ship "Monitor" sank at Cape Hatteras NC
December 31, 1862 Pres Lincoln signs an act admitting West Virginia to the Union
December 31, 1879 Edison demonstrates incandescent light
December 31, 1879 Edison gives public demonstration of his incandescent lamp
December 31, 1879 Cornerstone laid for Iolani Palace (only royal palace in US)
December 31, 1890 Ellis Is opens as a US immigration depot
December 31, 1921 Last SF firehorses retired
December 31, 1943 NYC's Times Square greets Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater
December 31, 1944 Hungary declares war on Germany
December 31, 1944 48 people die in a train accident in Ogden Utah
December 31, 1946 Pres Truman officially proclaims end of WW II
December 31, 1951 1st battery to convert radioactive energy to electrical announced
December 31, 1958 Willie Shoemaker 1st jockey to win national riding championship 4X
December 31, 1961 Kennedy and Khrushchev exchange holiday greetings
December 31, 1961 Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than $12 billion
December 31, 1968 Bloodiest year of the war ends
December 31, 1968 Soviets test supersonic airliner
December 31, 1971 U.S. annual casualty figures down
December 31, 1972 Pete Hamill quits drinking
December 31, 1972 U.S. and communist negotiators prepare to return to the Paris talks
December 31, 1972 Baseball star dies in plane crash
December 31, 1972 Plane carrying Roberto Clemente crashes
December 31, 1974 US citizens allowed to buy & own gold for 1st time in 40 years
December 31, 1974 Free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter signs $3 million Yank contract
December 31, 1978 United States ends official relations with Nationalist China
December 31, 1981 Lt Rawlings stages coup in Ghana
December 31, 1984 Bernhard Goetz surrenders to police in NH
December 31, 1984 Rajiv Gandhi took office as India's 6th PM
December 31, 1984 Subway vigilante turns himself in
December 31, 1985 Rick Nelson dies in a plane crash
December 31, 1999 Control of Panama Canal reverts to Panama