Summary of the Day ✨ 31 December (31/12)
On this day, the World Health Organization issued its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine while also being informed of initial pneumonia cases with unknown cause in Wuhan that would later become the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, separate tragedies unfolded as a building collapse in Magnitogorsk, Russia killed 39 people, a fire at Dubai’s Downtown Address hotel injured 16, and a New Year’s Eve celebration stampede in Shanghai resulted in at least 36 deaths and 49 injuries.
Historical Events 📜
- 2020: The World Health Organization issues its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine.
- 2019: The 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.
- 2018: Thirty-nine people are killed after a ten-story building collapses in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, Russia.
- 2015: A 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.
- 2014: A New Year’s Eve celebration stampede in Shanghai kills at least 36 people and injures 49 others.
- 2011: NASA succeeds in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the Moon.
- 2010: Tornadoes 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.
- 2009: Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occur.
- 2004: The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft).
- 2001: Rwanda adopts a new national flag and anthem.
- 1999: The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.
- 1999: The 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.
- 1999: Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking ends after seven days with the release of 190 survivors at Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan.
- 1998: The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency.
- 1995: The final comic of Calvin and Hobbes is published.
Famous Births 👶
- 2002: Ryan Flamingo, Dutch footballer
- 2002: Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer
- 2002: Joe Scally, American soccer player
- 2001: Katie Volynets, American tennis player
- 2000: Alycia Parks, American tennis player
- 1999: Calvin Bassey, Italian-Nigerian footballer
- 1999: Leif Davis, English footballer
- 1997: Ludovic Blas, French footballer
- 1997: Cameron Carter-Vickers, English-American soccer player
- 1997: Bright Osayi-Samuel, Nigerian footballer
- 1996: J. J. Arcega-Whiteside, Spanish-American football player
- 1995: Gabby Douglas, American gymnast
- 1995: Edmond Sumner, American basketball player
- 1992: Amy Cure, Australian track cyclist
- 1992: Karl Kruuda, Estonian racing driver
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2024: Arnold Rüütel, Estonian politician, 3rd President of Estonia (born 1928)
- 2024: Johnnie Walker, British radio DJ (born 1945)
- 2023: Cale Yarborough, American Hall of Fame racing driver and founder of Cale Yarborough Motorsports, NASCAR Cup Series champion (1976, 1977, 1978) (born 1939)
- 2022: Pope Benedict XVI, German Roman Catholic cardinal and theologian, pope (2005–2013) and archbishop of Munich and Freising (1977–1982) (born 1927)
- 2022: Barry Lane, English golfer (born 1960)
- 2021: Betty White, American actress, comedian and producer (born 1922)
- 2018: Kader Khan, Indian actor (born 1937)
- 2016: William Christopher, American actor (born 1932)
- 2015: Natalie Cole, American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1950)
- 2015: Wayne Rogers, American actor and investor (born 1933)
- 2014: Edward Herrmann, American actor (born 1943)
- 2014: Abdullah Hussain, Malaysian author (born 1920)
- 2014: Norm Phelps, American author and activist (born 1939)
- 2014: S. Arthur Spiegel, American captain, lawyer, and judge (born 1920)
- 2014: Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington, British soldier and politician (born 1915)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Pope Sylvester I (Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
December 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - International Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan)
- New Year’s Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
First Night (United States) - New Year’s Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
Last Day of the Year or Bisperás ng Bagong Taón, special holiday between Rizal Day and New Year’s Day (Philippines) - New Year’s Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
Novy God Eve (Russia) - New Year’s Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
Ōmisoka (Japan) - New Year’s Eve (International observance), and its related observances:
The first day of Hogmanay or “Auld Year’s Night” (Scotland) - The seventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
- The sixth and penultimate day of Kwanzaa (United States)