December 31 in History

Historical Events on December 31

535 Byzantine general Belisarius completes the conquest of Sicily, defeating the Gothic garrison of Palermo (Panormos), and ending his consulship for the year.

1775 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Quebec: British forces repulse an attack by Continental Army General Richard Montgomery.

1796 The incorporation of Baltimore as a city.

1862 American Civil War: Abraham Lincoln signs an act that admits West Virginia to the Union, thus dividing Virginia in two.

1944 World War II: Hungary declares war on Nazi Germany.

1946 President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II.

1983 In Nigeria a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic.

1985 United Kingdom founds a member state of UNESCO.

1991 All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date 5 days after the Soviet Union is officially dissolved.

All Events

Famous Birthdays on December 31

1880 George Marshall

1941 Alex Ferguson

1974 Tony Kanaan

1990 Patrick Chan

All Births

Famous Deaths on December 31

1877 Gustave Courbet

1889 Ion Creangă

1972 Roberto Clemente

1980 Marshall McLuhan

All Deaths

Choose Another Date