Births on December 31

Jonah Jones

Born on December 31, 1909

Jonah Jones, American trumpet player and saxophonist (d. 2000)

Jonah Jones (born Robert Elliott Jones; December 31, 1909 – April 29, 2000) was a jazz trumpeter who created concise versions of jazz and swing and jazz standards that appealed to a mass audience. In the jazz community, he is known for his work with Stuff Smith. He was sometimes referred to as "King Louis II", a reference to Louis Armstrong. Jones started playing alto saxophone at the age of 12 in the Booker T. Washington Community Center band in Louisville, Kentucky, before quickly transitioning to trumpet, where he excelled.

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Jonah Jones

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Events on 1909

9 Jan

Nimrod Expedition
Ernest Shackleton, leading the Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole, plants the British flag 97 nautical miles (180 km; 112 mi) from the South Pole, the farthest anyone had ever reached at that time.
28 Jan

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
United States troops leave Cuba with the exception of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base after being there since the Spanish-American War.
22 Feb

Great White Fleet
The sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet, led by USS Connecticut, return to the United States after a voyage around the world.
31 Mar

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia accepts Austrian control over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
27 Apr

Abdul Hamid II
Sultan of Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II is overthrown, and is succeeded by his brother, Mehmed V.

Births on December 31

Jonah Jones

Born on December 31, 1909

References

Choose Another Date

Events on 1909

Nimrod Expedition

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Great White Fleet

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abdul Hamid II