December 31: New Year's Eve, Hogmanay in Scotland.
- 406 - The Vandals, Alans and Suebians crossed the Rhine River to begin an invasion of Gaul.
- 1600 - The British East India Company was founded by a Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I.
- 1963 - The Central African Federation officially collapsed, which eventually became Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia.
- 1972 - Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
- 1999 - Boris Yeltsin, the first democratically elected President of Russia, resigned and named Vladimir Putin as Acting President.
Recent days: December 30 – December 29 – December 28
December 31: New Year's Eve, Hogmanay in Scotland.
- 406 - The Vandals, Alans and Suebians crossed the Rhine River to begin an invasion of Gaul.
- 1600 - The British East India Company was founded by a Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I.
- 1963 - The Central African Federation officially collapsed, which eventually became Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia.
- 1972 - Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
- 1999 - Boris Yeltsin, the first democratically elected President of Russia, resigned and named Vladimir Putin as Acting President.
Recent days: December 30 – December 29 – December 28