12 History Lessons + 7 Births & 7 Deaths for December 31, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1600 – Queen Elizabeth I grants a royal charter to the East India Company, creating a commercial power that will become central to Britain’s imperial expansion in Asia.
- 1775 – The Continental Army’s winter assault on Quebec fails, a major setback for the American effort to bring Canada into the Revolution.
- 1879 – Thomas Edison publicly demonstrates practical incandescent lighting at Menlo Park, accelerating the commercialization of electric light.
- 1907 – The first Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop takes place, launching a signature global ritual of the modern holiday.
- 1946 – President Harry S. Truman formally proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II, closing the legal and administrative chapter of the war.
- 1968 – The Tupolev Tu-144 makes its first flight, marking a milestone in the Cold War race for civilian supersonic air travel.
- 1983 – The AT&T Bell System breakup begins, reshaping U.S. telecommunications and opening the door to modern competition and innovation.
- 1994 – Kiribati “skips” December 31 by moving time zones, a rare demonstration of how political geography can literally alter the calendar.
- 1995 – The final Calvin and Hobbes strip is published, ending one of the most influential runs in newspaper comic history.
- 1999 – Boris Yeltsin resigns as Russia’s president, elevating Vladimir Putin as acting president in a pivotal leadership transition.
- 1999 – The United States hands over control of the Panama Canal to Panama under the Torrijos–Carter framework, ending the U.S. Canal Zone era.
- 2019 – The World Health Organization is informed of pneumonia cases of unknown cause in Wuhan, the earliest formal alert tied to what becomes the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1937 – Anthony Hopkins – Welsh actor, Academy Award winner, and one of the defining screen performers of his generation. (88)
- 1942 – Andy Summers – English guitarist, best known as a member of The Police. (83)
- 1943 – Ben Kingsley – English actor and Academy Award winner known for a wide-ranging film career. (82)
- 1946 – Diane von Fürstenberg – Belgian-American fashion designer and business leader, best known for the wrap dress and a major global brand. (79)
- 1947 – Tim Matheson – American actor and director, known for Animal House and The West Wing. (78)
- 1995 – Gabby Douglas – American gymnast, Olympic champion and a landmark figure in U.S. gymnastics history. (30)
- 1998 – Hunter Schafer – American actress and model, known for Euphoria and fashion work. (27)
Today’s Deaths:
- 192 – Commodus – Roman emperor whose reign is often remembered for instability and court intrigue. (31)
- 1691 – Robert Boyle – Anglo-Irish chemist and physicist, a key early figure in modern chemistry and experimental science. (64)
- 1775 – Richard Montgomery – American general killed during the failed Quebec assault in the Revolutionary War. (37)
- 1972 – Roberto Clemente – Puerto Rican MLB legend who died in a plane crash while on a humanitarian mission. (38)
- 1985 – Rick Nelson – American singer and actor, a major early rock-and-roll figure who died in a plane fire. (45)
- 2015 – Natalie Cole – American singer whose career spanned R&B and pop, and whose voice carried a classic American songbook style. (65)
- 2022 – Pope Benedict XVI – Former head of the Catholic Church whose resignation reshaped expectations around the modern papacy. (95)
Our revenue comes from a combination of direct subscriptions from users and commissions earned by affiliate commissions from sponsors’ links and banners. Some of the links you click may be affiliate links that generate that revenue.