December 31st, 1897

Born on December 31st, 1897

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 46,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 42 days, exactly on September 6th, 2026, people who were born on December 31st, 1897 will be 47,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on December 31st?

December 31st, 1950

Korean War: North Korean troops attacked United Nations forces in the first of two battles at Wonju.

December 31st, 2010

28 tornadoes (one depicted) touched down in midwestern and southern United States, part of an outbreak that led to the deaths of nine people and large property damage.

December 31st, 1999

In accordance with the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, Panama assumed full control of the Panama Canal Zone from the United States.

December 31st, 1998

The European Exchange Rate Mechanism froze the exchange rates of the legacy currencies in the eurozone, establishing the value of the euro.

December 31st, 1993

Brandon Teena, an American trans man, was raped and murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska; his death led to increased lobbying for hate crime laws in the United States.

December 31st, 1986

Three disgruntled employees set fire to the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, killing more than 90 people and injuring 140 others, making it the second-deadliest hotel fire in American history.

December 31st, 1972

Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente (pictured) died in a plane crash en route to deliver aid to victims of that year's Nicaragua earthquake.

December 31st, 1965

Central African military officers led by Jean-Bédel Bokassa began a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.

December 31st, 1961

RTÉ, Ireland's first television network, began broadcasting.

December 31st, 1909

The Manhattan Bridge, connecting Lower Manhattan to Downtown Brooklyn and considered to be the forerunner of modern suspension bridges, opened to traffic.

December 31st, 1907

New York City held its first annual ball drop event in Times Square as part of New Year's Eve celebrations.

December 31st, 1862

The Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, began with an engagement in which both sides would suffer their highest casualty rates in the American Civil War.

December 31st, 1857

Queen Victoria announced the choice of Ottawa , then a small logging town, to be the capital of the British colony of Canada.

December 31st, 1775

American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Quebec, British forces repulsed an attempt by the Continental Army to capture Quebec City and enlist French Canadian support.

December 31st, 1759

Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at £45 per annum to the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and began brewing Guinness.

Birthdays
... of famous people, actors, celebrities and stars on December 31st

Born on December 31st, 1897

71

Rhys Williams

Welsh actor (1897-1969)

*December 31st, 1897, Merionethshire †May 28th, 1969, Santa Monica

Same year
Born in 1897

82

Dirk Stikker

Politician and badminton player (1897-1979)

*February 5th, 1897, Winschoten †December 23rd, 1979, Wassenaar

64

William Faulkner

American writer (1897–1962)

*September 25th, 1897, New Albany †July 6th, 1962, Byhalia

41

Amelia Earhart

American aviation pioneer and author

*July 24th, 1897, Atchison †January 5th, 1939, Howland Island

80

Ludwig Erhard

Chancellor of West Germany (1963–1966)

*February 4th, 1897, Fürth †May 5th, 1977, Bonn

76

Paavo Nurmi

Finnish middle and long distance runner (1897-1973)

*June 13th, 1897, Turku †October 2nd, 1973, Helsinki

80

Paul VI

Pope of the Catholic Church from 1963 to 1978

*September 26th, 1897, Concesio †August 6th, 1978, Castel Gandolfo

89

Alexandre Tansman

Franco-Polish musician (1897-1986)

*June 12th, 1897, Łódź †November 15th, 1986, 16th arrondissement of Paris

64

Georges Bataille

French intellectual and literary figure (1897–1962)

*September 10th, 1897, Billom †July 9th, 1962, Paris

58

Irène Joliot-Curie

French scientist (1897-1956)

*September 12th, 1897, 13th arrondissement of Paris †March 17th, 1956, Paris

47

Joseph Goebbels

Nazi politician and Propaganda Minister (1897–1945)

*October 29th, 1897, Rheydt †May 1st, 1945, Berlin

94

Judith Anderson

Australian stage and screen actress (1897–1992)

*February 10th, 1897, Adelaide †January 3rd, 1992, Santa Barbara

96

Marian Anderson

African-American contralto (1897–1993)

*February 21st, 1897, Philadelphia †April 8th, 1993, Portland

94

Frank Capra

Italian-born American film director (1897–1991)

*May 18th, 1897, Bisacquino †September 3rd, 1991, La Quinta

94

Gaston Monnerville

French Guiana politician (1897–1991)

*January 2nd, 1897, Cayenne †November 7th, 1991, Paris

78

Ignacio Anaya García

Mexican executive chef (1895-1975)

*August 15th, 1897, Manuel Benavides †November 9th, 1975, Piedras Negras

57

Henri Frankfort

Dutch near eastern archaeologist and egyptologist (1897-1954)

*February 24th, 1897, Amsterdam †July 16th, 1954, London

79

Anthony Eden

British soldier, diplomat and politician (1897–1977)

*June 12th, 1897, Durham †January 14th, 1977, Alvediston Manor

60

Wilhelm Reich

Austro-American psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, sex educator and sociologist (1897-1957)

*March 24th, 1897, Dobrianychi †November 3rd, 1957, Lewisburg

76

Kate O'Brien

Irish novelist, playwright and activist

*December 3rd, 1897, Limerick †August 13th, 1974, Canterbury

90

Viola Dana

Actress (1897-1987)

*June 26th, 1897, Brooklyn †July 3rd, 1987, Woodland Hills

Birthdays of famous people

Public holidays on December 31st

Fixed holidays (Christian feast day, New Year's Eve) which are celebrated on December 31st.

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Leap year

No: With 365 days 1897 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
December 1897