What happened on December 31

62 documented historical events happened on December 31, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: 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. On the same day, in another year: 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. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.

160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on December 31, including Tommy Byrne (baseball), Rex Allen, Shrilal Shukla. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.

129 people with a Wikipedia article died on December 31, including Pope Sylvester I, Li Shiji, Leopold V, Duke of Austria. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.

10 observances are celebrated on December 31 around the world: Christian feast day: Pope Sylvester I (Catholic Church), Christian feast day: December 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), International Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan), New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: First Night (United States), New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: Last Day of the Year or Bisperás ng Bagong Taón, special holiday between Rizal Day and New Year's Day (Philippines), New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: Novy God Eve (Russia). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.