What Happened on December 31?

New Year's Eve has seen giant balls drop, canals change hands, and countries make fresh starts at midnight.

1600 — Queen Elizabeth I charters the East India Company

England granted merchants the right to trade in Asia, creating a company that would reshape global history for centuries. Read the full story →
1879 — Edison publicly demonstrates his electric light bulb

Crowds flocked to Edison's Menlo Park laboratory on New Year's Eve to see dozens of electric lamps glowing for the first time. Read the full story →
1907 — First New Year's Eve ball drops in Times Square

A glowing ball made of wood and iron descended from a flagpole at One Times Square, starting America's most famous midnight tradition. Read the full story →
1999 — Panama takes full control of the Panama Canal

At noon on the last day of the millennium, Panama assumed complete control of the canal the United States had run since 1903. Read the full story →
1968 — Soviet Tu-144 supersonic airliner makes first flight

The Soviet Union flew the world's first supersonic passenger jet, beating the Anglo-French Concorde by two months. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Henri Matisse (1869–1954) · Anthony Hopkins (1937) · Donna Summer (1948–2012) · Henri Matisse (1869–1954)

New Year's Eve · National Champagne Day · Make Up Your Mind Day · Universal Hour of Peace