Today in History

Today is Sunday, Dec. 31, the 365th and final day of 2023.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 31, 2019, the health commission in the central Chinese city of Wuhan announced that experts were investigating an outbreak of respiratory illness and that most of the victims had visited a seafood market in the city; the statement said 27 people had become ill with a strain of viral pneumonia and that seven were in serious condition.

On this date:

In 1879, Thomas Edison first publicly demonstrated his electric incandescent light by illuminating some 40 bulbs at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

In 1904, New York's Times Square saw its first New Year's Eve celebration, with an estimated 200,000 people in attendance.

In 1951, the Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid.

In 1972, Major League baseball player Roberto Clemente, 38, was killed when a plane he had chartered and was traveling on to bring relief supplies to earthquake-devastated Nicaragua crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico.

In 1974, private U.S. citizens were allowed to buy and own gold for the first time in more than 40 years.

In 1978, Taiwanese diplomats struck their colors for the final time from the embassy flagpole in Washington, D.C., marking the end of diplomatic relations with the United States.

In 1985, singer Rick Nelson, 45, and six other people were killed when fire broke out aboard a plane that was taking the group to a New Year's Eve performance in Dallas.

In 1986, nearly 100 people were killed when fire broke out in the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 1987, Robert Mugabe was sworn in as Zimbabwe's first executive president.

In 1995, the syndicated comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," created by Bill Watterson, came to an end after a 10-year run.

In 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced his resignation.

In 2017, the Cleveland Browns joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams in NFL history to go 0-and-16, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-24.

In 2020, Britain completed its economic break from the European Union.

In 2021, Betty White, a television mainstay for more than 60 years on series including "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls," died less than three weeks before she would have turned 100.

In 2022, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who had become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died at age 95.

Today's Birthdays: TV producer George Schlatter is 94. Actor Sir Anthony Hopkins is 86. Actor Sarah Miles is 82. Actor Barbara Carrera is 82. Rock musician Andy Summers is 81. Actor Sir Ben Kingsley is 80. Producer-director Taylor Hackford is 79. Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg is 77. Actor Tim Matheson is 76. Pop singer Burton Cummings is 76. Actor Joe Dallesandro is 75. Rock musician Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith) is 72. Actor James Remar is 70. Actor Bebe Neuwirth is 65. Actor Val Kilmer is 64. Singer Paul Westerberg is 64. Actor Don Diamont is 61. Rock musician Scott Ian (Anthrax) is 60. Actor Gong Li is 58. Author Nicholas Sparks is 58. Pop singer Joe McIntyre is 51. Rock musician Mikko Siren (Apocalyptica) is 48. Donald Trump Jr. is 46. Rapper PSY (Park Jae-sang) is 46. Rock musician Bob Bryar is 44. Rock musician Jason Sechrist (Portugal. The Man) is 44. Actor Ricky Whittle is 44. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is 44. Actor/singer Erich Bergen is 38. DJ/vocalist Drew Taggart (The Chainsmokers) is 34. U.S. Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Alix Klineman is 34. U.S. Olympic gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas is 28.