Vandals, Alans, and Suebi tribes cross the Rhine River into Gaul, on December 31, 406 CE; while much of the river was frozen, marking the beginning of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, leading to devastating destruction and the eventual fragmentation of the Empire.
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On This Day in History: December 31
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on December 31st. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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King Charles III of Naples (also known as Charles of Durazzo) was crowned King of Hungary in Székesfehérvár, Hungary on December 31, 1385, He had previously been crowned King of Naples in 1381. His rule in Hungary was short-lived as he was assassinated there in February 1386.
The Dutch East India Company is dissolved by the Netherlands government. It had been originally established on March 20, 1602 but it had been severely affected by corruption, smuggling and increasing administrative costs. It was dissolved and nationalised.
Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1879 by illuminating some 100 bulbs in and around his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
Thomas Edison had achieved a successful test of his carbonized cotton filament light bulb on October 21, 1879, which lasted for over 13 hours. He patented the first commercially viable version on November 4, 1879, and publicly demonstrated his invention on December 31, 1879.
The estimated population of the world reaches 3.45 billion, according to the United Nations. The estimated world population at the end of 2025 is 8.3 billion.
The Panama Canal is transferred from U.S. control to Panamanian ownership.
Vladimir Putin becomes Russia's acting president on December 31, 1999, after Boris Yeltsin resignation. He was officially elected and inaugurated on May 7, 2000, beginning his first term. Since then, he has served multiple terms as president, with breaks as prime minister, holding the presidency from 2000–2008, 2012–present, and earlier as acting president.
The eleven month Brexit transition period ends and the UK officially fully separates from the EU's single market and customs union, ending its participation in the free movement of people, goods, and services.
The UK officially left the EU trading bloc on 31 January 2020. However, both sides agreed to keep many things the same until 31 December 2020, to allow enough time to agree to the terms of a new trade deal.