Today in History: Dec. 31

Published 1:30 am Saturday, December 31, 2016

Today is Saturday, Dec. 31, the 366th and final day of 2016.

Today’s highlight:

On Dec. 31, 1946, President Harry S. Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.

On this date:

In 1879, Thomas Edison first publicly demonstrated his electric incandescent light 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 1972, Major League baseball player Roberto Clemente, 38, was killed when a plane he’d chartered and was traveling on to bring relief supplies to earthquake-devastated Nicaragua crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico.

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 U.S.

In 1985, singer Rick Nelson, 45, and six other people were killed when fire broke out aboard a DC-3 that was taking the group to a New Year’s Eve performance in Dallas.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Sir Anthony Hopkins is 79. Rock musician Andy Summers is 74. Actor Sir Ben Kingsley is 73. Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg is 70. Actor Tim Matheson is 69. Actor James Remar is 63. Actress Bebe Neuwirth is 58. Actor Val Kilmer is 57. Rock musician Scott Ian (Anthrax) is 53. Author Nicholas Sparks is 51. Pop singer Joe McIntyre is 44. Olympic gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas is 21.

Thought for Today: “In masks outrageous and austere/ The years go by in single file;/ But none has merited my fear,/ And none has quite escaped my smile.” — Elinor Wylie, American author (1885-1928)

Associated Press