Tuesday, 31st December 1946 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! It's New Year's Eve and World Peace Meditation Day. Explore 62 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in London. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in London brings drizzly with temperatures between 0°C and 7°C. Tonight's moon is in its waning gibbous phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Capricorn. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Tuesday, 31st December in London, GB.
On 31st December 1946, London experienced drizzly conditions as the year drew to a close. The capital of the United Kingdom, situated on the Thames in south-east England, has long served as a centre of political, cultural and economic activity. The waning gibbous moon hung in the winter sky above those born under the Capricorn sign, which governs this date in the zodiac calendar.
Throughout history, 31st December has marked pivotal moments across the globe. In 1961, RTÉ, Ireland's first television network, began broadcasting, establishing a new chapter in Irish media history. Nearly four decades later, on the final day of 1999, Vladimir Putin assumed the role of acting president of Russia following Boris Yeltsin's unexpected resignation, a transition that would reshape the political landscape of the former Soviet state.
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What the Weather Had in Store for London on 31st December 1946
Diamonds require pressure and centuries to become themselves.
Fortune of the Day
31st December in the Stars – Star Sign Pisces
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on 31st December blend classic Capricorn discipline with Mercurial intellect. They appear thoughtful, strategic and remarkably sharp-minded. A quiet presence conceals an alert mind and deep inner wisdom.
Strengths & Weaknesses Strengths: analytical, dependable, articulate and conscientious. They solve complex problems elegantly. Weaknesses: prone to overthinking, can seem emotionally distant, and sometimes dismiss intuition in favour of logic.
Love These natives seek partners with substance and intellectual depth. Emotional stability and honest communication matter most. They build slowly but unshakably deep, loyal bonds.
Caree & Finance Ideal careers: science, consulting, writing, management. Their blend of structure and analytical skill makes them invaluable. Financial security emerges through strategic, long-term planning.
Health These individuals benefit from regular exercise to release stress. Mental peace through meditation or journaling helps. Learning to release perfectionism and relax more matters greatly.
That night, the moon was in its waning gibbous phase.
Chinese year of the Dog (Fire).
Fun Facts About 31st December
Name Days in Your Language: Malone, Melania, Melanie, Melany, Silas, Silvester, Sylvester
Someone born on this day in 1946 would be 79 years old today — just 28,955 days into life, which is roughly 694,928 hours, 41,695,693 minutes, or 2,501,741,638 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 365. day of the year.
There are 0 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 1 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 31st December
- Ellen Datlow, American anthologist and author (1949)
- Flora Gomes, Bissau-Guinean filmmaker (1949)
- Susan Shwartz, American author (1949)
- Sandy Jardine, Scottish footballer and manager (died 2014) (1948)
- Roy Greenslade, English journalist and academic (1946)
- Bryan Hamilton, Northern Irish footballer and coach (1946)
- Raphael Kaplinsky, South African international development academic (1946)
- Pius Ncube, Zimbabwean archbishop (1946)
- Lyudmila Pakhomova, Russian ice dancer (died 1986) (1946)
- Cliff Richey, American tennis player (1946)
Lives Remembered on 31st December
- Arnold Rüütel, Estonian politician, 3rd President of Estonia (born 1928) (2024)
- Johnnie Walker, British radio DJ (born 1945) (2024)
- Cale Yarborough, American Hall of Fame racing driver and founder of Cale Yarborough Motorsports, NASCAR Cup Series champion (1976, 1977, 1978) (born 1939) (2023)
- Pope Benedict XVI, German Roman Catholic cardinal and theologian, pope (2005–2013) and archbishop of Munich and Freising (1977–1982) (born 1927) (2022)
- Barry Lane, English golfer (born 1960) (2022)
- Betty White, American actress, comedian and producer (born 1922) (2021)
- Kader Khan, Indian actor (born 1937) (2018)
- William Christopher, American actor (born 1932) (2016)
- Natalie Cole, American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1950) (2015)
- Wayne Rogers, American actor and investor (born 1933) (2015)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 31st December
- 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)
- New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: Ōmisoka (Japan)
- New Year's Eve (International observance), and its related observances: The first day of Hogmanay or "Auld Year's Night" (Scotland)
- The seventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
- The sixth and penultimate day of Kwanzaa (United States)
What Happened on 31st December?
- The World Health Organization issues its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine. (2020)
- The World Health Organization is informed of cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause, detected in Wuhan. This later turned out to be COVID-19, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. (2019)
- Thirty-nine people are killed after a ten-story building collapses in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, Russia. (2018)
- A fire breaks out at the Downtown Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, located near the Burj Khalifa, two hours before the fireworks display is due to commence. Sixteen injuries were reported; one had a heart attack, another suffered a major injury, and fourteen others with minor injuries. (2015)
- A New Year's Eve celebration stampede in Shanghai kills at least 36 people and injures 49 others. (2014)
- NASA succeeds in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the Moon. (2011)
- Tornadoes touch down in midwestern and southern United States, including Washington County, Arkansas; Greater St. Louis, Sunset Hills, Missouri, Illinois, and Oklahoma, with a few tornadoes in the early hours. A total of 36 tornadoes touched down, resulting in the deaths of nine people and $113 million in damages. (2010)
- Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occur. (2009)
- The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft). (2004)
- Rwanda adopts a new national flag and anthem. (2001)