December 31 Birthday
December 31, New Year's Eve, is the night when the calendar resets. The tradition of counting down to midnight and celebrating is relatively modern — it became widespread only in the 20th century. The ball drop in Times Square began in 1907 as a replacement for fireworks, which had been banned after a 1905 display set buildings on fire. Also on this date in 1879: Thomas Edison demonstrated his incandescent light bulb in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The bulb burned for 13.5 hours. The world has not been dark since. People born on December 31 fall under the zodiac sign of Capricorn. The birthstone is Tanzanite and the birth flower is Holly. Historical events on December 31 include 1879: Edison demonstrates incandescent light, 1999: Y2K panic peaks (nothing happened), 2019: First cases of COVID-19 reported to WHO. Famous people born on December 31 include Henri Matisse (1869), Anthony Hopkins (1937), Ben Kingsley (1943).