Talk:December 31

Selected anniversaries for the "On this day" section of the Main Page

Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before editing this box.

December 31: Saint Sylvester's Day (Western Christianity) Roberto Clemente 1759 – Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at £45 per annum to the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and began brewing Guinness. 1775 – American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Quebec, British forces repulsed an attempt by the Continental Army to capture Quebec City and enlist French Canadian support. 1950 – Korean War: North Korean troops attacked United Nations forces in the first of two battles at Wonju. 1965 – Central African military officers led by Jean-Bédel Bokassa began a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko. 1972 – Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente (pictured) died in a plane crash en route to deliver aid to victims of that year's Nicaragua earthquake. Carlo Gimach (d. 1730) C. D. Howe (d. 1960) Richie McCaw (b. 1980) Gabby Douglas (b. 1995) More anniversaries: December 30 December 31 January 1

Soviet Union

Afaik, the Soviet Union dissolved on Dec 26, right? If noone objects, I will delete this here. --Zenogantner 09:36 Dec 27, 2002 (UTC)

By all means please do. That is embarrassing. --mav

Done. Weekend starts NOW! --Zenogantner

See also

why does this article say, See also: November 30 - January 31? What is so important about linking December 31 with the last day of the most recent and the next month? Kingturtle 08:41, 31 Dec 2003 (UTC)

It is part of the template (which I had no part in making). I guess it is for navigation... --mav

Who created the template? Are they still around wikipedia? I'd like to know the reasoning. As I see it tonight, I think those two dates should be removed, because they are confusing. Kingturtle 09:03, 31 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Hockey

"1988 - Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins becomes the first player in National Hockey League history to score one goal of each type in a single hockey game: a even-strength goal, a power-play goal, a short-handed goal, a penalty shot, and an empty-net goal. "

I thought for sure that was someone else, like Bobby Orr, or Hull, not Mario? Maybe some one can confirm it for me? !! Marcus1060 19:05, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

Canada

"1857 - Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa, Ontario, as the capital of Canada."

Canada would not exist until 1867 nor would Ontario. The event should refer to the Province of Canada, modern southern Ontario and Quebec, and Canada West rather than Ontario. GreatWhiteNortherner (talk) 02:43, 29 December 2007 (UTC) Andrew S. Black —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.59.239.92 (talk) 14:24, 15 July 2010 (UTC)

Questions...

can someone please rephrase the following events? they make no sense to me:

• 1992 - In the last of the great ITV franchise renewals, Thames Television, Television South West and Television South cease broadcasting, replaced by Carlton Television, Westcountry Television and Meridian Television respectively.
• 1999 - Five hijackers, who had been holding 155 hostages on an Indian Airlines plane, leave the plane with two Islamic clerics that they had demanded be freed.

thanks, Kingturtle 03:17, 21 January 2006 (UTC)

Time

Does anybody know why, when there is an error with the time, computers show the date as being "4:00 P.M. Wednesday, December 31, 1969"?

The talk page isn't supposed to be a general subject forum, but the quick answer is that that's the zero time relative to which computers usually measure, with time zone factored in. You're in GMT-8, or US Pacific, I'm guessing.. See Unix time. --Anon423 (talk) 17:42, 9 January 2015 (UTC)

Gregorian questions

The beginning information on this page is wrong. December 31 is the 365th day, 366th in leap years. Also, it is rather ridiculous to say there are negative days until the end of the year. I posted here instead of making the edit because I'm not quite sure where the error comes from, and don't want to make a change if it messes up a template or something. --ShadowWatch (talk) 02:48, 1 January 2008 (UTC)

it seems that it comes from the script that works out the numbers. --Alphamone (talk) 09:49, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

2014 "stampede in China"

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it. The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

This entry has repeatedly been added and reverted...

• 2014 – Thirty-five people are killed and over forty-five injured in a stampede in China, on Shanghai's waterfront (The Bond).

...and will continue to be removed per Policy at Wikipedia:Days_of_the_year#Events which states:

When compiling lists of events for inclusion in Wikipedia:WikiProject Days of the year articles, it is necessary to keep in mind that what's listed should be notable both around the globe and throughout time. The items selected should be relevant to all Wikipedians, regardless of nationality, interests, and beliefs.

What is notable

Law and crime related

• Important verdicts and court decisions
• Passages of substantial legislation
• UN Security Council decisions
• Assassinations or attempted assassinations of significant world leaders or influential figures. Successful assassinations can also be listed under "Deaths," but in the Events section, a note can be included about the assassin and other key details.
• Major terrorist attacks that greatly affected countries and had a significant number of casualties (i.e. over 1000)

What is not notable or not considered an Event

In general, events that would not be of interest globally/that do not have an impact on more than one country

• Minor crimes/law violations – e.g. "___ goes on killing spree, killing two farmers"
• Minor or unremarkable natural disasters – e.g. "Mudslide kills two people"
• Minor terrorist attacks – e.g. "Suicide bomber kills ten people"

Please stop adding of content that does not comply with the accepted standards of this website. --Scalhotrod (Talk) ☮ღ☺ 06:34, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

Please explain acceptance of 1986 event (fire at Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico: 97 dead, 140 injured) and the rejection of 2014 event (stampede in Shanghai, China: 35 confirmed dead, over 42 injured --- figures might climb higher). Why the discrepancy in applying the standards of Wikipedia? Where's the consistency? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.172.42.154 (talk) 06:56, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

I would have thought this might well fit the guidelines - it affects more than one country given that people of at least three nationalities were killed, and the Bund is a major tourist attraction in Shanghai, one of the world's largest cities?? Melcous (talk) 07:00, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

For starters, its too new to have its own article like the 1986 event, Dupont Plaza Hotel arson, until then its non-Notable per Wikpedia guidelines AND the reasons above. --Scalhotrod (Talk) ☮ღ☺ 07:09, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

"A stampede at a New Year’s celebration in the heart of Shanghai killed at least 35 people - the worst disaster to hit one of China's biggest cities in recent years." The Telegraph (UK)

"New Year's festivities in China's most populous city were cut short Wednesday after a stampede left at least 35 people dead and dozens injured...At least 42 people were injured, Xinhua reported." CNN News

December 31, 2014 -- China stampede: Major headline news in China, Australia, New Zealand, England, America, Malaysia --- broadcast on ABC News Australia, SBS Australia, BBC, CNN, and other major news outlets.

Security reviews of tragic event underway by Chinese authorities, with major changes pending in crowd-management strategies in Beijing, Shanghai, and other large Chinese cities.

All this ---- not notable?! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.172.42.154 (talk) 07:18, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Get all of those sources together and write an article for the event. Until then, it won't be mentioned on Wikipedia because it's Not a NEWSPAPER. Do you GET THAT?? --Scalhotrod (Talk) ☮ღ☺ 07:22, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

Disrespectful language by Scalhotrod in response to former comment deleted by questioner (inappropriately re-instated by Wikipedia) .— Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.172.42.154 (talk) 07:18, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

Unbelievable! After trying repeatedly (on January 1, 2015) to insert the news about the tragic stampede in Shanghai, only to be told again and again that such information was "not notable" and was in contravention of Wikpedia's standards and policies [Scalhotrod], I now (on January 4, 2015) find that an entry for this event, inserted by somebody else, has been accepted!! Whilst I agree with the belated acceptance of this event in the listing for December 31, I am less than impressed with the inconsistency shown by certain individuals over this issue (namely Scalhotrod). I hope a lesson will be learnt from this incident. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.172.127.239 (talk) 19:36, 3 January 2015 (UTC)

Apparently someone more level headed and cooler minded took the time to take my advice and create an article within the policy of this website. --Scalhotrod (Talk) ☮ღ☺ 22:50, 3 January 2015 (UTC)

Twelve Days of Christmas

OK, Buster,

What's with you and these blasted birds? Now it's seven swans a-swimming! What kind of dirty joke is this? Bird droppings are all over the place. The noise is unbearable. The neighbors can't sleep. It's not funny anymore, so stop it immediately!

Sincerely,

Agnes

70.89.177.161 (talk) 19:57, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

... uh, sure. Do I delete this or no? Kinda seems a little dumb to even have this on a talk page. Jakanz (talk) 05:05, 14 December 2019 (UTC)