Here are some major historical events that happened on December 31st:

1600: The British East India Company is chartered.

1862: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves in Confederate-held territory are to be set free.

1907: The first New Year's Eve celebration is held in Times Square, New York City.

1946: President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II.

1983: The United States invades Grenada to restore order and protect American citizens.

1999: The United States hands over control of the Panama Canal to Panama.

1999: Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigns, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin becomes the acting president.

2004: The official opening of Taipei 101, the world's tallest skyscraper at the time, takes place in Taipei, Taiwan.

2011: A suicide bombing in a church in Alexandria, Egypt, kills at least 23 people and injures dozens more.

2019: The World Health Organization is informed of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, later identified as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

These events cover a wide range of historical periods and regions, reflecting the significance of December 31st in various contexts.

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