What Happened On
Ricky Nelson Killed in Plane Crash
December 31, 1985
45-year-old singer and former teen idol Ricky Nelson and six others are killed when his plane crashes en route to a New Year's Eve extravaganza in Dallas, Texas. The pilot and co-pilot were the only survivors. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to a fire believed to be caused by a faulty in-cabin heater. The plane crashed through utility lines and trees to make an emergency landing in a cow pasture. It appeared that the passengers attempted to escape the cabin after landing, but were unsuccessful and died due to the fire and smoke.
The seven people killed were: Nelson, 45; his girlfriend Helen Blair, 27; bass guitarist Patrick Woodward, 35; drummer Rick Intveld, 22; keyboardist Andy Chapin, 34; guitarist Bobby Neal, 38; and road manager/soundman Donald Clark Russell, 35. The pilot and co-pilot escaped via cockpit windows.
The plane had been plagued by mechanical problems since Nelson had purchased it the previous May.
Rumors circulated after the crash claiming the fire was started by passengers freebasing cocaine, but no evidence has ever been found to substantiate these rumors.
Nelson was known for playing himself on the TV show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-66) and in 1957 became an instant teen idol when he played the drums on the show. His hit songs included Poor Little Fool (1958, #1) and Hello Mary Lou (1961, #1).
Manhattan Bridge under construction
Manhattan Bridge under construction
Manhattan Bridge
December 31, 1909
The Manhattan Bridge opens. It spans the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. The main span is 1,470 ft (448 m) long and the bridge's total length is 6,855 ft (2,089 m). It was the first suspension bridge to employ Josef Melan's deflection theory for the stiffening of its deck and is considered to be the forerunner of modern suspension bridges.
Photo Credit: Alkivar
Photo Credit: Alkivar
First Public Demonstration of Edison's Incandescent Light Bulb
December 31, 1879
Thomas Edison makes the first public demonstration of his incandescent lamp by lighting up a street in Menlo Park. Although incandescent lights had been around for about 40 years, Edison's was considered the first practical one.
NOTHING Happens in Kiribati
December 31, 1994
This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones. The International Date Line bisected the island republic into two halves with the western part of the republic 24 hours ahead of its eastern part. To put an end to this situation, the president of Kiribati announced that on 1 January 1995 the International Date Line would henceforth run along the eastern boundary of the republic, thus eliminating December 31, 1994.
U.S. Ban on Private Possession of Gold Lifted
December 31, 1974
The 41-year-old U.S. ban on private possession of gold is lifted. The ban had allowed only industrial and numismatic purchases.
Evel Knievel Caesar's Palace Jump
December 31, 1967
The motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel crashes while attempting to jump the fountains at Caesar's Palace, resulting in a month-long coma. Knievel had wanted to jump the fountains ever since he saw them the previous month, but couldn't get an audience with the Caesar's Palace CEO, so he made fake phone calls to him claiming to be ABC and Sports Illustrated inquiring about the jump. The CEO finally agreed. Knievel tried to get ABC's Wide World of Sports to air the event live, but they turned him down, but said that if it was truly spectacular they'd buy the footage afterwards. Knievel used his own money to hire director John Derek and Derek's then wife Linda Evans to film the event. During the takeoff, Knievel said he felt a loss of power in the motorcycle that caused him to come up short and land on the safety ramp causing him to crash. He suffered a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist, and both ankles, and a concussion that kept him in the hospital. At 141 feet (43 m), this was his longest attempted motorcycle jump.
The crash made Knievel famous and ABC ended up buying the footage rights, paying far more than Knievel had initially asked.
The Beach Boys
December 31, 1961
The surfer group plays their first gig under that name at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert in Long Beach, California, for which they earned $300.
The group consisted Brian Wilson playing bass, Dennis Wilson playing drums, Carl Wilson playing lead guitar, Al Jardine playing rhythm guitar, and Mike Love the main singer and occasionally playing saxophone.
Thomas Jefferson Resigns as Secretary of State
December 31, 1793
The future U.S. President Thomas Jefferson resigns as President George Washington's secretary of state. He had opposed Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton's desires to consolidate the state war debt and to create a national bank and Hamilton's opposition to the French Revolution. Tired of the infighting with Hamilton, Jefferson resigned. This act upset Washington, who never spoke to him again.
Birthdays
Donna Summer (LaDonna Gaines)
Born December 31, 1948 d. 2012
American Grammy-winning singer. Music: Last Dance (1978) and She Works Hard for the Money (1983).
John Denver (Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.)
Born December 31, 1943 d. 1997
American Grammy-winning singer. Music: Rocky Mountain High (1972), Thank God I'm A Country Boy (1975, #1), and wrote Leaving On A Jet Plane (1969).
He died when the small aircraft he was piloting crashed off the coast of California. The cause of the accident was Denver's inability to switch fuel tanks while in flight. Denver had purchased the plane from an individual who built it from a kit. The builder had placed the fuel switch behind the pilot, as opposed to its intended position between the pilot's legs. This prevented the pilot from switching tanks while strapped in and required the pilot to twist their body 90° to reach the switch. Denver apparently lost control while trying to switch fuel tanks and crashed. Even though Denver was aware of the switch location and that he was low on fuel in his primary tank, he chose to fly anyway, believing he could fly on autopilot while switching tanks.
Denver was not legally permitted to fly at the time due to previous drunk driving arrests. However, he had no alcohol in his system at the time of the accident.
Leroy Edgar Burney
Born December 31, 1906 d. 1998
U.S. Surgeon General (1956-61). He was the first U.S. federal official to acknowledge the connection between smoking and cancer (1957). The American Medical Association, which had investments in tobacco, countered in 1959 that there was insufficient evidence to warrant the assumption that smoking was the principal factor for the increase in lung cancer.
Burney himself was a smoker.
Henri Matisse
Born December 31, 1869 d. 1954
French artist. He founded the fauve movement (1905) and was one of the most influential of the modern French artists.
Joey McIntyre
Born December 31, 1972
American pop musician, member of New Kids on the Block.
Val Kilmer
Born December 31, 1959
American actor. Film: Real Genius (1985), Willow (1988), The Doors (1991, Jim Morrison), and Tombstone.
Tim Matheson
Born December 31, 1947
American child actor. TV: Johnny Quest (voice of Johnny).
Ben Kingsley
Born December 31, 1943
English Oscar-winning actor. Film: Gandhi (1982, Oscar, title role).
Andy Summers (Andrew Somers)
Born December 31, 1942
British guitarist, with Police. Music: Roxanne (1978), Message In A Bottle (1979, #1), and Every Breath You Take (1983, #1).
Crystal Lee Sutton
Born December 31, 1940 d. 2009
American union organizer. Due to poor working conditions, she helped unionize the workers at the J.P. Stevens textile plant in North Carolina. The film Norma Rae (1979, starring Sally Field) was based on her efforts.
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
Sir Anthony Hopkins
Born December 31, 1937
Welsh-American Oscar-Emmy-winning actor. Film: Silence of the Lambs (1991, Oscar, he never met a man he didn't like - to eat), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993, Prof. Von Helsing), The Elephant Man (1980, doctor Treves), and The Bounty (1984, Captain Bligh).
Rex Allen
Born December 31, 1920 d. 1999
American singing cowboy, "The Arizona Cowboy," actor, and narrator of numerous Walt Disney nature films.
John Frost
Born December 31, 1912 d. 1993
British World War II hero. He was portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the 1977 movie A Bridge to Far.
Jule Styne
Born December 31, 1905 d. 1994
American Tony-Oscar-winning composer. Broadway: Gypsy (1959) and Funny Girl (1964). Film: Three Coins in a Fountain (1954, Oscar).
Calixtus III (Alfons de Borja)
Born December 31, 1378 d. 1458
Spanish-born religious leader, 209th Pope (1455-58). He vindicated Joan of Arc, proclaiming her innocent. He made his nephew, Rodrigo Borgia, cardinal and generalissimo of the papal forces, with him later becoming Pope Alexander VI.
Deaths
Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens (left) and as Rose Nylund
Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens (left) and as Rose Nylund
Betty White (Betty Marion White)
Died December 31, 2021 b. 1922
American Emmy-winning actress. She had the longest television career of any entertainer, spanning 80 years and was the first woman to produce a TV sitcom (1953-55, Life with Elizabeth). Known as "The First Lady of Game Shows", she was a regular on such games shows as Password, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, and The $25,000 Pyramid.
TV: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1962-72, co-host with Lorne Greene), The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973-77, Sue Ann Nivens), The Golden Girls (1985-92, Rose Nylund), and Hot in Cleveland (2010-15, Elka Ostrovsky).
Ricky Nelson (Eric Hilliard Nelson)
Died December 31, 1985 b. 1940
American actor, Hall of Fame singer, teen-idol. When Nelson played the drums for the first time on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, he instantly became a teen-idol. He played drums and sang I'm Walkin' in the episode Ricky, the Drummer (1957). His recording of I'm Walkin' (reaching #4) was then released with A Teenager's Romance (reaching #2) as his first single.
His song Poor Little Fool (1958) was the first #1 song on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart and sold over 2,000,000 copies.
He once commented, "Anyone who knocks rock 'n' roll either doesn't understand it, or is prejudiced against it, or is just plain square."
He and his band members died when his private plane crashed en route to a New Year's Eve performance.
TV: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-66, playing himself). Music: Poor Little Fool (1958, #1) and Hello Mary Lou (1961, #1).
Inventor of the Six-Pack
Virgil Browne
Died December 31, 1979 b. 1877
American bottler. In 1923, he developed the six-pack beverage carton, which he developed for Coca Cola. He got the idea after acquiring a Coca-Cola bottler operating in Oklahoma City the previous year.
He was also a pioneer in vending machines and parking meters.
Photo Credit: State Archives of Florida
Photo Credit: State Archives of Florida
First to Drive 300 mph
Sir Malcolm Campbell
Died December 31, 1948 b. 1885
British Hall of Fame auto racer. He was the first person to drive over 300 mph (1935 at the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah). With a 2,227 cu. in. 2,500-hp V-12 engine, his car "Bluebird" made two runs over a one-mile course averaging 301.129 mph (484.955 km/h). He later went on to set the water speed record of 141.74 mph in 1939.
Shecky Greene (Fred Sheldon Greenfield)
Died December 31, 2023 b. 1926
American comedian. He was a headliner in Las Vegas for more than 30 years, starting in the 1950s.
Greene claimed, Frank Sinatra saved my life once. Four hoods were beating me up. Frank said, "That's enough, fellas."
TV: Combat (1962-63, Pvt. Braddock). Film: History of the World, Part I (1981) and Splash (1984).
Photo Credit: Ted Van Pelt
Photo Credit: Ted Van Pelt
Cale Yarborough
Died December 31, 2023 b. 1939
American Hall of Fame auto racer, 4-time Daytona 500 winner. He was one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships (1976, 1977, 1978) and was one of the preeminent stock car drivers from the 1960s to the 1980s. Yarborough was also a three-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year Award (1977, 1978, 1979).
Photo Credit: Kancelaria Prezydenta RP
Photo Credit: Kancelaria Prezydenta RP
Benedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger)
Died December 31, 2022 b. 1927
265th Pope (2005-13). He resigned in 2013 due to ill health, making him the first Pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415. After resigning, Benedict retained his papal name rather than reverting to his birth name and chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus".
In 1990, while still a Cardinal, he gave a speech supporting the prosecution of Galileo Gallilei for claiming the Earth revolved around the Sun, stating, "Her (the Roman Catholic Church) verdict against Galileo was rational and just, and the revision of this verdict can be justified only on the grounds of what is politically opportune." However, in 1992, the Catholic Church admitted they were wrong in this decision.
William Christopher
Died December 31, 2016 b. 1932
American actor. TV: M*A*S*H (1972-83, Father Mulcahy) and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1965-68, Private Lester Hummel).
Natalie Cole
Died December 31, 2015 b. 1950
American Grammy-winning singer.
Wesley Addy
Died December 31, 1996 b. 1913
American actor. TV: Loving (Cabot Alden).
Samuel Adjai Crowther
Died December 31, 1891 b. circa 1809
African missionary. He was a bishop the Anglican Church (1864), the first black African to receive the honor.
George Mifflin Dallas
Died December 31, 1864 b. 1792
American politician. 11th U.S. Vice-President (1845-49).
John Nixon
Died December 31, 1808 b. 1733
American patriot. He gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence (July 8, 1776).
Francis Lewis
Died December 31, 1802 b. 1713
American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Robert Boyle
Died December 31, 1691 b. 1627
British physicist. Father of Chemistry, creator of Boyle's Law (1662, "The pressure of gas is proportional to the number of molecules in a given space and their temperature"). Boyle is regarded as the first modern chemist.
John Wycliffe
Died December 31, 1384 b. circa 1330
English religious reformer. He directed the first English translation of the Bible (1382). In 1415, the Roman Catholic Church declared him a heretic, banned his writings, and declared his remains were to be removed from sacred ground.
Photo Credit: MrPanyGoff
Photo Credit: MrPanyGoff
Saint Sylvester I
Died December 31, 335 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 33rd Pope (A.D. 314-335). He performed the first public consecration of a Catholic church (A.D. 324), the Basilica of the Most Holy Savior (now known as St. John the Lateran).
It is located in the Diocese of Rome in the city of Rome, and serves as the seat of the bishop of Rome, the pope.