UPI Almanac for Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 31, the 365th and final day of 2019.

Tonight is New Year's Eve.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury and Uranus. Evening stars are Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Venus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Capricorn. They include Pope Callixtus III, born Alfonso de Borgia, in 1378; Charles Edward Stuart, Scotland's "Bonnie Prince Charlie," in 1720; French painter Henri Matisse in 1869; businesswoman Elizabeth Arden, born Florence Nightingale Graham, in 1878; U.S. Army Gen. George Marshall in 1880; songwriter Jule Styne in 1905; Saudi King Salman in 1935 (age 84); actor Anthony Hopkins in 1937 (age 82); actor Sarah Miles in 1941 (age 78); Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Andy Summers in 1942 (age 77); actor Ben Kingsley in 1943 (age 76); singer/songwriter John Denver in 1943; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Pete Quaife in 1943; fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg in 1946 (age 73); rock singer Burton Cummings in 1947 (age 72); Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Donna Summer in 1948; actor Tim Matheson in 1947 (age 72); actor Bebe Neuwirth in 1958 (age 61); actor Val Kilmer in 1959 (age 60); writer Nicholas Sparks in 1965 (age 54); singer Joe McIntyre in 1972 (age 47); Donald Trump Jr., businessman/son of President Donald Trump, in 1977 (age 42); singer/dancer Psy, born Park Jae-sang, in 1977 (age 42); actor Ricky Whittle in 1981 (age 38); Canadian Olympic gold medal winning figure skater Patrick Chan in 1990 (age 29); Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Gabby Douglas in 1995 (age 24).

On this date in history:

In 1862, the Union ironclad ship USS Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras, N.C., during a storm. Sixteen members of the crew were lost.

In 1879, Thomas Edison gave the first public demonstration of his incandescent lamp -- in Menlo Park, N.J.

In 1929, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians did their first New Year's Eve broadcast from the Roosevelt Grill in New York City.

In 1947, America's favorite Western movie couple, singing cowboy Roy Rogers and co-star Dale Evans, were married.

In 1968, the Soviet Union tested its supersonic airliner, the TU-144, months before the Anglo-French Concorde.

In 1972, Pittsburgh Pirates great Roberto Clemente and four other people died in a cargo plane crash en route to deliver supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua. The plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico.

In 1983, the court-ordered breakup of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. took effect.

In 1983, a bloodless military coup overthrew Nigerian President Shehu Shagari's government, replacing him with Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

In 1985, fire broke out on a chartered DC-3 aircraft and it crashed in northeastern Texas, killing rock singer Rick Nelson, his fiancee and five band members.

In 1988, the Chicago Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 20-12 in the so-called "Fog Bowl," when thick fog shrouded Chicago's Soldier Field.

In 1994, Russian forces launched a full air and ground attack on Grozny, the capital city of the rebel republic of Chechnya.

In 1997, the Algerian government announced that more than 400 people had been massacred by Islamic extremists during the last nine days of December.

In 1999, Panama assumed full control of the Panama Canal.

In 1999, Boris Yeltsin resigned as president of Russia, leaving Vladimir Putin acting president.

In 2004, authorities in Buenos Aires reported at least 175 deaths and hundreds of injuries in a fire at a crowded nightclub. A government official said, "Only two exits were open; the others were tied up with wire. These young people were doomed in a death trap."

In 2006, Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union, increasing its membership to 27 countries.

In 2014, Beji Caid Essebsi becomes Tunisia's first freely elected president. The country's Parliament ousted him 18 months later with a vote of no confidence.

In 2017, Bangladeshis re-elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid election day violence that killed 17 people.

A thought for the day: "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one." -- Country singer Brad Paisley