December 31 is known as New Year's Eve in the United States and Canada.
Theme park happenings
- 1999 - Disney's ImagiNations Parade premieres at Disneyland Park (Paris)
Books
- 1977 - Lambert the Sheepish Lion
- 1978 - Little Hiawatha
- 1979 - The Aristocats Get into Mischief
- 1980
- Goofy the Gardener Makes Up His Mind
- Scamp to the Rescue
- 1981 - Lady and the Tramp
- 1982 - Dopey Gets Lost
- 1984 - Hiawatha and the Big Flood
- 1985 - Cinderella's Busy Birthday
People
Births
- 1918 - Virginia Davis (actress)
- 1920 - Rex Allen (actor, singer, and songwriter)
- 1937 - Anthony Hopkins (actor and composer)
- 1943
- Ben Kingsley (actor)
- John Denver (singer-songwriter, activist, and humanitarian)
- 1944 - Neil Ross (voice actor)
- 1945 - Barbara Carrera (actress)
- 1947 - Tim Matheson (actor, voice actor, and director)
- 1948 - Donna Summer (singer, songwriter, and artist)
- 1953 - James Remar (actor and voice actor)
- 1958 - Bebe Neuwirth (actress, singer, and dancer)
- 1959 - Val Kilmer (actor)
- 1962 - Lance Reddick (actor, voice actor, and musician)
Deaths
- 1983 - Ralph Wright (actor, writer, and director)
- 2001 - David Swift (screenwriter, animator, director, and producer)
- 2013 - James Avery (actor, voice actor, and poet)
- 2014 - Edward Herrmann (actor, director, writer, and comedian)