LAST, BUT BY NO MEANS -- LEAST

By Edwin Cooney

Don’t let today fool you! Indeed, today may be the last day of 2007, but erase the very idea from your holiday-exhausted mind that just because this date is the last day of each and every year, that it shouldn’t be taken seriously or that its significance serves merely as a day of transition.

As is the case with every day of the year, today is somebody’s birthday, wedding anniversary, day of significant disclosure, or the beginning of a new capital venture. I know at least two people who were born on this date. One of them, unfortunately has been gone for about fifteen years—if my memory serves me well—and the other is fourteen years old today and hopefully has many happy years ahead of her. Not to be outdone, historians have found many reasons to take note of events which have taken place on December 31st.

Those who were born on December 31st include:

General George Gordon Meade in 1815 who led Union forces to victory over the Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1st through 3rd in 1863;
Army Chief of Staff (and later Secretary of State) George C. Marshall (born 1880) who proposed the “Marshall Plan” for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II.;
Actor Jason Robards, Sr. in 1892;
Simon Wiesenthal, born December 31, 1908, the Polish national who successfully hunted down Nazi war criminals; and
Singer John Denver (born in 1943 as Henry John Deutschendorf), to name just a few.

Among those who died on December 31st while the rest of us were looking forward to the dawning of a new year and new opportunities:

Former Soviet Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov (however one feels about Soviet Communism, one can’t help but be fascinated when reading of that man’s life which covered the time between Monday, July 17, 1876 and Monday, December 31, 1951).

Others who died on the last day of the year include such luminaries as:

Thirty-nine year-old Michael Kennedy, son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, killed in a skiing accident December 31, 1997;
Country pianist Floyd Cramer who died of cancer at age sixty-four the same day as young Mike Kennedy;
Former IBM President Thomas J. Watson in 1994;
Professional football coach George Allen in1990;
Rock singer Ricky (born Eric Hilliard) Nelson who apparently free-based his way to eternity in the back of a chartered plane on the last day of 1985;
And, perhaps most tragically of all, baseball star Roberto Clemente who died while carrying relief help to the people of earthquake-shattered Nicaragua from his home in Puerto Rico on the last day of 1972.

Historical events for December 31 include:

The opening of America’s first bank which was called The Bank Of North America in 1781;
Ottawa was chosen by Queen Victoria to be Canada’s new capital on December 31, 1857; President Abraham Lincoln signed the legislation which paved the way toward West Virginia becoming our thirty-fifth state on the last day of 1862 (West Virginia statehood would not become official until June 20 1863);
The cornerstone of the Iolani Palace (the only royal palace in America) was laid on December 31, 1879;
The same day that Royalist Hawaiians were dreaming of their new palace, Thomas Edison was demonstrating his incandescent light;
Ellis Island was opened on the last day of 1890 as a receiving center for immigrants;
And December 31, 1897 was the last day that Brooklyn was a “city”: it was officially incorporated into New York City on Saturday, January 1, 1898.

Eight December 31st events have, I think, a special significance to 2007-2008 Americans:

The ball dropped for the first time at Times Square in the last seconds of Tuesday, December 31, 1907;
On the last day of 1914, Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L’hommedieu Huston purchased the New York Yankees for $460,000 and began building the team into its present dynastic status;
On the last day of 1935, Charles Darrow patented the new game he called Monopoly;
In 1961, the Beach Boys staged their first performance;
On the last day of 1970, Paul McCartney filed suit to break up the Beatles;
On December 31, 1981, CNN Headline News opened for business;
December 31, 1991 was the last day in existence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (The USSR);
And, finally, it was on Friday, December 31, 1999 that Panamanians gained control of the Panama Canal.

It’s perfectly natural for us to think of December 31st as a day of transition since we spend most of its hours in preparation for New Year’s Eve celebrations. However, December 31, like every other day, serves us best as we put its events into perspective.

Someone, I’ve quite forgotten who, once observed that history is inevitably written by the winners or victors of human events. While there is much to be said for that observation, the ultimate significance of military, political, or other human events is always up for reevaluation since such reflection brings forth those values which matter most to you and to me.

Thus, December 31st is certainly a fine day to reflect on the past, present, and future of all humanity, as national and international events will have a definite effect on our lives. However, our time can be best spent reflecting on our own individual past, present, and future as well as how our individual existence impacts other people.

As I observed at the outset, December 31 isn’t the least of days merely because it comes last on the calendar. However, it can be the least of all days if you and I waste it. What say you?

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY