At A Glance

31 December 1947 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1947 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1947
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1947 was Forever Amber.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1947 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1947 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1942 USS Essex, first aircraft carrier of a 24-ship class, is commissioned.
  • 1942 World War II: The Royal Navy defeats the Kriegsmarine at the Battle of the Barents Sea. This leads to the resignation of Grand Admiral Erich Raeder a month later.
  • 1944 World War II: Operation Nordwind, the last major Wehrmacht offensive on the Western Front, begins.
  • 1946 President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II.
  • 1951 Cold War: The Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Western Europe.

Famous people born on 31 December

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1947 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1947 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – A massive hailstorm strikes Sydney, causing hundreds of injuries and an estimated £1 million damage.
  • 6 February – William McKell stands down as Premier of New South Wales following royal approval of his appointment as Governor-General. The Labor Party elects James McGirr as its leader and the new Premier.
  • 15 March – A state election is held in Western Australia. The Labor government of Frank Wise is defeated by the Liberal/Country coalition led by Ross McLarty.

Life in Australia in 1947

Prime Minister

Ben Chifley

Monarch

King George VI

Petrol (per litre)

$0.01

Loaf of Bread

$0.07

Average House

$1,800

Weekly Wage

$4.50

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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