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IrelandAt A Glance
31 December 2008 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 31 December 2008 was a Wednesday.
- ARIA No. 1
- The ARIA No. 1 was “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga.
- Top Film of 2008
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2008 was The Dark Knight.
- Best-Selling Vehicle of 2008
- Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 2008 was the Holden Commodore.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 2008 fell in the Year of the Rat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 31 December 2008 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 31 December
- 2001 Rwanda adopts a new national flag and anthem.
- 2004 The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft).
- 2009 Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occur.
- 2011 NASA succeeds in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the Moon.
- 2015 A fire breaks out at the Downtown Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, located near the Burj Khalifa, two hours before the fireworks display is due to commence. Sixteen injuries were reported; one had a heart attack, another suffered a major injury, and fourteen others with minor injuries.
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 2008 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '2008 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 11 January – An Airbus A319 lands at the new Wilkins Runway in the Australian Antarctic Territory, becoming the first passenger flight from Australia to Antarctica.
- 22 May – Revolutionary Australian forum television programme Q&A broadcasts its first episode.
- 13 July – Pope Benedict XVI arrives for his first papal visit to Australia, ahead of World Youth Day 2008.
Life in Australia in 2008
Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Petrol (per litre)
$1.40
Loaf of Bread
$2.70
Average House
$400,000
Weekly Wage
$1,155.00
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Famous Faces Born in the 2000s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Milly Alcock11 April 2000ActressView their day →Joseph Zada21 July 2005ActorView their day →Robert Irwin1 December 2003Conservationist & wildlife photographerView their day →Teagan Croft23 April 2004ActressView their day →Angourie Rice1 January 2001ActressView their day →Catherine Laga'aia17 December 2006Actress & singerView their day →Oscar Piastri6 April 2001Racing driverView their day →Felix15 September 2000Rapper & singerView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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