October 31
is the 304th day of the year (305th in
leap years) in the
Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining.
*
445 BC -
Ezra reads the
Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 9:1, NLTse).
*
475 -
Romulus Augustus was proclaimed
Roman Emperor.
*
1517 -
Protestant Reformation:
Martin Luther posts his
95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in
Wittenberg.
*
1587 -
Leiden University Library opens its doors after its founding in
1575.
*
1822 -
Emperor Agustín de Iturbide attempted to dissolve the
Mexican Empire.
*
1861 -
American Civil War: Citing failing health,
Union General
Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the
United States Army.
*
1863 - The
Maori Wars resumed as
British forces in
New Zealand led by General
Duncan Cameron began their
Invasion of the Waikato.
*
1864 -
Nevada is admitted as the 36th
U.S. state.
*
1876 - A monster
cyclone ravages
India, resulting in over 200,000 human deaths.
*
1892 -
Arthur Conan Doyle publishes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
*
1912 -
The Musketeers of Pig Alley, directed by
D.W. Griffith, debuts as the first
gangster film.
* 1912 -
Dominican Republic becomes a signatory to the
Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
*
1917 -
World War I:
Battle of Beersheba - "last successful cavalry charge in history"
*
1922 -
Benito Mussolini becomes the youngest Premier in the history of
Italy.
*
1923 - 160 consecutive days of 100 degrees at
Marble Bar,
Australia begins.
*
1926 - Magician
Harry Houdini dies of
gangrene and
peritonitis that developed after his
appendix ruptured.
*
1936 - The
Boy Scouts of the Philippines was formed.
*
1938 -
Great Depression: In an effort to try restore investor confidence, the
New York Stock Exchange unveils a fifteen-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public.
*
1940 -
World War II:
Battle of Britain ends - The
United Kingdom prevents
Germany from invading
Great Britain.
*
1941 - After 14 years of work, drilling is completed on
Mount Rushmore.
* 1941 -
World War II: The destroyer
USS Reuben James is torpedoed by a
German U-boat near
Iceland, killing more than 100
United States Navy sailors.
* 1941 - American photographer
Ansel Adams takes a picture of a
moonrise over the town of
Hernandez,
New Mexico that would become one of the most famous images in the history of
photography.
*
1950 - Pope
Pius XII witnesses the "
Miracle of the Sun" while at the
Vatican"
[Joseph Pelletier "The Sun Danced at Fatima", Doubleday, New York (1983),pp150,151]*
1954 -
Algerian War of Independence: The
Algerian National Liberation Front begins a revolt against
French rule.
*
1956 -
Suez Crisis: The
United Kingdom and
France begin bombing
Egypt to force the reopening of the
Suez Canal.
*
1961 - In the
Soviet Union,
Joseph Stalin's body is removed from
Lenin's Tomb.
*
1968 -
Vietnam War October surprise:Citing progress with the
Paris peace talks, US President
Lyndon B. Johnson announces to the nation that he has ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of
North Vietnam" effective
November 1.
*
1984 -
Indian Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two
Sikh security guards (
riots soon broke out in
New Delhi and nearly 2,000 innocent Sikhs were killed).
*
1986 - The 5th congress of the
Communist Party of Sweden is inaugurated. During the course of the congress the party name is changed to the Solidarity Party and the party ceases to be a communist party.
*
1994 - An
American Eagle ATR-72 crashes in
Roselawn, Indiana, after circling in icy weather, killing all 68 on board.
*
1996 - A Brazilian
TAM Fokker F100 crashes into several houses in
São Paulo, Brazil killing 98 including 2 on the ground.
* 1996 -
Jean Chrétien becomes UN special envoy to the
African Great Lakes.
*
1997 - 19-year-old British
au pair Louise Woodward, convicted by a
Cambridge, Massachusetts, jury of second-degree murder the day before, is sentenced to life in prison.
*
1998 -
Iraq disarmament crisis begins:
Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with
United Nations weapons inspectors.
*
1999 -
EgyptAir Flight 990 traveling from
New York City to
Cairo crashes off the coast of
Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing all 217 on-board.
*
1999 -
Roman Catholic Church and
Lutheran Church leaders sign the
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, ending a centuries-old doctrinal dispute over the nature of
faith and
salvation.
*
2000 - A
Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 operating as
Flight 006 collides with construction equipment upon takeoff in
Taipei, Taiwan killing 79 passengers and 4 crew members
* 2000 - A chartered
Antonov An-26 explodes after takeoff in Northern
Angola killing 50
* 2000 - The last
Multics machine was shut down.
*
2002 - A federal grand jury in Houston formally indicted former
Enron Corp. chief financial officer
Andrew Fastow on 78 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice related to the collapse of his ex-employer.
*
2003 - A bankruptcy court approves
MCI's reorganization plans, essentially clearing the telecommunications company to exit bankruptcy.
* 2003 -
Mahathir bin Mohamad resigns as
Prime Minister of
Malaysia after 22 years in power.
*
2004 - Passenger airline service ends at
Mirabel International Airport in
Montreal, Canada.
*
2005 -
President George W. Bush nominates Appeals court judge
Samuel Alito to join the
Supreme Court of the United States.
*
1291 -
Philippe de Vitry, French composer (d.
1361)
*
1345 - King
Fernando I of Portugal (d.
1383)
*
1391 - King
Duarte of Portugal (d.
1438)
*
1424 - King
Wladislaus III of Poland (d.
1444)
*
1538 -
Caesar Baronius, Italian cardinal and historian (d.
1607)
*
1599 -
Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, English statesman and writer (d.
1680)
*
1620 -
John Evelyn, English diarist (d.
1706)
*
1622 -
Pierre Paul Puget, French artist (d.
1694)
*
1632 - (baptism)
Johannes Vermeer, Flemish painter (d.
1675)
*
1636 -
Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria (d.
1679)
*
1692 -
Comte de Caylus, French archaeologist (d.
1765)
*
1705 -
Pope Clement XIV (d.
1774)
*
1711 -
Laura Bassi, Italian scholar (d.
1778)
*
1724 -
Christopher Anstey, English writer (d.
1805)
*
1737 -
James Lovell (delegate), American educator (d.
1789)
*
1795 -
John Keats, British poet (d.
1821)
*
1815 -
Karl Weierstraß, German mathematician (d.
1897)
*
1831 -
Paolo Mantegazza, Italian neurologist (d.
1910)
*
1835 -
Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1917)
*
1860 -
Juliette Low, American founder of the Girl Scouts (d.
1927)
*
1875 -
Eugene Meyer, American businessman and newspaper publisher (d.
1954)
* 1875 -
Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian freedom fighter and statesman (d.
1950)
*
1887 -
Chiang Kai-shek, Nationalist Chinese leader (d.
1975)
*
1892 -
Alexander Alekhine, Russian chess player (d.
1946)
*
1895 -
Basil Liddell Hart, British military historian (d.
1970)
*
1896 -
Ethel Waters, American singer and actress (d.
1977)
*
1912 -
Dale Evans, American singer and actress (d.
2001)
*
1914 -
Joe Carcione (a.k.a. "The Green Grocer"), American consumer advocate (d.
1988)
*
1917 -
Thomas Hill, Canadian actor
*
1918 -
Ian Stevenson, American parapsychologist
*
1920 -
Dick Francis, Welsh novelist
* 1920 -
Helmut Newton, German photographer (d.
2004)
* 1920 -
Fritz Walter, German footballer
*
1922 -
Barbara Bel Geddes, American actress (d.
2005)
* 1922 -
Illinois Jacquet, American saxophonist (d.
2004)
* 1922 - King
Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia*
1925 -
John Anthony Pople, English chemist,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
2004)
*
1926 -
Jimmy Saville, English entertainer
*
1927 -
Lee Grant, American actress
*
1928 -
Cleo Moore, American actress (d.
1973)
*
1929 -
Eddie Charlton, Australian snooker player (d.
2004)
*
1930 -
Michael Collins, astronaut
*
1931 -
Dan Rather, American television journalist
*
1936 -
Michael Landon, American actor (d.
1991)
*
1937 -
Tom Paxton, American singer
*
1939 -
Ron Rifkin, American actor
* 1939 -
Tom O'Connor, British comedian
*
1943 -
Paul Frampton, English physicist
*
1944 -
Kinky Friedman, American musician and novelist
*
1945 -
Brian Doyle-Murray, American comedian and actor
*
1946 -
Stephen Rea, Northern Irish actor
* 1946 -
Norman Lovett, British actor
*
1947 -
Deidre Hall, American actress
* 1947 -
Frank Shorter, American runner
*
1950 -
John Candy, Canadian comedian and actor (d.
1994)
* 1950 -
Jane Pauley, American news anchor
*
1953 -
Michael J. Anderson, American actor
*
1955 -
Mark Roesler, American businessman and lawyer, founder and head of CMG Worldwide
*
1958 -
Jeannie Longo, French cyclist
*
1959 -
Neal Stephenson, American author
*
1960 -
Luis Fortuño, Puerto Rico's delegate to Congress
* 1960 -
Mike Gallego, baseball player
*
1961 -
Peter Jackson, New Zealand film director
* 1961 -
Larry Mullen, Irish drummer (
U2)
* 1961 -
Alonzo Babers, American runner
* 1961 -
Kate Campbell, American musician
*
1963 -
Dunga, Brazilian footballer
* 1963 -
Fred McGriff, baseball player
* 1963 -
Rob Schneider, American actor
* 1963 -
Johnny Marr, guitarist/songwriter (
The Smiths)
*
1964 -
Marco van Basten, Dutch football player
* 1964 -
Marty Wright, American professional wrestler
*
1965 -
Annabella Lwin, British singer (
Bow Wow Wow)
*
1966 -
Adam Horovitz, American singer (
Beastie Boys)
*
1968 -
Antonio Davis, American basketball player
* 1968 -
Vanilla Ice, American rapper
*
1970 -
Linn Berggren, Swedish singer (
Ace of Base)
* 1970 -
Rogers Stevens, American guitarist (
Blind Melon)
*
1971 -
Alphonso Ford, American basketball player (d.
2004)
* 1971 -
Ian Walker, English footballer
*
1972 -
Shaun Bartlett, South African footballer
*
1974 -
Muzzy Izzet, Turkish footballer
*
1977 -
Séverine Ferrer,
French singer
*
1980 -
Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor
*
1981 -
Irina Denezhkina, Russian writer
* 1981 -
Frank Iero, American guitarist (
My Chemical Romance)
*
1986 -
Christie Hayes, Australian actress
*
1147 -
Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, English politician (bc.
1090)
*
1214 -
Leonora of England, wife of
Alfonso VIII of Castile (b.
1162)
*
1448 -
John VIII Palaeologus,
Byzantine Emperor (b.
1390)
*
1517 -
Fra Bartolommeo, Italian artist (b.
1472)
*
1659 -
John Bradshaw, English judge (b.
1602)
*
1723 -
Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b.
1642)
*
1732 -
Victor Amadeus II of Savoy (b.
1666)
*
1733 -
Eberhard IV Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg (b.
1676)
*
1744 -
Leonardo Leo, Italian composer (b.
1694)
*
1765 -
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, English military leader (b.
1721)
*
1768 -
Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian composer (b.
1690)
*
1860 -
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, British admiral (b.
1775)
*
1879 -
Jacob Abbott, American author (b.
1803)
*
1884 -
Marie Bashkirtseff, Russian painter (b.
1858)
*
1916 -
Charles Taze Russell, American founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses (b.
1852)
*
1918 -
Egon Schiele, Austrian painter (b.
1890)
*
1926 -
Harry Houdini, Hungarian-born magician (b.
1874)
*
1939 -
Otto Rank, Austrian psychologist (b.
1884)
*
1943 -
Max Reinhardt, German film director (b.
1873)
*
1952 -
U Chit Hlaing, Burmese politician (b.
1879)
*
1959 -
Jean Cabannes, French physicist (b.
1885)
*
1983 -
George Halas, American football player, coach, and team owner (b.
1895)
*
1984 -
Indira Gandhi,
Prime Minister of India (b.
1917)
*
1985 -
Poul Reichhardt, Danish actor (b.
1913)
*
1986 -
Robert S. Mulliken, American physicist and chemist, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b.
1896)
*
1987 -
Joseph Campbell, American author and expert on mythology (b.
1904)
*
1988 -
John Houseman, Romanian-born actor and director (b.
1902)
*
1991 -
Joseph Papp, American theatrical producer (b.
1921)
*
1991 -
Gene Anderson, Professional wrestler
*
1993 -
Federico Fellini, Italian director (b.
1920)
* 1993 -
River Phoenix, American actor (drug overdose) (b.
1970)
*
1995 -
Rosalind Cash, American actress (b.
1938)
*
1999 -
Greg Moore, Canadian race car driver (b.
1975)
*
2000 -
Watanabe Kazuki (founder and guitarrist of
Raphael), Japanese musician (b.
1981)
*
2000 -
Ring Lardner, Jr., American screenwriter (b.
1915)
*
2002 -
Lionel Poilâne, French baker and entrepreneur (b.
1945)
*
2003 -
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Indian singer (b.
1908)
* 2003 -
Dharmsamrat Paramhans Swami Madhavananda, Indian guru (b.
1923)
* 2003 -
Richard Neustadt, American political historian (b.
1919)
*
2005 -
Mary Wimbush, English actress (b.
1924)
* 2005 -
John "Beatz" Holohan, American drummer (Bayside) (b.
1974)
*
R.C. Saints -
October 31 is the
feast day of the following
Roman Catholic Saints:
**
St. Antoninus**
St. Arnulf**
St. Bega**
St. Notburga**
St. Quentin**
St Urban**
St. Wolfgang* Also see
October 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)*
Protestant Church -
Reformation Day:
Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenberg church on this day in
1517*
October 31st is
Halloween; also see
Samhain (an approximate date)
*
Cornwall -
Allantide*
Wikipedia -
Wikipedia:Tim Starling Day*
Paganism and
Celts -
Samhain* October 31st is
Nevada Day*
BBC: On This DayOctober 30 -
November 1 -
September 30 -
November 30 --
listing of all days
