Wikipedia: October 31

October 31
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining.

Events

1517 - Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church.
1861 - American Civil War: Citing failing health, Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
1864 - Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state.
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.
1922 - Benito Mussolini becomes the youngest Premier in the history of Italy.
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.
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: 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).
1994 - An American Eagle ATR-72 crashes in Roselawn, Indiana, after circling in icy weather, killing 64 passengers.
1996 - A Brazilian TAM Fokker-100 crashes into several houses in Sao Paulo, Brazil killing 98 including 2 on the ground
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.
1999 - An EgyptAir Boeing 767-300 crashes off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing 217
2000 - A Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 crashes immediately after takeoff in Taipei, Taiwan killing 81
2000 - A chartered Antonov AN-26 explodes after takeoff in Northern Angola killing 50
2000 - The last Multics machine was shut down.

Births

1345 - King Fernando of Portugal (†1383)
1391 - King Duarte of Portugal (†1438)
1620 - John Evelyn, diarist (†1706)
1632 - Johannes Vermeer, painter (he was actually baptised on that day, his birthdate is not confirmed) († 1675)
1795 - John Keats, British poet (†1821)
1815 - Karl Weierstraß, German mathematician († 1897)
1851 - Princess Louise of Sweden († 1926)
1860 - Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts
1887 - Chiang Kai-shek, Nationalist Chinese leader († 1975)
1892 - Alexander Alekhine, chess player († 1946)
1896 - Ethel Waters, singer, actress († 1977)
1912 - Dale Evans, singer, actress († 2001)
1920 - Fritz Walter, German football player
1920 - Helmut Newton, photographer
1920 - Dick Francis, novelist
1922 - Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
1922 - Barbara Bel Geddes, actress
1922 - Illinois Jacquet, musician
1925 - John Anthony Pople, British theoretical chemist
1927 - Lee Grant, actress
1930 - Michael Collins, American astronaut
1931 - Dan Rather, American news anchor
1936 - Michael Landon, actor († 1991)
1937 - Tom Paxton, folk music singer
1944 - Kinky Friedman, musician, novelist
1945 - Brian Doyle-Murray, American comedian and actor
1947 - Deidre Hall, soap opera actress
1947 - Frank Shorter, marathon runner
1949 - Stephen Rea, actor
1950 - Jane Pauley, news anchor
1950 - John Candy, Canadian comedian and actor († 1994)
1959 - Neal Stephenson, author
1961 - Peter Jackson, New Zealand film director
1961 - Larry Mullen, Irish drummer for the rock band U2
1963 - Rob Schneider, actor
1964 - Marco van Basten, Dutch football player
1966 - Adam Horovitz, singer ("The Beastie Boys")
1968 - Vanilla Ice, rap music singer

Deaths

1448 - John VIII Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor
1611 - Charles IX of Sweden
1732 - Victor Amadeus II of Savoy
1768 - Francesco Maria Veracini, composer
1879 - Jacob Abbott, American author
1926 - Harry Houdini, magician
1939 - Otto Rank, Austrian psychologist
1943 - Max Reinhardt, German director
1983 - George Halas, American football player, coach, team owner
1984 - Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India
1986 - Robert S. Mulliken, American physicist, chemist
1987 - Joseph Campbell, American author and expert on mythology
1988 - John Houseman, actor, director, teacher
1991 - Joseph Papp, theatrical producer
1993 - Federico Fellini, Italian director
1993 - River Phoenix, actor
1999 - Greg Moore, CART driver
2000 - Ring Lardner, Jr, American screenwriter
2001 - Régine Cavagnoud, ski athlete
2001 - Paul Warnke, politician
2002 - Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell), rapper (Run DMC)
2003 - Richard Neustadt, political historian
2003 - Semmangudy, famous Carnatic vocalist

Holidays and observances

Halloween
Samhain (an approximate date)

October 30 - November 1 - December 31 - August 31 -- listing of all days

See Also: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December