What happened on October 31? There are more than 321 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
Interesting Facts & Myths About October 31
October 31 is the 305th day of the year 2024. There are 61 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday. This day falls under the 44th week of the year 2024.
On this day in El Paso, Texas 88536 sunrise will occur at 07:20 AM and sunset will occur at 06:17 PM (local time).
The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Scorpio. The modern birthstone for this month is Opal while the mystical birthstone is Jasper.
According to the Chinese calendar, there are 90 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).
Is your birthday coming up in two days? Are you not curious to find out who is sharing your special day? Discover all the April 27 famous birthdays. There are fun facts about that day that you must know. (Sponsored link)
Historical Events For October 31
- 475Romulus Augustulus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor.
- 1517Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
- 1587Leiden University Library opens its doors after its founding in 1575.
- 1822Emperor Agustín de Iturbide attempts to dissolve the Mexican Empire.
- 1861American Civil War: Citing failing health, Union General Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army.
- 1863The Maori Wars resumes as British forces in New Zealand led by General Duncan Cameron begin their Invasion of the Waikato.
- 1864Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state.
- 1876A monster cyclone ravages India, resulting in over 200,000 deaths.
- 1913Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across United States.
- 1913The Indianapolis Street Car Strike and subsequent riot begins.
- 1917World War I: Battle of Beersheba – “last successful cavalry charge in history”.
- 1918Banat Republic is founded
- 1923The first of 160 consecutive days of 100 degrees Fahrenheit at Marble Bar, Australia.
- 1924World Savings Day is announced in Milan, Italy by the Members of the Association at the 1st International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks).
- 1926Magician Harry Houdini dies of gangrene and peritonitis that developed after his appendix ruptured.
- 1938Great Depression: In an effort to restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a fifteen-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public.
- 1940World War II: The Battle of Britain ends – the United Kingdom prevents a possible German invasion.
- 1941A fire in a clothing factory in Huddersfield, England kills 49.
- 1941After 14 years of work, Mount Rushmore is completed.
- 1941World War II: The destroyer USS Reuben James is torpedoed by a German U-boat near Iceland, killing more than 100 United States Navy sailors. It is the first U.S. Navy vessel sunk by enemy action in WWII.
- 1943World War II: An F4U Corsair accomplishes the first successful radar-guided interception.
- 1944Dr. jur. Erich Göstl, a member of the Waffen SS, is awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, to recognise extreme battlefield bravery, after losing his face and eyes during the Battle of Normandy.
- 1954Algerian War of Independence: The Algerian National Liberation Front begins a revolt against French rule.
- 1956Suez Crisis: The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt to force the reopening of the Suez Canal.
- 1959Lee Harvey Oswald attempts to renounce his American citizenship at the US Embassy in Moscow, USSR.
- 1961In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin’s body is removed from Lenin’s Tomb.
- 1963An explosion at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum (now Pepsi Coliseum) in Indianapolis kills 74 people during an ice skating show. The explosion also injures 400. A faulty propane tank connection in a concession stand is blamed.
- 1968Vietnam 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.
- 1973Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape. Three Provisional Irish Republican Army members escape from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, Republic of Ireland aboard a hijacked helicopter that lands in the exercise yard.
- 1984Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two security guards. Riots break out in New Delhi and nearly 10,000 Sikhs are killed.
- 1994An American Eagle ATR-72 crashes in Roselawn, Indiana, after circling in icy weather, killing 68 passengers and crew.
- 1996A Fokker F100 operating as TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashes into several houses in São Paulo, Brazil killing 98 including 2 on the ground.
- 199719-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.
- 1998Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.
- 1999EgyptAir Flight 990 traveling from New York City to Cairo crashes off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing all 217 on-board.
- 1999Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.
- 2000A Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 operating as Flight 006 collides with construction equipment upon takeoff in Taipei, Taiwan killing 79 passengers and four crew members.
- 2000A chartered Antonov An-26 explodes after takeoff in Northern Angola killing 50.
- 2000Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station. The ISS has been continuously crewed since.
- 2002A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas indicts 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.
- 2003A bankruptcy court approves MCI’s reorganization plans, essentially clearing the telecommunications company to exit bankruptcy.
- 2003Bethany Hamilton is attacked by a tiger shark and loses her left arm and three liters of blood.
- 2003Mahathir bin Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia and is replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, marking an end to Mahathir’s 22 years in power.
- 2011The world population is now over 7 billion inhabitants according to the United Nations
Who Were Born On October 31?
- 1291Philippe de Vitry, French composer (d. 1361)
- 1345King Fernando I of Portugal (d. 1383)
- 1391King Edward of Portugal (d. 1438)
- 1424King Wladyslaw III of Poland (d. 1444)
- 1599Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, English statesman and writer (d. 1680)
- 1620John Evelyn, English diarist (d. 1706)
- 1622Pierre Paul Puget, French artist (d. 1694)
- 1632(baptism) Johannes Vermeer, Flemish painter (d. 1675)
- 1636Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria (d. 1679)
- 1692Comte de Caylus, French archaeologist (d. 1765)
- 1705Pope Clement XIV (d. 1774)
- 1711Laura Bassi, Italian scholar (d. 1778)
- 1724Christopher Anstey, English writer (d. 1805)
- 1737James Lovell, American educator (d. 1789)
- 1795John Keats, British poet (d. 1821)
- 1815Karl Weierstraß, German mathematician (d. 1897)
- 1825Charles Lavigerie, French cardinal (d. 1892)
- 1827Richard Morris Hunt, American educator (d. 1895)
- 1831Paolo Mantegazza, Italian neurologist (d. 1910)
- 1835Adelbert Ames, American general, 27th and 30th Governor of Mississippi (d. 1933)
- 1835Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1917)
- 1835Krišjānis Barons, Latvian writer (d. 1923)
- 1838King Louis of Portugal (d. 1889)
- 1848Boston Custer, brother of George Armstrong Custer (d. 1876)
- 1851Lovisa of Sweden, queen of Denmark (d. 1926)
- 1856Charles Leroux, American balloonist and parachutist (d. 1889)
- 1860Juliette Low, American founder of the Girl Scouts (d. 1927)
- 1875Eugene Meyer, American businessman and newspaper publisher (d. 1954)
- 1875Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian freedom fighter and statesman (d. 1950)
- 1879Sara Allgood, Irish actress (d. 1950)
- 1883Marie Laurencin, French painter (d. 1956)
- 1887Chiang Kai-shek, Nationalist Chinese leader, former Republic of China president (d. 1975)
- 1887Newsy Lalonde, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1970)
- 1888Napoleon Lapathiotis, Greek poet (d. 1944)
- 1890Susie Gibson, American supercentenarian. (d. 2006)
- 1892Alexander Alekhine, Russian chess player (d. 1946)
- 1895B. H. Liddell Hart, British military historian (d. 1970)
- 1896Ethel Waters, American singer and actress (d. 1977)
- 1897Delma Kollar, American supercentenarian.
- 1902Abraham Wald, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1950)
- 1908Muriel Duckworth, Canadian activist (d. 2009)
- 1912Dale Evans, American singer and actress (d. 2001)
- 1912Ollie Johnston, American animator (d. 2008)
- 1914Joe Carcione, American consumer advocate (d. 1988)
- 1914John Hugenholtz, Dutch race track designer (d. 1995)
- 1915Jane Jarvis, American jazz pianist (d. 2010)
- 1916Carl Johan Bernadotte, former Prince of Sweden
- 1917William Hardy McNeill, Canadian-born historian
- 1918Ian Stevenson, American parapsychologist (d. 2007)
- 1919Magnus Wenninger, American priest, author of Polyhedron models
- 1920Dedan Kimathi, Kenyan rebel leader (d. 1957)
- 1920Dick Francis, British jockey-turned-novelist (d. 2010)
- 1920Fritz Walter, German footballer (d. 2002)
- 1920Helmut Newton, German photographer (d. 2004)
- 1920Joseph Gelineau French composer (d. 2008)
- 1922Anatoli Papanov, Soviet actor (d. 1987)
- 1922Barbara Bel Geddes, American actress (d. 2005)
- 1922Illinois Jacquet, American saxophonist (d. 2004)
- 1922King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
- 1925John Pople, English chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 2004)
- 1926Jimmy Savile, English entertainer (d. 2011)
- 1927Lee Grant, American actress
- 1927Thomas Hill, Canadian actor (d. 2009)
- 1928Cleo Moore, American actress (d. 1973)
- 1929Bud Spencer, Italian actor
- 1929Eddie Charlton, Australian snooker player (d. 2004)
- 1930Michael Collins, American astronaut
- 1931Dan Rather, American television journalist
- 1933Phil Goyette, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1934Fillie Lyckow, Swedish actress
- 1935David Harvey, British-American academic
- 1935Ronald Graham, American mathematician
- 1936Michael Landon, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1937Tom Paxton, American singer-songwriter
- 1939Ali Farka Touré, Malian musician (d. 2008)
- 1939Ron Rifkin, American actor
- 1939Tom O'Connor, British comedian
- 1941Dan Alderson, American scientist
- 1941Derek Bell, British racing driver
- 1941Spilios Spiliotopoulos, Greek politician
- 1941Werner Krieglstein, Czech-American philosopher
- 1942Dave McNally, American baseball player
- 1942David Ogden Stiers, American actor
- 1943Aristotelis Pavlidis, Greek politician
- 1943Brian Piccolo, American football player (d. 1970)
- 1943Paul Frampton, English physicist
- 1944Sally Kirkland, American actress
- 1945Brian Doyle-Murray, American comedian and actor
- 1945Russ Ballard, English rock singer/songwriter, guitarist
- 1946Norman Lovett, British actor
- 1946Stephen Rea, Irish actor
- 1947Deidre Hall, American actress
- 1947Frank Shorter, American runner
- 1947Herman Van Rompuy, Belgian politician
- 1948Michael Kitchen, British actor
- 1949Bob Siebenberg, American drummer
- 1950Antonio Taguba, US Army Major General
- 1950Jane Pauley, American news anchor
- 1950John Candy, Canadian comedian and actor (d. 1994)
- 1950Jozef Stolorz, Polish art painter
- 1950Zaha Hadid, British architect
- 1951Dave Trembley, American baseball manager
- 1951Nick Saban, American college football coach
- 1952Bernard Edwards, American bass guitarist (d. 1996)
- 1953John Lucas II, American basketball player and coach
- 1953Michael J. Anderson, American actor
- 1954Ken Wahl, American actor
- 1955Michalis Chrysohoidis, Greek politician
- 1956Anders Lago, Swedish Social Democratic politician
- 1957Brian Stokes Mitchell, American singer and actor
- 1957Robert Pollard, American rocker
- 1957Shirley Phelps-Roper, American attorney
- 1958Jeannie Longo, French cyclist
- 1959Mats Näslund, Swedish ice hockey player
- 1959Michael DeLorenzo, American actor, director and musician
- 1959Neal Stephenson, American author
- 1960Arnaud Desplechin, French film director
- 1960Luis Fortuño, Puerto Rican delegate to Congress
- 1960Mike Gallego, American baseball player
- 1960Reza Pahlavi, former crown prince of Iran
- 1961Alonzo Babers, American runner
- 1961Kate Campbell, American musician
- 1961Larry Mullen, Irish drummer (U2)
- 1961Peter Jackson, New Zealand film director
- 1963Dermot Mulroney, American actor
- 1963Dunga, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1963Fred McGriff, American baseball player
- 1963Johnny Marr, English guitarist and songwriter
- 1963Mikkey Dee, Swedish musician, drummer for Motörhead
- 1963Rob Schneider, American actor
- 1964Colm Ó Cíosóig, Irish drummer
- 1964Darryl Worley, American country singer
- 1964Marco van Basten, Dutch footballer and manager
- 1964Marty Wright, American professional wrestler
- 1965Blue Edwards, American basketball player
- 1965Denis Irwin, Irish footballer
- 1965Rob Rackstraw, voice actor
- 1966Adam Horovitz (Adrock), American rapper (Beastie Boys)
- 1966Annabella Lwin, British singer (Bow Wow Wow)
- 1966Jon Wurster, American comic and drummer (Superchunk, The Mountain Goats)
- 1966Joseph Boyden, Canadian novelist
- 1966Koji Kanemoto, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1966Mike O'Malley, American actor
- 1967Buddy Lazier, American race car driver
- 1967Irina Pantaeva, Russian model and actress
- 1967Vanilla Ice, American rapper
- 1968Antonio Davis, American basketball player
- 1969David Coburn, American actor/voice actor
- 1970Johnny Moeller, American blues guitarist
- 1970Linn Berggren, Swedish singer (Ace of Base)
- 1970Mitch Harris, American guitarist (Napalm Death)
- 1970Nicky Wu, Taiwanese actor and martial arts expert
- 1970Rogers Stevens, American guitarist (Blind Melon)
- 1970Steve Trachsel, American baseball player
- 1971Alphonso Ford, American basketball player (d. 2004)
- 1971Ian Walker, English footballer
- 1971Toby Anstis, British radio presenter
- 1971Tom Smith, Scottish rugby player
- 1972Grigoris Georgatos, Greek footballer
- 1972Matt Dawson, English rugby union footballer
- 1972Shaun Bartlett, South African footballer
- 1973Beverly Lynne, American erotic film actress
- 1973Christopher Bevins, American voice actor
- 1973David Dellucci, American baseball player
- 1973Paul Abrahams, English footballer
- 1973Tim Byrdak, American baseball player
- 1974Muzzy Izzet, Turkish footballer
- 1974Natasja Saad, Danish hip hop and reggae artist (d. 2007)
- 1974Roger Manganelli, Brazilian musician (Less Than Jake)
- 1975Fabio Celestini, Swiss footballer
- 1975Johnny Whitworth, American actor
- 1975Keith Jardine, MMA fighter
- 1976Guti, Spanish footballer
- 1976Piper Perabo, American actress
- 1977Séverine Ferrer, French singer
- 1977Sylviane Félix, French athlete
- 1978Emmanuel Izonritei, Nigerian boxer
- 1978Inka Grings, German footballer
- 1978Martin Verkerk, Dutch tennis player
- 1979Ricardo Fuller, Jamaican footballer
- 1979Saaphyri Windsor, American reality TV figure
- 1979Simão Sabrosa, Portuguese footballer
- 1980Alondra de la Parra, Mexican conductor
- 1980Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor
- 1980Marcel Meeuwis, Dutch footballer
- 1980Samaire Armstrong, American actress
- 1981Frank Iero, American musician (My Chemical Romance, Pencey Prep)
- 1981Irina Denezhkina, Russian writer
- 1981Lollie Alexi Devereaux, French actress & writer
- 1981Mike Napoli, American baseball player
- 1981Selina Jen, Taiwanese singer (S.H.E)
- 1981Steven Hunter, American basketball player
- 1982Jordan Bannister, Australian rules footballer
- 1982Justin Chatwin, Canadian actor
- 1982Tomáš Plekanec, Czech ice hockey player
- 1983Katy French, Irish model (d. 2007)
- 1984Pat Murray, American football player
- 1984Scott Clifton, American actor
- 1986Brent Corrigan, American pornographic actor
- 1986Chris Alajajian, Australian racing driver
- 1986Christie Hayes, Australian actress
- 1987Nick Foligno, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1988Cole Aldrich, American basketball player
- 1988Jack Riewoldt, Australian rules footballer
- 1988Sébastien Buemi, Swiss racing driver
- 1989Ben Brooks, British motocross racer
- 1990Lil' JJ, American comedian and actor
- 1992Vanessa Marano, American actress
- 2000Willow Smith, American actress and singer
- 2005Infanta Leonor of Spain, Spanish royalty
Who Died On October 31?
- 1147Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, English politician (b. c.1090)
- 1214Leonora of England, queen of Alfonso VIII of Castile (b. 1162)
- 1448John VIII Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1390)
- 1517Fra Bartolommeo, Italian artist (b. 1472)
- 1641Cornelis Jol, Dutch admiral and privateer (b. 1597)
- 1659John Bradshaw, English judge (b. 1602)
- 1723Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1642)
- 1732Victor Amadeus II of Savoy (b. 1666)
- 1733Eberhard IV Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1676)
- 1744Leonardo Leo, Italian composer (b. 1694)
- 1765Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, English military leader (b. 1721)
- 1768Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian composer (b. 1690)
- 1860Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, British admiral (b. 1775)
- 1879Jacob Abbott, American author (b. 1803)
- 1879Joseph Hooker, American General (b. 1814)
- 1883Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Indian spiritual figure (b. 1824)
- 1884Marie Bashkirtseff, Russian painter (b. 1858)
- 1913William Evans-Gordon, British politician (b. 1857)
- 1916Charles Taze Russell, American religious figure (b. 1852)
- 1918Egon Schiele, Austrian painter (b. 1890)
- 1920Alphonse Desjardins, Québécois journalist and credit union executive (b. 1854)
- 1925Max Linder, French actor, director and screenwriter (b. 1883)
- 1926Harry Houdini, Hungarian-born American magician (b. 1874)
- 1929António José de Almeida, Portuguese politician (b. 1866)
- 1939Otto Rank, Austrian psychologist (b. 1884)
- 1946Gabriel Gabrio, French actor (b. 1887)
- 1952U Chit Hlaing, Burmese politician (b. 1879)
- 1959Jean Cabannes, French physicist (b. 1885)
- 1972Bill Durnan, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1916)
- 1973Malek Bennabi, Algerian thinker (b. 1905)
- 1975SD Burman, Indian musician (b. 1906)
- 1980Jan Werich, Czech actor, playwright and writer (b. 1905)
- 1983George Halas, American professional football coach and team owner (b. 1895)
- 1984Eduardo De Filippo, Italian actor and screenwriter (b. 1900)
- 1984Indira Gandhi, Indian politician (b. 1917)
- 1985Anton Christoforidis, Greek boxer (b. 1918)
- 1985Nikos Engonopoulos, Greek painter and poet (b. 1907)
- 1985Poul Reichhardt, Danish actor (b. 1913)
- 1986Robert S. Mulliken, American physicist and chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1896)
- 1988Alfred Pellan, Québécois painter (b. 1906)
- 1988John Houseman, Romanian-born American actor and director (b. 1902)
- 1991Gene Anderson, American professional wrestler (b. 1933)
- 1991Joseph Papp, American theatrical producer (b. 1921)
- 1993Federico Fellini, Italian director (b. 1920)
- 1993River Phoenix, American actor (b. 1970)
- 1995Rosalind Cash, American actress (b. 1938)
- 1996Marcel Carné, French film director (b. 1906)
- 1998Elmer Vasko, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1935)
- 1999Greg Moore, Canadian race car driver (b. 1975)
- 2000Ring Lardner, Jr., American screenwriter (b. 1915)
- 2001Régine Cavagnoud, French skier (b. 1970)
- 2002Lionel Poilâne, French baker and entrepreneur (b. 1945)
- 2002Michail Stasinopoulos, Greek politician (b. 1903)
- 2002Raf Vallone, Italian actor (b. 1916)
- 2003Richard Neustadt, American political historian (b. 1919)
- 2003Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Indian singer (b. 1908)
- 2005Hal Anger, American biophysicist (b. 1920)
- 2005Mary Wimbush, English actress (b. 1924)
- 2006P. W. Botha, South African politician (b. 1916)
- 2006Peter Fryer, English writer and journalist (b. 1927)
- 2007Ray Gravell, Welsh rugby footballer (b. 1951)
- 2008Studs Terkel, American author and radio personality (b. 1912)
- 2009Qian Xuesen, Chinese scientist (b. 1911)
- 2009Tom Wheatcroft, English businessman (b. 1922)
- 2010Maurice Lucas, American basketball player (b. 1952)
- 2010Theodore Sorensen, American lawyer and special counsel to John F. Kennedy (b. 1928)
- 2011Flórián Albert, Hungarian footballer (b. 1941)
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