Historical events on January 31

JANUARY 31, 1919

Intense rioting over labour conditions broke out in Glasgow, Scotlan.

The Battle of George Square was a violent confrontation in Glasgow, Scotland between City of Glasgow Police and striking workers, centred around Read More

JANUARY 31, 2000

Alaska Airlines Flight 261, experiencing problems with its horizontal stabilizer system, crashed in the Pacific Ocean off Anacapa Island, California, killing all 88 people on board.

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, Read More

JANUARY 31, 1988

Doug Williams (pictured) became the first African-American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl, leading the Washington Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII.

Douglas Lee Williams is an American professional football executive and former quarterback and coach who is a senior advisor for the Washington Read More

JANUARY 31, 1747

The London Lock Hospital, the first voluntary hospital specialising in the treatment of venereal diseases, opened.

The London Lock Hospital was the first voluntary hospital for venereal disease. It was also the most famous and first of the Read More

JANUARY 31, 1961

Aboard NASA's Mercury-Redstone 2, Ham the Chimp became the first hominid launched into outer space.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space Read More

JANUARY 31, 1827

Mexican soldiers and Texan militiamen marched into Nacogdoches, Texas, to end the Fredonian Rebellion.

Nacogdoches is a city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded Read More

JANUARY 31, 1900

Datu Muhammad Salleh, leader of a series of major disturbances in North Borneo, was shot dead in Tambunan, but his followers did not give up for five more years.

The Mat Salleh Rebellion was a series of major armed disturbances against the British North Borneo Chartered Company administration in North Borneo, Read More

JANUARY 31, 2010

James Cameron's Avatar became the first film to earn over US$2 billion worldwide.

James Francis Cameron is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies Read More

JANUARY 31, 1850

Ute Wars: On behalf of Utah territorial governor Brigham Young, militia leader Daniel H. Wells drafted an order for the Utah Territorial Militia to exterminate Timpanogos men deemed hostile, leading to the Provo River Massacre.

The Ute Wars were a series of conflicts between the Ute people and the United States which began in 1849 and ended in 1923.

JANUARY 31, 1703

Forty-seven rōnin (depicted) attacked the home of Kira Yoshinaka and killed him in an act of revenge for Asano Naganori, their dead feudal lord.

The revenge of the forty-seven rōnin , also known as the Akō incident or Akō vendetta, was a historical event in Read More

JANUARY 31, 1578

Eighty Years' War: Spain won a crushing victory at the Battle of Gembloux, threatening the States General of the Netherlands and contributing to its move from Brussels to Antwerp.

The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Read More

JANUARY 31, 2013

A gas leak underneath the Pemex Executive Tower in Mexico City caused an explosion that killed at least 37 people and injured another 121.

The Pemex Executive Tower is an office skyscraper in Mexico City. The 211-metre (692 ft) international style tower was built between 1979 and Read More

JANUARY 31, 1957

A DC-7B operated by Douglas Aircraft collided in mid-air with a U.S. Air Force F-89 and crashed into a schoolyard in Pacoima, California.

The Douglas DC-7 is a retired American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. A derivative of Read More

JANUARY 31, 1208

King Sverker II of Sweden was defeated at the Battle of Lena by Eric Knutsson, who succeeded to the throne.

Sverker the Younger, also known as Sverker II or Sverker Karlsson, was King of Sweden from 1195 or 1196 to 1208 when Read More

JANUARY 31, 314

Sylvester I (bust depicted), during whose pontificate many churches in Rome were constructed by Constantine the Great, began his reign as pope.

Pope Sylvester I was the bishop of Rome from 31 January 314 until his death on 31 December 335. He filled the Read More

What are You Looking for?

Historical events on January 31

Showing selected events of January 31

January Events