31 October
Notable Births
Leonor, Princess of Asturias
b. 2005
Heir to the Spanish throne (born 2005)
Ansu Fati
b. 2002
Bissau-Guinean-born Spanish footballer (born 2002)
Willow Smith
b. 2000
American singer (born 2000)
Léa Serna
b. 1999
French figure skater (born 1999)
Siobhán Haughey
b. 1997
Hong Kong swimmer (born 1997)
Sydney Park (actress)
b. 1997
American actress, comedian (born 1997)
Marcus Rashford
b. 1997
English footballer (born 1997)
Holly Taylor
b. 1997
Canadian and American actress and dancer
Nadine Lustre
b. 1993
Filipino actress and singer (born 1993)
Letitia Wright
b. 1993
British actress (born 1993)
Vanessa Marano
b. 1992
American actress (born 1992)
JID
b. 1990
American rapper (born 1990)
Scott McGough
b. 1989
American baseball player (born 1989)
Cole Aldrich
b. 1988
American basketball player (born 1988)
Sébastien Buemi
b. 1988
Swiss racing driver (born 1988)
Jack Riewoldt
b. 1988
Australian rules footballer (born 1988)
Lizzy Yarnold
b. 1988
British former skeleton racer (born 1988)
Nick Foligno
b. 1987
American ice hockey player (born 1987)
Jean-Karl Vernay
b. 1987
French racing driver
Christie Hayes
b. 1986
Australian actress and singer
Notable Deaths
Ken Mattingly
d. 2023
American astronaut (1936–2023)
Sean Connery
d. 2020
Scottish actor (1930–2020)
MF Doom
d. 2020
British and American rapper (1971–2020)
Willie McCovey
d. 2018
American baseball player (1938–2018)
Gus Savage
d. 2015
American politician
David Manker Abshire
d. 2014
American diplomat and politician (1926-2014)
Michael Alsbury
d. 2014
American test pilot (1975–2014)
Brad Halsey
d. 2014
American baseball player (1981–2014)
Chris Chase
d. 2013
American actor and author (1924–2013)
Gérard de Villiers
d. 2013
French writer and journalist (1929 - 2013)
Trevor Kletz
d. 2013
British scientific writer and chemical engineer(1922-2013)
Johnny Kucks
d. 2013
American baseball player (1932-2013)
Andres Narvasa
d. 2013
Chief Justice of the Philippines from 1991 to 1998
Bobby Parker (guitarist)
d. 2013
American musician and songwriter (1937–2013)
Gae Aulenti
d. 2012
Italian architect and designer (1927–2012)
John H. Reed
d. 2012
American politician (1921–2012)
Flórián Albert
d. 2011
Hungarian footballer
Ted Sorensen
d. 2010
American lawyer and presidential adviser (1928–2010)
Mustafa Mahmoud
d. 2009
Egyptian doctor and author
Joseph Papp
d. 1991
American producer and director (1921–1991)
On This Day in History
All 48 ›
2020
Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens its doors after nearly 10 years of delays due to construction issues and project corruption.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport
2017
A truck drives into a crowd in Lower Manhattan, New York City, killing eight people.
2017 New York City truck attack
2015
Metrojet Flight 9268 is bombed over the northern Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.
Metrojet Flight 9268
2014
During a test flight, the VSS Enterprise, a Virgin Galactic experimental spaceflight test vehicle, suffers a catastrophic in-flight breakup and crashes in the Mojave Desert, California.
VSS Enterprise
2011
The global population of humans reaches seven billion. This day is now recognized by the United Nations as the Day of Seven Billion.
World population
2003
Mahathir 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.
Mahathir Mohamad
2002
A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas indicts former Enron 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.
Houston
2000
Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station. The ISS has been crewed continuously since then.
Soyuz TM-31
2000
Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crashes on takeoff from Taipei, killing 83.
Singapore Airlines Flight 006
1999
Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.
Yacht
1999
EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantucket, killing all 217 people on board.
EgyptAir Flight 990
1998
Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.
Iraq disarmament crisis
1996
TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashes in São Paulo, Brazil, killing 99 people.
TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402
1994
American Eagle Flight 4184 crashes near Roselawn, Indiana killing all 68 people on board.
American Eagle Flight 4184
1984
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two Sikh security guards. Riots break out in New Delhi and other cities and around 3,000 Sikhs are killed.
Indira Gandhi
1979
Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes on landing in Mexico City, killing 73 people.
Western Airlines Flight 2605
1973
Three Provisional Irish Republican Army members escape from Mountjoy Prison, Dublin aboard a hijacked helicopter that landed in the exercise yard.
Provisional Irish Republican Army
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.
Vietnam War
1968
Great Drought of 1968: Amidst a collapse of hydropower President of Chile Eduardo Frei Montalva decrees the establishment of daylight saving time.
Great Drought of 1968
1963
Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion: A gas explosion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis kills 81 people and injures another 400 during an ice show.
1963 Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion