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January 31 Events in History - January 31 Birthdays - January 31 Deaths
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January 31, 2006 Samuel Alito sworn in as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court January 31, 2000 Alaska Airlines flight 261 crashes off coast of southern California, killing 88, crash caused by a bad stabilizer January 31, 1999 Super Bowl XXXIII, Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons 34-19 January 31, 1998 72nd Australian Womens Tennis: Martina Hingis beats C Martinez (63 63) January 31, 1998 STS 89 (Endeavour 12) lands January 31, 1994 Barcelona opera theater "Gran Teatro del Liceo" burns down January 31, 1994 Dow Jones hits a record 3,978.36 January 31, 1993 "St. Joan" opens at Lyceum Theater New York City for 49 performances January 31, 1993 81st Australian Mens Tennis: Jim Courier beats S Edberg (62 61 26 75) January 31, 1993 Superbowl XXVII: Dallas Cowboys beat Buffalo Bills, 52-17 in Pasadena Superbowl MVP: Troy Aikman, Dallas, QB January 31, 1992 MTA raised tolls on most New York City bridges from $2.50 to $3.00 January 31, 1992 Sportscaster Howard Cosell retires January 31, 1991 Nugget's Michael Adams becomes shortest NBA player to get a triple-double January 31, 1991 Robert Gibson flies record 27,040 feet altitude January 31, 1990 1st McDonalds in Russia opens in Moscow, world's biggest McDonalds January 31, 1990 1st ever all-sports daily "National" begins publishing January 31, 1990 Jushin "Thunder" Liger beats Naoki Sano to become New Japan IWGP champ January 31, 1988 Barge sinks near Anacortes, WA, spills 70,000 gallons of oil January 31, 1988 Superbowl XXII: Washington Redskins beat Denver Broncos, 42-10 in San Diego Superbowl MVP: Doug Williams, Washington, QB January 31, 1987 44th Golden Globes: Platoon, Marlee Matlin win January 31, 1987 United Steel workers union ratified a concessionary with USX Corp January 31, 1986 Mary Lund of Minn, is 1st female recipient of an artificial heart January 31, 1985 "Harrigan 'n Hart" opens at Longacre Theater New York City for 5 performances January 31, 1985 South Africa President PW Botha offers to free Mandela if he denounces violence January 31, 1984 36th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 7-6 at NJ January 31, 1984 Edwin Newman retires from NBC News after 35 years with the network January 31, 1984 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site January 31, 1982 10 Arabian oryx, extinct except in zoos, released in Oman January 31, 1982 12th AFC-NFC pro bowl, AFC wins 16-13 January 31, 1982 32nd NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 120-118 at New Jersey January 31, 1982 Gustafson skates world record 10 km (14:26.59) January 31, 1982 Hollis Stacy wins LPGA Whirlpool Golf Championship of Deer Creek January 31, 1982 NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 16-13 January 31, 1982 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Hamilton January 31, 1981 "The Tide Is High" by Blondie hits #1 January 31, 1981 38th Golden Globes: Ordinary People, Coal Miner's Daughter January 31, 1981 Gaetan Boucher skates world record 1000m (1:13.39) January 31, 1980 Police storm occupied Spanish embassy in Guatemala City, killing 41 January 31, 1978 "Elvis: The Legend Lives!" opens at Palace Theater New York City for 101 performances January 31, 1978 Israel turns 3 milt outposts in West Bank into civilian settlements January 31, 1977 Frenchman Francois Claustre freed, after 33 months as hostage in Chad January 31, 1977 Joe Sewell, Amos Rusie, and Al Lopez elected to baseball Hall of Fame January 31, 1976 "Love Rollercoaster" by Ohio Players hits #1 January 31, 1976 Lance Gibbs becomes highest Test wicket-taker at 308 January 31, 1975 Barry Manilow's "Mandy" goes gold January 31, 1975 John Lennon releases "#9 Dream" January 31, 1975 UCLA wins NCAA basketball championship January 31, 1974 McDonald's founder Ray Kroc buys San Diego Padres January 31, 1972 Aretha Franklin sings at Mahalia Jackson's funeral January 31, 1972 Birenda, becomes leader of Nepal January 31, 1972 Military coup ousts civilian government of Ghana January 31, 1972 U.S. launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998) January 31, 1971 "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison hit #1 on U.K. pop chart January 31, 1971 Apollo 14 launched, 1st landing in lunar highlands January 31, 1971 Jake Beckley, Joe Kelley, Harry Hooper, Rube Marquard, Chick Hafey January 31, 1971 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Janet Lynn January 31, 1971 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by John Misha Petkevich January 31, 1971 & Dave Bancroft and George Weiss elected to baseball Hall of Fame January 31, 1970 Grateful Dead members busted on LSD charges January 31, 1969 Beatles perform last live gig (42-min concert on roof of Apple HQs) January 31, 1969 Vice Admiral Rufus L Taylor, USN, ends term as deputy director of CIA January 31, 1968 Bobby Simpson takes 5-59 vs. India in his last Test for ten years January 31, 1968 Nauru (formerly Pleasant Island) declares independence from Australia January 31, 1968 Record high barometric pressure (1083.8 mb, 32"), at Agata, U.S.S.R. January 31, 1968 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site January 31, 1968 Viet Cong's Tet offensive begins January 31, 1966 Belgian state police kills 2 striking mine workers January 31, 1966 U.S.S.R. launches Luna 9 towards Moon January 31, 1965 Pud Galvin elected to baseball Hall of Fame January 31, 1964 U.S. report "Smoking and Health" connects smoking to lung cancer January 31, 1963 Tony Sheridan and Beat Brothers record "What'd I Say" and "Ruby Baby" January 31, 1962 Gen Charles P. Cabell, USAF, ends term as deputy director of CIA January 31, 1962 Samuel Gravely assumes command of destroyer escort "USS Falgout" January 31, 1961 David Ben-Gurion resigns as premier of Israel January 31, 1961 Ham is 1st primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury/Redstone 2 January 31, 1961 Houston voters approve bond to finance luxury domed stadium January 31, 1961 Kanhai completes twin tons (117 and 115) vs. Aust at Adelaide January 31, 1961 NATO Secretary-General Paul-Henri Spaak says he'll resign January 31, 1961 USAF launches Samos spy satellite to replace U-2 flights January 31, 1960 Songwriter Adolph Green marries actress and singer Phyllis Newman in New York City January 31, 1959 Joe Cronin signs 7 year pact to become head of AL January 31, 1958 "Jackpot Bowling" premieres on NBC with Leo Durocher as host January 31, 1958 James van Allen discovers radiation belt January 31, 1958 U.S. launches their 1st artificial satellite, Explorer 1 January 31, 1957 Liz Taylor's 2nd divorce (Michael Wilding) January 31, 1957 Trans-Iranian oil pipe line finished January 31, 1956 French government of Mollet forms January 31, 1956 Juscelino Kubitschek becomes president of Brazil January 31, 1955 RCA demonstrates 1st music synthesizer January 31, 1953 "Princess Victoria" capsized off Stanraer Scotland; 133 die January 31, 1953 Hurricane-like winds flood Netherlands drowning 1,835 January 31, 1953 NY, Cleveland, and Boston retaliate at Bill Veeck, forcing the Browns to play afternoon games to avoid sharing TV revenues January 31, 1952 Dutch Lutheran Church reunites after 1 centuries January 31, 1952 Harry Heilmann and Paul Waner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame January 31, 1950 President Truman approves building of hydrogen bomb January 31, 1949 1st daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago) January 31, 1948 J D Salinger's "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish" appears in NY January 31, 1948 Magnetic tape recorder developed by Wireway January 31, 1946 Yugoslavia adopts new constitution, becomes a federal republic January 31, 1945 US 4th Infantry division occupies Elcherrath January 31, 1944 Operation-Overlord (D-Day) postponed until June January 31, 1944 U-592 sunk off Ireland January 31, 1944 U.S. forces invade Kwajalein Atoll January 31, 1943 39 U boats sunk this month (203,100 ton) January 31, 1943 Chile breaks contact with Germany and Japan January 31, 1943 Gen Friedrich von Paul surrenders to Russian troops at Stalingrad January 31, 1942 62 U boats sunk this month (327,000 ton) January 31, 1941 21 U boats sunk this month (127,000 ton) January 31, 1941 Anti-German demonstration in Haarlem Netherlands January 31, 1941 Joe Louis KOs Red Burman in 5 for heavyweight boxing title January 31, 1940 40 U boats sunk this month (111,000 ton) January 31, 1940 C Turney and J Horwin's "My Dear Children," premieres in New York City January 31, 1936 "Green Hornet" radio show is 1st heard on WXYZ Radio in Detroit January 31, 1934 Franklin D. Roosevelt devalus dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce January 31, 1933 French government of Daladier takes power January 31, 1933 Hitler promises parliamentary democracy January 31, 1932 U.S. railway unions accept 10% wage reduction January 31, 1931 NHL's Quebec Bulldogs' Joseph Malone scores a record 7 goals January 31, 1931 Philip Barry's "Tomorrow and Tomorrow," premieres in New York City January 31, 1930 1st U.S. glider flight from a dirigible, Lakehurst, NJ January 31, 1929 Erich Maria Remarques publishes "Im West nieces Neues" in Berlin January 31, 1929 Leon Trotsky expelled from Russia to Turkey January 31, 1928 Scotch tape 1st marketed by 3-M Company January 31, 1927 International allies military command in Germany disbands January 31, 1927 NL President John Heydler rules Rogers Hornsby can't hold stock in the Cardinals and play for the Giants January 31, 1925 Premier Ahmed Zogu becomes president of Angola January 31, 1920 1st Ukrainian daily newspaper in U.S. (New York City) begins publication January 31, 1920 Joe Malone, Quebec Bulldogs, sets NHL record with 7 goals in a game January 31, 1920 Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, at Howard University, incorporates January 31, 1917 Germany notifies U.S. that U-boats will attack neutral merchant ship January 31, 1916 Dutch Girl Guides form January 31, 1915 1st German poison gas attack, against Russians January 31, 1911 Congress names San Francisco as Panama Canal opening celebration site January 31, 1906 Strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake, Colombia, 8.6 Richter January 31, 1905 1st auto to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), A G MacDonald, Daytona Beach January 31, 1905 Carroll Wright appointed 1st U.S. Commissioner of Labor January 31, 1904 Bela Bartok's symphony "Kossuth," premieres January 31, 1901 Boer general John Smuts and De la Rey conqueror Mud river Transvaal January 31, 1901 Chekhov's "Three Sisters" opens at Moscow Art Theater January 31, 1901 Winnipeg Victorias sweep Montreal Shamrocks in 2 for Stanley Cup January 31, 1895 Jose Marti and others leave New York City for invasion of Spanish Cuba January 31, 1893 "Westminster Gazette" begins publishing January 31, 1874 Jesse James gang robs train at Gads Hill, Missouri January 31, 1871 Millions of birds fly over western SF, darkens sky January 31, 1865 Congress passes 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America (121-24) January 31, 1865 Gen Robert E Lee named Commander-in-Chief of Confederate Armies January 31, 1863 1st black Civil War regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, mustered into U.S. army January 31, 1862 Telescope maker Alvin Clark discovers dwarf companion of Sirius January 31, 1861 Friedrich Hebbel's "Siegfrieds Tod," premieres in Weimar January 31, 1861 State of Louisiana takes over U.S. Mint at New Orleans January 31, 1855 Western railroads blocked by snow January 31, 1854 Dutch KNMI established (Royal Meteorological Institute) January 31, 1851 Gail Borden announces invention of evaporated milk January 31, 1851 SF Orphan's Asylum, 1st in California, founded January 31, 1849 Corn Laws abolished in Britain January 31, 1842 John Tyler's daughter Elizabeth marries in White House January 31, 1817 Franz Grillparzer's "Die Ahnfrau," premieres in Vienna January 31, 1804 British vice-admiral William Blighs fleet reaches Curacao January 31, 1779 Charles Messier adds M57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra) to his catalog January 31, 1696 Revolt of undertakers after funeral reforms (Amsterdam) January 31, 1679 Jean-Baptiste Lully's opera "Bellerophon," premieres in Paris January 31, 1675 Cornelia/Dina Olfaarts found not guilty of witchcraft January 31, 1627 Spanish government goes bankrupt January 31, 1609 Wisselbank of Amsterdam established January 31, 1596 Catholic League disjoins January 31, 1578 Battle of Gembloers January 31, 1560 Spanish king Philip II marries Elisabeth van Valois January 31, 1531 Kings Ferdinand of Austria/Janos Zapolyai of Hungary accept each other January 31, 1504 By treaty of Lyons, French cede Naples to Ferdinand of Aragon January 31, 876 Charles becomes king of Italy January 31, 314 St. Silvester I begins his reign as Catholic Pope |