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On This Day in History — August 31
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Highlights of August 31
- 2019 — A sightseeing helicopter crashed in the mountains of Skoddevarre in Alta, Norway, killing all six people on board. Read more
- 2019 — A sightseeing helicopter crashed in the mountains of Skoddevarre in Alta, Norway, killing all six people on board. Read more
- 2010 — The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British television history, was broadcast. Read more
- 2002 — Typhoon Rusa made landfall in Goheung as the most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in 43 years, killing at least 236 people. Read more
- 1997 — Diana, Princess of Wales (pictured), her partner Dodi Fayed, and their driver were killed in a car crash in Paris. Read more
- 1969 — On the final day of the Isle of Wight Festival 1969, attended by approximately 150,000 people over three days, Bob Dylan appeared in his first gig in three years. Read more
- 1959 — A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu (pictured), younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm, failed to kill Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister of Cambodia. Read more
- 1942 — The Matagorda hurricane, the most intense and costliest tropical cyclone of the 1942 Atlantic hurricane season, dissipated after causing $26.5 million in damages and eight deaths. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: A detachment of Chetniks captured the town of Loznica in German-occupied Serbia. Read more
- 1940 — Second World War: Two Royal navy destroyers were lost to mines and two other vessels damaged off Texel, Netherlands, killing around 300 men. Read more
- 1939 — Nazi forces, posing as Poles, staged an attack against the German radio station Sender Gleiwitz in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany, creating an excuse to invade Poland the next day. Read more
- 1897 — Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope, a precursor to the modern movie projector. Read more
- 1897 — Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope (pictured), a precursor to the modern movie projector. Read more
- 1886 — The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake struck southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 60 people and causing damage worth an estimated $5–6 million. Read more
- 1876 — Sultan Murad V of the Ottoman Empire was deposed after a reign of 93 days on grounds of mental illness.* 1888 – The body of Mary Ann Nichols, the alleged first victim of an unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper (pictured), was found in Buck's Row, London. Read more
- 1814 — War of 1812: American militia forces repelled a British force at the Battle of Caulk's Field, killing 41 people including Captain Peter Parker of the Royal Navy. Read more
- 1814 — War of 1812: American militia forces repelled a British force at the Battle of Caulk's Field, killing 41 people, including Captain Peter Parker of the Royal Navy. Read more
- 1218 — Al-Kamil became the fourth sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt. Read more
- 1218 — Al-Kamil became the fourth sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt. Read more
Events
- 2025 — A landslide in the Darfur region of Sudan kills over 1000 people. Read more
- 2025 — An earthquake in eastern Afghanistan kills over 1400 people. Read more
- 2024 — A helicopter crashes in Kamchatka Krai in the Russian Far East, killing all 22 occupants. Read more
- 2019 — A sightseeing helicopter crashes in the mountains of Skoddevarre in Alta, Norway, killing all six people on board. Read more
- 2016 — Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff is impeached and removed from office. Read more
- 2006 — Edvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream, stolen on August 22, 2004, is recovered in a raid by Norwegian police. Read more
- 2005 — The 2005 Al-Aaimmah bridge stampede in Baghdad kills 953 people. Read more
- 2002 — Typhoon Rusa, the most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in 43 years, makes landfall, killing at least 236 people. Read more
- 1999 — The first of a series of bombings in Moscow kills one person and wounds 40 others. Read more
- 1999 — A LAPA Boeing 737-200 crashes during takeoff from Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires, killing 65, including two on the ground. Read more
- 1997 — Diana, Princess of Wales, her partner, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris. Read more
- 1996 — Saddam Hussein's troops seize Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK. Read more
- 1994 — Russia completes removing its troops from Estonia. Read more
- 1994 — Argentina abolishes conscription after months of social backlash over the murder of a conscript. Read more
- 1993 — Russia completes removing its troops from Lithuania. Read more
- 1991 — Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union. Read more
- 1988 — Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes during takeoff from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing 14. Read more
- 1988 — CAAC Flight 301 overshoots the runway at Kai Tak Airport and crashes into Kowloon Bay, killing seven people. Read more
- 1987 — Thai Airways Flight 365 crashes into the ocean near Ko Phuket, Thailand, killing all 83 aboard. Read more
- 1986 — Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Cerritos, California, killing 67 in the air and 15 on the ground. Read more
- 1986 — The Soviet passenger liner Admiral Nakhimov sinks in the Black Sea after colliding with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev, killing 423. Read more
- 1972 — Aeroflot Flight 558 crashes in the Abzelilovsky District in Bashkortostan, Russia (then the Soviet Union), killing all 102 people aboard. Read more
- 1968 — Start of the Congress of Carrara, one of the major 20th century anarchist congresses. Read more
- 1963 — Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah) achieves self-governance. Read more
- 1962 — Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent. Read more
- 1959 — A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm, fails to kill King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia. Read more
- 1957 — The Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) gains its independence from the United Kingdom. Read more
- 1950 — TWA Flight 903 crashes near Itay El Barud, Egypt, killing all 55 aboard. Read more
- 1949 — The retreat of the Democratic Army of Greece into Albania after its defeat on Gramos mountain marks the end of the Greek Civil War. Read more
- 1943 — USS Harmon, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after a black person, is commissioned. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: Serbian paramilitary forces defeat Germans in the Battle of Loznica. Read more
- 1940 — Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19 crashes near Lovettsville, Virginia. The CAB investigation of the accident is the first investigation to be conducted under the Bureau of Air Commerce act of 1938. Read more
- 1939 — Nazi Germany mounts a false flag attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day, thus starting World War II in Europe. Read more
- 1936 — Radio Prague, now the official international broadcasting station of the Czech Republic, goes on the air. Read more
- 1935 — In an attempt to stay out of the growing tensions concerning Germany and Japan, the United States passes the first of its Neutrality Acts. Read more
- 1933 — The Integral Nationalist Group wins the 1933 Andorran parliamentary election, the first election in Andorra held with universal male suffrage. Read more
- 1920 — Polish–Soviet War: A decisive Polish victory in the Battle of Komarów. Read more
- 1918 — World War I: Start of the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin, a successful assault by the Australian Corps during the Hundred Days Offensive. Read more
- 1907 — Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-Russian Convention, by which the UK recognizes Russian preeminence in northern Persia, while Russia recognizes British preeminence in southeastern Persia and Afghanistan. Both powers pledge not to interfere in Tibet. Read more
- 1895 — German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon. Read more
- 1888 — Mary Ann Nichols, the first of Jack the Ripper's confirmed victims, is murdered. Read more
- 1886 — The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake strikes southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 60 people and causing damage worth an estimated at $5 to $6 million. Read more
- 1876 — Ottoman Sultan Murad V is deposed and succeeded by his brother, Abdul Hamid II. Read more
- 1864 — American Civil War: The Battle of Jonesborough, the culmination of the Atlanta campaign, begins as Union forces under General William T. Sherman clash with Confederate troops under General William J. Hardee south of Atlanta. Read more
- 1813 — Peninsular War: Spanish troops repel a French attack in the Battle of San Marcial. Read more
- 1798 — Irish Rebellion: Irish rebels, with French assistance, establish the short-lived Republic of Connacht. Read more
- 1795 — War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka) from the Dutch in order to keep it out of French hands. Read more
- 1776 — William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, begins serving his first term. Read more
- 1483 — Under the influence of the Ottoman government, patriarch Symeon I convenes a synod of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Constantinople which defines the ritual for admitting Catholics to the Eastern Orthodox Churches and condemns the church union of Ferrara-Florence. Read more
- 1422 — King Henry V of England dies of dysentery while in France and his son, Henry VI, becomes king at the age of nine months. Read more
- 1420 — The 8.8–9.4 Caldera earthquake shakes Chile's Atacama Region causing tsunami in Chile, Hawaii, and Japan. Read more
- 1314 — King Haakon V moves the capital of Norway from Bergen to Oslo. Read more
- 1302 — Frederick III of Aragon and Charles, Count of Valois sign the Peace of Caltabellotta, which ends the War of the Sicilian Vespers and divides the old Kingdom of Sicily into an island portion and a peninsular portion. Read more
- 1218 — Al-Kamil becomes sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty. Read more
- 1056 — After a sudden gastric illness, Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty. Read more
Born on August 31
- 2004 — Jang Won-young, South Korean singer and model Read more
- 2001 — Amanda Anisimova, American tennis player Read more
- 2000 — Sauce Gardner, American football player Read more
- 1998 — BossMan Dlow, American rapper Read more
- 1997 — Jaylen Barron, American actress Read more
- 1996 — Jalen Brunson, American basketball player Read more
- 1995 — Brittany Mahomes, American soccer player Read more
- 1994 — Alex Harris, Scottish footballer Read more
- 1994 — Can Aktav, Turkish football player Read more
- 1993 — Pablo Marí, Spanish football player Read more
- 1993 — Ilnur Alshin, Russian football player Read more
- 1993 — Anna Karnaukh, Russian water polo player Read more
- 1992 — Holly Earl, British actress Read more
- 1992 — Tyler Randell, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1992 — Ragna Sigurðardóttir, Icelandic politician Read more
- 1992 — Nicolás Tagliafico, Argentine footballer Read more
- 1991 — António Félix da Costa, Portuguese race car driver Read more
- 1991 — Cédric Soares, Portuguese footballer Read more
- 1990 — Tadeja Majerič, Slovenian tennis player Read more
- 1989 — Dezmon Briscoe, American football player Read more
- 1988 — Matt Adams, American baseball player Read more
- 1988 — Trent Hodkinson, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1988 — David Ospina, Colombian footballer Read more
- 1988 — Athena, American wrestler Read more
- 1987 — Xavi Annunziata, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1987 — Petros Kravaritis, Greek footballer Read more
- 1987 — Ondřej Pavelec, Czech ice hockey player Read more
- 1986 — Ryan Kelley, American actor Read more
- 1986 — Johnny Wactor, American actor (died 2024) Read more
- 1986 — Blake Wheeler, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1985 — Rolando, Portuguese footballer Read more
- 1985 — Andrew Foster, Australian footballer Read more
- 1985 — Mabel Matiz, Turkish singer Read more
- 1985 — Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Read more
- 1984 — Matti Breschel, Danish cyclist Read more
- 1984 — Ryan Kesler, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1984 — Ted Ligety, American skier Read more
- 1984 — Charl Schwartzel, South African golfer Read more
- 1983 — Deniz Aydoğdu, German-Turkish footballer Read more
- 1983 — Milan Biševac, Serbian footballer Read more
Died on August 31
- 2024 — Sol Bamba, Ivorian-French footballer (born 1985) Read more
- 2023 — Silvina Luna, Argentine model and actress (born 1980) Read more
- 2021 — Mahal, Filipino comedian and actress (born 1974) Read more
- 2021 — Francesco Morini, Italian footballer (born 1944) Read more
- 2021 — Michael Constantine, Greek-American actor (born 1927) Read more
- 2021 — Geronimo, British alpaca (born 2013) Read more
- 2020 — Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India (born 1935) Read more
- 2020 — Tom Seaver, American baseball player (born 1944) Read more
- 2019 — Anthoine Hubert, French race car driver (born 1996) Read more
- 2019 — Alec Holowka, Canadian game developer (born 1983) Read more
- 2018 — Carole Shelley, British-American actress (born 1939) Read more
- 2015 — Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, English politician, founded the National Motor Museum (born 1926) Read more
- 2015 — Tom Scott, American football player (born 1930) Read more
- 2014 — Bapu, Indian director and screenwriter (born 1933) Read more
- 2014 — Ștefan Andrei, Romanian politician, 87th Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1931) Read more
- 2014 — Stan Goldberg, American illustrator (born 1932) Read more
- 2014 — Carol Vadnais, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1945) Read more
- 2013 — Alan Carrington, English chemist and academic (born 1934) Read more
- 2013 — David Frost, English journalist and game show host (born 1939) Read more
- 2013 — Jimmy Greenhalgh, English footballer and manager (born 1923) Read more
- 2013 — Jan Camiel Willems, Belgian mathematician and theorist (born 1939) Read more
- 2012 — Max Bygraves, English actor (born 1922) Read more
- 2012 — Joe Lewis, American martial artist and actor (born 1944) Read more
- 2012 — Carlo Maria Martini, Italian cardinal (born 1927) Read more
- 2012 — Kashiram Rana, Indian lawyer and politician (born 1938) Read more
- 2012 — John C. Shabaz, American judge and politician (born 1931) Read more
- 2012 — Sergey Sokolov, Russian commander and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for The Soviet Union (born 1911) Read more
- 2011 — Wade Belak, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1976) Read more
- 2010 — Laurent Fignon, French cyclist (born 1960) Read more
- 2009 — Eraño Manalo, Filipino religious minister and Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (born 1925) Read more
- 2008 — Ken Campbell, English actor and screenwriter (born 1941) Read more
- 2008 — Ike Pappas, American journalist (born 1933) Read more
- 2008 — Victor Yates, New Zealand rugby player (born 1939) Read more
- 2007 — Gay Brewer, American golfer (born 1932) Read more
- 2007 — Jean Jacques Paradis, Canadian general (born 1928) Read more
- 2007 — Sulev Vahtre, Estonian historian and academic (born 1926) Read more
- 2006 — Mohamed Abdelwahab, Egyptian footballer (born 1983) Read more
- 2006 — Tom Delaney, English race car driver and businessman (born 1911) Read more
- 2005 — Joseph Rotblat, Polish-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1908) Read more
- 2002 — Lionel Hampton, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1908) Read more
Holidays & observances
Baloch-Pakhtun Unity Day (Balochs and Pashtuns, International observance); Christian feast day:
Aidan of Lindisfarne; Christian feast day:
Aristides of Athens; Christian feast day:
Cuthburh; Christian feast day:
Joseph of Arimathea; Christian feast day:
Nicodemus; Christian feast day:
Paulinus of Trier; Christian feast day:
Raymond Nonnatus; Christian feast day:
Wala of Corbie; Christian feast day:
August 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Day of Solidarity and Freedom (Poland); Departure Day, celebrates the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan; Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Kyrgyzstan from the Soviet Union in 1991.; Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Malaya from the United Kingdom in 1957.; Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Trinidad and Tobago from the United Kingdom in 1962.; Romanian Language Day (Romania, Moldova, Ukraine); Sabah Day (Sabah, Borneo)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “August 31”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.