1517

Martin Luther posts 95 theses

Born on This Day

Portrait of John Keats, after a Painting by William Hilton

John Keats

1795 - 1821

English Romantic poet whose works, like "Ode on a Grecian Urn," explored questions of beauty, truth and the transience of life.

John Canady

John Candy

1950 - 1994

Canadian comedic actor whose 1990s hits include "Uncle Buck" and "Plains, Trains & Automobiles."

Fibrescope

Narinder Singh Kapany

1926 - 2020

Indian-American physicist known as the father of fiber optics, a method of data transmission that revolutionized communications.

1955

OCT

31

Princess Margaret publicly announces her decision to end her engagement to the (unsuitably) divorced Peter Townsend. Royal watchers had gotten wise to the affair when she flicked away lint from his jacket in public.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on October 31st

1776

King George gives first parliamentary address after the Declaration of Independence

On October 31, 1776, in his first speech before British Parliament since the leaders of the American Revolution came together to sign the Declaration of Independence that summer, King George III acknowledges that all was not going well for Britain in the war with the United States. In his address, the king spoke about the […]

1864

The U.S. Congress admits Nevada as the 36th state

On October 31, 1864, anxious to have support of the Republican-dominated Nevada Territory for President Abraham Lincoln’s reelection, the U.S. Congress quickly admits Nevada as the 36th state in the Union. In 1864, Nevada had only 40,000 inhabitants, considerably short of the 60,000 normally required for statehood. But the 1859 discovery of the incredibly large […]

1926

Celebrated magician Harry Houdini dies

Harry Houdini, the most celebrated magician and escape artist of the 20th century, dies of peritonitis in a Detroit hospital. Twelve days before, Houdini had been talking to a group of students after a lecture in Montreal when he commented on the strength of his stomach muscles and their ability to withstand hard blows. Suddenly, […]

1950

Earl Lloyd becomes first Black player to suit up in the NBA

On October 31, 1950, 21-year-old Earl Lloyd becomes the first African American to play in an NBA game when he takes the court in the season opener for the Washington Capitols. Lloyd grew up in Jim Crow Virginia and went to West Virginia State, where he was the star of the school’s championship basketball team. […]

1961

Stalin’s body removed from Lenin’s tomb

Five years after Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalinism and the “personality cult” of Soviet rulers at the 20th Party Congress, Joseph Stalin’s embalmed body is removed from Lenin’s tomb in Moscow’s Red Square. When Vladimir Lenin died in 1924, the leader of Russia’s Bolshevik revolution was embalmed and placed in a special mausoleum before […]

1963

Ed Sullivan witnesses Beatlemania firsthand, paving the way for the British Invasion

On October 31, 1963, American television impresario Ed Sullivan, waiting for a flight at London’s Heathrow Airport, happens to witness the pandemonium of Beatlemania—a pop-culture fever then raging in the U.K. and rapidly spreading across the European continent. Thinking the mass hysteria must be for a member for the British royal family, he was told […]

1963

Freak explosion at Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum kills 74

It’s Halloween 1963 in Indianapolis, and hundreds of spectators are gathered at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum for the “Holiday on Ice” skating exhibition. Then, just after 11 pm, a propane gas explosion from the concession area rips through the Coliseum and shoots a 40-foot orange flame through the south-side seats.The explosion killed 54 people […]

1984

Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated

Indira Gandhi, the prime minister of India, is assassinated in New Delhi by two of her own bodyguards on October 31, 1984. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, both Sikhs, emptied their guns into Gandhi as she walked to her office from an adjoining bungalow. Although the two assailants immediately surrendered, they were both shot in […]

1993

Actor River Phoenix dies

On October 31, 1993, the 23-year-old actor River Phoenix, who appeared in such films as Stand by Me and My Own Private Idaho, dies of a drug overdose outside a West Hollywood nightclub. At the time of his death, Phoenix was considered one of the most promising actors of his generation and had received a […]

1997

Violet Palmer becomes first woman to officiate an NBA game

On October 31, 1997, 33-year-old Violet Palmer becomes the first woman to officiate an NBA game. Despite the watershed moment, there is little reaction from the crowd when she is announced before the tip-off of the Dallas Mavericks-Vancouver Grizzlies game. “This is a dream come true, but it’s come about by a lot of hard […]

2008

Satoshi Nakamoto publishes a paper introducing Bitcoin

On October 31, 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious and anonymous inventor of Bitcoin, released the Bitcoin white paper, introducing the cryptocurrency—and how it could be used—to the world. By design, only 21 million Bitcoins will ever be “mined,” or released into the market. Titled “ Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,” the nine-page thesis paper established […]

History Every Day

Sign Up for "This Day in History"

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us