May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 214 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about May 31st, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about May 31st in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- World No Tobacco Day.
- World’s Parrot day.
- National Macaroon Day
- National Save Your Hearing Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – May 31
2013: The widest tornado ever recorded hits El Reno, Oklahoma
The storm had a width of 4.2 km (2.6 mi). Nine people were killed as it swept over rural areas of Central Oklahoma.
2005: Deep Throat reveals himself
Former FBI agent Mark Felt admitted that he was the most important informant in the 1970’s Watergate scandal which uncovered the dirty tricks of the Nixon administration, ultimately leading to Nixon’s resignation.
1961: South Africa becomes an independent republic
Following international criticism of the country’s Apartheid regime, it had to leave the Commonwealth of Nations. The system of racial segregation was gradually abolished in the early 1990s.
1879: Werner von Siemens presents the world’s first electric locomotive
Von Siemens’ landmark invention was soon used in trams. 1881 saw the introduction of the world’s first electric tram in Berlin, Germany.
1859: The Great Clock housing Big Ben starts keeping time
The clock at the top of Elizabeth Tower at the north end of the British Houses of Parliament is one of the world’s best-known timekeepers.
1977: The Brooklyn Bridge and skyline of lower Manhattan remain dark as the sun sets during the Blackout of 1977.
1971: Duvno, Yugoslavia in 1971.
1961: South Africa became an independent republic in 1961.
1944: Waves of Consolidated B-24 liberators of the 15th AAF fly over the target area, the Concordia Vega Oil refinery, Ploești, Romania, unmindful of bursting flak, after dropping their bomb loads on the oil cracking plant, on 31 May 1944
1938: 30 Japanese bombers bombed the Chinese cities of Canton and Hankow and also shot down 18 Chinese planes in dogfights over the cities in 1938.
1938: Aerial Bombing of Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, 1938
1859: Big Ben rings for the first time over the Houses of Parliament in 1859.
On 31st May 1859, the famous tower clock known as Big Ben, located at the top of the 320-foot-high Elizabeth Tower, rings out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, for the first time.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, May 31
1976: Colin Farrell, Irish actor
1945: Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German actor, director, screenwriter
1930: Clint Eastwood, American actor, director, producer, politician
1894: Fred Allen, American comedian, actor, radio host
1819: Walt Whitman, American poet, author
Clint Eastwood was born.
John Bonham was born.
Normani was born.
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, May 31
2010: Louise Bourgeois, French/American sculptor
1996: Timothy Leary, American psychologist, author
1983: Jack Dempsey, American boxer
1837: Joseph Grimaldi, English actor, dancer
1809: Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer
Joseph Haydn died.
Jack Dempsey died.
Elizabeth Blackwell died.
