Summary of the Day ✨ 31 October (31/10)
Berlin Brandenburg Airport opened after a decade of delays and corruption, while a truck attack in Manhattan killed eight and Metrojet Flight 9268 was bombed over Sinai, killing all 224 passengers. The same day witnessed both the fatal crash of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Enterprise and Earth’s population reaching seven billion, now commemorated as the Day of Seven Billion.
Historical Events 📜
- 2020: Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens its doors after nearly 10 years of delays due to construction issues and project corruption.
- 2017: A truck drives into a crowd in Lower Manhattan, New York City, killing eight people.
- 2015: Metrojet Flight 9268 is bombed over the northern Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.
- 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.
- 2011: The global population of humans reaches seven billion. This day is now recognized by the United Nations as the Day of Seven Billion.
- 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.
- 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.
- 2000: Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station. The ISS has been crewed continuously since then.
- 2000: Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crashes on takeoff from Taipei, killing 83.
- 1999: Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.
- 1999: EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantucket, killing all 217 people on board.
- 1998: Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.
- 1996: TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashes in São Paulo, Brazil, killing 99 people.
- 1994: American Eagle Flight 4184 crashes near Roselawn, Indiana killing all 68 people on board.
- 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.
Famous Births 👶
- 2005: Leonor, Princess of Asturias
- 2002: Ansu Fati
- 2000: Willow Smith, American singer, actress, and dancer
- 1999: Danielle Rose Russell, American actress
- 1999: Léa Serna, French figure skater
- 1997: Siobhán Bernadette Haughey, Hong Kong-Irish swimmer
- 1997: Sydney Park, American actress and comedian
- 1997: Marcus Rashford, English footballer
- 1997: Holly Taylor, Canadian-American actress
- 1995: Joana Valle Costa, Portuguese tennis player
- 1993: Mercedes Arn-Horn, Canadian musician
- 1993: Nadine Lustre, Filipino actress and singer
- 1993: Letitia Wright, Guyanese-British actress
- 1992: Vanessa Marano, American actress
- 1990: JID, American rapper
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2023: Ken Mattingly, American astronaut (born 1936)
- 2021: Peter Philpott, Australian cricketer (born 1934)
- 2020: Sean Connery, Scottish actor (born 1930)
- 2020: MF Doom, British-American rapper and record producer (born 1971)
- 2018: Willie McCovey, American baseball player (born 1938)
- 2015: Gus Savage, American businessman and politician (born 1925)
- 2014: David Manker Abshire, American commander and diplomat, United States Permanent Representative to NATO (born 1926)
- 2014: Michael Alsbury, American engineer and pilot (born 1975)
- 2014: Brad Halsey, American baseball player (born 1981)
- 2014: Hitoshi Motoshima, Japanese educator and politician (born 1922)
- 2013: Chris Chase (aka Irene Kane), American actress and author (born 1924)
- 2013: Gérard de Villiers, French journalist and author (born 1929)
- 2013: Trevor Kletz, English chemist and author (born 1922)
- 2013: Johnny Kucks, American baseball player (born 1933)
- 2013: Andres Narvasa, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 19th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (born 1928)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Alphonsus Rodriguez - Christian feast day:
Ampliatus - Christian feast day:
Begu - Christian feast day:
Erc of Slane (in Cornwall) - Christian feast day:
Foillan (in Namur) - Christian feast day:
Martin Luther (Anglican Communion) - Christian feast day:
Paul Shinji Sasaki and Philip Lindel Tsen (Episcopal Church) - Christian feast day:
Quentin - Christian feast day:
Blessed Theodore Romzha (Ruthenian Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
Wolfgang of Regensburg - Christian feast day:
October 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Día de la Canción Criolla (Peru)
- Earliest day on which All Saints Day can fall, while November 6 is the latest; celebrated on Saturday between October 31 and November 6 (Finland, Sweden)
- Halloween and related celebrations:
Allantide (Cornwall) - Halloween and related celebrations:
Halloween (Ireland, Canada, United Kingdom, United States and other places)