Discover · History

On this day — August 31

A hand-curated thread of what happened on this date, across centuries.

Observed today

National Trail Mix Day

Marks the unofficial end of summer-hike season. Ideal trail mix: 40% chocolate, 30% nuts, 20% dried fruit, 10% whatever was left in the pantry.

🇺🇸🇨🇦

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2025

Milestone

A landslide in the Darfur region of Sudan kills over 1000 people

2025

Disaster

An earthquake in eastern Afghanistan kills over 1400 people

2024

Sport

A helicopter crashes in Kamchatka Krai in the Russian Far East

killing all 22 occupants.

2016

Politics

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff is impeached and removed from office.

2006

Milestone

Edvard Munch's famous painting

The Scream, stolen on August 22, 2004, is recovered in a raid by Norwegian police.

2005

Milestone

The 2005 Al-Aaimmah bridge stampede in Baghdad kills 953 people.

2002

Milestone

Typhoon Rusa

the most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in 43 years, made landfall, killing at least 236 people.

1999

Milestone

The first of a series of bombings in Moscow kills one person and wounds 40 others.

1999

Milestone

A LAPA Boeing 737-200 crashes during takeoff from Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires

killing 65, including two on the ground.

1997

Milestone

Diana, Princess of Wales

her partner, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris.

1996

Milestone

Saddam Hussein's troops seized Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK.

1994

Milestone

Russia completes removing its troops from Estonia.

1993

Milestone

Russia completes removing its troops from Lithuania.

1991

Politics

Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union.

1988

Milestone

Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes during takeoff from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

killing 14.