On this day›10-31

Discover · History

On this day — October 31

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

Observed today

Halloween

Celtic harvest roots, Catholic rebrand, American commercial runaway. You can buy a Spirit Halloween six weeks in advance and nobody bats an eye.

🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽

2020

Milestone

Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens its doors after nearly 10 years of delays due to construction issues and project corruption.

2017

Milestone

A truck drives into a crowd in Lower Manhattan

New York City, killing eight people.

2015

Milestone

Metrojet Flight 9268 is bombed over the northern Sinai Peninsula

killing all 224 people on board.

2014

Milestone

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

Milestone

The global population of humans reaches seven billion

This day is now recognized by the United Nations as the Day of Seven Billion.

2003

Milestone

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

Milestone

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

Milestone

Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station

The ISS has been crewed continuously since then.

2000

Milestone

Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crashes on takeoff from Taipei

killing 83.

1999

Milestone

Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world

solo, non-stop and unassisted.

1999

Milestone

EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantucket

killing all 217 people on board.

1998

Milestone

Iraq disarmament crisis begins

Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.

1996

Milestone

TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashes in São Paulo

Brazil, killing 99 people.

1994

Milestone

American Eagle Flight 4184 crashes near Roselawn

Indiana killing all 68 people on board.

1984

Milestone

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.