Osun Defender History Corner: January 31 In Focus
Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.
January 31, 1606
Guy Fawkes is executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot in England.
January 31, 1747
The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital.
January 31, 1865
The United States Congress passes the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery.
January 31, 1915
Germany conducts the first successful unrestricted submarine warfare in World War I.
January 31, 1945
US Army private Eddie Slovik becomes the first American soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.
January 31, 1950
U.S. President Harry S. Truman announces the development of the hydrogen bomb.
January 31, 1958
Explorer 1, the first successful U.S. satellite, is launched into orbit.
January 31, 1971
Apollo 14, the third manned mission to the moon, is launched.
January 31, 1990
McDonald’s opens its first restaurant in Moscow, Russia.
January 31, 2000
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashes into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 88 people on board.
January 31, 2001
In the “Netherlands Train Hostage Crisis,” a mentally ill man hijacks a train with hostages in the Netherlands.
January 31, 2003
The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates upon re-entry, tragically killing all seven crew members.
January 31, 2010
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake strikes Chile, triggering a tsunami.
January 31, 2011
The revolution in Egypt begins as protesters demand the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
January 31, 2019
The United Kingdom officially withdraws from the European Union, commonly known as Brexit.
January 31, 2020
The World Health Organization declares the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
January 31, 2020
Kobe Bryant, the basketball legend, and his daughter Gianna die in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
January 31, 2021
Captain Sir Tom Moore, a British World War II veteran, dies after raising millions for the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic.
January 31, 2021
The military seizes power in Myanmar in a coup d’état.
January 31, 2022
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is successfully deployed in space.
Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on January 31. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
