31 October History
- 1517 - Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg in Germany. Luther's theories and writings inaugurate Protestantism, shattering the external structure of the medieval church and at the same time reviving the religious consciousness of Europe.
- 1803 - Congress ratifies the purchase of the entire Louisiana area in North America, adding territory to the U.S. which will eventually become 13 more states.
- 1838 - A mob of about 200 attacks a Mormon camp in Missouri, killing 20 men, women and children.
- 1864 - Nevada becomes the 36th state.
- 1941 - After 14 years of work, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is completed.
- 1952 - The United States explodes the first hydrogen bomb at Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific.
- 1968 - The bombing of North Vietnam is halted by the United States.
- 1971 - Saigon begins the release of 1,938 Hanoi POW's.
- 1984 - Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated in New Delhi by two Sikh members of her bodyguard.
31 October Birthdays
- 1795 - John Keats, poet.
- 1802 - Benoit Fourneyron, inventor of the water turbine.
- 1860 - Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.
- 1887 - Chiang Kai-Shek, Chinese Nationalist.
- 1896 - Ethel Waters, actress and blues singer.
- 1902 - Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Brazilian poet, journalist and short story writer.
- 1917 - William H. McNeil, historian (The Rise of the West).
- 1925 - Charles Moore, influential post-modern architect.
- 1930 - Michael Collins, U.S. astronaut.