January 31
1606 - Guy Fawkes, a co-conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate Britain's King James I and blow up the Parliament, was executed.
1863 - During the Civil War, the First South Carolina Volunteers, an all-Black Union regiment composed of many escaped slaves, was mustered into federal service at Beaufort, South Carolina.
1865 - The House of Representatives approved the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery in the United States.
1865 - Gen. Robert E. Lee was appointed commander-in-chief of Confederate forces during the Civil War.
1940 - The first social security check was issued to Ida Fuller for $22.54.
1945 - Pvt. Eddie Slovik, age 24, became the first U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion as he was shot by an American firing squad in France.
1958 - The fist U.S. satellite, Explorer I, was launched.
1971 - Astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.
1990 - McDonald's opened its first store in Russia.
2000 - An Alaska Airlines MD-83 jet crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Port Hueneme, California, killing all 88 people on board.
2001 - A Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands convicted one LIbyan and acquitted a second in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. (Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi) was given a life sentence but was released after eight years on compassionate grounds by Scotland's government; he died in 2012.)
2020 - The United States declared a public health emergency over the new coronavirus, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order to temporarily bar entry to foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens, who traveled in China in the preceding 14 days.
Birthdays
20 - Mallory James Mahoney (actress)
31 - Louisa Harland (actress)
33 - Amy Jackson (model)
38 - Marcus Mumford (singer)
38 - Tyler Hubbard (singer)
43 - Helena Paparizou (singer)
44 - Justin Timberlake (singer)
48 - Kerry Washington (actress)
48 - Bobby Moynihan (actor/comedian)
52 - Portia de Rossi (actress)
55 - Minnie Driver (actress)
61 - Martha MacCallum (news anchor)
66 - Anthony LaPaglia (actor)
69 - John Lydon (singer)
78 - Jonathan Banks (actor)
78 - Nolan Ryan (baseball player)
78 - Glynn Turman (actor)
88 - Philip Glass (composer)
===============================
Today in Sports History - January 31
1920 - Joe Malone of the Quebec Bulldogs sets an NHL record with seven goals in a 10-6 win over the Toronto St. Patrick's.
1923 - The Montreal Canadiens defeat the Hamilton Tigers 5-4 in the first penalty-free game in NHL history.
1988 - Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to play in the Super Bowl, led the Washington Redskins to a 42-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.
1993 - The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Buffalo Bills 52-17 to win Super Bowl XXVII.
1999 - The Denver Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons to win Super Bowl XXXIII.
2000 - Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is involved in a fight that results in the deaths of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. (Lewis is indicted 11 days later on murder and assault charges -- the murder charges are later dropped.)
2003 - The Chicago White Sox announced a deal that would change the name of Comiskey Park after a 93-year association with the Comiskey name.
1606 - Guy Fawkes, a co-conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate Britain's King James I and blow up the Parliament, was executed.
1863 - During the Civil War, the First South Carolina Volunteers, an all-Black Union regiment composed of many escaped slaves, was mustered into federal service at Beaufort, South Carolina.
1865 - The House of Representatives approved the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery in the United States.
1865 - Gen. Robert E. Lee was appointed commander-in-chief of Confederate forces during the Civil War.
1940 - The first social security check was issued to Ida Fuller for $22.54.
1945 - Pvt. Eddie Slovik, age 24, became the first U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion as he was shot by an American firing squad in France.
1958 - The fist U.S. satellite, Explorer I, was launched.
1971 - Astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.
1990 - McDonald's opened its first store in Russia.
2000 - An Alaska Airlines MD-83 jet crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Port Hueneme, California, killing all 88 people on board.
2001 - A Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands convicted one LIbyan and acquitted a second in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. (Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi) was given a life sentence but was released after eight years on compassionate grounds by Scotland's government; he died in 2012.)
2020 - The United States declared a public health emergency over the new coronavirus, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order to temporarily bar entry to foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens, who traveled in China in the preceding 14 days.
Birthdays
20 - Mallory James Mahoney (actress)
31 - Louisa Harland (actress)
33 - Amy Jackson (model)
38 - Marcus Mumford (singer)
38 - Tyler Hubbard (singer)
43 - Helena Paparizou (singer)
44 - Justin Timberlake (singer)
48 - Kerry Washington (actress)
48 - Bobby Moynihan (actor/comedian)
52 - Portia de Rossi (actress)
55 - Minnie Driver (actress)
61 - Martha MacCallum (news anchor)
66 - Anthony LaPaglia (actor)
69 - John Lydon (singer)
78 - Jonathan Banks (actor)
78 - Nolan Ryan (baseball player)
78 - Glynn Turman (actor)
88 - Philip Glass (composer)
===============================
Today in Sports History - January 31
1920 - Joe Malone of the Quebec Bulldogs sets an NHL record with seven goals in a 10-6 win over the Toronto St. Patrick's.
1923 - The Montreal Canadiens defeat the Hamilton Tigers 5-4 in the first penalty-free game in NHL history.
1988 - Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to play in the Super Bowl, led the Washington Redskins to a 42-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.
1993 - The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Buffalo Bills 52-17 to win Super Bowl XXVII.
1999 - The Denver Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons to win Super Bowl XXXIII.
2000 - Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is involved in a fight that results in the deaths of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. (Lewis is indicted 11 days later on murder and assault charges -- the murder charges are later dropped.)
2003 - The Chicago White Sox announced a deal that would change the name of Comiskey Park after a 93-year association with the Comiskey name.
