This day in history: 31 january

Europa

• 2020: Brexit
  The United Kingdom formally left the European Union at 23:00 GMT, ending 47 years of membership and triggering a major shift in the political and economic landscape of Europe.
• 1943: Surrender at Stalingrad
  German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrendered the German 6th Army to Soviet forces, marking a decisive turning point in World War II with the end of the Battle of Stalingrad—one of the war’s fiercest and most consequential battles.
• 1915: First Large-Scale Use of Poison Gas in Warfare
  Germany became the first country to use poison gas on a large scale during World War I, in the Battle of Bolimów against Russia.
• 1606: Execution of Guy Fawkes
  Guy Fawkes, involved in the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the English Parliament and assassinate King James I, was executed in London.
• 1578: Battle of Gembloux
  During the Eighty Years’ War, Spanish forces led by Don John of Austria defeated a rebel army composed of Dutch, Flemish, English, Scottish, German, French, and Walloon troops.
• 1208: Battle of Lena
  Prince Eric defeated King Sverker II of Sweden, securing the throne as King Eric X.
• 1266: Surrender of Murcia
  The Mudéjar of Murcia surrendered the city to James I of Aragon after a month-long siege, ending their rebellion against the Crown of Castile.
• 1917: Germany Resumes Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
  Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, escalating World War I and contributing to the eventual involvement of the United States.
• 1918: Suinula Massacre in Finnish Civil War
  The Suinula massacre occurred in Kangasala, Finland, intensifying the brutality of the Finnish Civil War.
• 1901: Premiere of Chekhov’s Three Sisters
  Anton Chekhov’s play “Three Sisters” premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre, influencing modern drama.
• 1609: Establishment of the Wisselbank of Amsterdam, a key financial institution in European banking history.
• 1504: Treaty of Lyon ended the Italian War, confirming French dominance in northern Italy and ceding Naples to Spain.

America

• 1865: Passage of the 13th Amendment
  The United States Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery and submitting it to the states for ratification, a landmark moment in the nation’s history.
• 1863: First South Carolina Volunteers Mustered
  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.
• 1945: Execution of Pvt. Eddie Slovik
  Private Eddie Slovik became the first U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion, shot by an American firing squad in France during World War II.
• 1958: Explorer 1 Launch
  The United States entered the Space Age with the successful launch of Explorer 1, its first artificial satellite, from Cape Canaveral, marking a major milestone in the Space Race.
• 1971: Apollo 14 Moon Mission
  Astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, and Stuart Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the Moon.
• 1988: Doug Williams Makes Super Bowl History
  Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl and led the Washington Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII, earning MVP honors.
• 2020: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declared
  The United States declared a public health emergency over the novel coronavirus, with President Donald Trump signing an order to temporarily bar entry to most foreign nationals who had recently traveled to China.
• 1944: U.S. forces began a successful invasion of Kwajalein Atoll and other parts of the Japanese-held Marshall Islands during World War II.
• 1961: NASA launched Ham the Chimp aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket, marking a key step toward human spaceflight.
• 2000: Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off California, killing all 88 aboard.

Asia

• 1561: Bairam Khan, the influential regent and guardian of Mughal Emperor Akbar, was assassinated in Patan, Gujarat.
• 1599: The first British East India Company was established in India by order of Queen Elizabeth I, setting the stage for centuries of British involvement in the subcontinent.
• 1923: Birth of Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of India’s highest military honor, the Param Vir Chakra.
• 1961: Death of Shri Krishna Singh, the first Chief Minister of Bihar.
• 1963: The peacock was declared the national bird of India.
• 1983: India’s first dry port was commissioned in Kolkata.
• 2007: Tata Steel acquired Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus, making it the world’s fifth-largest steel producer at the time.
• 1996: A devastating suicide bombing in Colombo killed 91 people and injured over 1,400, one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s civil conflict.
• 1435: Death of the Xuande Emperor of China, an important Ming dynasty ruler.
• 1850: The Taiping Rebellion, one of the largest uprisings in Chinese history, began with the proclamation of the “Taiping Heavenly Kingdom”.
• 1972: Birendra Bir Bikram Shah ascended the throne as the 12th King of Nepal.
• 2004: Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, known as the father of Pakistan’s nuclear program, was arrested for the transfer of nuclear technology to other countries.
• 1884: Russian forces captured Merv from the Emir of Afghanistan, a significant event in the “Great Game” between Russia and Britain.
• 2021: A suicide bombing and armed attack at the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu killed five people, highlighting ongoing instability in the region.

Africa

• Since 2023, January 31 has been commemorated as the “Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation” across the continent. This day was established at the 16th Extraordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The initiative aims to promote peace, national unity, and reconciliation, inspired by recent continental peace processes such as the Ethiopia peace agreement. The day is marked by calls for dialogue, democracy, and efforts to “Silence the Guns” across Africa.
• 1985:
  South African President P.W. Botha extended a conditional release offer to Nelson Mandela, then imprisoned, signaling a shift in the long struggle against apartheid.
• 1901:
  Boer generals Smuts and Liebenberg captured Modderfontein, Transvaal, during the Second Anglo-Boer War, a significant event in South African history.
• 1849:
  David Draper, a prospector and geologist born in Cape Town, later discovered underground water at Zuurbekom, helping to alleviate water shortages in Johannesburg.