Lord Chancellor
Appointed Chancellor
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On this date in world history
January 31 in History
This permanent archive page contains 151 World History Database records for January 31, spanning 1410 to 2024. Recorded topics include Lord Chancellor; Death of Henry VIII; Death of Paget.
Total: 151Events: 134Births: 6Deaths: 5Battles: 6Countries: 26
Events on January 31
Dissolution of Parliament
Henry VIIIs 9th Parliament closes, final Parliament of reign
Lord Protector
Appointed Lord Protector of the Realm
Peerage
Created Marquis of Northampton
Peerage
Created Baron Seymour of Sudeley, part of an unfulfilled gifts clause left unmentioned in Henrys will
Peerage
Created Earl Southampton
Wyatt Rebellion
Supports Mary and helps organise defence of London.
Cardinal Created
Charles Borromeo becomes a cardinal under Pope Pius IV
Charles Borromeo Promoted
Pius IV promotes his nephew Charles Borromeo to the cardinalate
Execution
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Execution of Fawkes
Fawkes manages to die while being hanged before he is drawn & quartered
Execution of Gunpowder Plotters
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Execution of Gunpowder Plotters
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Gunpowder Treason Plot
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Plot
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Plot
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Plot
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Plot
Fawkes, Wintour, Ambrose, Rookwood & Keyes are hanged, drawn & quartered
Bankruptcy
The Government goes bankrupt & pays off its creditors in Government bonds, "juros"
Economy of Spain
The Government goes bankrupt & pays off its creditors in Government bonds, "juros"
Slavery
A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, an essay summarizing the evidence, is published by Wilberforce and forms the basis for the final phase of the campaign
Constitution of Spain
A Supreme Council of Regency is established, ruling in the name of Ferdinand VII
Supreme Council
A Supreme Council of Regency is established, ruling in the name of Ferdinand VII
SS Great Eastern
SS Great Eastern is finally floated after repeated and costly launching attempts.
Peace
Declares a truce with the Government in the hope of reaching a compromise
Reform of Labour Law
The 1st of 80 Labour Exchanges are opened
Armament
Cassel warns Churchill & Lloyd George about German naval expansion
Armament
Cassel warns Churchill & Lloyd George about German naval expansion
End of Jens Bratlie Government
The Jens Bratlie Government ends in Oslo, concluding this term as Prime Minister of Norway.
Second Gunnar Knudsen Government
Begins the Second Gunnar Knudsen Government in Oslo and serves as Prime Minister of Norway.
Operations on the Ancre
British troops repulse German counter-attacks on the Ancre front.
Constitution of Russia
Declaration of the USSR
Field Marshal
Appointed Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Appointed Field Marshal
Grand Fleet Night Exercise Ordered
Beatty takes a large force from the Forth for an intensive night exercise involving ships and submarines.
Martial Law
Martial Law is declared in Berlin
Martial Law
Martial Law is declared in Hamburg
Foreign Minister of Germany
Is appointed Foreign Minister in Joseph Wirth's government.
President Appointed
Elected President after the republic is proclaimed
Cologne Zone Evacuation Follows Locarno Diplomacy
Allied occupation of the Cologne zone ends as political conditions improve after the Locarno settlement.
Occupation
Allied military control comes to an end
Exile of Joseph Stalin
Has Trotsky exiled to Turkey. Exiles Trotsky & Zinoviev, marks the end of legal opposition in the party. Exiles Trotsky & Zinoviev marking the end of legal opposition in the party
Exile of Leon Trotsky
Trotsky is expelled from Russia
Dissolution
Dissolves the Reichstag & calls an election
Election
Dissolves the Reichstag & calls an election
Harzburg Coalition
Asked by Hindenburg to head a Harzburg coalition of the NSDAP & Hugenberg Nationalists
President of Germany
Appoints Hitler as Chancellor
Capture of Japan
The Japanese complete the capture of Malaya
Result of Surrender of German Sixth Army
The German Sixth Army at Stalingrad ceases resistance, marking a major Soviet victory.
Result of Surrender of German Sixth Army
The German Sixth Army is eliminated as an effective field formation at Stalingrad.
Sixth Army
Paulus surrenders the 6th Army at the Battle of Stalingrad
Sixth Army
The German 6th Army surrenders
Surrender of German Sixth Army
Paulus surrenders the 6th Army at the Battle of Stalingrad
Surrender of German Sixth Army
Paulus surrenders the German 6th Army
PCC Agreements
Chiang accepts conference resolutions but later disputes over implementation undermine the settlement
President of Brazil
Appointed President of Brazil
Burial
Gandhi is buried
Capture of Beijing
Communist forces enter Beiping after the Nationalist garrison accepts a negotiated surrender.
Hydrogen Bomb Programme Approved
Directs the United States Atomic Energy Commission to continue work on developing a thermonuclear hydrogen bomb.
President of Brazil
Appointed President of Brazil, 2nd term
President of Brazil
Appointed President of Brazil
Explorer I First American Satellite
The United States launches Explorer I, its first successful artificial satellite.
Chairman of the Cabinet Committee
Appointed Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on price stability for economic growth
Joint Staff Strike Plan Briefing
Gray receives a detailed briefing on the planned exile strike force and its operational concept.
President of Brazil
Appointed President of Brazil
Senate Confirmation
The United States Senate confirmed McCone as Director of Central Intelligence after debate over his appointment and the CIA oversight relationship.
Political Offensive
Works on political military aspects of the Tet Offensive
Saigon Crisis
Takes part in the South Vietnamese leadership response to Tet
Saigon Defense
Commands US II Field Force elements defending the Saigon region during Tet
Saigon Front Offensive
Directs communist forces in the southern theater during Tet
Tet Emergency
Commands US forces as communist attacks hit cities across South Vietnam
Tet Offensive
4,000 troops reach Saigon but the offensive is routed a month later
Tet Offensive
Launches the Tet Offensive. Launches the offensive during the Tet truce while the south celebrates New Year. 70,000 troops attack 100 cities
Tet Offensive
Associated with overall North Vietnamese military leadership during Tet
Tet Offensive
Communist forces attack cities and provincial capitals during Tet
Tet Offensive
An offensive launched by the North Vietnamese to overthrow the South Vietnamese Government
Tet Offensive
Commands US forces during the Tet Offensive
Tet Offensive Coordination
Helps coordinate the high command context for the Tet Offensive
Tet Offensive Diplomacy
Handles British diplomacy after the Tet Offensive reshapes public debate
Tet Offensive Response
Responds to the Tet Offensive while sustaining Soviet support for Hanoi
Tet Offensive Response
Responds to the Tet Offensive and mounting questions about US strategy
Tet Offensive Strategy
Backs the general offensive and uprising strategy for Tet
Tet Offensive Strategy
Backs the Tet Offensive as a decisive political and military blow
Tet Response
Leads the South Vietnamese government during the Tet Offensive
Apollo 14 Antares Extraction
Uses Kitty Hawk to extract the lunar module Antares from the spent Saturn V third stage after the docking problem is overcome.
Apollo 14 Docking Attempts
Pilots Kitty Hawk during repeated attempts to dock with lunar module Antares after launch.
Apollo 14 Docking Probe Capture Failure
Encounters repeated failure of the docking probe capture latches while attempting to connect Kitty Hawk with Antares after translunar injection.
Apollo 14 Earth Parking Orbit
Monitors spacecraft systems after the Saturn V places Apollo 14 into its temporary Earth parking orbit before departure for the Moon.
Apollo 14 Hard Dock
Pilots Kitty Hawk during the sixth docking attempt, achieving a successful hard dock with lunar module Antares.
Apollo 14 Launch
Commands Apollo 14 on a return to lunar landing operations.
Apollo 14 Moon Tree Seeds Flight
Carries hundreds of tree seeds in his personal kit for a United States Forest Service project that later produces the celebrated Moon Trees.
Apollo 14 Sixth Docking Attempt Success
Achieves a secure hard dock with Antares on the sixth attempt after Mission Control develops an alternative docking procedure.
Apollo 14 Translunar Injection
Participates in spacecraft operations as the Saturn V third stage reignites and sends Apollo 14 from Earth orbit toward the Moon.
Apollo 14 Transposition Maneuver
Separates Kitty Hawk from the Saturn V third stage and turns the command and service module around to face the lunar module Antares.
Bloody Sunday
Gives a Commons statement defending the army account.
CIA Phone Contact Record
CIA records include a January 31, 1974, memorandum concerning a telephone call from Frank Sturgis during the period of renewed assassination speculation.
Constitution of Cuba
Following the enactment of the Socialist Constitution, adopted without following the procedures laid out in the Constitution of 1940, the Republic of Cuba is defined as a socialist state
Socialist Constitution
Following the enactment of the Socialist Constitution, adopted without following the procedures laid out in the Constitution of 1940, the Republic of Cuba is defined as a socialist state
Speech
Refers to herself as the "Iron Lady" after an article in the Soviet Red Star
Mandela Conditional Release Offer
Offers Nelson Mandela release if he renounces political violence.
Nuclear Power
Sends a letter to the US saying Star Wars will escalate the arms race
Prison Release Proposal
Mandela rejects the condition in a statement read publicly.
Strike
The NUS calls a national strike in support of the 161 crew sacked by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for refusing to accept new terms & conditions
Strike
The NUS calls a national strike in support of the 161 crew sacked by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for refusing to accept new terms & conditions
Election
Jury selection begins in the trial of former National Security Council aide Oliver North, charged in connection with the Iran-Contra affair
Trial
Jury selection begins in the trial of former National Security Council aide Oliver North, charged in connection with the Iran-Contra affair
Recapture of Khafji
Coordinates Saudi and Qatari forces that retake Khafji.
Recapture of Khafji
Khalid coordinates Saudi and Qatari forces that recapture Khafji from Iraqi troops.
Recapture of Khafji
Oversees Saudi defense policy during the Battle of Khafji.
Cross Purposes
Returns as vocalist for Cross Purposes after the Dehumanizer line-up breaks apart.
Nuclear Power
France carries out a nuclear test equivalent to approximately 120,000 tonnes of conventional explosives, six times the force of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Lockerbie Trial Conviction
A Scottish court convicts Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and acquits Lamin Khalifah Fhimah.
Conference of African Union
25 African heads of state and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan in attendance, Nigeria
Trial
Sentenced to 12 yrs for the 1975 disappearance of left-wing activist Miguel Sandoval
Trial
Pleads his innocence before his trial for alleged child molestation
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
The IAEA reports that "Iran has continued to facilitate access under its Safeguards Agreement as requested by the Agency ... including by providing in a timely manner the requisite declarations and access to locations"
Nuclear Power
The IAEA reports that "Iran has continued to facilitate access under its Safeguards Agreement as requested by the Agency ... including by providing in a timely manner the requisite declarations and access to locations"
Health of Fidel Alejandro Castro
Footage of Castro meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is broadcast, where, according to international media reports, Castro "appeared frail but stronger than three months ago"
Al-Qaeda
The United States announces that Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior commander of al-Qaeda who recruited and trained operatives, is killed in a missile strike in northwest Pakistan
Al-Qaeda
Pervez Musharraf is president when the United States announces the death of senior al-Qaeda commander Abu Laith al-Libi in northwest Pakistan.
Hezbollah
An Israeli-Government-appointed panel, the Winograd Commission, on Israels 2006 war against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, calls the operation a "large and serious" failure and criticizes the countrys leadership
Invasion of Lebanon
An Israeli-Government-appointed panel, the Winograd Commission, on Israels 2006 war against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, calls the operation a "large and serious" failure and criticizes the countrys leadership
Winograd Commission
An Israeli-Government-appointed panel, the Winograd Commission, on Israels 2006 war against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, calls the operation a "large and serious" failure and criticizes the countrys leadership
Bombing of Mosul
In the worst single loss to the American military in nine months, a suicide bomber kills four American soldiers and their Iraqi translator in the northern Iraq city of Mosul
Election
Voter turnout varies widely by area, with some regions reporting less than 50% participation and others more than 75%. Iraq holds local elections to create provincial councils, the elections are notable for their lack of violence and the noticeably diminished role the US plays in their implementation
Election
Iraq holds local elections to create provincial councils, the elections are notable for their lack of violence and the noticeably diminished role the US plays in their implementation
Rule of Iraq
Iraq holds local elections to create provincial councils, the elections are notable for their lack of violence and the noticeably diminished role the US plays in their implementation
Suicide
In the worst single loss to the American military in nine months, a suicide bomber kills four American soldiers and their Iraqi translator in the northern Iraq city of Mosul
Automatic Voter Registration
Promulgates reform introducing automatic electoral registration and voluntary voting.
Article 50 Bill Second Reading
Starmer leads Labour's response during the Article 50 Bill second-reading debate.
Gorsuch Nomination
Nominates Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
Brexit
The United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
COVID-19
Italy suspends flights from China after confirmed COVID-19 cases in Rome.
Brexit
Marks four years since the United Kingdom formally left the European Union.
Births on January 31
Birth of James Stanley
Birth of James Stanley, styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William, 6th Earl of Derby
Birth of Frederick Louis
Birth of Frederick Louis, eldest son of George II
Birth of Franz Peter Schubert
Birth of Franz Peter Schubert
Birth of Norman Kingsley Mailer
Birth of Norman Kingsley Mailer
Birth of Eugene Ney TerreBlanche
Birth of Eugene Ney TerreBlanche
Birth of Johnny Rotten
Birth of Johnny Rotten, as John Joseph Lydon
Deaths on January 31
Death of Henry VIII
Birth of a stillborn daughter
Death of Henry VIII
News of Henry VIII's death is publicly released after being kept secret for three days.
Death of Paget
Implements the "unfulfilled gifts clause" rewarding Somesets supporters
Death of Guy Fawkes
Along with his fellow conspirators is hanged, drawn & quartered
Death of Theodor August Otto Wilhelm Habicht
Death of Theodor August Otto Wilhelm Habicht
Battles on January 31
Battle of Stalingrad
Paulus, with 25 other generals, surrenders to the Russians
Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans have lost 600,000 & the Russians 400,000. Paulus surrenders the 6th Army at the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans under Paulus surrender Stalingrad to Rokossovsky
Battle of Stalingrad
Paulus surrenders the German 6th Army. During the battle the Germans lose 600,000 & the Russians 400,000
Battle of Stalingrad
The German 6th Army surrenders. Since Zhkovs counter-attack 32 Axis Divisions & 3 Axis Brigades have been destroyed
Saudi Response to Battle of Khafji
King Fahd commends Saudi, Qatari and coalition forces after Khafji is retaken.