What are the important events that happened on May 31? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
May 31: Facts & Myths About This Day
May 31 is the 152nd day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 214 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Friday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is May 18, 2024 – a Friday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 1,717,113,600 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.
Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectapentacontadigon’ day.
Gemini is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 243 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.
The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,179 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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May 31 Historical Events
- 526 –A devastating earthquake strikes Antioch, Turkey, killing 250,000.
- 1862 –American Civil War Peninsula Campaign: Battle of Seven Pines or (Battle of Fair Oaks) – Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston & G. W. Smith engage Union forces under George B. McClellan outside Richmond, Virginia.
- 1884 –Arrival at Plymouth of Tawhiao, King of Maoris, to claim protection of Queen Victoria
- 1889 –Johnstown Flood: Over 2,200 people die after a dam break sends a 60-foot (18-meter) wall of water over the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
- 1935 –A 7.7 Mw earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan: 40,000 dead.
- 1941 –Anglo-Iraqi War: The United Kingdom completes the re-occupation of Iraq and returns 'Abd al-Ilah to power as regent for Faisal II.
- 1961 –The Union of South Africa becomes the Republic of South Africa.
- 1977 –The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System completed.
- 2009 –Anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder shoots and kills physician George Tiller during church services in Wichita, Kansas.
- 2010 –In international waters, armed Shayetet 13 commandos, intending to force the flotilla to anchor at the Ashdod port, boarded ships trying to break the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip, resulting in 9 civilian deaths when teams of IHH activists on the MV Mavi Marmara attacked them with knives and metal rods and abducted one of the soldiers.
Who were born on May 31?
- 1863 –Francis Younghusband, British explorer (d. 1942)
- 1911 –Maurice Allais, French economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
- 1930 –Clint Eastwood, American film director and actor
- 1931 –Shirley Verrett, American soprano (d. 2010)
- 1938 –Peter Yarrow, American folk singer (Peter, Paul and Mary)
- 1943 –Sharon Gless, American actress
- 1975 –Yiasoumis Yiasoumi, Greek-Cypriot footballer
- 1981 –Tasha Reid, Korean rapper
- 1982 –Jonathan Tucker, American actor
- 1983 –Reggie Yates, English television presenter
Who died on May 31?
- 1495 –Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, mother of Edward IV of England and Richard III of England (b. 1415)
- 1594 –Tintoretto, Italian painter (b. 1518)
- 1680 –Joachim Neander, German clergyman (b. 1650)
- 1809 –Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer (b. 1732)
- 1957 –Leopold Staff, Polish poet (b. 1878)
- 1960 –Walther Funk, Nazi leader (b. 1890)
- 1972 –Walter Freeman, American physician (b. 1895)
- 1992 –Walter Neugebauer, Croatian comic book author (b. 1921)
- 1998 –Charles Van Acker, Belgian racing driver (b. 1912)
- 2001 –Arlene Francis, American television personality (b. 1907)
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