Today in History for 31st January 2026

[CoM Moderators]

Historical Events

1891 - First attempt of a republican revolution breaks out in the northern city of Porto, Portugal
1966 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Smith wins her 7th consecutive Australian singles title; beats American Nancy Richey in a walkover, Richey injured
1968 - Nauru (formerly Pleasant Island) declares independence from Australia the UK and New Zealand, becoming the world's smallest republic
1975 - Barry Manilow's single "Mandy" goes gold
2009 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams wins 10th Grand Slam singles title; outclasses Dinara Safina of Russia 6-0, 6-3

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1597 - John Francis Regis, French priest and Roman Catholic saint, born in Fontcouverte, France (d. 1640)
1919 - Jackie Robinson, American Baseball HOF second baseman (1st African-American MLB player Brooklyn Dodgers; 6 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1955; NL MVP 1949), born in Cairo, Georgia (d. 1972)
1920 - Bert Williams, English soccer goalkeeper (24 caps; Wolverhampton Wanderers 381 games), born in Bradley, Staffordshire (d. 2014)
1924 - William Bryant, American character actor (King Dinosaur, Hell Squad), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2001)
1942 - Gerald Chanberlain, American jazz trombonist (Woody Herman's Thundering Herd), born in Refugio, Texas (d. 2007)

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1815 - José Félix Ribas, Venezuelan independentist leader (b. 1775)
1865 - Aristide Farrenc, French flautist, music publisher, and musicologist (Trésor des pianistes), dies at 70
1925 - George W. Cable, American writer (Northampton Years), dies at 80
1974 - Glenn Morris, American athlete (Olympic gold decathlon 1936) and actor (Tarzan's Revenge; Hold That Co-ed), dies of congestive heart failure at 61
1990 - Rashad Khalifa, Egyptian-American biochemist and imam, stabbed to death at 54 (b. 1935)

More Famous Deaths »