January 31

January 31: This Day in History

• 1606— Guy Fawkes was executed in London for his role in the Gunpowder Plot against Parliament.
• 1865— The U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery.
• 1930— The 3M company began selling Scotch transparent tape, invented by engineer Richard Drew.
• 1958— The United States launched its first successful satellite, Explorer 1, into orbit.

Famous Birthdays on January 31

• Franz Schubert (1797) — Austrian Romantic composer of symphonies and lieder
• Jackie Robinson (1919) — baseball legend who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier
• Justin Timberlake (1981) — pop singer and actor who rose to fame in *NSYNC
• Minnie Driver (1970) — Oscar-nominated British actress known for Good Will Hunting
• Kerry Washington (1977) — actress known for Scandal and Django Unchained

What Happens on January 31?

Did You Know? January 31 Fun Facts

• The U.S. House passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery on January 31, 1865 — the vote was so emotional that members of Congress wept openly.
• Justin Timberlake and Jackie Robinson share January 31 as their birthday, bridging pop culture and civil rights history.
• Explorer 1, launched January 31, 1958, was the first U.S. satellite and discovered the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth.

Count Down to Events on January 31

• How many days until WWE Royal Rumble?