May 31 - This Day in History

May 31 : General Interest
1859: Big Ben goes into operation in London

The famous tower clock known as Big Ben, located at the top of the 320-foot-high St. Stephen's Tower, rings out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, for the first time on this day in 1859... read more



American Revolution
1775 : Mecklenburg Resolutions reject the power of the British in North Carolina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mecklenburg-resolutions-reject-the-power-of-the-british-in-north-carolina


Automotive
1929 : Ford signs agreement with Soviet Union
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ford-signs-agreement-with-soviet-union


Civil War
1862 : Yankees and Rebels clash at Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks)
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-seven-pines-fair-oaks-virginia


Cold War
1988 : Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Moscow ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/reagan-gorbachev-summit-in-moscow-ends


Crime
1964 : A killer who can't keep his mouth shut
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-killer-who-cant-keep-his-mouth-shut

2005 : Deep Throat is revealed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/deep-throat-is-revealed


Disaster
1889 : The Johnstown Flood
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnstown-flood


General Interest
1889 : The Johnstown Flood
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-johnstown-flood

1902 : The Boer War ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-boer-war-ends

1962 : Architect of the Holocaust hanged in Israel
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/architect-of-the-holocaust-hanged-in-israel

1996 : Netanyahu elected prime minister of Israel
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/netanyahu-elected-prime-minister-of-israel


Hollywood
1930 : Clint Eastwood born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/clint-eastwood-born


Literary
1819 : Walt Whitman is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/walt-whitman-is-born


Music
1977 : The BBC bans the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-bbc-bans-the-sex-pistols-quotgod-save-the-queenquot


Old West
1887 : George Goodfellow investigates earthquake
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-goodfellow-investigates-earthquake


Presidential
1988 : Three U.S. presidents close chapters on the Cold War
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/three-us-presidents-close-chapters-on-the-cold-war


Sports
1997 : Ila Borders pitches in minor league game
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ila-borders-pitches-in-minor-league-game


Vietnam War
1965 : Operation Rolling Thunder continues
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-rolling-thunder-continues

1970 : Communist soldiers escape South Vietnamese forces
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/communist-soldiers-escape-south-vietnamese-forces


World War I
1916 : Battle of Jutland
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-jutland


World War II
1941 : Germans conquer Crete
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-conquer-crete