January 31 - This day in History

January 31: General Interest
1950: Truman announces development of H-bomb

U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly announces his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II... read more


American Revolution
1752 : Gouverneur Morris is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gouverneur-morris-is-born


Automotive
2007 : Cars.com names most memorable TV cars
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carscom-names-most-memorable-tv-cars


Civil War
1865 : House passes the 13th Amendment
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/house-passes-the-13th-amendment


Cold War
1990 : First McDonald's opens in Soviet Union
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-mcdonalds-opens-in-soviet-union


Crime
1990 : The McMartin Preschool trials
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-mcmartin-preschool-trials


Disaster
1953 : Flood wreaks havoc in Europe
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/flood-wreaks-havoc-in-europe


General Interest
1606 : The death of Guy Fawkes
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-death-of-guy-fawkes

1917 : Germany resumes submarine warfare
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-resumes-submarine-warfare

1968 : Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/viet-cong--attack-us-embassy

1971 : Apollo 14 departs for the moon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iapollo-14i-departs-for-the-moon


Hollywood
1974 : Samuel Goldwyn dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/samuel-goldwyn-dies


Literary
1923 : Norman Mailer is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/norman-mailer-is-born


Music
1937 : American composer Phillip Glass is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-composer-phillip-glass-is-born


Old West
1872 : Author Zane Grey is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/author-zane-grey-is-born


Presidential
1995 : Clinton authorizes loan to Mexico
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/clinton-authorizes-loan-to-mexico


Sports
1988 : Doug Williams leads Redskins to Super Bowl victory
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/doug-williams-leads-redskins-to-super-bowl-victory


Vietnam War
1968 : Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/viet-cong-attack-us-embassy

1972 : North Vietnam presents nine-point peace proposal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/north-vietnam-presents-nine-point-peace-proposal


World War I
1917 : Germans unleash U-boats
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-unleash-u-boats


World War II
1945 : The execution of Pvt. Slovik
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-execution-of-pvt-slovik