1606CE
Death
Gunpowder Plot Conspirators Executed
Four of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the English Parliament were executed in London for high treason.
Daily Chronicle
January 31
4 Historical Records
1865CE
Politics
13th Amendment Passes Congress
The US House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.
1919CE
Birth
Jackie Robinson Born
American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. He broke the color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
1958CE
Science
Explorer 1 Launched
The United States successfully launched its first satellite, Explorer 1, into orbit, joining the Space Race and discovering the Van Allen radiation belt.