Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on October 31st?

Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses against papal indulgences, or the atonement of sins through monetary payment, on the door of the church at Wittenberg, Germany. Within less than four years, the Catholic Church would brand Luther a heretic, and the Holy Roman Empire would condemn him as an outlaw. This marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, a turning point in history that would over time, transform not only the Christian faith, but also the politics and society of all of Europe. Some historians have argued that this event didn't happen as described but rather the Theses were delivered to the local archbishop. More

Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation.

Nevada is admitted into the Union becoming the 36th State.

Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India is assassinated by her own bodyguards and Sikh nationalists, purportedly to avenge the humiliation of Sikhs and the desecration of the Golden Temple during Operation Blue Star in June of that year. She was the first and, to date, the only female Prime Minister of India. Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. Despite her surname Gandhi, she is not related to the family of Mahatma Gandhi. More

Egypt Air flight 990, an extended range Boeing 767-366 jet airliner crashes into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles (100 km) south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, after a rapid fatal descent losing its left engine before crashing into the ocean. All 217 people on board died. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the actions of the copilot caused the crash, but Egyptian authorities blamed mechanical failure. More

Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous inventor of Bitcoin, releases the Bitcoin white paper. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,” The nine-page thesis paper established the basic structure for the Bitcoin network and how it could be used. presenting the idea for a decentralized cryptocurrency network that can make transactions with low costs without using financial institutions or third parties. By design, only 21 million Bitcoins will ever be "mined," or released into the market. More

Russia’s Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed minutes after takeoff from the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh to the Russian city of St. Petersburg, killing all 224 people on board. ISIS claimed responsibility for the downing of the Russian airliner claiming it was done in retaliation for Russia’s airstrikes in Syria.