Roman Emperor Augustus celebrates the Ludi Saeculares, a three day secular games event, marking the end of a saeculum (a generation) and the beginning of a new one.
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What Happened Today in History on May 31
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on May 31st. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
Note: Sources for the historical content shown, include research and reviews of relevant Online History Resources or printed material. When possible, we show a link to a source which provides additional or unique perspective about the event.
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Big Ben - The Great Clock starts ticking and the Great Bell's strikes are heard for the first time on July 11. A brief history of Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower
The Boer War, the armed conflict between Britain and the two Boer republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State in South Africa, often called the Boer War, ends with the signing of the Treaty of Unity and the annexation of Transvaal by Britain. More
The Second Boer War, 1899-1902 - Unit of British cavalry or mounted yeomanry crossing a river.This photograph Q 72039 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums. Public domain
The Union of South Africa is created becoming a sovereign state within the British empire as General Louis Botha forms a government as prime minister.
1916, May 31 - June 1
Battle of Jutland - World War I’s biggest naval conflict off the coast of Denmark marks the first and only showdown between German and British naval forces during World War I.
The Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916 - On the horizon the battlecruiser HMS LION, flagship of Vice Admiral Sir David Beatty, can be seen after being hit on 'Q' turret. This was the most serious of thirteen hits by the 12 inch guns of the German battlecruiser LUTZOW and started a fire in "Q" turret which was only prevented from blowing up the magazine by the quick thinking of a mortally wounded Royal Marine who ordered the magazine to be flooded.
Unknown author - Public domain via Wikimedia
The Tulsa Race Riots began. A two-day-long riot when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been appointed as deputies and armed by city government officials, attacked black residents and destroyed homes and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event is considered one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history. More
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/95517018/
Source: United States Library of Congress. Public domain
A 7.7 earthquake takes place at Quetta, Balochistan, British India (now part of Pakistan), close to the border with southern Afghanistan. Between 30,000 and 60,000 people died from the impact. More
The government of South Africa proclaims the Republic of South Africa and withdraws from the CON and Governor-General Charles Robert Swart formally takes office as State President. More
A 7.75 on the Richter scale earthquake off the coast of Peru causes much destruction and triggers the world's deadliest avalanche in the Peruvian town of Yungay, Ancash, totally destroying the town and ten nearby villages; killing between 66,000-70,000 people. More
Photo by Walter Welsch - Published on The American Alpine Club:
https://publications.americana...
The last weld of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) is completed, allowing transportation of oil from Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska to the Valdez Marine Terminal in Prince William Sound. The 800 miles (1,300 km), 48 inches in diameter pipeline system began construction in April 1974 and it cost $8 billion to complete. It is one of the world's largest pipeline systems. The first oil flowed June 20, 1977. More
Trace of the Denali Fault after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake of 3 November 2002, Alaska, USA. View south along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in the zone where it was engineered to cross the fault (the pipeline rests on sliders rather than rigid pillar supports). The fault trace passes beneath the pipeline between the 2nd and 3rd slider supports at the far end of the zone. A large arc in the pipe can be seen in the pipe on the right, due to shortening of the zigzag-shaped pipeline trace within the fault zone. It was snowing when the photo was taken.