314day.year
Pope Sylvester I is consecrated, as successor to the late Pope Miltiades.
Pope Sylvester I becomes the leader of the early Christian Church following the death of Pope Miltiades.
Pope Sylvester I was consecrated as the 34th pope on January 31st, 314 AD, marking the formal succession from Pope Miltiades. His pontificate spanned the reign of Constantine the Great and oversaw the Church during its transition to imperial patronage. Sylvester is remembered for his reputed association with Constantine and the institution of key ecclesiastical structures. Although historical records from this period are sparse, later legend credits him with presiding over the First Council of Nicaea. His reign contributed to the consolidation of Church authority and doctrinal orthodoxy. Sylvester's legacy endured in medieval traditions, linking him to foundational Christian symbols and rituals.
314
Pope Sylvester I
Pope Miltiades
1504day.year
The Treaty of Lyon ends the Italian War, confirming French domination of northern Italy, while Spain receives the Kingdom of Naples.
The Treaty of Lyon concludes the Italian War, granting France control of northern Italy and ceding Naples to Spain.
Signed on January 31st, 1504, the Treaty of Lyon brought an end to the protracted Italian Wars between France and Spain. Under its terms, France secured its dominance over key northern Italian territories, including Milan and Genoa. In exchange, King Ferdinand II of Aragon obtained the Kingdom of Naples, expanding Spanish influence in southern Italy. The agreement reshaped the balance of power on the peninsula and laid foundations for Habsburg ascendancy. Diplomats from both crowns negotiated complex clauses addressing trade rights and feudal allegiances. The treaty's legacy influenced European politics for decades, fueling rivalry that culminated in further Italian campaigns.
1504
Italian War
Kingdom of Naples
1606day.year
Gunpowder Plot: Four of the conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, are executed for treason by hanging, drawing and quartering, for plotting against Parliament and King James.
Four conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot, including Guy Fawkes, are executed for treason in London.
On January 31st, 1606, the English government executed Guy Fawkes and three fellow conspirators for their roles in the Gunpowder Plot. Charged with high treason, they faced the brutal punishment of hanging, drawing, and quartering. The failed plot had aimed to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate King James I. Public executions served as a stern warning against Catholic dissent in Protestant England. News of the executions intensified anti-Catholic sentiment and reinforced royal authority. The event became part of England's political narrative, commemorated annually as Gunpowder Treason Day. Over time, the story of Guy Fawkes inspired cultural adaptations in literature and art.
1606
Gunpowder Plot
Guy Fawkes
hanging, drawing and quartering
Parliament
King James
1814day.year
Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina).
Gervasio Antonio de Posadas is appointed Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.
On January 31st, 1814, Gervasio Antonio de Posadas assumed the role of Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the precursor to modern Argentina. His leadership followed internal political turmoil amid the Wars of Independence against Spanish rule. Posadas sought to centralize executive power and stabilize the new government while navigating factional divisions among federalists and centralists. He supported economic measures to fund the revolutionary armies and maintain civil order. During his tenure, diplomatic efforts were made to secure international recognition. Though his term faced opposition, Posadas laid foundational structures for the Argentine state. His contributions are remembered as pivotal in South America's struggle for sovereignty.
1814
Gervasio Antonio de Posadas
Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
1846day.year
After the Milwaukee Bridge War, the United States towns of Juneautown and Kilbourntown unify to create the City of Milwaukee.
The towns of Juneautown and Kilbourntown merge to form the City of Milwaukee after a local Bridge War.
In the mid-1840s, the neighboring settlements of Juneautown and Kilbourntown clashed over bridge tolls and commercial control in what came to be known as the Milwaukee Bridge War. On January 31, 1846, the two rival towns formally united under a single government, creating the City of Milwaukee. This unification resolved bitter local disputes and established unified municipal services and infrastructure. The newly formed city leveraged its strategic location on Lake Michigan to grow into a key shipping and manufacturing hub. Today, Milwaukee celebrates its founding as a milestone in urban development and civic cooperation.
1846
Milwaukee Bridge War
Milwaukee
1848day.year
John C. Frémont is court-martialed for mutiny and disobeying orders.
Explorer and Army officer John C. Frémont faced a court-martial on mutiny and insubordination charges.
John C. Frémont, famed as 'The Pathfinder' for his Western explorations, was arrested and brought before a military tribunal on January 31, 1848. He was charged with mutiny and disobeying orders during the Mexican–American War after refusing to relinquish command of a California expedition. The high-profile trial was held in Washington, D.C., and in April he was found guilty, though his sentence was later overturned. The episode tarnished his military reputation but did little to diminish his national prominence. Frémont's court-martial underscored tensions between military authority and personal ambition.
1848
John C. Frémont
court-martialed
1865day.year
American Civil War: The United States Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery, and submits it to the states for ratification.
The U.S. Congress passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and sent it to the states for ratification.
On January 31, 1865, amid the closing stages of the American Civil War, the United States Congress approved the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This landmark amendment outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the nation, except as punishment for crime. It represented the legislative culmination of the Emancipation Proclamation and decades of abolitionist struggle. The amendment was then sent to the states, requiring ratification by three-quarters to become law. It was ratified later that year, cementing a permanent end to chattel slavery in the United States and reshaping the country’s social and political landscape.
1865
American Civil War
United States Congress
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
1891day.year
History of Portugal: The first attempt at a Portuguese republican revolution breaks out in the northern city of Porto.
The first republican uprising in Portugal broke out in Porto, challenging the monarchy.
In the early hours of January 31, 1891, a group of republican activists launched an armed insurrection in Porto against Portugal’s monarchy. Inspired by republican movements abroad, they seized key government buildings and rallied citizens to their cause. Although the uprising was swiftly crushed by loyalist forces, it marked the country’s first significant challenge to royal authority. The rebellion’s leaders were arrested or exiled, but the event galvanized the republican movement. It laid the groundwork for the successful revolution of 1910 that would abolish the monarchy and establish the Portuguese Republic.
1891
History of Portugal
republican
Porto
1928day.year
Leon Trotsky is exiled to Alma-Ata.
Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky is expelled from Moscow and sent into internal exile in Alma-Ata.
On January 31, 1928, Joseph Stalin orchestrated the expulsion of Leon Trotsky from the Communist Party’s centre in Moscow and exiled him to Alma-Ata (present-day Almaty, Kazakhstan).
Trotsky, a key architect of the 1917 Revolution, had become a vocal critic of Stalin’s consolidation of power.
His relocation to the remote Kazakh frontier was intended to silence dissent within the party leadership.
Despite harsh conditions, Trotsky continued to write and broadcast critiques of Stalin’s regime.
The exile marked the beginning of Trotsky’s final separation from active Soviet politics and foreshadowed his eventual assassination abroad.
1928
Leon Trotsky
Alma-Ata
1946day.year
Cold War: Yugoslavia's new constitution, modeling that of the Soviet Union, establishes six constituent republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).
Yugoslavia's new Soviet-inspired constitution establishes six republics, shaping its federal structure.
On January 31, 1946, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia adopted a constitution modeled on that of the Soviet Union.
It created six constituent republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.
This legal framework centralized power while recognizing the country's ethnic and regional diversity.
The constitution laid the groundwork for parliamentary institutions and the Communist Party's leadership.
It marked a key step in Yugoslavia's post-war transformation into a socialist federation under Josip Broz Tito.
Over time, this structure influenced inter-republic relations until the eventual dissolution in the 1990s.
1946
Cold War
Yugoslavia
constitution
Soviet Union
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Macedonia
Montenegro
Serbia
Slovenia
1951day.year
United Nations Security Council Resolution 90 relating to the Korean War is adopted.
The UN Security Council adopts Resolution 90, addressing issues related to the Korean War.
On January 31, 1951, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 90 amid the ongoing Korean War.
The resolution called for measures to facilitate a ceasefire and protect civilian populations.
It reaffirmed UN principles of collective security and demanded cooperation from both sides of the conflict.
While not ending hostilities immediately, the resolution laid diplomatic groundwork for future armistice talks.
It highlighted the UN's emerging role in managing Cold War-era conflicts and humanitarian concerns.
1951
United Nations Security Council Resolution 90
Korean War
2001day.year
In the Netherlands, a Scottish court convicts Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and acquits another Libyan citizen for their part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.
On January 31, 2001, a Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands convicted Abdelbaset al-Megrahi for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, while acquitting another defendant.
After years of diplomatic negotiations, the Lockerbie bombing trial was held at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands on January 31, 2001.
The Scottish court found Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi guilty of murdering 270 people aboard Pan Am Flight 103.
Another Libyan citizen was acquitted, leading to mixed reactions among victims' families and governments.
The verdict brought a measure of closure to one of the deadliest terror attacks in history, which had devastated Lockerbie, Scotland.
Al-Megrahi's conviction had far-reaching implications for international law, state responsibility, and diplomatic relations.
The case continues to provoke controversy over evidence, legal process, and true accountability for the bombing.
2001
Libyan
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
Pan Am Flight 103
Lockerbie