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What happened in history on this day: January 31?
Since 1995, I have been collecting information on a variety of topics,
creating several timelines of history.
Here you will find specific events from those databases
for this day, on the topics of personal computers, video games, the Walt Disney Company,
Chevrolet Corvettes, A&W Root Beer, Sweden, and Canadian coins.
On January 31 in ...
- 1983 - Atari announces that Marcian Hoff, inventor of the microprocessor, is joining the company as vice president of research and development.
- 1983 - Texas Instruments introduces the TI Professional Computer. It features an 8088 processor, 64 kB RAM, dual 320 kB floppy drives, 720x300 graphics with optional 8-color mode, and voice recognition, starting at US$2195.
- 1984 - Commodore International announces that it will likely delay shipping the 264 and 364 models, due to continued high demand for the Commodore 64.
- 1984 - Apple Computer is reorganized into three divisions: Apple II, Apple 32, and Accessory Products.
- 1996 - At Demo 96 in Palm Springs, California, Apple Computer gives the first public showing of the Mac OS running on a PowerPC Platform (PPCP) computer. The prototype, built by IBM, uses a 132MHz PowerPC 604 processor.
- 1996 - Corel purchases WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, and the PerfectOffice application suite from Novell for US$180 million in cash, stock, and future licensing royalties.
- 1997 - Hewlett-Packard announces the HP 200LX handheld computer, with 4 MB RAM, priced at US$599.
- 1997 - Be announces it is ceasing production of its own hardware systems, to focus on software development.
- 2002 - Handspring begins selling its Treo 180 and 180g handheld computers in Singapore. Price is S$968 (about US$525).
- 2005 - Apple Computer releases new PowerBook G4 portable computers in the USA and United Kingdom. They feature 1.5 or 1.67 GHz G4 processor, 512 MB RAM, 12.1- or 17- inch LCD, AirPort, 512 KB L2 cache, 64 MB NVidia GeForceFX 5200 or 128 MB ATI Radeon 9700 graphics, two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, Ethernet, DVD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD-R drive, 80 or 100 GB hard drive. Prices are US$1499-2699 in the USA, and 1049-1849 pounds in the UK.
- 2005 - Sun Microsystems releases the Solaris 10 operating system for free commercial or non-commercial use.
- 2007 - Dell announces the resignation of CEO Kevin Rollins, and says Michael Dell will be back.
- 1925 - Disney completes the 13th Alice Comedy film, Alice Gets Stung.
- 1925 - Disney ships the Alice Comedy film Alice Gets Stung to M.J. Winkler Productions.
- 1927 - Disney ships the 47th Alice Comedy film, Alice's Circus Daze, to Winkler Pictures.
- 1927 - Live-action filming is completed for the Alice Comedy film Alice in the Klondike.
- 1965 - The NBC TV network airs the Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color show, featuring Gallegher, part two.
- 1986 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Down and Out in Beverly Hills to theaters. This is the first R-rated Disney Studios film. The film cost US$14 million to make.
- 1992 - The Professor Barnaby Owl's Photographic Art Studio shop opens at the exit of Splash Mountain in Disneyland.
- 1994 - The Energy Exchange display in Communicore East in Epcot closes.
- 1994 - The FutureCom display in Communicore West in Epcot closes.
- 1995 - Disney releases the film Gargoyles The Movie on laserdisc for US$30.
- 1997 - Buena Vista Pictures releases the Hollywood Pictures live-action feature film Shadow Conspiracy to theaters in the US.
- 1999 - The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US.
- When a character has to tell others some bad news, he starts with "My friends...", a reference to Scar trying to sweet-talk the hyenas in The Lion King.
- A character mentions "Dollywood, and EuroDollywood", a reference to EuroDisneyland.
- A character leads others saying "Follow Me, Boys!", possibly a reference to the 1966 Disney film Follow Me, Boys!.
- A winning football player says "I'm going to Disneyland!", to which a travel agent says "Really, coz I'm a travel agent and I've heard nothing but bad things."; another character nods.
- 2000 - Activision releases the Disney's Tarzan video game for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color in the US.
- 2010 - The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A talking mirror appears, a reference to the one in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- 2016 - The Animagique show in Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris closes.
- 1970 - At the Daytona International Raceway in Daytona, Florida, the Daytona 24 Hours race is held.
- Finishing 1st in GT +2000 class and 6th overall is the Owens Corning Fiberglas #7 Corvette, driven by Jerry Thompson and John Mahler.
- Finishing 2nd in GT +2000 class and 11th overall is the Cliff Gottlob #89 1967 white Corvette L-88 convertible driven by Cliff Gottlob and Dave Dooley. They reach a top speed of 186 MPH.
- Finishing 3rd in GT +2000 class and 13th overall is the Owens-Corning Fibreglass #6 Corvette driven by Tony DeLorenzo and Dick Lang.
- Finishing 4th in GT +2000 class and 15th overall is the Or Costanzo #90 1969 Corvette L88 driven by Or Costanzo and Dave Heinz.
- Allan Barker, John Greenwood, and Richard Hoffmang race the John Greenwood #91 Corvette but do not finish due to an accident.
- Bob Johnson, Robert R. Johnson, and Jim Greendykeg race the Bob Johnson #8 Corvette but do not finish the race.
- 1976 - At the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida, the 24 Hours of Daytona race is held, over two days.
- Finishing 8th in GTO class and 9th overall is the Phil Currin #99 Corvette driven by Phil Currin, Cliff Gottlob, and Peter Knab.
- Finishing 11th in GTO class and 22nd overall is the Garcia Brothers #15 Corvette driven by Javier Garcia, George Garcia, and Manuel Garcia.
- Finishing 12th in GTO class and 24th overall is the Ted Mathey #35 Corvette driven by Ted Mathey, Joe Chamberlain, and Arnstein Loyning.
- Finishing 13th in GTO class and 29th overall is the Sam Fillingham #40 Corvette driven by Sam Fillingham and Bud Sherk.
- Placing 16th in GTO class and 34th overall is the Greenwood Customercar Levitt Racing #76 Corvette driven by Mike Brockman and John Greenwood. The car is not running at the finish due to engine failure after 11 hours.
- Placing 20th in GTO class and 43rd overall is the Denny Long #22 Corvette driven by Denny Long, Bill Jobe, and Tim Startup. The car is not running at the finish.
- Placing 30th in GTO class and 61st overall is the Bill Arnold #72 Corvette driven by Bill Arnold and Al Levenson. The car is not running at the finish.
- Placing 36th in GTO class and 69th overall is the Clark Howey #73 Corvette driven by Clark Howey. The car is not running at the finish.
- 2003 - At the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, the Daytona 250 race is held, round one of the Grand-Am Cup series.
- Finishing 5th in GSI class and 5th overall is the Silverstone Racing Services #39 Corvette, driven by Larry Huang and Chris Hall.
- Finishing 7th in GSI class and 7th overall is the Powell Motorsport #11 Corvette, driven by Devon Powell and Doug Goad.
- Finishing 11th in GSI class and 11th overall is the Powell Motorsport #02 Corvette, driven by Mike Weinberg and Stu Hayner.
- 1941 - A formal armistice is signed by Siam and Indochina.
- 1942 - Japanese troops land on north and south coasts of Ambon, capturing the town.
- 1943 - German 6th Army commander Friedrich Paulus and almost 250,000 German troops surrender at Stalingrad.
- 1945 - Final German forces abandon Kapelsche Veer island in the Maas River, Holland.
- 1945 - (1004 hours) American Private Edward Donald Slovik of the 28th Infantry Division is executed by firing squad for desertion.
- 1945 - Soviet forces reach the lower Oder River near Küstrin.
- 1945 - More American forces land on central Luzon, the Philippines.
- 1946 - In Bordeaux Harbor, France, US tanker Antietam strikes a floating mine and sinks.
- 1983 - Atari announces that Marcian Hoff, inventor of the microprocessor, is joining the company as vice president of research and development.
- 1997 - Square releases the Final Fantasy VII video game for the PlayStation in Japan.
- 2000 - Activision releases the Disney's Tarzan video game for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color in the US.
- 2010 - The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A "Funtendo Zii" is a parody of the Nintendo Wii video game system with wireless remote, showing a golf game, a tennis game, and a World War II fighting game.
- 2012 - Square Enix releases the Final Fantasy XIII-2 video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the US.
- 1531 - King Gustav decrees that one bell in every church in towns and monasteries should be sacrificed to the exchequer, to help pay the debt to Lübeck.
- 1713 - Ottoman forces march out of Bender to expel King Karl. After firing cannon on the King's position, Janissaries are ordered to attack. They had been assigned to guard the King in 1709, and now refuse to attack him. The King is granted three days to leave.
- 1991 - The Secretary of State and the Minister of Supply and Services announce an open design competition for the 1992 25c and $1 coins, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Confederation. Twelve different 25c coins will be issued for circulation. The contest deadline is March 15.
- 1851 - Augustus Humbert strikes first octagonal gold $50 coins at the US Assay Office in San Francisco.
- 1861 - State of Louisiana takes over US Mint at New Orleans.
- 1883 - The Philadelphia Mint makes first strikes of new 5-cent coin. The first coin struck is sent to President Chester Arthur.
- 1907 - The Denver Mint begins striking 1907-dated half dollars.
- 1934 - President Franklin Roosevelt devalues the dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce.
- 1973 - Close of the first GSA silver coin auction. 700,000 coins were sold at $30 each for 1882-84 CC.
- 2005 - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger launches 2005 California State quarter dollar into circulation.
- 2010 - (to February 2) Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers conducts a coin auction. Some highlights:
- 1921 $20 gold, MS-65 PCGS: $862,500.
- 2012 - Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa introduces S. 2049, "A bill to improve the circulation of $1 coins, to remove barrier to the circulation of such coins, and for other purposes", in the US Senate, seeking the phase out of the $1 Federal Reserve note.
- 1901 - Winnipeg Victorias sweep Montréal Shamrocks in two for the Stanley Cup of hockey.
- 1920 - Joe Malone of the Québec Bulldogs sets NHL record with 7 goals in a game against Toronto Saint Patricks.
- 1927 - National League President John Heydler rules Roger Hornsby can not hold stock in the Saint Louis Cardinals and play for the New York Giants.
- 1941 - Joe Louis knocks out Red Burman in five rounds for heavyweight boxing title.
- 1952 - Harry Heilmann and Paul Waner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1953 - New York, Cleveland and Boston retaliate against Bill Veeck, forcing the Cleveland Browns to play afternoon games to avoid sharing TV revenues.
- 1959 - Joe Cronin signs seven-year pact to become head of American League.
- 1961 - Kanhai completes twin tons (117 and 115) versus Australia at Adelaide.
- 1965 - Pud Galvin elected to baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1968 - Bobby Simpson takes 5-59 versus India in his last Test for ten years.
- 1971 - Jake Beckley, Joe Kelley, Harry Hooper, Rube Marquard, Chick Hafey and Dave Bancroft and George Weiss elected to baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1971 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Janet Lynn.
- 1971 - US male Figure Skating championship won by John Misha Petkevich.
- 1974 - McDonald's founder Ray Kroc buys San Diego Padres for US$12 million.
- 1975 - UCLA wins NCAA basketball championship.
- 1976 - Lance Gibbs becomes highest Test wicket-taker at 308.
- 1977 - Joe Sewell, Amos Rusie, and Al Lopez elected to baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1981 - Gaetan Boucher skates world record 1000m (1:13.39).
- 1982 - 12th NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 16-13.
- 1982 - 32nd NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 120-118 at New Jersey.
- 1982 - Gustafson skates world record 10 km (14:26.59).
- 1982 - Hollis Stacy wins LPGA Whirlpool Golf Championship of Deer Creek.
- 1982 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Hamilton.
- 1984 - 36th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 7-6 at New Jersey.
- 1988 - Super Bowl XXII: Washington Redskins beat Denver Broncos, 42-10 in San Diego; Most Valuable Player: quarterback Doug Williams.
- 1990 - Jushin "Thunder" Liger beats Naoki Sano to become New Japan IWGP champ.
- 1990 - The first ever all-sports daily The National begins publishing.
- 1991 - Denver Nuggets' Michael Adams becomes shortest NBA player to get a triple-double.
- 1992 - Sportscaster Howard Cosell retires.
- 1993 - 81st Australian Men's Tennis: Jim Courier beats Stefan Edberg (6-2, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5).
- 1993 - In Pasadena, California, the NFL's Super Bowl XXVII is played. The Buffalo Bills become the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls as they are defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, 52-17. Most Valuable Player: Troy Aikman, quarterback of Dallas. Michael Jackson performs at the halftime show.
- 1998 - 72nd Australian Women's Tennis: Martina Hingis beats C Martinez (6-3 6-3).
- 1999 - NFL Super Bowl XXXIII: Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons in Miami, Florida; Most Valuable Player: John Elway, quarterback for the Denver Broncos.
- 2003 - The Chicago White Sox announces Comiskey Park will now be known as U.S. Cellular Field, in exchange for US$68 million in a 23-year deal with the wireless service provider.
- 2009 - The Australian Open tennis championships final games are played (day one).
- Girls' singles: Russian Ksenia Pervak defeats Britain's Laura Robson 6-3, 6-1.
- Boys' singles: Indian Yuki Bhambri defeats Germany's Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas 6-3, 6-1.
- Womens' singles: American Serena Williams defeats Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3.
- 2010 - Swiss Roger Federer beats Briton Andy Murray in three sets (6-3 6-4 7-6 (13-11)) at the Australian Open tennis championship to win his 16th Grand Slam title.
- 2022 - At Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats Buffalo Sabres by score 4-1.
- 2022 - At UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: Minnesota Wild beats New York Islanders by score 4-3.
- 2022 - At American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, USA, NHL regular season game: Dallas Stars beats Boston Bruins by score 6-1.
- 2022 - At Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, NHL regular season game: Columbus Blue Jackets beats Montreal Canadiens by score 6-3.
- 2022 - At PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, NHL regular season game: Carolina Hurricanes beats San Jose Sharks by score 2-1.
- 2022 - At PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, NHL regular season game: Los Angeles Kings beats Pittsburgh Penguins by score 4-3.
- 2022 - At Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: New York Rangers beats Seattle Kraken by score 3-2.
- 2022 - At Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, NHL regular season game: Toronto Maple Leafs beats New Jersey Devils by score 6-4.
- 2022 - At United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA, NHL regular season game: Vancouver Canucks beats Chicago Blackhawks by score 3-1.
- 2022 - At Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, USA, NHL regular season game: Detroit Red Wings beats Anaheim Ducks by score 2-1.
- 2022 - At Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, NHL regular season game: Ottawa Senators beats Edmonton Oilers by score 3-2.
- 2022 - At Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, USA, NHL regular season game: Florida Panthers beats Columbus Blue Jackets by score 8-4.
- 1779 - Charles Messier adds M57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra) to his catalog.
- 1862 - Telescope maker Alvin Clark discovers dwarf companion of Sirius.
- 1958 - James van Allen discovers radiation belt.
- 1958 - US launches their first artificial satellite, Explorer 1.
- 1961 - "Ham" is first primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury/Redstone 2.
- 1961 - US Air Force launches Samos spy satellite to replace U-2 flights.
- 1966 - USSR launches Luna 9 toward the Moon.
- 1971 - Apollo 14 launched to the Moon.
- 1972 - US launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998).
- 1998 - NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour mission STS 89 lands.
- 2018 - A total lunar eclipse takes place, best visible from the Manitoba/Ontario border in Canada. The Moon appears as supermoon, with perigee being on January 30. It is also the first blue moon eclipse since 1983.
- 1953 - Hurricane-like winds flood Netherlands drowning nearly 2,000.
- 1968 - Record high barometric pressure (1083.8 mb, 32 inches), at Agata, USSR.
- 1861 - State of Louisiana, CSA takes over US Mint at New Orleans.
- 1871 - Millions of birds fly over western San Francisco, darkening the sky.
- 1874 - Jesse James gang robs train at Gads Hill, Missouri.
- 1895 - José Martí and others leave New York City, New York for invasion of Spanish Cuba.
- 1905 - Carroll Wright is appointed first US Commissioner of Labor.
- 1911 - US Congress names San Francisco as Panamá Canal opening celebration site.
- 1917 - Germany notifies US that submarines will attack neutral merchant ship.
- 1920 - First Ukrainian daily newspaper in US (New York City, New York) begins publication.
- 1920 - Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, at Howard University, incorporates.
- 1928 - Scotch tape first marketed by 3-M Company.
- 1930 - First US glider flight from a dirigible, Lakehurst, New Jersey.
- 1932 - US railway unions accept 10 percent wage reduction.
- 1934 - US President Franklin Roosevelt devalues the dollar by 40.94 percent in relation to gold by raising price to $35 per ounce (was $20.67 since 1837).
- 1935 - 30.5 cm (12.0 inches) of rain falls, Quinault RS, Washington (state record).
- 1944 - US forces invade Kwajalein Atoll.
- 1945 - American Private Edward Donald Slovik, age 25, is executed by firing squad for desertion, the first such execution since the US Civil War.
- 1945 - US 4th Infantry division occupies Elcherrath.
- 1950 - US President Harry Truman reveals that he ordered the Atomic Energy Commission to develop the hydrogen bomb.
- 1958 - James van Allen discovers radiation belt.
- 1958 - US launches their first artificial satellite, Explorer 1.
- 1961 - "Ham" is first primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury/Redstone 2.
- 1961 - US Air Force launches Samos spy satellite to replace U-2 flights.
- 1962 - General Charles P Cabell, US Air Force, ends term as deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1964 - US report Smoking and Health connects smoking to lung cancer.
- 1968 - Viet Cong launch Tet Offensive on US embassy in Saigon, Vietnam.
- 1968 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1969 - Vice Admiral Rufus L Taylor, US Navy, ends term as deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1971 - Apollo 14 launched to the Moon.
- 1972 - US launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998).
- 1977 - In Louisville, Kentucky, USA three buildings and a car are struck by a falling meteorite.
- 1984 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1986 - In Ohio, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurs.
- 1986 - Mary Lund of Minnesota is first female recipient of an artificial heart.
- 1987 - United Steelworkers union ratify a concessionary contract with USX Corp.
- 1987 - The last Ohrbach's department store closes in New York City after 64 years of operation.
- 1988 - Barge sinks near Anacortes, Washington, USA, spills 70,000 gallons of oil.
- 1992 - IBM reports a year-end loss, for the first time, of US$564 million, on revenues of US$64.8 billion.
- 1995 - U.S. President Bill Clinton invokes emergency powers to extend a $20 billion loan to help Mexico avert financial collapse.
- 2000 - Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashes off the California coast into the Pacific Ocean, killing 88.
- 2006 - Samuel Alito is sworn in as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
- 2007 - Delta Air Lines creditors officially reject US Airways' hostile takeover bid.
- 2007 - The Mooninite scare occurs in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, when devices used in a guerrilla marketing campaign for the animated television series Aqua Teen Hunger Force are mistaken for improvised explosive devices.
- 2008 - Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo for US$44.6 billion: US$31 per share in cash and stock.
- 2023 - Boeing delivers the final 747 jumbo jet, making total production 1574.
Other history:
- 1865 - U.S. Congress passes 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America.
- 2007 - The Venezuelan National Assembly gives President Hugo Chávez the power to rule by decree for 18 months.
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