From the archives
Classic headlineBritish Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
Source: Classic headline (CJR 'Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim' collections)View clipping source
Monday 12 October 2026
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Today's curiosity
Before dinosaurs existed, dragonflies with 2-foot wings ruled the sky.
Read on CurioVault.co → Today's headlines
- British Left Waffles on Falkland IslandsHall of Fame◆
- 1984Baby Elephant Dies Of Mysterious IllnessThe New York Times◆
- 2017Turnbull's latest bill expands the government's industrial thuggery into every workplaceThe Guardian◆
- 2014David Cameron gives spy agencies power to vet airline flight listsThe Guardian◆
- 1895German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon.Wikipedia◆
- 1897Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope, a precursor to the modern movie projector.Wikipedia◆
- 1897Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope (pictured), a precursor to the modern movie projector.Wikipedia◆
- 1876Sultan Murad V of the Ottoman Empire was deposed after a reign of 93 days on grounds of mental illness.* 1888 – The body of Mary Ann Nichols, the alleged first victim of an unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper (pictured), was found in Buck's Row, London.Wikipedia◆
- 1959A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm, fails to kill King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.Wikipedia◆
- 1795War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka) from the Dutch in order to keep it out of French hands.Wikipedia◆
- 1776William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, begins serving his first term.Wikipedia◆
- 2010The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British television history, was broadcast.Wikipedia◆
- 1969On the final day of the Isle of Wight Festival 1969, attended by approximately 150,000 people over three days, Bob Dylan appeared in his first gig in three years.Wikipedia◆
- 1959A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu (pictured), younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm, failed to kill Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister of Cambodia.Wikipedia◆
- British Left Waffles on Falkland IslandsHall of Fame◆
- 1984Baby Elephant Dies Of Mysterious IllnessThe New York Times◆
- 2017Turnbull's latest bill expands the government's industrial thuggery into every workplaceThe Guardian◆
- 2014David Cameron gives spy agencies power to vet airline flight listsThe Guardian◆
- 1895German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon.Wikipedia◆
- 1897Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope, a precursor to the modern movie projector.Wikipedia◆
- 1897Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope (pictured), a precursor to the modern movie projector.Wikipedia◆
- 1876Sultan Murad V of the Ottoman Empire was deposed after a reign of 93 days on grounds of mental illness.* 1888 – The body of Mary Ann Nichols, the alleged first victim of an unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper (pictured), was found in Buck's Row, London.Wikipedia◆
- 1959A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm, fails to kill King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.Wikipedia◆
- 1795War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka) from the Dutch in order to keep it out of French hands.Wikipedia◆
- 1776William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, begins serving his first term.Wikipedia◆
- 2010The last episode of The Bill, the longest-running police drama in British television history, was broadcast.Wikipedia◆
- 1969On the final day of the Isle of Wight Festival 1969, attended by approximately 150,000 people over three days, Bob Dylan appeared in his first gig in three years.Wikipedia◆
- 1959A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu (pictured), younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm, failed to kill Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister of Cambodia.Wikipedia◆
31 August in history
0 events from 1997 on 31 AugustEvents, inventions, discoveries and releases. Looking for people or sport? See , and below.
No verified events yet for 31 August in 1997.
What happened on this day · Odd history for today
Vintage News — August 31
1895 Oddly trueGerman Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1897 Oddly trueThomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope, a precursor to the modern movie projector.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1897 Oddly true
Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope (pictured), a precursor to the modern movie projector.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1876 First everSultan Murad V of the Ottoman Empire was deposed after a reign of 93 days on grounds of mental illness.* 1888 – The body of Mary Ann Nichols, the alleged first victim of an unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper (pictured), was found in Buck's Row, London.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1959 WeirdA parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm, fails to kill King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
From The Guardian Archives — On This Day
2017The GuardianTurnbull's latest bill expands the government's industrial thuggery into every workplaceThis legislation before the Senate is the complete annihilation of the remaining rights of working people of all stri…
Read on The Guardian →
2014The GuardianDavid Cameron gives spy agencies power to vet airline flight listsNew access granted as Saudi king says Europe faces attack unless it acts fast
Read on The Guardian →- 1984The New York TimesBaby Elephant Dies Of Mysterious Illness
A baby elephant, given to President Reagan by the president of Sri Lanka, died today of a ''mysterious'' diet-related…
Read on NYTimes.com →
Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform · Historic front pages via the NYT Archive API
Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform and the NYT Archive API. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.
Strange but true headlines of the day
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Did you guess the year?
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When was “German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon.” happening? Slide to your guess.
1950
Weird history, same day
- ???? Oddly true
German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1897 Oddly true
Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope, a precursor to the modern movie projector.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1897 Oddly true
Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope (pictured), a precursor to the modern movie projector.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hall of Fame headlines are manually verified clippings (source linked); nothing is scraped from Newspapers.com. Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Clippings from the Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers site.
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Viewing 31 August 1997 — today is 12 October.
Born on this day
0No recorded births.
Died on this day
17 in the archiveFive infamous ends — executed, assassinated or murdered — drawn at random from the archive. All infamous ends →
Assassinated
1980Death
John Lennon dies
John Lennon, musician, died on this day in 1980. Assassinated in New York City. Remembered as: Co-lead vocalist and founder of The Beatles.
Suicide
2016Death
Prince dies
Prince, musician, died on this day in 2016. Fentanyl overdose. Remembered as: Innovative artist known for his eclectic work and flamboyant stage presence.
Suicide
1962Death
Marilyn Monroe dies
Marilyn Monroe, actress and model, died on this day in 1962. Barbiturate overdose. Remembered as: Iconic actress and sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s.
Accident
2020Death
Kobe Bryant dies
Kobe Bryant, professional basketball player, died on this day in 2020. Helicopter crash. Remembered as: Five-time NBA champion with the LA Lakers.
Assassinated
1865Death
Abraham Lincoln dies
Abraham Lincoln, politician, died on this day in 1865. Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Remembered as: 16th President of the US, led the nation during the Civil War.
Famous birthdays
1 this weekToday · 31 August
No famous birthdays recorded for 31 August yet.
Coming up this week
Freddie MercuryBritish rock singer and songwriter (1946–1991)5 September · born 1946
Day of Recognition31 August
International Overdose Awareness Day
Aims to reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief of families.
Music · No.1 on this day
What was topping the charts
The official No.1 singles and albums in the UK and the USA on this date, decade by decade.
2016 10 yrs ago
2006 20 yrs ago
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1986 40 yrs ago
1976 50 yrs ago
1966 60 yrs ago
1956 70 yrs ago
Sport on this day
0Finals, medals and records decided on 31 August.
No recorded sporting finals on this date yet.
Sporting almanac
Who was champion, 10, 25 and 50 years ago
World Cups, Olympics, Wimbledon, the Masters, Super Bowl and more — year by year since 1877.
2016 10 yrs ago
- Olympic GamesSummer Olympics in Rio
- WimbledonAndy Murray and Serena Williams win Wimbledon
- Super BowlDenver Broncos win Super Bowl 50
- Tour de FranceChris Froome wins the Tour de France
- The MastersDanny Willett wins the Masters
- World SeriesChicago Cubs win the World Series
2001 25 yrs ago
- WimbledonGoran Ivanisevic and Venus Williams win Wimbledon
- Super BowlBaltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV
- The MastersTiger Woods wins the Masters
- World SeriesArizona Diamondbacks win the World Series
- NBA FinalsLos Angeles Lakers win the NBA Finals
- Stanley CupColorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup
1976 50 yrs ago
- Olympic GamesSummer Olympics in Montreal
- Olympic GamesWinter Olympics in Innsbruck
- WimbledonBjorn Borg and Chris Evert win Wimbledon
- Super BowlPittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl X
- Tour de FranceLucien Van Impe wins the Tour de France
- The MastersRaymond Floyd wins the Masters
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