In History, Today on January 31

The United States and its allies formally accuse Russia of planning to fabricate a pretext for invading Ukraine, escalating tensions in the region.

The United Kingdom formally left the European Union, beginning an 11-month transition period and marking the first time a member state has left the EU.

A rare 'super blue blood moon' occurs, a combination of a supermoon, a blue moon, and a total lunar eclipse, visible in parts of North America, Asia, and Australia.

Australia defeated the United Arab Emirates to reach the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final.

The Egyptian government shuts down the country's internet access in response to the growing protests against President Hosni Mubarak's regime, part of the wider Arab Spring movement.

Avatar, directed by James Cameron, became the highest-grossing film worldwide, surpassing Cameron's previous film Titanic.

The Boston Bomb Scare occurs when a marketing campaign for the television show 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' is mistaken for a bomb threat, causing panic and the shutdown of major transportation routes.

Alan Greenspan retires as Chairman of the Federal Reserve after serving for more than 18 years.

The space shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

A Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands convicted Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 strikes near Lijiang City in Yunnan province, China, leading to extensive damage and loss of life.

The first McDonald's in the Soviet Union opens in Moscow, symbolizing the thawing of Cold War tensions.

The Tet Offensive begins during the Vietnam War, as North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch surprise attacks against South Vietnamese and U.S. forces.

Ham the Chimp travels into outer space aboard Mercury-Redstone 2, becoming the first hominid launched into space.

The first successful American satellite, Explorer 1, is launched into orbit, marking the United States' entry into the space race.

President Harry S. Truman announces a program to develop the hydrogen bomb.

The Battle of Stalingrad comes to an end with the surrender of German forces, marking a significant turning point in World War II.

Battle of Rabaul occurred on the island of New Britain, as Japanese forces captured the city, strategically enhancing their position in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

The Soviet Union exiled Leon Trotsky, a key figure in the Russian Revolution, marking a critical point in Joseph Stalin's consolidation of power.

Germany announces its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, a factor leading to the United States entering World War I.

During World War I, Germany's government released a memorandum outlining the intent to intensify submarine warfare against neutral and enemy ships, influencing naval and international policies.

The first attempt at making a movie is made by Thomas Edison with the invention of the Kinetoscope.

The United States orders all Native Americans to move into reservations.

The United States Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States.

John Marshall was appointed as the Chief Justice of the United States by President John Adams. Marshall's influence on the Supreme Court, including establishing the principles of constitutional law and judicial review, became profound.

During the American Revolutionary War, the forces of Georgia and South Carolina took the British-controlled fort at Savannah in Georgia.

The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital.

Guy Fawkes is executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up the English Parliament and assassinate King James I.

The cornerstone of the El Escorial, a historical residence of the King of Spain, was laid. This magnificent architectural complex, which consists of a monastery, royal palace, museum, and library, is considered one of the most important architectural monuments of the Spanish Renaissance.

On January 31, 1377, Pope Gregory XI issued the bull 'Salvator noster,' which sought to resolve the schism between the Western and Eastern Churches. This papal document aimed to address the theological disputes and jurisdictional conflicts that had arisen between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, a division that had persisted since the Great Schism of 1054.

Pope Sylvester I begins his papacy, succeeding Pope Miltiades.