In History, Today on October 31

The Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who had been on death row for blasphemy, sparking protests across the country.

A terrorist attack occurred in New York City when a man drove a rented pickup truck into cyclists and runners along the Hudson River Park's bike path, killing eight people and injuring eleven others.

Metrojet Flight 9268, an Airbus A321, crashed in the Sinai Peninsula after departing from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, killing all 224 people on board. The crash was later attributed to a terrorist bomb.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashed in the Mojave Desert during a test flight, resulting in the death of one pilot and injuring another.

The United Nations declared the world population had reached seven billion people, marking a significant milestone in global demographic history.

The Constitution of the Maldives is amended, paving the way for the country's first multi-party presidential election.

The Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133 crash occurred when the aircraft overshot the runway at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, resulting in 16 fatalities.

A gunman opens fire in a southern Israel kibbutz, killing five people, including three children.

Soyuz TM-31, the first spacecraft to head to the International Space Station with a crew on board, is launched.

EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Massachusetts, killing all 217 people on board.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her bodyguards in New Delhi.

U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson announces a halt to the bombing of North Vietnam in a bid to seek a negotiated end to the Vietnam War.

Joseph Stalin's body is removed from Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow as part of the de-Stalinization process.

After 14 years of work, Mount Rushmore is completed in South Dakota.

The Battle of Britain, a combat of the Second World War, ended with the conclusion of the daylight bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany.

Harry Houdini, the famous magician and escape artist, dies of peritonitis in Detroit, Michigan.

The Battle of Beersheba took place during World War I, where the British Empire forces, including the Australian Light Horse, captured Beersheba from the Ottoman Empire, marking a significant victory in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign.

The first highway and road traffic control center opened in Cleveland, Ohio.

Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state.

The Donner Party, a group of American pioneers, became trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains due to early snowfall and poor planning, leading to one of the most infamous cases of survival cannibalism in American history.

The United States and Spain signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, also known as Pinckney's Treaty, which established intentions of friendship between the two nations and defined the boundaries of the United States with the Spanish colonies.

Execution of the Girondists: Twenty-one leaders of the Girondin political faction are executed during the French Revolution.

Carlo Goldoni's play 'Mirandolina' premieres in Venice, contributing to the development of comedic theater.

Frederick II of Prussia defeats the Austrian army at the Battle of Mollwitz during the War of Austrian Succession.

Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto entered Tula, an important Native American polity in present-day Arkansas.

Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

The death of Ser Ludovico II Ordelaffi, an influential Italian condottiero and lord of Forlì, marking a shift in local power dynamics.

Battle of Río Salado: A significant military engagement where the combined forces of Castile and Portugal defeated the Marinid Dynasty of Morocco and their allies at Tarifa.

Martyrdom of Oleg, Prince of Chernigov, who was killed by tribesmen of the Pechenegs while on a hunting expedition.

Empress Irene of Byzantium is deposed by Nikephoros I, who becomes Emperor of the Byzantine Empire.

The Second Fitna, a period of Muslim civil wars, saw the death of Umayyad caliph Yazid I, leading to further instability. His death on October 31, 683, deepened the political fragmentation within the Islamic world.

Romulus Augustulus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor.