August 31st may be the last day of the month but it is definitely not the least in interesting inventions and discoveries. After all, it is on this day that a great scientist patented the first movie projector. August 31st is also renowned for an eerie reason – it’s the day the world came to know “Jack the Ripper”, a nameless faceless unidentified serial killer.
Table of Contents 01Historical Events02Scientific Breakthroughs03Political Milestones04Cultural Events05Notable Birthdays06Final WordHistorical Events
1888: Mary Ann Nichols, also known as Polly Nichols, was murdered in Whitechapel, London. Her murder was the first of the five canonical victims of the notorious serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. The identity of the killer remains a mystery to this day, and the case has been the subject of numerous books, movies, and TV shows.
1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, and her companion, Dodi Fayed, were killed in a car accident in Paris, France. The car they were in crashed into a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel. The driver of the car, Henri Paul, also died in the crash. August 31st remains a significant day for the royal family and the whole of Britain.
2006: Two of Edvard Munch’s works, “The Scream” and “Madonna” were recovered by police in Oslo. Back in 2004 went these two paintings were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. They gained worldwide traction as it was considered one of the biggest museum heists, following the theft of other famous artists‘ works, such as the Mona Lisa painted by Leonard da Vinci.
Scientific Breakthroughs
1842: Micah Rugg patented a machine for dressing bolt heads, which revolutionized the production of bolts and screws. Before Rugg’s invention, bolt heads were typically made by hand, a slow and labor-intensive process that limited the quantity and quality of bolts that could be produced.
1897: Thomas Edison patented the first movie projector, the Kinetoscope. It was a revolutionary invention that allowed for the viewing of moving pictures on a screen, and it paved the way for the motion picture industry that we know today. The device used a series of photographs on a roll of film, which was then projected onto a screen at a high speed to create the illusion of movement.
Political Milestones
1962: Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence from Britain. The country became a republic on August 1st, 1976.
1991: Kyrgyzstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union, following the failed coup attempt against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The country had been part of the Soviet Union since 1936, and its independence was a significant moment in the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
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Cultural Events
1881: The first-ever inaugural US National Championship for tennis was held in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was organized by the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, which later became the United States Tennis Association. Over the years, the tournament has evolved, and it is now known as the US Open, which is held annually in New York City.
Notable Birthdays
Final Word
Today, August 31st is known as “We Love Memoirs” Day, a rather fitting title for the day given all that has gone down in history. This is the day we witness scientific breakthroughs, political milestones, and the birth of sporting events. As we close this last chapter of August, let us welcome September and the new season ahead.
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Billy Koelling
Update: 2024-10-05