History for January 31

History for January 31 - On-This-Day.com:
Jackie Robinson 1919, Norman Mailer 1929, Ernie Banks 1931 


Suzanne Pleshette 1937, Jessica Walter 1944, Minnie Driver 1971 


1865 - In America, General Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate armies. 


1893 - The trademark "Coca-Cola" was first registered in the United States Patent Office. 


1940 - The first Social Security check was issued by the U.S. Government. 


1945 - Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the U.S. Civil War to be executed for desertion. 


1946 - A new constitution in Yugoslavia created six constituent republics (Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia) subordinated to a central authority, on the model of the USSR. 


1950 - U.S. President Truman announced that he had ordered development of the hydrogen bomb. 


1958 - Explorer I was put into orbit around the earth. It was the first U.S. earth satellite. 


1971 - Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.