May 31
May 31 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 214 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Gemini.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 31 the Sun's declination is approximately +22.0°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a May 31.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1859 — The Westminster Clock Tower (Big Ben) began keeping time. ↗(167 years ago)more
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Originally named the Clock Tower, the structure was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
1889 — Johnstown Flood: a dam failure caused a flood that killed more than 2,200 in Pennsylvania. ↗(137 years ago)more
The Johnstown Flood, sometimes referred to locally as the Great Flood of 1889, occurred on Friday, May 31, 1889, after the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam, located on the south fork of the Little Conemaugh River, 14 miles (23 km) upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States.
1910 — The Union of South Africa was created. ↗(116 years ago)more
The Union of South Africa was a British Dominion and, later, a Commonwealth realm in southern Africa from 1910 to 1961. It was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River colonies.
1962 — Adolf Eichmann, organiser of the Holocaust, was hanged in Israel. ↗(64 years ago)more
Otto Adolf Eichmann was a German-Austrian official of the Nazi Party, an officer of the Schutzstaffel (SS), a convicted war criminal, and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust. He participated in the January 1942 Wannsee Conference, at which the implementation of the genocidal Final Solution to the Jewish Question was planned.
Notable births
1819 — Walt Whitman, American poet. ↗(207 years ago)more
Walter Whitman Jr. was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incorporated both transcendentalism and realism in his writings and is often called the father of free verse.
1930 — Clint Eastwood, American actor and director. ↗(96 years ago)more
Clinton Eastwood Jr. is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. After achieving success in the Western TV series Rawhide, Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy of spaghetti Westerns during the mid-1960s and as antihero cop Harry Callahan in the five Dirty Harry films throughout the...
Notable deaths
1809 — Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer. ↗(217 years ago)more
Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was pivotal in the evolution of chamber music forms like the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony", "Father of the String quartet" and "Father of Sonata form".
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (152) | 2^3 × 19 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (214) | 2 × 107 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 31052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +22.03° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 20 days |