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January 31 | Birthdays and Events

2 min. read
January 29, 2025 12:02 am CST

Notable Birthdays for January 31

Jane Johnston Schoolcraft (1800-1842) - One of the first noted Native American poets.

John Randolph Tucker (1812-1883) - Naval officer for the Confederate Navy.

Joseph Augustine Cushman (1881-1949) Paleontologists who developed a system of discovering petroleum deposits.

Betty Parsons (1900-1982) - Artist considered to be one of the most influential and dynamic figures of the American avant garde movement.

Julian Steward (1902-1972) - Anthropologist who developed "the concept and method" of cultural ecology and the scientific theory of culture change.

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) - Baseball HOF and first black MLB player for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Chuck Willis (1926-1958) - Singer who is remembered for his C. C. Rider and What Am I Living For.

Norm Prescott (1927-2005) - Co-founder of Filmation Studios.

Lorraine Warren (1927-2019)Paranormal investigator.

S. Newman Darby (1928-2016) - Inventor of the sailboard (wind surf board).

Morton Mower (1933-2022) - Co-inventor of the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator

Gene DeWeese (1934-2012) - Author of Star Trek.

Philip Glass (1937-Still Living) - Composer and pianist considered as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.

Rynn Berry (1945-2014) - Pioneer in the animal rights and vegan movements.

Jeff Hanneman (1964-2013) - Lead guitarist for the rock band Slayer.

Buddy Rice (1976-Still Living) - Champion auto racer.

Jeremy Wariner (1984-Still Living) - Six time gold medalist and world champion runner.

Memorable Events for January 31

1846 - The towns of Juneautown and Kilbourntown merge and become the city of Milwaukee.

1851 - The first orphan asylum (orphanage) was founded in San Francisco.

1863 - The first black Civil War regiment is formed in SC.

1865 - Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment and abolishes slavery.

1944 - Operation-Overlord (D-Day) postponed until June.

1961 - The chimpanzee Ham travels into outer space.

1986 - Mary Lund (the first female recipient of an artificial heart) receives a donor heart.

2022 - Wordle is bought by the NY Times.