On this day

31 May in history.

5 moments from 1669 to 2008: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Start of mens 100m

2008

Usain Bolt's first world record. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ran 100 metres in 9.72 seconds in New York, his first world record. Bigger ones followed that summer.

Wikipedia: Usain Bolt

Photo: Darren Wilkinson from Chester-le-Street, England / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

More from 31 May

  1. Samuel Pepys auf dem Gemälde von John Hayls von 1666

    1669

    Pepys closes his diary

    Samuel Pepys wrote the last entry in his famous diary, fearing his eyes were failing. It is a rich record of life in 1660s London.

    Wikipedia: Samuel Pepys

    Photo: John Hayls / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. Obverse of the Great Seal of the United States

    1790

    America's first copyright law

    President George Washington signed the first US copyright law, protecting books, maps and charts for 14 years.

    Wikipedia: Copyright Act of 1790

    Photo: U.S. Government / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  3. Madison Square Garden, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

    1879

    Madison Square Garden gets its name

    A New York sports hall was renamed Madison Square Garden. The name lives on in today's arena.

    Wikipedia: Madison Square Garden

    Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

  4. Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. It runs from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Alaska at Valdez 800 miles (1,300 km)

    1977

    The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is finished

    Workers completed a 1,300-kilometre pipeline across Alaska, built above ground in many places so the frozen soil would not melt.

    Wikipedia: Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

    Photo: Luca Galuzzi ( Lucag ) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.