A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on January 31st. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On January 31, 1747, the London Lock Hospital opened as the first clinic specifically for the treatment of venereal diseases! On January 31, 1915, the German Army, in violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration Concerning Asphyxiating Gases, launched 18,000 artillery shells containing xylyl bromide tear gas against Russian positions, the first truly large scale use of poison gas in combat. On January…
Browsing: January 31
A Brief History On January 31, 1915, the German Army, in violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration Concerning Asphyxiating Gases, launched 18,000 artillery shells containing xylyl bromide tear gas against Russian positions, the first truly large scale use of poison gas in combat. Digging Deeper While people have used various poisons to deny the use of water wells as far back as 600 BC and to foul the air with toxic sulfur fumes in 479 BC, the 19th and 20th Centuries saw efforts to outlaw such use of poisons. In World War I, the first and most common use of…
A Brief History On January 31, 2022, we take a look at one of many persistent conspiracy theory type allegations that seem to permeate our society at the present time, this time going back to the ancient origins of the Olmec civilization of what is now modern Mexico. Despite ample evidence to support the conventional academic view of Olmec origins, as well as other Native American peoples’ origins, these wild theories include Nordic, African, Chinese, and Jaredite sources of the population that became the Olmecs. Digging Deeper Current serious academic scientists date the Olmec civilization from about 1500 BC and…
A Brief History On January 31, 2020, European Union member the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will no longer be a member of what amounted to a “United States of Europe.” Back in the day, Napoleon Bonaparte dreamed of a “United States of Europe,” a collection of nationalities united in a common cause (presumably led by him, of course!) as the premier “country” in the world. This dream was (sort of) realized in 1993 when the Maastricht Treaty went into effect, but now has suffered an enormous blow to its power, prestige and population. Digging Deeper…
A Brief History On January 31, 1918, Britain’s Royal Navy “fought” a battle with itself in the Scottish Firth of Forth near the Isle of May, a series of naval accidents in the dark and the mist that led to the loss of 104 British sailors killed. A total of 8 Royal Navy submarines and ships were involved in 5 collisions, resulting in the loss of 2 submarines and damage to another 4 submarines and a light cruiser. Our retelling of tale after tale of Naval “Oops” Moments (we have many articles in addition to the one in this link,…
