On This Day in History

August 31

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​Historical Events​

Densely packed, London's Broad Street in 1854 was a perfect breeding ground for a cholera outbreak

​1854 A major outbreak of cholera occurs in Soho, London; physician John Snow calls it "the most terrible outbreak of cholera which ever occurred in this kingdom"

​1888 The body of Jack the Ripper's first victim, Mary Ann Nichols, is found in Whitechapel in London's East End

​1917 ​Sun Yat-sen and his supporters' rump parliament establish a military government in China and elect Sun Yat-sen as Commander-in-Chief

​1945 The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies​

​1957 Federation of Malaya gains independence from Great Britain

​1994 The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Sinn Féin) declares a ceasefire in Northern Ireland​

More Historical Events

Fun Facts

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​Famous Birthdays​

​Maria Montessori​ ​1870 - 1952

​Wilhelmina of the Netherlands​ ​1880 - 1962

​Alan Jay Lerner​ ​1918 - 1986

​Van Morrison​ ​80th Birthday

Also Richard Gere (76) and Chris Tucker (54)

More Famous Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays

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​Famous Deaths​

​Mary Ann Nichols​ ​1845 - 1888

​Diana Spencer​ ​1961 - 1997

More Famous Deaths

Recent Deaths

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​John Snow, Cholera and the Battle for Broad Street​

In 1854, John Snow made his name as the father of modern epidemiology in response to the Broad Street cholera outbreak. He traced the outbreak and helped to establish the germ theory of disease.

Battle for Broad Street