Today in history 31

Here are some historical events that occurred on August 31st:

1886: The first commercial electric streetlights are installed in Wabash, Indiana, USA.

1913: The Great Fire of Belgrade destroys much of the city in Serbia.

1928: Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, accompanying pilot Wilmer Stultz on a flight from Newfoundland to Ireland.

1944: The United States drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing an estimated 39,000-80,000 people immediately.

1963: The United States and the Soviet Union agree to establish a direct telephone hotline to reduce the risk of nuclear war.

1986: The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station, which will remain in orbit for 15 years.

1997: The United States Air Force retires the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, which has been in service since 1955.

2005: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in Louisiana, causing widespread destruction and flooding along the Gulf Coast.

These are just a few of the many historical events that have occurred on August 31st.