On This Day in History
Discover key historical events within the Genesis range (1950–2049) that occurred on this calendar day, and claim their commemorative registry plaques.
May 31
5 historical milestones registered between 1950 and 2049
An organized mob of police and government-sponsored Sinhalese paramilitary forces began three days of attacks that led to the burning of the Jaffna Public Library (renovated building pictured) in Sri Lanka, destroying more than 97,000 items in one of the most violent 20th-century examples of ethnic biblioclasm.
Wikipedia: Sinhalese people
American physician George Tiller, one of the few doctors in the country who performed late-term abortions, was shot and killed by Scott Roeder, an anti-abortion activist.
Wikipedia: George Tiller
An extremely large, powerful, and erratic tornado struck Central Oklahoma, killing eight people and injuring more than 150 others.
Wikipedia: 2013 El Reno tornado
A car bomb exploded near the German embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing more than 90 people and injuring 463 others.
Wikipedia: May 2017 Kabul bombingA shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, United States, left 13 people dead, including the gunman, and injured four others.
Wikipedia: 2019 Virginia Beach shooting