What Happened on October 31

National Desk

1984 — Indira Gandhi Slain by Own Bodyguards

Prime Minister cut down in New Delhi by two Sikh guards — riots erupt across India, with official tolls near 3,350 and claims running to 16,000.

Thirty rounds from a Sterling sub-machine gun and three from a .38 revolver ended the life of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at 9:30 this morning, as two of her own Sikh bodyguards turned their weapons on her at her New Delhi residence. Beant Singh fired first, then Satwant Singh emptied his magazine into the 66-year-old leader, who was rushed to hospital but died without regaining consciousness.

Gandhi, who had ruled India for 15 years, was not wearing the bulletproof vest she had been advised to put on after the army's assault on the Golden Temple at Amritsar, code-named Operation Blue Star, in June. Sikhs had been angered by that attack, and the two guards had served in her personal security detail for years.

Beant Singh was shot dead by border police officers within six minutes of the attack. Satwant Singh was captured and is in custody; he was later hanged in 1984.

Within hours, her son Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as prime minister. He will light her funeral pyre on 3 November, as Hindu rites require. Already, though, violence has spread: four days of anti-Sikh riots have followed the assassination. Official figures put the dead at 3,350; other sources say as many as 16,000 have been killed in the communal bloodletting that has engulfed Delhi and other cities.

• Indira Gandhi was shot by bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh at 9:30 AM on 31 October 1984 at her residence in New Delhi.
• Beant Singh fired three rounds from a .38 revolver and Satwant Singh fired 30 rounds from a Sterling sub-machine gun.
• Gandhi was not wearing her bulletproof vest on the day of the assassination, despite being advised to do so after Operation Blue Star.
• Beant Singh was killed by border police officers within six minutes; Satwant Singh was arrested and later hanged in 1989.
• The assassination triggered four days of anti-Sikh riots, with official figures reporting 3,350 deaths and other sources claiming up to 16,000.

City Desk

1963 — Gas Blast Kills 81 at State Fair Coliseum

Propane tank explosion during ice show injures about 400; grand jury indicts seven in the disaster.

A gas explosion ripped through the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum shortly after 11 p.m. tonight, killing 81 people and injuring about 400 during a Holiday on Ice performance attended by more than 4,000 spectators.

The blast, which turned the arena into a scene of panic and wreckage, was blamed on a leaking 100-pound propane tank stored in an unventilated room under the grandstands. A faulty valve allowed gas to escape, and it ignited when it reached the heating element of an electric popcorn machine.

A grand jury has indicted seven people in connection with the disaster, including employees of the gas supplier and the arena operator, the state fire marshal, and the city fire chief. They face charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to neglect of duty.

The Coliseum, a landmark on the fairgrounds, is expected to reopen in about six weeks. Victims of the explosion have been awarded $4.6 million in settlements so far.

• On October 31, 1963, a gas explosion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum killed 81 people and injured about 400.
• The explosion occurred shortly after 11 p.m. ET during a Holiday on Ice performance attended by over 4,000 spectators.
• A leaking 100-pound propane tank with a faulty valve, stored in an unventilated storeroom under the grandstands, ignited by a heating element on an electric popcorn machine.
• A grand jury indicted seven people, including employees of the gas supplier and arena operator, the state fire marshal, and the city fire chief.
• Victims of the explosion were eventually awarded $4.6 million in settlements.

Church Affairs

1517 — Luther Nails 95 Theses to Wittenberg Door

Professor's 1517 theses on indulgences, sent to Archbishop Albert, challenge papal authority and stir local debate.

On the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, a sheet of paper appeared this day, nailed there by Martin Luther, professor of moral theology at the university. The Ninety-five Theses, as they are called, attack the selling of plenary indulgences, a practice promoted in the region by Johann Tetzel's campaign.

Luther, a monk and scholar, wrote the theses in 1517 and sent them to Archbishop Albert of Brandenburg on or before this date. According to Philip Melanchthon, Luther also posted them on the church door, a customary way of inviting academic debate.

The first thesis reads: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." The document challenges the authority of the pope and the practice of purchasing forgiveness, and it has already stirred talk across the university and the town.

• Luther, a professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, wrote the Ninety-five Theses in 1517.
• The Theses were prompted by Johann Tetzel's campaign selling plenary indulgences near Wittenberg in 1517.
• Luther sent the Theses to Archbishop Albert of Brandenburg on or before 31 October 1517.
• The Theses were posted on the doors of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, according to Philip Melanchthon.
• The first thesis states, 'When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent," he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.'

Aviation Desk

1999 — All 217 Aboard EgyptAir 990 Die in Atlantic Crash

Boeing 767 plunges into sea off Nantucket; investigation shifts to FBI amid suspicion of criminal act.

The deadliest disaster in EgyptAir's history has claimed all 217 people on board Flight 990, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. The Boeing 767-300ER went down suddenly, leaving no survivors and no bodies recovered from the debris field.

Two weeks after the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board proposed handing the investigation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation over evidence of an intentional criminal act. The NTSB later concluded that the crash resulted from the relief first officer's flight control inputs, but it could not determine his reasons.

Most passengers were identified by DNA from fractured remains recovered from the debris field and the ocean floor, a painstaking process that took months. The search-and-rescue operation was suspended Sunday, and recovery efforts shifted to gathering wreckage for the inquiry.

• The Boeing 767-300ER crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, killing all 217 on board.
• The crash was the deadliest aviation disaster for EgyptAir.
• Two weeks after the crash, the NTSB proposed handing the investigation to the FBI over evidence of an intentional criminal act.
• The NTSB concluded the crash resulted from the relief first officer's flight control inputs but could not determine his reasons.
• The search-and-rescue operation was suspended on November 1, 1999, with no bodies recovered from the debris field.

Space Desk

2005 — Hubble Images Reveal Two New Moons Circling Pluto

Astronomers announced the discovery of Nix and Hydra, the third and fourth moons of Pluto, from Hubble photographs taken nearly five months earlier.

In an era when the solar system seems thoroughly mapped, the announcement that Pluto has two previously unseen moons is a reminder that the frontier remains open. The discovery, based on photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope nearly five months prior, was announced today by the Pluto Companion Search Team, which was preparing for the New Horizons mission.

Nix and Hydra were imaged on 15 May 2005. Nix, named after the Greek goddess of the night, has a diameter of 49.8 km across its longest dimension. The moons were provisionally designated S/2005 P 2 and S/2005 P 1, respectively. The discoveries were confirmed by precovering archival Hubble images of Pluto from 2002.

• The discovery was based on photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope nearly five months prior.
• Nix and Hydra were imaged on 15 May 2005 by astronomers of the Pluto Companion Search Team preparing for the New Horizons mission.
• Nix has a diameter of 49.8 km across its longest dimension and was named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night.
• The discoveries were confirmed by precovering archival Hubble images of Pluto from 2002.
• Nix and Hydra were provisionally designated S/2005 P 2 and S/2005 P 1, respectively.

World Desk

2000 — Singapore Jet Crashes on Taipei Runway; 83 Dead

A 747-400 crashed on takeoff during Typhoon Xangsane, killing 83 of the 179 aboard.

The Boeing 747-400, attempting takeoff in heavy rain from the wrong runway at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport during Typhoon Xangsane, collided with construction equipment, killing 83 of the 179 people aboard. Ninety-eight occupants initially survived, but two passengers later died from their injuries in hospital.

• The Boeing 747-400 attempted takeoff from the wrong runway at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport during Typhoon Xangsane.
• It crashed into construction equipment on the runway, killing 83 of the 179 people aboard.
• The crash was the first fatal accident for Singapore Airlines and the first fatal crash of a Boeing 747-400.
• Ninety-eight occupants initially survived, but two passengers later died from their injuries in hospital.
• The aircraft, a Boeing 747-412 registered 9V-SPK, had its first flight on 12 January 1997.

Sport Desk

1999 — Martin, 18, Sails Home as Youngest Circumnavigator

Australian teenager Jesse Martin returned to Melbourne after 328 days at sea, becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the globe non-stop.

At age 18, after 328 days at sea, Jesse Martin sailed into Melbourne today as the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop, and unassisted. His 10-metre (34 ft) S&S 34 sloop Lionheart-Mistral covered 27,000 nautical miles.

• Jesse Martin returned to Melbourne on 31 October 1999 at age 18 after 328 days at sea.
• His 10-metre (34 ft) S&S 34 sloop Lionheart-Mistral covered 27,000 nautical miles (50,000 km) during the voyage.
• The World Sailing Speed Record Council discontinued the 'youngest' category following Martin's record.
• Martin's voyage inspired later solo circumnavigators, including Jessica Watson.
• He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2002 for his achievement.

Culture Desk

1941 — Mount Rushmore Work Ends; 60-Foot Busts Completed

Some 400 workers finished the colossal presidential sculptures at Mount Rushmore on October 31, 1941, though funding ran out before full detail was added.

Work on the great presidential busts at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota came to an end on October 31, 1941, with approximately 400 workers completing the 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Lack of funding forced construction to halt, and only Washington's sculpture includes detail below chin level. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum died in March 1941, and his son Lincoln Borglum took over as leader of the construction project. The four presidents were chosen to represent the nation's foundation, expansion, development, and preservation. The memorial park, covering 1,278 acres, now attracts more than two million visitors annually.

• Approximately 400 workers completed the 60-foot busts of four U.S. presidents at Mount Rushmore.
• Lack of funding forced construction to end on October 31, 1941, with only Washington's sculpture including detail below chin level.
• Sculptor Gutzon Borglum died in March 1941, and his son Lincoln Borglum took over as leader of the construction project.
• The four presidents—Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln—were chosen to represent the nation's foundation, expansion, development, and preservation.
• Mount Rushmore attracts more than two million visitors annually to the memorial park covering 1,278 acres.