Once Upon A Time – May 31 – 1910 – Union Of South Africa Declares Independence From The United Kingdom

1279 BC Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great becomes Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt (19th Dynasty)

1578 Martin Frobisher sails from Harwich, England, to Frobisher Bay, Canada. Eventually mines fools gold, famously used to pave the streets of London.

1902 Boer War Ends; Treaty of Unity signed, Britain annexes Transvaal

1910 Union of South Africa declares its independence from the United Kingdom ‘

1916 Battle of Jutland: Largest naval battle of World War I between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet which killed 8,645 in an inconclusive battle but strategic British victory. German fleet never puts to sea again in WWI.

1935 7.7 magnitude earthquake destroys Quetta in Balochistan, British India (now Pakistan) killing an estimated 40,000 people

1947 Communists seize power in Hungary

1970 7.75 Ancash earthquake off coast of Peru kills 66-70,000 and sets off world’s deadliest avalanche

Historical Events Today
Today in Film & TV
2014 Psy’s “Gangnam Style” becomes the first video to reach 2 billion views on YouTube

Today in Music
2007 Rihanna releases her breakthrough album “Good Girl Gone Bad”

Today in Sport
1868 Dr James Moore (UK) wins 1st recorded bicycle race, (2k) velocipede race at Parc fde St Cloud, Paris

MORE FACTS
1669 Citing poor eyesight, English civil servant Samuel Pepys records the last event in his famous diary

1976 The Who set the record for the loudest concert of all time, 120 decibels at 50 metres, at The Valley in Charlton, London, England