Saturday, 31 October 2026 | 9 Aqrab 1405
History, the Memory of Struggle, and Understanding the Roots of Social Transformation
History is not merely the story of states, kings, and wars; it is also the story of people who have struggled for freedom, justice, independence, and changes in their social conditions. This section revisits events that took place around the world on 31 October in different years.
Labour Movements and Political and Social Events Around the World
31 October 1986 | Five Thousand Nurses Strike in Australia in Defence of Workers’ Rights
Historical Account:
On 31 October 1986, approximately 5,000 nurses and midwives in the Australian state of Victoria began an indefinite strike in protest against changes to professional job classifications, wage reductions, and the removal of certain specialist benefits.
The strike lasted 50 days and ended on 19 December following an agreement addressing some of the workers’ demands. The nurses and midwives returned to work the following day.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The strike demonstrated the power of workers’ solidarity and collective action in defending wages and trade union rights.
31 October 1517 | The Beginning of the Protestant Reformation in Europe
Historical Account:
Martin Luther, a German monk and professor of theology, sent his 95 theses criticising the practices of the Catholic Church, particularly the sale of indulgences, to the Archbishop of Mainz on this date. According to the famous account, the theses were also posted on the door of the church in Wittenberg, although historians dispute the accuracy of this story. Luther’s protest became one of the events that initiated the Protestant Reformation in Europe.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The movement emerged amid changing economic and social relations in Europe and the weakening of parts of the feudal order.
31 October 1864 | Nevada Joins the United States
Historical Account:
During the American Civil War, Nevada joined the Union as the 36th state of the United States. The decision was made in 1864, during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
Historical and Class Analysis:
US territorial expansion was connected to the growth of the domestic market, the extraction of natural resources, and disputes over land and labour.
31 October 1918 | The Aster Revolution in Hungary
Historical Account:
At the end of the First World War, as the Austro-Hungarian monarchy weakened and popular protests spread, the Aster Revolution began in Budapest. Political forces opposed to the monarchy and various protesting social groups participated in these developments, while the old government moved towards collapse.
Historical and Class Analysis:
Military defeat, economic crisis, and dissatisfaction among workers and soldiers were important factors in the collapse of the monarchical system.
31 October 1922 | Mussolini’s Government Begins Work in Italy
Historical Account:
Following the Fascists’ March on Rome on 28 October 1922, the King of Italy appointed Benito Mussolini to form a government on 29 October. The new cabinet began its work on 31 October. This marked an important stage in the rise of Fascism to power in Italy.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The post-war crisis, social discontent, and the concerns of sections of the propertied classes about the growth of the labour movement contributed to the rise of Fascism.
31 October 1926 | Attempted Assassination of Mussolini in Bologna
Historical Account:
Shots were fired at Mussolini’s car in the Italian city of Bologna. Anteo Zamboni, a fifteen-year-old accused of carrying out the attempted assassination, was killed by Fascists. Following the incident, Mussolini’s government intensified its repression of opponents. The Fascist Exceptional Laws were enacted in November 1926, severely restricting opposition parties and independent newspapers.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The incident formed part of the consolidation of Fascist dictatorship and the suppression of independent labour organisations and political opponents.
31 October 1941 | Sinking of the American Warship USS Reuben James
Historical Account:
The American destroyer USS Reuben James was torpedoed by a German submarine in the North Atlantic, near Iceland, and sank. More than one hundred members of its crew lost their lives. The incident occurred when the United States had not yet formally entered the Second World War, although its support for the Allied powers was increasing.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The incident illustrated the human cost of the Second World War and the consequences of rivalry and conflict among major powers.
31 October 1956 | Britain and France Begin Air Attacks Against Egypt
Historical Account:
Following Egypt’s nationalisation of the Suez Canal by President Gamal Abdel Nasser in July 1956, the crisis between Egypt and the European powers intensified. On 31 October, British and French air forces began attacking Egyptian military positions. These attacks formed part of the tripartite aggression by Britain, France, and Israel against Egypt.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The Suez Crisis was an example of the conflict between national sovereignty and the interests of colonial powers during the period of decolonisation.
31 October 1961 | Stalin’s Body Removed from Lenin’s Mausoleum
Historical Account:
During the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, a decision was made to remove Joseph Stalin’s body from Lenin’s Mausoleum. The decision was implemented on 31 October, and his body was buried near the Kremlin Wall. This action formed part of the de-Stalinisation process following Nikita Khrushchev’s critical speech at the Party’s 20th Congress in 1956.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The event reflected disputes over Stalin’s political legacy and the direction of the Soviet Union’s transformation, an issue that continues to require critical historical examination.
31 October 1984 | Assassination of Indira Gandhi in India
Historical Account:
Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, was assassinated in New Delhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The assassination followed the Indian government’s military operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in June of the same year. In the days following her death, widespread anti-Sikh violence took place in parts of India, particularly in Delhi, killing thousands of people.
Historical and Class Analysis:
The event demonstrated the devastating consequences of political and communal violence and highlighted the need to hold those responsible for violence against civilians accountable.
31 October 1992 | Vatican Acknowledges Historical Errors in Its Treatment of Galileo
Historical Account:
In a speech on 31 October 1992, Pope John Paul II referred to errors made by the Catholic Church in its treatment of Galileo and the scientific controversy of the seventeenth century. These remarks followed years of work by a commission established by the Vatican to examine the Galileo case.
Social Analysis:
The Galileo case highlights the importance of academic freedom, independent thought, and the right to question institutional authority.
31 October 1999 | EgyptAir Flight 990 Crashes
Historical Account:
EgyptAir Flight 990, travelling from New York to Cairo, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of the United States. All 217 people on board were killed. Investigations into the cause of the disaster, including technical inquiries and disagreements between investigative authorities, continued in subsequent years.
Social Analysis:
The disaster underscores the importance of public transport safety, technical oversight, and transparency in investigations into major accidents.
31 October 2008 | Publication of the Bitcoin White Paper
Historical Account:
On 31 October 2008, an individual or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published a document entitled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. It introduced a digital payment system based on a decentralised network and later became one of the foundational documents in the history of cryptocurrencies.
Historical and Class Analysis:
Bitcoin emerged amid the 2008 global financial crisis. The technology has the potential to change payment systems, but it can also become a field for speculation and the concentration of wealth.
31 October 2011 | Symbolic Date of the World Population Reaching Seven Billion
Historical Account:
The United Nations designated 31 October 2011 as the symbolic date on which the world’s population reached seven billion. This figure was based on UN population estimates rather than a simultaneous and exact count of every person on Earth.
Social Analysis:
Population growth is not inherently a crisis; the fundamental issue is the fair distribution of resources and equal access to food, water, housing, education, and healthcare.
Conclusion: Studying History to Understand Society
The events of 31 October—from the Protestant Reformation in Europe and the revolutions at the end of the First World War to the rise of Fascism, the Suez Crisis, labour struggles, disputes within the communist movement, and developments in financial technology—demonstrate that history is shaped by the interaction and conflict of social, economic, and political forces.
Understanding these events requires critical study and an avoidance of oversimplification. No historical transformation can be properly understood without examining the conditions of its time, the forces involved, the interests at stake, and its consequences.
Red Calendar: We study history to understand the roots of social transformation, keep the memory of struggle alive, and recognise the connections between the past, present, and future.
Prepared and compiled by: Yama Afghan
Sources and References
● History.com, historical events of 31 October.
● Associated Press, historical reports relating to 31 October.
● US Department of State, Office of the Historian, documents on Afghanistan–Pakistan relations in 1955.
● Historical documents and research concerning the Suez Crisis of October 1956.
● United Nations documents and population estimates relating to the Day of Seven Billion.
● Historical research on the Protestant Reformation, Italian Fascism, the Aster Revolution, and the history of the Soviet Union.
● Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF Victoria), history of the 50-day nurses’ and midwives’ strike in 1986.
● National Foundation for Australian Women, historical research on the Australian nurses’ strike of 1986.