Date with History: August 31

Merdeka in Malaysia, a Nazi false flag at Gleiwitz, and a Paris crash that shook a throne.

One paperback for one calendar date: what happened on August 31, and who was born on it.

What happened on August 31

1957: Malaysia shouts Merdeka and leaves the British Empire

At midnight on August 31, 1957, Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted "Merdeka!" (Freedom!) seven times, and the Federation of Malaya became independent of British colonial rule. The date is still Malaysia's Hari Merdeka, marked by parades in Kuala Lumpur, fireworks, and a prime ministerial countdown to midnight. Five years later Trinidad and Tobago took its own independence on this date, and in 1991 so did Kyrgyzstan.

1939: The SS fakes a raid at Gleiwitz to justify invading Poland

On the night of August 31, 1939, SS officers in Polish uniforms staged an attack on the German radio station at Gleiwitz, leaving behind the bodies of concentration camp prisoners as planted evidence. Hitler told the Reichstag the next morning that "Polish regular soldiers fired on our own territory," and the invasion of Poland began. The lie fooled almost nobody, but it was never meant to; the invasion was happening either way.

Famous birthdays on August 31

1945 — Van Morrison
Belfast-born voice behind Astral Weeks and Moondance, and famously allergic to the music industry.

31 CE — Caligula
Third Roman emperor, born into ultimate privilege and killed by his own guards after four years.

Nearby dates

August 30 · September 1 · All August dates

Part of Date with History, a 366-book collection with one book for every date of the year. 5″×8″ paperback, cream paper.

Historical selections are editorially researched. This is a date-specific book, not a personalized or custom-made product.