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1970
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1948
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more events on August 31
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2006
Edvard Munch’s famed painting The Scream recovered by Norwegian police. The artwork had been stolen on Aug. 22, 2004.
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1997
New York Yankees retire Don Mattingly’s #23 (first baseman, coach, manager).
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Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a Paris car crash along with her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul while fleeing paparazzi.
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1994
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announces a “complete cessation of military operations,” opening the way to a political settlement in Ireland for the first time in a quarter of a century.
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Last Russian troops leave Estonia and Latvia.
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1990
Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. become first father and son to play on same team simultaneously in professional baseball (Seattle Mariners).
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East and West Germany sign the Treaty of Unification (Einigungsvertrag) to join their legal and political systems.
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1987
Longest mine strike in South Africa’s history ends, after 11 people were killed, 500 injured and 400 arrested.
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1986
A Russian cargo ship collides with cruise ship Admiral Nakhimov, killing 398.
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1985
Police capture Richard Ramirez, dubbed the “Night Stalker” for a string of gruesome murders that stretched from Mission Viejo to San Francisco, Cal.
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1980
Polish government forced to sign Gdansk Agreement allowing creation of the trade union Solidarity.
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1970
Queen Rania of Jordan (nee Rania al Yassin), wife of King Abdullah II.
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Deborah Ann “Debbie” Gibson, singer, songwriter, record producer, actress; youngest artist ever to write, produce and perform a Billboard #1 single (“Foolish Beat”).
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Lonnie McLucas convicted of torturing and murdering fellow Black Panther Party member Alex Rackley in the first of the New Haven Black Panther Trials.
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1968
The Dasht-e Bayaz 7.3 earthquake in NE Iran completely destroys five villages and severely damages six others.