| Date | Weekday | Event |
|---|
| August 31, 1842 | Wednesday | US Naval Observatory is authorized by an act of Congress |
|
| August 31, 1850 | Saturday | California Pioneers organized at Montgomery & Clay Streets |
| August 31, 1886 | Tuesday | 1st major earthquake recorded in eastern US at Charleston S.C |
| August 31, 1886 | Tuesday | Crocker-Woolworth National Bank organized |
| August 31, 1950 | Thursday | Gil Hodges hits 4 homers in 1 game |
| August 31, 1955 | Wednesday | 1st sun-powered automobile demonstrated Chicago Il |
| August 31, 1955 | Wednesday | 1st microwave television station operated - Lufkin Texas |
| August 31, 1957 | Saturday | Malaysia gains independence from Britain (National Day) |
| August 31, 1962 | Friday | Trinidad & Tobago gains independence from Britain (National Day) |
| August 31, 1963 | Saturday | Malaysia Day |
| August 31, 1977 | Wednesday | Aleksandr Fedotov sets world aircraft altitude record of 38.26 km (125 524 ft) in a Mikoyan E-266M turbojet |
| August 31, 1980 | Sunday | Poland's Solidarity labor union founded |