Finished at Last: Mount Rushmore Is Declared Complete
On October 31, 1941, after fourteen years of blasting and carving, the Mount Rushmore memorial was declared complete — though its sculptor had not lived to see it.
On October 31
'Battle Born': Nevada Becomes a State by Telegram
On October 31, 1864 — eight days before a presidential election — Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Nevada the 36th state after its constitution arrived by telegraph.
Ninety-Five Theses and a Church Door: Luther's Challenge
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther set out his 95 Theses disputing the sale of indulgences — the spark traditionally dated as the start of the Reformation.