ON THIS DAY
What happened on this day in history and who was born? Princess Diana’s death and Soviets launch space station Mir
From celeb birthdays to memorable moments in history, we take a back look at the important anniversaries
THERE are plenty of important anniversaries falling in 2017 - whether they be historical events, celebrity birthdays or pop culture memorable moments.
Here's the lowdown on the crucial happenings of August 31...
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What happened in history on this day?
- 1999: A Boeing 737 Flight 3142 crashes in Argentina's capital shortly after take off killing 69 of the 90 on board
- 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a Paris car crash while fleeing paparazzi
- 1997: American animated series Recess debuted on TV
- 1998: North Korea Announces the Launch of its First Satellite, Kwangmyongsong-1
- 1991: Uzbekistan declares its independence from the Soviet Union. The country celebrates September 1 as its Independence Day
- 1986: Soviets launch space station Mir, which at the time was the largest artificial satellite in orbit
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- 1888: First attributed victim of Jack the Ripper, Mary Ann Nichols, a prostitute from London's East End, was found mutilated and murdered close to Whitechapel Road
Which celebrities were born on this day?
Were you born on August 31?
Then you're lucky enough to share your birthday with these famous faces...
- 1979: Mickie James, American wrestler, singer
- 1979: Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian composer
- 1977: Jeff Hardy, American wrestler, singer, painter, writer
- 1970: Queen Rania of Jordan, Queen consort
- 1949: Richard Gere, American actor
- 1945: Van Morrison, Irish singer-songwriter
- 1870: Maria Montessori, Italian physician, educator
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Which other important anniversaries fall in 2017?
A number of special dates fall this year, although it's impossible to list them all.
Here's a round-up of some of the anniversaries to look out for...
- March, 1967: Sandie Shaw wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Britain with Puppet On A String
- May 25, 1977: Star Wars is released
- May 29, 1917: 35th US President, John F. Kennedy, was born
- June 1, 1967: It is the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band's 50th anniversary
- July 1817: The 200th anniversary of the death of author Jane Austen
- August 16, 1977: Marks 40 years since musical legend Elvis Presley died
- October 1, 1967: It is 50 years since the death of revolutionary Che Guevara
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- October 14, 2007: Keeping Up With The Kardashians debuts for the first time
- October 16, 1987: Marks 30 years since Dirty Dancing was released
- October 31, 1517: Theologian Martin Luther compiled his 95 Theses
- October 31, 1887: The 125th anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study In Scarlet - his first work featuring Sherlock Holmes
- November 18, 1997: Blockbuster film Titanic was released 20 years ago (UK film premiere)
- December 3, 1967: The first human heart transplant was carried out 50 years ago
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