At A Glance

31 January 2001 at a glance

Day of the week
31 January 2001 was a Wednesday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Independent Women” by Destiny's Child.
Top Film of 2001
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2001 was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Bestselling Novel of 2001
“Desecration” by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 2001.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Friends” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 2001–02 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 January 2001 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 January 2001 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 31 January

  • 1988 Doug Williams becomes the first African American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl and leads the Washington Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII.
  • 2003 The Waterfall rail accident occurs near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia.
  • 2007 Emergency officials in Boston mistakenly identify battery-powered LED placards depicting characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force as Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), causing a panic.
  • 2019 Abdullah of Pahang is sworn in as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
  • 2020 The United Kingdom's membership within the European Union ceases in accordance with Article 50, after 47 years of being a member state.

Famous people born on January 31

  • Julián Alvarez, Argentine footballer (born 2000)
  • Justin Timberlake, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor (born 1981)
  • Minnie Driver, English singer-songwriter and actress (born 1970)
  • Jackie Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster (1919–1972)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2001 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '2001 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 15 – Wikipedia is launched.
  • March 24 – Apple Computer releases the Mac OS X next-generation operating system, with version 10.0. It goes on to be the second-most used desktop operating system with a market share of roughly 10 percent.
  • May 18 – Shrek is released in theaters.

Life in the US in 2001

President

George W. Bush

Gas (per gallon)

$1.46

Loaf of Bread

$1.10

Average House

$175,200

Weekly Wage

$580

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →