This Day, Aug. 31: Russian submarine sinks killing 9

Aug. 31 in history marked a series of notable events spanning technology, sports, and tragedy. UPI notes that in 1897 Thomas Edison received a patent for the Kinetograph movie camera, while in 1888 Mary Ann Nichols became the first reported victim of the London serial killer dubbed “Jack the Ripper.” The list also highlights milestones such as William G. Cobb’s demonstration of the first solar car, the “sunmobile,” in 1955, and Mark Spitz’s Olympic success at Munich in 1972. Later entries include the 1986 Aeromexico DC-9 crash over Cerritos, Calif., and Princess Diana’s 1997 death in Paris. In 2024, Israel Defense Forces recovered six Hamas-held hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin.