October 31: Nails, Thrones, and a Helicopter Jailbreak

Welcome to October 31, a date so overachieving it refused to settle for just being Halloween. This is a day of bold statements, record-setting voyages, and at least one genuinely cinematic prison break. Grab the fun-size candy you definitely weren't saving for yourself and let's dig in.

A Door, A Theses, and a Whole Reformation

Back in 1517, Martin Luther strolled up to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg and posted his Ninety-five Theses, kicking off the Protestant Reformation. It remains history's most consequential piece of door signage — the original "we need to talk" note, except aimed at an entire institution. No reply box required.

Fast-forward to 475, when Romulus Augustulus took the throne as the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Imagine being handed the keys to the biggest empire ever right as the building started making concerning creaking noises. Timing, your majesty, is everything.

Great Escapes and Great Voyages

In 1973, three Provisional IRA members escaped from Mountjoy Prison in Dublin aboard a hijacked helicopter that landed right in the exercise yard. Somewhere, a screenwriter who thought this was too far-fetched is quietly apologizing to reality. And in 1999, Australian sailor Jesse Martin arrived in Melbourne to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop, and unassisted — a flex most of us can't match even with GPS and a snack cabinet.

Also announced on this day in 2005: the discovery of Pluto's moons Nix and Hydra, spotted via Hubble photos taken five months earlier. Pluto, ever the overlooked underdog, out here quietly collecting moons like loyalty points.

Birthdays Worth a Candle

The October 31 birthday lineup is stacked. English footballer Marcus Rashford arrived in 1997, and he's spent his career making defenders regret their life choices. Letitia Wright, the Guyanese-British actress who charmed audiences as Wakanda's smartest tech genius, also celebrates today. Willow Smith (2000) brought us the hair-whipping anthem of a generation, while Spanish footballer Ansu Fati (2002) and Leonor, Princess of Asturias (2005) round out a birthday guest list fit for a very glamorous costume party.

Happy Halloween, You Spooky Legends

And of course, today is Halloween — the one day a year it's socially acceptable to knock on strangers' doors demanding sugar, dressed as something you'll regret in the group photo. Over in Cornwall they celebrate Allantide, while Peru marks Día de la Canción Criolla with music that definitely slaps harder than your doorbell. However you observe it, may your candy be plentiful and your costume zipper cooperative.