Portal:United States/Anniversaries/August/August 31
- 1776 – William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, begins serving his first term.
- 1864 – During the American Civil War, Union forces led by General William T. Sherman launch an assault on Atlanta.
- 1886 – The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake affects southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Sixty people killed with damage estimated at $5–6 million.
- 1943 – USS Harmon, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after a black person, is commissioned.
- 1986 – Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Cerritos, California, killing 67 in the air and 15 on the ground.
- 1988 – Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes during takeoff from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing 14.