October 31 marks several significant historical events, including the 2020 opening of Berlin-Brandenburg Airport and the 2015 crash of a Russian airliner. The date also features milestones in German football and culture. Notable figures like Sean Connery died on this day.
October 31 is marked by various notable historical events. In 2020, Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) officially opened after a 14-year construction period plagued by execution and planning errors. It cost about six billion euros—roughly three times the original plan.
In 2015, a Russian passenger Airbus crashed on the Sinai Peninsula with 224 people aboard; none survived. The Islamic State terror militia claimed responsibility for the attack, and Russian intelligence confirmed a bomb on board.
In sports: In 2000, Borussia Dortmund became the first German football club to go public. In 1970, the German Football Association (DFB) lifted the women's football ban in place since 1955, subject to certain conditions.
Culturally, in 1985, members of Frankfurt's Jewish community prevented the premiere of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's play «Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod», citing antisemitic stereotypes.
Birthdays include Crown Princess Leonor (born 2005, age 20), actress Liv Lisa Fries (1990, 35), journalist Uwe-Karsten Heye (1940, 85), and director Dieter Dorn (1935, 90). On October 31, 2020, British actor Sean Connery (born 1930), who portrayed James Bond from 1962 to 1983, died.