October 18, 1931

1931Chris Albertson, Icelandic-American historian, journalist, and producer (died 2019)^[†]

Christiern Gunnar Albertson was a New York City-based jazz journalist, writer and record producer.

1931Ien Dales, Dutch civil servant and politician, Dutch Minister of the Interior (died 1994)^[†]

Catharina Isabella "Ien" Dales was a Dutch politician and social worker. Born in Arnhem, she received a degree in education from the University of Amsterdam and worked in social services before her career in politics. She became a member of the Labour Party (PvdA) in 1968 and was appointed State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment in the Van Agt II cabinet, a position that she held between 1981 and 1982. Dales was a member of the House of Representatives between 1981 and 1987 and mayor of Nijmegen between 1987 and 1989. She was the Minister of the Interior in the Lubbers III cabinet from 1989 and 1994.

1931Thomas Edison, American engineer and businessman, invented the phonograph (born 1847)^[†]

Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.

1931Lesser Ury, German painter (born 1861)^[†]

Leo Lesser Ury was a German impressionist painter and printmaker, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting.