On this day

January 31, 2018

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

Historical Context for January 31, 2018

In 2018, the world population was approximately 7,729,902,781 people[†]

Notable Deaths

Rasual Butler

2018Rasual Butler, American professional basketball player (born 1979)[†]

Rasual Butler was an American professional basketball player. In his 14-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he played for the Miami Heat, New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs. Butler was born in Philadelphia, and raised in the Point Breeze area of South Philadelphia. After playing college basketball with the La Salle Explorers, he was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Heat. On January 31, 2018, Butler was behind the wheel when he and his girlfriend, Leah LaBelle, died in a single vehicle car crash in Los Angeles.

Leah LaBelle

2018Leah LaBelle, American singer (born 1986)[†]

Leah LaBelle Vladowski was an American singer. She rose to prominence in 2004 as a contestant on the third season of American Idol, placing twelfth in the season finals. In 2007, LaBelle began recording covers of R&B and soul music for her YouTube channel. These videos led to work as a backing vocalist starting in 2008 and a record deal in 2011 with Epic in partnership with I Am Other and So So Def Recordings. LaBelle released a sampler, three singles, and a posthumous extended play (EP).

Filter by:

Headlines from January 31, 2018

Hut! Hut! Hut! What?

By Bill Pennington

The distinctive command of football, no matter how complex it gets, is not Now! or Go! It is Hut! But even players are not sure why.

Sports1172 words

The Real Burning Man

By Penelope Green

Driving converted delivery trucks, Roadtreks, vintage RVs, “skoolies” and the odd Prius, a few thousand gather in defiance of consumerist society.

Styles2351 words

My Woody Allen Problem

By A.O. Scott

Even if he wanted to, he can’t unwatch his movies, our critic writes. The relationship between filmmaker and viewer is as complicated as the one between art and artist.

Culture1580 words