On this day, Jan. 31

1865 The House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution — abolishing slavery — sending it to states for ratification. (The amendment was adopted in December 1865.)

1948 Boggs & Buhl, the 79-year-old North Side department store, was purchased for $2.5 million by a group of Pittsburghers and New Yorkers and thus saved from liquidation. Plans were announced for a $1 million rejuvenation.

1950 President Harry S. Truman announced he had ordered development of the hydrogen bomb.

1958 The United States entered the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite, Explorer 1, from Cape Canaveral, Fla

1959 In a trade that would later be credited with boosting the Pirates to the 1960

National League pennant, the team obtained pitcher Harvey Haddix, third baseman Don Hoak and catcher Smokey Burgess from the Cincinnati Reds.

2002 Lenox closed its hand-blown glass factory in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County. Built in 1970, it was the first glass factory in the United States devoted to hand-blown crystal glass.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Alyssa Brown Today’s birthdays: Composer Philip Glass,

83. Former Interior Secretary James Watt,

82. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the former queen regent, 82. Former U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., 79. Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, 73. Actor Jonathan Banks, 73. Singer-musician Harry Wayne Casey (KC and the Sunshine

Band), 69. Rock singer Johnny Rotten (The Sex Pistols), 64. Actress Kelly Lynch, 61. Actor Anthony LaPaglia, 61. Singer-musician Lloyd Cole, 59. Actress Paulette Braxton, 55. Rock musician Al Jaworski (Jesus Jones), 54. Actress Minnie Driver, 50. Actress Portia de Rossi, 47. Actor-comedian Bobby Moynihan, 43. Actress Kerry Washington, 43. Bluegrass singer-musician Becky Buller, 41. Singer Justin Timberlake, 39. Actor Tyler Ritter, 35. Country singer Tyler Hubbard (Florida Georgia Line), 33. Folk-rock singer-musician Marcus Mumford (Mumford and Sons), 33. Actor Joel Courtney, 24.

Thought for today: “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.”