March, 31st in History

[Spiritus Temporis]

Events

Thursday 31, 2005:
2005- Terri Schiavo dies at the age of 41 after national controversy.

Wednesday 31, 2004:
Sandton Square in Johannesburg, South Africa, is renamed Nelson Mandela Square.

Tuesday 31, 1998:
Netscape gives the code base of its browser under an open-source license agreement, thus creating Mozilla Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation to oversee the development of Mozilla.

Friday 31, 1995:
Popular Tex-Mex singer Selena Quintanilla is murdered by her assistant Yolanda Saldivar in a Corpus Christi, Texas motel after a heated discussion where the latter was accused of ripping off the artist's fan club.

Thursday 31, 1994:
The journal Nature reports the finding in Ethiopia of the first complete Australopithecus afarensis skull (see Human evolution).

Wednesday 31, 1993:
Actor Brandon Lee is accidentally killed during the filming of The Crow.

Tuesday 31, 1992:
The television news program Dateline NBC premieres.

Sunday 31, 1991:
The Warsaw Pact comes to an end.

Saturday 31, 1990:
Boxer Julio César Chávez defeats Meldrick Taylor to unify the boxing's world junior welterweight title in a very controversial fight known as "Thunder Meets Lightning".

Monday 31, 1986:
Six metropolitan county councils are abolished in England

Sunday 31, 1985:
The first ever WrestleMania is held in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Saturday 31, 1979:
The last British soldier leaves the Maltese Islands. Malta is no longer a military base.

Tuesday 31, 1970:
1970- Eight terrorists from the Japanese Red Army hijacked a Japan Airlines Boeing 727 at Tokyo International Airport, wielding samurai swords and carrying a bomb.

Sunday 31, 1968:
President Lyndon Johnson announces he will not run for re-election.

Friday 31, 1967:
Jimi Hendrix burns his guitar for the first time at London's Astoria Theatre. He is sent to the hospital afterwards for burns on his hands.

Thursday 31, 1966:
The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first spaceprobe to enter orbit around the Moon.

Tuesday 31, 1964:
The Dictatorship in Brazil, under the aegis of general Castello Branco, begins.

Tuesday 31, 1959:
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum.

Sunday 31, 1957:
Elections to the Territorial Assembly of the French colony Upper Volta. After the elctions PDU and MDV form a government.

Thursday 31, 1949:
Newfoundland and Labrador joins Confederation and becomes the 10th Province of Canada.

Friday 31, 1933:
The Civilian Conservation Corps is established with the mission to relieve rampant unemployment.

Tuesday 31, 1931:
An earthquake destroys Managua Nicaragua, killing 2,000.

Monday 31, 1930:
The Motion Pictures Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in motion pictures for the next forty years.

Sunday 31, 1918:
Daylight Savings Time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.

Saturday 31, 1917:
The United States takes possession of the U.S. Virgin Islands after paying $25 million to Denmark.

Wednesday 31, 1909:
Serbia accepts Austrian control over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Saturday 31, 1906:
The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later National Collegiate Athletic Association) is established to set rules for amateur sports in the United States.

Tuesday 31, 1903:
Richard Pearse reportedly flies a heavier-than-air machine in powered flight near Pleasant Point, South Canterbury, New Zealand; some claim 1902

Sunday 31, 1889:
The Eiffel Tower is inaugurated.

Tuesday 31, 1885:
The United Kingdom establishes a protectorate over Bechuanaland.

Saturday 31, 1866:
The Spanish Navy bombs the harbour of Valparaíso, Chile

Friday 31, 1854:
Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Treaty of Kanagawa with the Japanese government, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade.

Thursday 31, 1774:
American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed in the Boston Port Act.

Wednesday 31, 1717:
A sermon on "The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ" by Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Bangor, provoked the Bangorian Controversy.

Sunday 31, 307:
After divorcing his wife Minerva, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian.

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/31-march/on-this-day.html


People born on March 31

1980:
Chien-Ming Wang, Taiwanese Major League Baseball player (b: March 31, 1980) (Biography of Chien-Ming Wang)

1976:
Josh Saviano, American actor (b: March 31, 1976) (Biography of Josh Saviano)

1973:
Bold Forbes, Puerto Rican racehorse (b: March 31, 1973) (Biography of Bold Forbes)

1971:
Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor (b: March 31, 1971) (Biography of Ewan McGregor)
Pavel Bure, Russian hockey player (b: March 31, 1971) (Biography of Pavel Bure)

1966:
Roger Black, British athlete (b: March 31, 1966) (Biography of Roger Black)

1957:
Marc McClure, American actor (b: March 31, 1957) (Biography of Marc McClure)

1955:
Angus Young, British-Australian musician (AC/DC) (b: March 31, 1955) (Biography of Angus Young)

1950:
Ed Marinaro, American football player and actor (b: March 31, 1950) (Biography of Ed Marinaro)

1948:
Al Gore, Vice President of the United States (b: March 31, 1948) (Biography of Al Gore)
Rhea Perlman, American actress (b: March 31, 1948) (Biography of Rhea Perlman)

1947:
Cesar Gaviria Trujillo, President of Colombia (b: March 31, 1947) (Biography of Cesar Gaviria Trujillo)

1946:
Gonzalo Márquez, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player (b: March 31, 1946 ; d: December 20, 1984) (Biography of Gonzalo Márquez)

1945:
Gabe Kaplan, American actor and comedian (b: March 31, 1945) (Biography of Gabe Kaplan)
Valerie Curtin, American actress, writer, and producer (b: March 31, 1945) (Biography of Valerie Curtin)

1943:
Christopher Walken, American actor (b: March 31, 1943) (Biography of Christopher Walken)

1940:
Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator from Vermont (b: March 31, 1940) (Biography of Patrick Leahy)

1939:
Zviad Gamsakhurdia, first President of Georgia (b: March 31, 1939 ; d: December 31, 1993) (Biography of Zviad Gamsakhurdia)
Volker Schlöndorff, German film director (b: March 31, 1939) (Biography of Volker Schlöndorff)

1935:
Herb Alpert, American trumpeter and band leader (b: March 31, 1935) (Biography of Herb Alpert)
Judith Rossner, American author (b: March 31, 1935 ; d: August 9, 2005) (Biography of Judith Rossner)

1934:
Richard Chamberlain, American actor (b: March 31, 1934) (Biography of Richard Chamberlain)
Shirley Jones, American singer and actress (b: March 31, 1934) (Biography of Shirley Jones)
Carlo Rubbia, Italian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b: March 31, 1934) (Biography of Carlo Rubbia)

1929:
Lucille Bliss, American voice actress (b: March 31, 1929) (Biography of Lucille Bliss)
Liz Claiborne, Belgian fashion designer (b: March 31, 1929) (Biography of Liz Claiborne)

1928:
Gordie Howe, Canadian hockey player (b: March 31, 1928) (Biography of Gordie Howe)
Lefty Frizzell, American singer and songwriter (b: March 31, 1928) (Biography of Lefty Frizzell)

1927:
César Chávez, American labor activist (b: March 31, 1927 ; d: April 23, 1993) (Biography of César Chávez)
William Daniels, American actor (b: March 31, 1927) (Biography of William Daniels)

1926:
John Fowles, English author (b: March 31, 1926) (Biography of John Fowles)

1924:
Leo Buscaglia, American author (b: March 31, 1924) (Biography of Leo Buscaglia)

1922:
Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (b: March 31, 1922 ; d: March 5, 1999) (Biography of Richard Kiley)

1915:
Albert Hourani, English historian (b: March 31, 1915 ; d: January 17, 1993) (Biography of Albert Hourani)

1914:
Octavio Paz, Mexican writer, diplomat, and Nobel Prize laureate (b: March 31, 1914 ; d: April 19, 1998) (Biography of Octavio Paz)

1911:
Elisabeth Grümmer, Alsatian soprano (b: March 31, 1911 ; d: November 6, 1986) (Biography of Elisabeth Grümmer)

1906:
Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b: March 31, 1906 ; d: July 8, 1979) (Biography of Sin-Itiro Tomonaga)

1891:
Victor Varconi, Hungarian film actor (b: March 31, 1891 ; d: June 6, 1976) (Biography of Victor Varconi)

1890:
William Lawrence Bragg, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b: March 31, 1890 ; d: July 1, 1971) (Biography of William Lawrence Bragg)

1885:
Pascin, Bulgarian painter (b: March 31, 1885 ; d: June 5, 1930) (Biography of Pascin)

1878:
Jack Johnson, American boxer (b: March 31, 1878 ; d: June 10, 1946) (Biography of Jack Johnson (boxer))

1811:
Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, German chemist and inventor (b: March 31, 1811 ; d: August 16, 1899) (Biography of Robert Wilhelm Bunsen)

1809:
Nikolai Gogol, Russian writer (b: March 31, 1809 ; d: March 4, 1852) (Biography of Nikolai Gogol)
Edward FitzGerald, English poet (b: March 31, 1809 ; d: June 14, 1883) (Biography of Edward FitzGerald)

1675:
Pope Benedict XIV (b: March 31, 1675 ; d: May 3, 1758) (Biography of Pope Benedict XIV)

1651:
Karl II, Elector Palatine (b: March 31, 1651 ; d: May 26, 1685) (Biography of Karl II, Elector Palatine)

1621:
Andrew Marvell, English poet (b: March 31, 1621 ; d: August 16, 1678) (Biography of Andrew Marvell)

1596:
René Descartes, French mathematician (b: March 31, 1596 ; d: February 11, 1650) (Biography of René Descartes)

1536:
Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shogun (b: March 31, 1536 ; d: June 17, 1565) (Biography of Ashikaga Yoshiteru)

1519:
King Henry II of France (b: March 31, 1519 ; d: July 10, 1559) (Biography of Henry II of France)

1504:
Guru Angad Dev, second Sikh guru (b: March 31, 1504 ; d: September 7, 1552) (Biography of Guru Angad Dev)

1499:
Pope Pius IV (b: March 31, 1499 ; d: December 9, 1565) (Biography of Pope Pius IV)

250:
Constantius Chlorus, Roman Emperor (b: March 31, 250 ; d: July 25, 306) (Biography of Constantius Chlorus)

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/31-march/births.html

[Spiritus Temporis]

People who died on March 31

2005:
Terri Schiavo (d: March 31, 2005) (Biography of Terri Schiavo)
Frank Perdue (d: March 31, 2005) (Biography of Frank Perdue)
Stanley J. Korsmeyer (d: March 31, 2005) (Biography of Stanley J. Korsmeyer)

2003:
H.S.M. Coxeter (d: March 31, 2003) (Biography of H.S.M. Coxeter)

2002:
Barry Took, British comedy writer and broadcaster (b: June 19, 1928 ; d: March 31, 2002) (Biography of Barry Took)

2001:
Clifford Shull, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b: September 23, 1915 ; d: March 31, 2001) (Biography of Clifford Shull)

1999:
Yuri Knorosov, Russian epigrapher (b: November 19, 1922 ; d: March 31, 1999) (Biography of Yuri Knorosov)

1998:
Bella Abzug, U.S. Congresswoman (b: July 24, 1920 ; d: March 31, 1998) (Biography of Bella Abzug)

1995:
Selena (d: March 31, 1995) (Biography of Selena)

1993:
Brandon Lee, American actor (b: February 1, 1965 ; d: March 31, 1993) (Biography of Brandon Lee)

1988:
William McMahon, twentieth Prime Minister of Australia (b: February 23, 1908 ; d: March 31, 1988) (Biography of William McMahon)

1985:
The Singing Nun (d: March 31, 1985) (Biography of The Singing Nun)

1981:
Enid Bagnold (d: March 31, 1981) (Biography of Enid Bagnold)

1980:
Vladimír Holan, Czech poet (b: September 16, 1905 ; d: March 31, 1980) (Biography of Vladimír Holan)
Jesse Owens, American athlete (b: September 12, 1913 ; d: March 31, 1980) (Biography of Jesse Owens)

1978:
Charles Best, American medical scientist (b: February 27, 1899 ; d: March 31, 1978) (Biography of Charles Best)

1975:
Spider Sabich (d: March 31, 1975) (Biography of Spider Sabich)

1956:
Ralph DePalma, Italian-born race car driver (b: January 23, 1884 ; d: March 31, 1956) (Biography of Ralph DePalma)

1954:
Edwin Armstrong, American inventor (b: December 18, 1890 ; d: March 31, 1954) (Biography of Edwin Armstrong)

1952:
Wallace H. White, Jr., U.S. Senator from Maine (b: August 6, 1877 ; d: March 31, 1952) (Biography of Wallace H. White, Jr.)

1945:
Anne Frank, German-born diarist (b: June 12, 1929 ; d: March 31, 1945) (Biography of Anne Frank)
Hans Fischer, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b: July 27, 1881 ; d: March 31, 1945) (Biography of Hans Fischer)

1931:
Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (b: March 4, 1888 ; d: March 31, 1931) (Biography of Knute Rockne)

1917:
Emil Adolf von Behring, German physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b: March 15, 1854 ; d: March 31, 1917) (Biography of Emil Adolf von Behring)

1915:
Wyndham Halswelle, Scottish runner (b. 1915) (b: May 30, 1882 ; d: March 31, 1915) (Biography of Wyndham Halswelle)

1913:
J. P. Morgan, American financier (b: September 7, 1867 ; d: March 31, 1913) (Biography of J. P. Morgan)

1880:
Henryk Wieniawski, Polish composer (b: July 10, 1835 ; d: March 31, 1880) (Biography of Henryk Wieniawski)

1855:
Charlotte Brontë, English author (b: April 21, 1816 ; d: March 31, 1855) (Biography of Charlotte Brontë)

1837:
John Constable, English painter (b: June 11, 1776 ; d: March 31, 1837) (Biography of John Constable)

1783:
Nikita Ivanovich Panin, Russian statesman (b: September 18, 1718 ; d: March 31, 1783) (Biography of Nikita Ivanovich Panin)

1741:
Pieter Burmann the Elder (d: March 31, 1741) (Biography of Pieter Burmann the Elder)

1723:
Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, British Governor of New York and New Jersey (b: November 28, 1661 ; d: March 31, 1723) (Biography of Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon)

1703:
Johann Christoph Bach, German composer (b: December 6, 1642 ; d: March 31, 1703) (Biography of Johann Christoph Bach)

1671:
Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (b: March 12, 1637 ; d: March 31, 1671) (Biography of Anne Hyde)

1631:
John Donne (d: March 31, 1631) (Biography of John Donne)

1621:
King Philip III of Spain (b: April 14, 1578 ; d: March 31, 1621) (Biography of Philip III of Spain)

1567:
Philipp I of Hesse (b: November 13, 1504 ; d: March 31, 1567) (Biography of Philipp I of Hesse)

1340:
Ivan I of Russia (d: March 31, 1340) (Biography of Ivan I of Russia)

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/31-march/deaths.html