Major Events
- 1146 Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine are present and join the Crusade.
- 1492 Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon issue the Alhambra Decree which expels Jews from their kingdoms
- 1657 English Parliament makes the Humble Petition and Advice to Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell offering him the crown: he declines
- 1889 Eiffel Tower officially opens, for dignitaries and an award ceremony, in Paris, France; designed by Gustave Eiffel and built for the Exposition Universelle, at 300m high it retains the record for the tallest man made structure for 41 years
- 1920 British parliament accepts Irish Home Rule law
- More March 31 Events
Mar 31 in Film & TV
- 1930 The Motion Pictures Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film for the next 38 years
- 1981 1st Golden Raspberry Awards: "Can't Stop the Music" wins
Mar 31 in Music
- 1967 1st time Jimi Hendrix burns his guitar (and his fingers) at Finsbury Park Astoria theater in London: the guitar sold at auction for nearly $500K, the building is currently a church
Mar 31 in Sport
Did You Know?
Thomas Mundy Peterson of Perth Amboy, New Jersey is the first African American to vote in the US under provisions of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, in a local election on town's charter
Henry II
René Descartes
Johann Sebastian Bach
Jack Johnson
Christopher Walken
Ewan McGregor
Fun Fact About March 31
The NY Times reviews "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut on its publication, saying "you'll either love it, or push it back in the science-fiction corner"
Famous Weddings
- 307 Roman Emperor Constantine I marries Fausta, daughter of the Emperor Maximian, later murdering her in 326
- 1834 Religious leader Brigham Young (32) weds herbalist Mary Ann Angell (27)
- 1960 Actor Yul Brynner (39) weds fashion house executive Doris Kleiner (32) in Mexico City; divorce in 1967
Famous Divorces
- 2010 "Dawson's Creek" actor James Van Der Beek (32) divorces actress Heather Ann McComb (33) after almost 7 years of marriage
More March 31 Weddings
Francis I of France
Philip III
Isaac Newton
Charlotte Brontë
J. P. Morgan
Jesse OwensArticles, Photos and Quiz
Eiffel Tower Opens
The Eiffel Tower on opening day in Paris
March 31, 1889
Margaret Thatcher Tax Triggers Riot
London was rocked by a major riot on this day in history as protests erupted against the poll tax introduced by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
March 31, 1990
Weekly Quiz for March 30 - April 5
How much did America pay to buy Alaska in 1867? The ruins of which ancient town were discovered in 1748? Who directed the 1968 film 2001 A Space Odyssey?
