This Day in History
March 31

What happened in history on this day: March 31? On March 31 in ... 1084 - Anti-pope Clemens crowns German emperor Hendrik IV. 1201 - Absalon Asserssön Danish archbishop of Lund/statesman, dies. 1340 - Ivan I Kalita grand-duke of Vladimir, dies. 1389 - Everhard Tserclaes sheriff of Brussels, murdered. 1492 - Queen Isabella of Castilia and Ferdinand of Aragon expels Jews. 1499 - Birth of Pius IV [Gianangelo de' Medici], Italian lawyer/pope (1559-65). 1504 - France and Spain signs ceasefire. 1519 - Birth of Henry II King of Germany (1547-59). 1521 - Magelhaes takes possession of Homohon, Archipelago of Saint Lazarus. 1547 - Henry II succeeds François I as king of France. 1567 - Philip the Generous, count of Hessen, dies at age 62. 1570 - Birth of Louise Juliana countess of Nassau. 1578 - Juan de Escobedo Secretary of Spanish land guardian Don Juan, murdered. 1596 - Birth of René Descartes France, philosopher (he thought, therefore he was). 1621 - Birth of Andrew Marvell England, poet (To His Coy Mistress). 1621 - Felipe III King of Spain (1598-1621), dies at age 42. 1631 - John Donne Metaphysical poet, dies (birth date unknown). 1644 - Pope Urbanus VIII and duke of Parma signs Peace of Ferrara. 1651 - Great earthquake at Cuzco Peru. 1656 - Pierre de La Barre composer, dies at age 64. 1657 - English Humble Petition offers Lord Protector Cromwell the crown. 1667 - France/England sign anti-Dutch military accord. 1675 - Birth of Benedict XIV [Prospero L Lambertini], Italy, Pope (1740-58). 1683 - Emperor Leopold I/Poland signs covenant against Turkey. 1684 - Birth of Francesco Durante composer. 1717 - Birth of Florian Wrastill composer. 1722 - Campegius Vitringa Dutch theologist/exegete, dies at age 62. 1723 - Birth of Frederik V King of Denmark/Norway (1746-66). 1732 - Birth of Franz Joseph Haydn Austria, composer, helped develop classical style. 1741 - Peter Burmannus [Peter Burman], Dutch attorney/classicist, dies at age 72. 1745 - Jews are expelled from Prague. 1747 - Birth of Johann Abraham Peter Schulz German composer (Moon has Risen). 1791 - Birth of Franciszek Wincenty Mirecki composer. 1796 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethes "Egmont" premieres in Weimar. 1808 - French created Kingdom of Westphalia orders Jews to adopt family names. 1809 - Birth of Edward FitzGerald England, writer (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam). 1809 - Birth of Nikolai Gogol father of 19th-century Russian realism (Dead Souls). 1809 - Birth of Otto Jonas Lindblad composer. 1809 - Franz Joseph Haydn composer, dies on 77th birthday. 1811 - Birth of Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen Germany, chemist (Bunsen Burner). 1814 - Forces allied against Napoleon capture Paris France. 1822 - Birth of Rafael Hernando composer. 1831 - Birth of Archibald Scott Scottish chemist. 1831 - Mainzer Rijnvaart Convention ends. 1831 - Québec and Montréal incorporated. 1835 - Birth of John La Farge US painter. 1837 - Birth of Robert Ross McBurney first paid secretary of the YMCA. 1837 - Birth of Stephen Dodson Ramseur Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1864. 1837 - John Constable English painter/water colors painter, dies at age 60. 1838 - Birth of Léon Dierx French poet. 1839 - Birth of Nikolay Przhevalsky naturalist, explorer of east central Asia. 1840 - Birth of John Herbert Kelly Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1864. 1841 - First performance of Robert Schumann's first Symphony in B. 1844 - Birth of Andrew Lang Scotland, author (The Blue Fairy Book). 1847 - Birth of Jarolslaw Zielinski composer. 1848 - Birth of John Henry Roberts composer. 1849 - Colonel John W Geary arrives as first postmaster of San Francisco. 1850 - John Calhoun dies at age 68. 1850 - US population hits 23,191,876 (Black population: 3,638,808 (15.7%)). 1854 - Birth of Sir Dugald Clerk inventor (2-stroke motorcycle engine). 1854 - Treaty of Kanagawa: Commodore Perry forces Japan to opens ports to foreign trade. 1855 - Charlotte Brontë English author (Jane Eyre), dies at age 38. 1861 - Confederacy takes over mint at New Orleans. 1862 - Civil War action at Island #10 on the Mississippi River. 1865 - Battle of Boydton, Virginia (White Oaks Roads, Dinwiddie Court House). 1865 - General Pickette moves to Five Forks, abandoning the defense of Peterburg. 1868 - Birth of Karl Bonhoeffer German psychiatrist/neurologist. 1868 - Chinese Embassy arrives aboard steamship China. 1870 - Thomas P Mundy became first black to vote in US (Perth Amboy New Jersey). 1872 - Birth of Arthur Griffith Irish journalist, founder of Sinn Féin. 1872 - Birth of Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev Russia, dance master (Imperial Ballet). 1877 - Antoine A Cournot French mathematician (rule of C), dies at age 75. 1877 - British high director/Governor sir Bartle Frere arrives in Capetown. 1877 - Test Cricket debut of Fred "Demon" Spofforth, Australia vs England Melbourne Cricket Ground. 1878 - Birth of Jack Johnson first black heavyweight boxing champion (1908-1915). 1878 - Jack Johnson is first black to hold a heavyweight boxing title. 1880 - First town completely illuminated by electric lighting (Wabash Indiana). 1880 - Henryk Wieniawski Polish violist/composer, dies at age 44. 1881 - Gaetano Gaspari composer, dies at age 73. 1883 - First performance of César Franck's "Le Chasseur Maudit". 1883 - Utrecht begins water pipe system. 1884 - Jan T Beelen Netherlands/Belgian catholic bible expert, dies at age 77. 1885 - Birth of Jules Pascin [Julius Pincas], Bulgarian/US painter/cartoonist. 1885 - Franz Wilhelm Abt German composer/choir conductor, dies at age 65. 1885 - Great Britain declares Bechuanaland a protectorate. 1885 - Philipp Fahrbach composer, dies at age 69. 1886 - Giovanni Rossi composer, dies at age 57. 1887 - Birth of Jose Maria Usandizaga composer. 1887 - Birth of Saint-John Perse [MRA Alexis Léger], French poet (Nobel Prize 1960). 1889 - 300 metre Eiffel Tower officially opens (commemorates French Revolution). 1891 - Birth of Erich Walter Sternberg composer. 1891 - Birth of Ion Pillat Romaniams poet/senator (Umbra timpului). 1891 - Birth of Victor Varconi Hungary; actor (Divine Lady, King of Kings, Big City). 1892 - Adolf Rzepko composer, dies at age 66. 1892 - Birth of Stanislav Wladyslaw Maczek Polish/British General-Major/commandant. 1893 - Birth of Clemens Krauss Vienna Austria, conductor (Berlin State Orchestra-1937). 1895 - Birth of John Jay McCloy lawyer/banker (Assistant Secretary of War 1941-45, president-Chase Manhattan Bank (1953-60)). 1895 - Birth of Vardis A Fisher US author (Darkness and Deep). 1896 - Whitcomb Judson, Chicago Illinois, patents a hookless fastening (zipper). 1898 - Edward Noyes Westcott US attorney/writer (David Harum), dies. 1900 - Birth of Henry WFA English duke of Gloucester/earl of Ulters. 1900 - Birth of Lörinc Szabó Hungary, poet (Huszonhatodik év). 1900 - Brigadier-General Broadwoods troops fall into guerrilla hands. 1900 - Frank Milligan cricketer (Mafeking 2 Tests England vs South Africa 1898-99), dies. 1901 - John Stainer composer, dies at age 60. 1903 - Birth of Arthur Godfrey New York City, New York, TV host (Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts). 1903 - Richard Pearse flies monoplane several hundred yards (New Zealand). 1905 - German emperor Wilhelm II visits Tanger. 1906 - Birth of Lauri Saikkola composer. 1906 - George Bernard Shaw's German version of "Caesar and Cleopatra" premieres in Berlin. 1907 - Birth of Eddie Quillan Philadelphia Pennsylvania; actor (Julia, Hell Town). 1907 - Romanian Army puts down Moldavian farmers' revolt. 1909 - Baseball rules players who jump contracts are suspended for five years. 1909 - Birth of Pieter Jongeling Dutch Member of Parliament (GVP)/editor (Netherlands Daily). 1909 - Birth of Robert Brasillach French author/Nazi collaborator. 1909 - In Belfast, Ireland, the keel of the Titanic is laid down at Harland and Wolff Shipyard. 1909 - Gustav Mahler conducts New York Philharmonic for his first time. 1912 - Birth of Wilhelmus Berkelmans civil servant/resistance fighter. 1913 - John Pierpont Morgan US banker/CEO (US Steel Corp), dies at age 75. 1914 - Birth of Octavio Paz Mexico, writer/diplomat (Salamandra, Topoemas). 1914 - Ch Morgenstern writer, dies at age 42. 1915 - Birth of Eliseo Morales Pajaro composer. 1915 - Birth of Henry Morgan New York City, New York, comedian/TV panelist (I've Got a Secret, Arena). 1915 - Birth of Jack Perry businessman. 1916 - Birth of John Vivyan Chicago Illinois; actor (Imitation of Life, Mr Lucky). 1916 - Dutch government ends all military engagements. 1917 - US purchases Danish West Indies for $25M and renames them Virgin Islands. 1918 - First daylight savings time in US goes into effect. 1918 - Birth of Ted Post Brooklyn New York, director (Peacemaker, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Gunsmoke). 1919 - French Marshal Ferdinand Foch says to leaders of Great Britain and the USA that without the Rhine frontier in French possession, the Versailles settlement would be no more than "the armistice for twenty years". 1919 - Strike against Ruhrgebied government of Scheidemann. 1920 - Birth of Marga [Sara Voeten-] Minco Dutch writer (Bitter Herb). 1920 - British parliament accept Irish "Home Rule"-law. 1921 - Albert Einstein lectures in New York on his new theory of relativity. 1921 - British coal miners goes on strike. 1922 - Birth of Patrick J G McGee North Ireland; actor (Clockwork Orange). 1922 - Birth of Richard Kiley Chicago Illinois; actor (Man of La Mancha, Endless Love). 1922 - KFI-AM in Los Angeles California begins radio transmissions. 1922 - Prince Hendrik opens trade fair building in Amsterdam. 1923 - First dance marathon-New York City-Alma Cummings sets record of 27 hours. 1923 - Birth of Donald Argee Barksdale Berkley California, basketballer (Olympics-gold-1948). 1923 - Birth of Lawrie Miller New Zealand cricketer (opening bat in 13 Tests). 1923 - French soldiers fire on workers at Krupp factory in Essen; 13 die. 1923 - Stanley Cup: Ottawa Senators (NHL) sweep Edmonton Eskimos (WCHL) in two games. 1924 - Birth of Harry Cubitt 4th Lord Ashcombe ("Mad Harry"), English landowner. 1924 - Birth of Leo Buscaglia Los Angeles California, "Dr Hug", psychologist (Love). 1924 - Croydon Airport; first British air company merger - Imperial Airways Ltd established. 1924 - London public transport strike ends. 1925 - WOWO-AM, Fort Wayne IN begins radio transmission (500 watts). 1926 - Birth of John Fowles England, novelist (Collector, French Leiutenent's Woman). 1926 - Birth of Sydney Chaplin son of Charlie/actor (Adding Machine, Psycho Sisters). 1926 - German Special Court of Justice for state security disbands. 1927 - Birth of Cesar Chavez Yuma Arizona, farm labor leader (United Farm Workers). 1927 - Birth of William Daniels Brooklyn New York; actor (Dr Mark Craig-St Elsewhere, 1776). 1928 - Birth of Gordie Howe Floral Saskatchewan, NHL right wing (Detroit Red Wings). 1928 - Gustave Ador President of Austria (1919), dies at age 82. 1928 - Medardo Rosso Italian sculptor (portraits), dies at age 69. 1929 - Birth of Lee Patterson Vancouver British Columbia; actor (Dave-Surfside Six, Another World). 1929 - Birth of Liz Claiborne Brussels Belgium, fashion designer. 1931 - Birth of Miller Barber Shreveport Louisiana, PGA golfer (1968 Byron Nelson Classic). 1931 - Knute Rockne football player/coach, dies in a plane crash at age 43. 1932 - 150 wild swans die in Niagara waterfall. 1932 - Birth of Godfrey Lawrence cricketer (South African fast bowler, 8-53 vs New Zealand 1961). 1932 - Birth of John Jakes Chicago Illinois, writer (Sir Scoundrel, Great Women Reporters). 1932 - Birth of Nagisa Oshima Kyoto Japan, director (Town of Love and Hope). 1932 - Ford publicly unveils its V-8 engine. 1933 - First newspaper published on pine pulp paper, "Soperton News" (Georgia). 1933 - Birth of Bob Simmons Fulham England, stuntman (double for James Bond). 1933 - Birth of Shirley Jones Smithton Pennsylvania, actress (The Partridge Family, Elmer Gantry). 1933 - US Congress authorizes Civilian Conservation Corps. 1933 - German Republic gives power to Hitler. 1934 - Birth of Grigori Grigoyevich Nelyubov Russia, cosmonaut (Vostok 1 backup). 1934 - Birth of John D Loudermilk rock drummer/vocalist (Language of Love, Norman). 1934 - Birth of Wim H Sinnige Dutch alderman of finance (social democratic). 1934 - Franz Ehrle German jesuit/head of Vatican library, dies at age 88. 1934 - Netherlands Indies BC Ltd begain radio transmission (Indonesia). 1935 - Birth of Herb Alpert bandleader/trumpeter (Tijuana Brass)/CEO (A and M). 1935 - Birth of Judith Rossner US, writer (August). 1935 - Birth of Richard Chamberlain Beverly Hills California; actor (Dr Kildare). 1935 - Fusahige Suzuki runs world record marathon (2:07:09). 1936 - Birth of Marge Piercy author (Small Changes, Gone for Soldiers). 1937 - Birth of Willem Duyn [Mouth], Dutch singer (Mouth and MacNeal). 1938 - Birth of John Jakes Chicago Illinois, writer (Sir Scoundrel, Great Women Reporters). 1938 - Birth of Nathaniel Taylor Saint Louis Missouri; actor (Rollo-Sanford and Son). 1938 - Willem J T Kloos Dutch poet/critic (New Guide), dies at age 78. 1939 - Indrið Einarsson Iceland playwright (Skipið Sekkur), dies at age 87. 1940 - Birth of Barney Frank (Representative-Democrat-Massachusetts, 1981-). 1940 - Birth of Jim Criner WLAF head coach (Scottish Claymores). 1940 - Birth of Patrick J Leahy (Senator-Democrat-Vermont, 1975-). 1940 - Karelo-Finnish SSR becomes 12th Soviet republic (until 1956). 1941 - Ground broken for Union Square Garage, San Francisco. 1943 - Birth of Christopher [Ronald] Walken Astoria Queens New York; actor (Deer Hunter, Brainstorm). 1943 - Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Oklahoma!" opens on Broadway. 1943 - US errantly bombs Rotterdam, kills 326. 1944 - Birth of Rod Allen [B Rodney Bainbridge] rock bassist/vocalist (Fortunes). 1944 - Hungary orders all Jews to wear yellow stars. 1944 - Mineichi Koga Admiral of Japanese fleet, dies. 1945 - Third Algerian division crosses the Rhine. 1945 - Birth of Valerie Curtin Jackson Heights New York, actress (Judy-9 to 5). 1945 - Hans Fischer German physicist (Nobel Prize 1930), dies at age 63. 1945 - Maurice Rose first US General in Nazi Germany, killed in action at age 45. 1945 - Sicherheitsdienst murders 10 political prisoners in Zutphen. 1945 - Tennessee Williams' "Glass Menagerie" premieres in New York City, New York. 1945 - US artillery lands on Keise Shima/begins firing on Okinawa. 1946 - Belgian government of Acker, forms. 1946 - Birth of Aftab Gul cricketer (Pakistani opening batsman in six Tests 1969-71). 1946 - Birth of Al Nichol Winston Salem North Carolina, rock guitarist/vocalist (Turtles). 1946 - Birth of Gabe Kaplan Brooklyn New York, comedian/actor (Welcome Back Kotter). 1947 - Birth of Al Goodman rock vocalist (Ray, Goodman, Brown). 1947 - Birth of César Gaviria Trujillo President (Colombia, 1990-94). 1947 - Birth of Jon-Jon Poulos Chicago Illinois, rocker (Buckinghams). 1948 - Birth of Albert Gore Jr Washington DC, (Senator-Democrat-TN, 1985-92)/45th US Vice President (1993-). 1948 - Birth of David Eisenhower Eisenhower's grandson (married Julie Nixon). 1948 - Birth of Mick Ralphs Hereford and Worcester England, guitarist (Bad Company, Mott the Hoople). 1948 - Birth of Rhea Perlman Brooklyn, actress (Zena-Taxi, Carla-Cheers). 1948 - Birth of Thijs van Leer Dutch singer/flutist (Focus, Introspection). 1948 - US Congress passes Marshall Aid Act to rehabilitate war-torn Europe. 1948 - Egon E Kisch Czechoslovakian writer/journalist (Raging Reporter), dies at age 62. 1949 - Newfoundland becomes Canada's 10th province. 1950 - Birth of Alison McCartney pathologist/Breast Cancer campaigner. 1950 - Birth of Ed Marinaro New York City, New York; actor (Joe-Hill Street Blues, Sonny-Laverne and Shirley). 1950 - Birth of Richard Hughes rocker (Johnny Winter Band). 1951 - Ralph Forbes actor (Riptide, Shock, Shock), dies at age 45. 1951 - US tanks exceed 38 degrees of latitude in Korea. 1953 - Birth of Greg Martin Louisville Kentucky, singer (Kentucky Headhunters-Davy Crockett). 1953 - Birth of Sean Hopper California, rock keyboardist (Huey Lewis and The News). 1953 - Department of Health, Education and Welfare established. 1953 - United Nations Security Council nominates Dag Hammarskjöld Secretary-General. 1954 - Birth of Tony Brock England, rock drummer (Babys-Missing You). 1954 - US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs Colorado, established. 1954 - USSR offers to join NATO. 1955 - Chase National (third largest bank) and Bank of the Manhattan Company (15th largest bank) merge to form Chase Manhattan. 1955 - Collie Smith scores 104 on cricket debut West Indies vs Australia, Kingston. 1955 - US Assay Office in Seattle Washington closes. 1957 - Birth of Marc McClure in San Mateo, California, USA; actor (Ross - California Fever). 1957 - Birth of Mary Cadorette in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; actress (Vicky - Three's a Crowd). 1957 - Birth of Patrick G Forrester in El Paso, Texas, USA; Lieutenant Colonel Army/astronaut. 1957 - Gene Lockhart, American actor (Going My Way), dies at age 65. 1958 - The Grand Canyon Diorama attraction opens in Disneyland, part of the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad. At 306 feet long, it is the world's longest seamless hand-woven canvas. 1958 - Birth of Jay Feenan in Windham, New Hampshire, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1958 - Birth of Ken Meeker in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Rafe Garretson - One Life to Live). 1958 - Birth of Pat McGlynn in Edinburgh, Scotland; rock guitarist (Bay City Rollers). 1958 - US Navy forms atomic submarine division. 1958 - USSR suspends nuclear weapons tests, and urges US and Britain to do same. 1959 - Birth of Angus Young in Glasgow, Scotland; rock guitarist (AC/DC - "Highway to Hell"). 1959 - Dalai Lama flees China and is granted political asylum in India. 1959 - Peter Suhrkamp, German publisher (Suhrkamp Verlag), dies at age 68. 1960 - Birth of Anne Howard in San Diego, California, USA; actress (Nicole Love - Another World). 1960 - Birth of Mark Tuinei; NFL tackle (Dallas Cowboys). 1960 - Joseph Haas, German (opera) composer (Totenmesse), dies at age 81. 1961 - Aklilou Habtewold becomes first premier of Ethiopia. 1961 - Birth of Ron Brown in Los Angeles, California, USA; 4x100 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1984). 1961 - Seerp Anema, Dutch poet/writer (Modern Art and Degenerating), dies at age 85. 1962 - Birth of John Taylor; NFL wide receiver (San Francisco 49ers). 1963 - Los Angeles, California, ends streetcar service after 90 years. 1964 - Birth of Dave Wyman; NFL linebacker (Denver Broncos). 1964 - Birth of David Diaz-Infante; NFL guard (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32). 1964 - Birth of Erik Turner in Omaha, Nebraska, USA; rock guitarist (Warrant-Cherry Pie). 1964 - Birth of Isabelle Ferrari in Italy, Italy's Miss Teenager. 1964 - Birth of Rod Jones; NFL cornerback (Cincinnati Bengals). 1964 - President Jango Goulart of Brazil chased out of office by military. 1965 - Birth of Marlon Vonhagt; cricketer (one ODI Sri Lanka 1984-85 World Series Cup). 1965 - Birth of Patty Fendick in Sacramento, California, USA; tennis star (1989 Auckland). 1965 - Birth of Tom Barrasso in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; NHL goalie (Pittsburgh Penguins). 1965 - Birth of William McNamara in Dallas, Texas, USA; actor (Texasville, Beat, Stealing Home). 1965 - US orders the first combat troops to Vietnam. 1966 - 25,000 anti-war demonstrators march in New York City, New York. 1966 - Birth of Natalie Gosselin in Levis, Québec, Canada; 52kg judoka (Olympics-1996). 1966 - Birth of Thomas Fitzgerald in Brooklyn, New York, USA; team handball left wing (Olympics-1996). 1966 - Labour Party wins British parliamentary election. 1966 - USSR launches Luna 10, first lunar orbiter. 1967 - Birth of Glenn Montgomery; NFL defensive tackle (Seattle Seahawks, Houston Oilers). 1967 - Birth of Nanci Bowen in Tifton, Georgia, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Nabisco Dinah Shore). 1967 - Don Alvarado, actor (Morning Glory, Big Steal), dies at age 62. 1967 - Hieronim Feicht, composer, dies at age 72. 1967 - Jimi Hendrix begins his tradition of burning his guitar. 1968 - Birth of J R Reid; NBA forward (New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets). 1968 - US President Lyndon Johnson announces he will not seek re-election. 1968 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Palm Beach County Golf Open. 1968 - Seattle's American League club is named Pilots. 1969 - Birth of Kevin Sargent; NFL tackle/guard (Cincinnati Bengals). 1969 - Birth of Steve Smith; NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks). 1970 - Birth of Derek Brown; NFL tight end (Jacksonville Jaguars). 1970 - Birth of Oleg Romanov; NHL defenseman (Belarus, Olympics-1998). 1970 - Birth of Stuart Carruthers; Australian field hockey fullback (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Federal bankruptcy court allows Seattle Pilots to be sold to Milwaukee. 1970 - Semjon Timoshenko, Russian Marshal/Inspector-General (WWII), dies at age 75. 1971 - Birth of Ewan McGregor in Perth, Australia; actor (Trainspotting). 1971 - Birth of Pavel Bure in Moscow, Russia; NHL left wing (Team Russia Olympics-Silver-1998, Vancouver Canucks). 1971 - Liselotte Liselot Beekmeyer, Dutch actress (Child Crying), dies at age 31. 1971 - South Africa national debt hits US$5.45 billion. 1971 - William L Calley Jr sentenced to life for My Lai Massacre. 1972 - Birth of John Godina in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA; shot putter/discus thrower (Olympics-silver-1996). 1972 - Birth of Kelly O'Leary in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; kayaker (Olympics-1996). 1972 - Official Beatles Fan Club closes down. 1973 - Birth of Vanessa Mambi; Miss Curaçao-Universe (1996). 1973 - Philadelphia Flyers score 8 goals in one period vs New York Islanders, on 60 shots. 1973 - Ken Norton defeats Muhammad Ali in a 12-round split decision. 1973 - Kurt George Hugo Thomas, composer, dies at age 68. 1974 - Andrea Checci, actress (2 Women, Assassin, Black Sunday), dies at age 57. 1974 - Birth of Anthony Hicks; NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31). 1974 - Birth of Carol Ann Plante; actress (Sara Henderson - Harry and the Hendersons). 1974 - Birth of James Burgess; linebacker (San Diego Chargers). 1974 - Birth of Jason Odom; tackle (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1974 - Birth of Nina Georgala; Miss Greece-Universe (1996). 1975 - 37th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Kentucky 92-55; this is John Wooden's final game and UCLA's 10th NCAA championship in 12 years. 1976 - Birth of Amanda Moody in Orem, Utah; Miss Utah-America (1995). 1976 - Birth of Josh Saviano; actor (Paul Pfeiffer - The Wonder Years). 1976 - Cleveland Cavaliers clinch their first ever NBA playoff berth. 1976 - New Jersey Court rules Karen Anne Quinlan may be disconnected from respirator. 1978 - Astrid Allwyn, actress (Love Affair, Girl for Calgary), dies at age 68. 1978 - Red Rum wins third consecutive Grand National and retires. 1978 - USSR launches Kosmos 1000 navigational satellite. 1980 - Birth of Jenny Smith in Western Australia; gymnast (Olympics-1996). 1980 - Jesse Owens, American athlete (Olympics-gold-36), dies in Tucson, Arizona at age 66 (born 1913). 1980 - Larry Holmes TKOs Leroy Jones in 8 rounds for WBC heavyweight boxing title. 1980 - Mike Weaver knocks out John Tate in 15 rounds for WBA heavyweight boxing title. 1980 - US President Jimmy Carter deregulates banking industry. 1980 - Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operate final train. 1980 - Birth of Chien-Ming Wang; Taiwanese Major League Baseball player. 1980 - Death of Vladimír Holan, Czech poet (born 1905). 1981 - Death of Frank Tieri, American gangster (born 1904). 1981 - First Golden Raspberry Awards: Can't Stop the Music wins. 1981 - The 53rd Academy Awards, hosted by Johnny Carson, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Robert Redford's directorial debut in Ordinary People wins Best Picture and Best Director. Robert De Niro wins Best Actor; Sissy Spacek wins Best Actress. 1981 - Birth of Gerard McCarthy; British actor. 1982 - Birth of Jessica Joseph in Royal Oak, Michigan; dance skater (and Butler-1997 National). 1982 - Fritz Eberhard, West German lawyer/resistor, dies at age 85. 1982 - Rock group Doobie Brothers split up. 1982 - Death of Dave Clement, Queens Park Rangers footballer - suicide. 1982 - Arkas tanker at Montz, Louisiana, spills 1.47 million gallons of oil. 1983 - Stephen Murray, actor (Guilty, Silent Dust, Master Spy), dies at age 70. 1983 - In Colombia, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake occurs. 250-350 people killed, many injured and extensive damage in the Popayan area. 1984 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1985 - 15th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$27,400,000. 1985 - 4th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Old Dominion beats Georgia 70-65. 1985 - El Salvador's President José Napoleón Duartes Christian-Democrats win election. 1985 - Wrestlemania I debuts at Madison Square Garden in New York. Hogan and Mr T beat Piper and Orndorf. 1986 - 167 die when Mexicana Airlines Boeing 727 crashes. 1986 - 48th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Duke 72-69. 1986 - Hampton Court palace in Surrey, England, destroyed by fire, one dead. 1986 - In Central California, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurs. 1986 - Jerry Paris, director/actor (Jerry - Dick Van Dyke Show), dies at age 60. 1986 - O'Kelly Isley, Amefican singer (Isley Brothers), dies of heart attack at age 48. 1987 - 49th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Syracuse 74-73. 1988 - Last East Limburg coal mine closes in Gent, Belgium. 1988 - New York Islanders celebrate Denis Potvin night. 1988 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Toni Morrison for Beloved. 1988 - Talib Rasul Hakim, composer, dies at age 48. 1988 - Birth of Hogan Ephraim, English football player. 1988 - Death of Sir William McMahon, twentieth Prime Minister of Australia (born 1908). 1989 - Donald Trump purchases Eastern Airlines' Northeast Shuttle. 1990 - The NBC TV network begins airing the series Carol & Co.. 1990 - Dionisio Castro cycles world record 20 km (57:18.4). 1990 - Lillian "Miss" Miller audience member (Merv Griffin, The Tonight Show), dies. 1990 - A massive anti-poll tax demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London, turns into a riot; 471 people are injured, and 341 arrested. 1991 - 10th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Virginia 70-67. 1991 - 20th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Amy Alcott. 1991 - Albania offers first multi-party election in 50 years. 1991 - John Carter, US jazz clarinetist (Roots and folklore), dies. 1991 - Musical Will Rogers Follies premieres in New York City, New York. 1991 - Soviet Republic of Georgia endorses independence. 1991 - Saint Louis Blues' Brett Hull scores his 86th goal. 1992 - Delhi beat Tamil Nadu on first innings to win cricket Ranji Trophy. 1992 - United Nations Security Council votes to ban flights and arms sales to Libya. 1993 - Brandon Lee, US actor (Crow)/son of Bruce Lee, accidentally shot at age 28. 1993 - Jose Maria Lemus, President of El Salvador (1956-60), dies. 1994 - Léon J Ramirez Reine [Degrelle], Belgian/Spanish Nazi (Rex), dies at age 87. 1994 - Walkway from Cleveland's Tower City to Jacobs Field officially opens. 1994 - Birth of Caden Waidyatilleka, American actor. 1994 - The journal Nature reports the finding in Ethiopia of the first complete Australopithecus afarensis skull. 1995 - First game at Coors Stadium, Colorado (replacement Colorado Rockies beat New York Yankees 4-1). 1995 - Bombay beat Punjab on first innings to win cricket Ranji Trophy. 1995 - Carl M Story, fiddler, dies at age 78. 1995 - Federal judge orders injunction to end baseball strike. 1995 - In Corpus Christi, Texas, Latin superstar Selena Quintanilla Perez is shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of her own fan club. 1996 - Getting Away With Murder closes at Broadhurst theater in New York City after 17 performances. 1996 - Midsummer Night's Dream opens at Lunt-Fontanne theater in New York City for 66 performances. 1996 - 15th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Georgia 83-65. 1996 - First Opening Day in history in March takes place in Seattle. 1996 - 25th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Patty Sheehan. 1996 - Dante Giacosa, engineer/designer, dies at age 91. 1996 - Dario Bellezza, poet, dies at age 51. 1996 - Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American musician (The Gun Club and The Cramps), dies at age 37 (born 1958). 1996 - Julius Young, fast food entrepreneur, dies at age 73. 1996 - Karnataka defeats Tamil Nadu on first innings to win Ranji Trophy. 1996 - Radio Canada International's final shortwave broadcast. 1996 - Space Shuttle STS 76 (Atlantis 16), lands. 1996 - Wrestlemania XII: Shawn Michaels beats Brett Hart for WWF title. 1997 - Daytime to Remember a series showing old soaps premieres on ABC-TV. 1997 - 59th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arizona beats Kentucky 84-79 (overtime). 1997 - Edwin Alberian, TV celebrity (Clarabell), dies at age 76. 1997 - Laxmishankar Pathak, food retailer, dies at age 62. 1997 - Pioneer 10 ends its mission. 1998 - Death of Bella Abzug, American politician (born 1920). 1998 - Tampa Bay Devil Rays' first game; they host Detroit Tigers. 1999 - Death of Yuri Knorosov, Russian linguist and epigrapher (born 1922). 1999 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film 10 Things I Hate About You to theaters in the USA. 2000 - Myra Hindley loses a High Court appeal against her government-imposed whole life prison sentence. It is her third appeal failure since December 1997, and her lawyers vow to take her freedom bid to the European Court of Human Rights. 2000 - At its annual meeting, the jury of the German Academy of Language and Literature designates the 2000 Büchner Prize winner as Volker Braun. 2000 - The German ministry of justice determines that drunkenness will no longer be an excuse. It had been a tradition that crimes committed while under the influence of alcohol were sentenced more mildly than in other circumstances. 2000 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film High Fidelity to theaters in the USA. 2001 - Death of Clifford Shull, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1915). 2001 - Death of David Rocastle, English footballer (born 1967). 2002 - Ukraine holds parliamentary elections. 2002 - Earthquake in Taiwan. 2004 - Four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA are killed, and their bodies mutilated, after being ambushed in Fallujah, Iraq. 2005 - Death of Terri Schiavo, American right-to-die cause célèbre (born 1963). 2007 - Sydney, Australia, turns off its lights for one hour between 7:30PM and 8:30PM as a political statement for Global Climate Change. 2008 - In Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City's stock market's value is 44 percent lower than since January 1. 2008 - Pernod Ricard, French drink company, wins auction to buy Sweden's Vin & Sprit company for 5.6 billion euros (US$8.9 billion). You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/thisday/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events) Or, visit my Timelines of History page. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History