March 31 facts for kids

March 31 is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 275 days remain until the end of the year.

March 31st is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history. From ancient Roman weddings to modern space missions, this date has seen important moments that shaped our world. Many famous people, like the composer Johann Sebastian Bach and Nobel Prize winner Octavio Paz, were also born on this day. Let's explore some of the key happenings and notable figures connected to March 31st!

Historical Events on March 31

Early History (Before 1600)

• 307 – The Roman Emperor Constantine married Fausta. This happened after he divorced his first wife. Fausta was the daughter of another retired Roman emperor, Maximian.
• 1146 – A famous preacher named Bernard of Clairvaux gave a sermon. He encouraged people to join the Second Crusade. King Louis VII was there and decided to join.
• 1492 – Queen Isabella of Castile issued a special order. It was called the Alhambra Decree. This order told 150,000 Jewish and Muslim people in Spain to become Christians. If they refused, they had to leave the country.
• 1521 – Explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew landed in what is now Limasawa. They took part in the first Catholic mass held in the Philippines.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1657 – The Long Parliament in England offered Oliver Cromwell the British throne. He was a powerful leader at the time. Cromwell eventually turned down the offer.
• 1774 – The American Revolution was beginning. Great Britain ordered the port of Boston, Massachusetts, to be closed. This was because of the Boston Port Act.
• 1814 – During the Sixth Coalition War, Paris was taken over. This happened after Napoleon's army gave up.
• 1854 – Commodore Matthew Perry signed a treaty with Japan. It was called the Convention of Kanagawa. This treaty opened up two Japanese ports for American trade. These ports were Shimoda and Hakodate.
• 1889 – The famous Eiffel Tower in Paris was officially opened. It is still a very popular landmark today.

Modern History (1901–Present)

• 1905 – Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany announced his support for Morocco's independence. This event started the First Moroccan Crisis.
• 1906 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States was created. This group later became the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It sets rules for college sports in the United States.
• 1918 – Daylight saving time began in the United States for the very first time. This meant clocks were moved forward an hour.
• 1921 – The Royal Australian Air Force was officially formed.
• 1931 – A strong earthquake hit Managua, Nicaragua. About 2,000 people lost their lives.
• 1933 – The Civilian Conservation Corps was started in the U.S. Its goal was to help with high unemployment. It gave jobs to many people.
• 1939 – British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain promised military help to Poland. This was in case Nazi Germany invaded Poland. This event happened just before World War II began in Europe.
• 1945 – During World War II, a German pilot flew a Messerschmitt Me 262A-1 to the Americans. This was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. It was the first one to be captured by the Allies.
• 1949 – The Dominion of Newfoundland joined Canada. It became the 10th province of Canada.
• 1959 – The 14th Dalai Lama crossed into India. He was given political asylum, which means he could stay there safely.
• 1966 – The Soviet Union launched Luna 10. This spacecraft later became the first space probe to orbit the Moon.
• 1968 – American President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not seek another term. He made this statement during a TV speech about the Vietnam War.
• 1970 – Explorer 1, an early American satellite, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. It had been in orbit for 12 years.
• 1991 – A vote for independence was held in Georgia. Nearly 99 percent of voters supported the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
• 1991 – The Warsaw Pact officially ended. This was a military alliance of Eastern European countries.
• 1992 – The USS Missouri was taken out of service. It was the last active United States Navy battleship.
• 2016 – NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko returned to Earth. They had completed a yearlong mission on the International Space Station.
• 2023 – A large tornado outbreak happened. It affected the Midwest and northern South of the United States.

Notable Births on March 31

Many interesting people were born on March 31st throughout history. Here are some of them:

Born Before 1900

• 1596 – René Descartes, a French mathematician and philosopher. He is famous for the saying "I think, therefore I am."
• 1685 – Johann Sebastian Bach, a very famous German composer. He wrote many well-known classical music pieces.
• 1732 – Joseph Haydn, an Austrian pianist and composer. He is known as the "Father of the Symphony."
• 1794 – Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, an American lawyer and politician. He served as the second United States Secretary of the Interior.
• 1878 – Jack Johnson, an American boxer. He was the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion.
• 1890 – William Lawrence Bragg, an Australian-English physicist. He won the Nobel Prize for his work on X-ray diffraction.
• 1900 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, a member of the British Royal Family. He was the third son of King George V.

Born After 1900

• 1906 – Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, a Japanese physicist. He also won a Nobel Prize for his work in quantum electrodynamics.
• 1914 – Octavio Paz, a Mexican poet and diplomat. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• 1927 – Cesar Chavez, an American labor union leader and activist. He fought for the rights of farm workers.
• 1928 – Gordie Howe, a legendary Canadian ice hockey player. He is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
• 1934 – Richard Chamberlain, a popular American actor.
• 1934 – Shirley Jones, an American actress and singer.
• 1934 – Carlo Rubbia, an Italian physicist. He won a Nobel Prize for discovering two new particles.
• 1935 – Herb Alpert, an American singer, trumpet player, and producer.
• 1943 – Christopher Walken, a well-known American actor.
• 1948 – Al Gore, an American politician. He served as the 45th Vice President of the United States. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1948 – Rhea Perlman, an American actress, famous for her role in the TV show Cheers.
• 1955 – Angus Young, a Scottish-Australian guitarist and songwriter. He is a member of the famous rock band AC/DC.
• 1971 – Pavel Bure, a Russian ice hockey player. He was known as "The Russian Rocket."
• 1971 – Ewan McGregor, a Scottish actor. He has starred in many popular movies.
• 1972 – Evan Williams, an American businessman. He helped create Twitter.
• 1980 – Maaya Sakamoto, a Japanese actress, voice actress, and singer.
• 1996 – Liza Koshy, an American actress, comedian, and television host.

Notable Deaths on March 31

March 31st also marks the passing of several important figures throughout history:

Died Before 1900

• 1547 – Francis I, the King of France.
• 1631 – John Donne, a famous English poet.
• 1751 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, the heir to the British throne.
• 1797 – Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian merchant, author, and activist. He wrote about his experiences as an enslaved person.
• 1837 – John Constable, a well-known English painter.
• 1850 – John C. Calhoun, an American lawyer and politician. He was the 7th Vice President of the United States.
• 1855 – Charlotte Brontë, a famous English novelist and poet. She wrote Jane Eyre.

Died After 1900

• 1913 – J. P. Morgan, a very powerful American banker and financier.
• 1917 – Emil von Behring, a German physiologist. He won the Nobel Prize for his work on vaccines.
• 1931 – Knute Rockne, a famous American football player and coach.
• 1945 – Hans Fischer, a German chemist. He won the Nobel Prize for his work on the structure of chlorophyll.
• 1978 – Charles Best, a Canadian physiologist and biochemist. He helped discover Insulin.
• 1980 – Jesse Owens, a legendary American sprinter and long jumper. He won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics.
• 1988 – William McMahon, an Australian lawyer and politician. He was the 20th Prime Minister of Australia.
• 1993 – Brandon Lee, an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of Bruce Lee.
• 1995 – Selena, a very popular American singer-songwriter.
• 2001 – Clifford Shull, an American physicist. He won the Nobel Prize for his work with neutron diffraction.
• 2009 – Raúl Alfonsín, an Argentinian lawyer and politician. He was the 46th President of Argentina.
• 2016 – Ronnie Corbett, a Scottish comedian and actor.
• 2016 – Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi-born English architect. She designed many famous buildings around the world.
• 2016 – Imre Kertész, a Hungarian author. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• 2019 – Nipsey Hussle, an American rapper.

Holidays and Observances

• Cesar Chavez Day (United States)
• Christian feast day
  • Abdas of Susa
  • Acathius of Melitene (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  • Anesius and companions
  • Benjamin
  • Balbina
  • John Donne (Anglican Communion, Lutheran)
  • March 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Freedom Day (Malta)
• International Transgender Day of Visibility
• King Nangklao Memorial Day (Thailand)
• Thomas Mundy Peterson Day (New Jersey, United States)
• Transfer Day (US Virgin Islands)
• World Backup Day

See also

In Spanish: 31 de marzo para niños