March 31

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.

It is the last day of the first quarter of the year.

Events

Pre-1600

• 0307 – After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, daughter of the retired Roman emperor Maximian.
• 1146 – Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII is present, and joins the Crusade.
• 1492 – Queen Isabella of Castile issues the Alhambra Decree, ordering her 150,000 Jewish and Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion.
• 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan and fifty of his men came ashore to present-day Limasawa to participate in the first Catholic mass in the Philippines.

1601–1900

• 1717 – A sermon on "The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ" by Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Bangor, preached in the presence of King George I of Great Britain, provokes the Bangorian Controversy.
• 1761 – The 1761 Lisbon earthquake strikes off the Iberian Peninsula with an estimated magnitude of 8.5, six years after another quake destroyed the city.
• 1774 – American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.
• 1854 – Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa with the Tokugawa Shogunate, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade.
• 1885 – The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate.
• 1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.
• 1899 – Malolos, capital of the First Philippine Republic, is captured by American forces.

1901–present

• 1901 – Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák premieres at the National Opera House in Prague.
• 1906 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later the National Collegiate Athletic Association) is established to set rules for college sports in the United States.
• 1909 – Serbia formally withdraws its opposition to Austro-Hungarian actions in the Bosnian Crisis.
• 1913 – The Vienna Concert Society rioted during a performance of modernist music by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Anton von Webern, causing a premature end to the concert due to violence; this concert became known as the Skandalkonzert.
• 1917 – According to the terms of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, the islands become American possessions.
• 1918 – Massacre of ethnic Azerbaijanis is committed by allied armed groups of Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Bolsheviks. Nearly 12,000 Azerbaijani Muslims are killed.
• 1918 – Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.
• 1921 – The Royal Australian Air Force is formed.
• 1930 – The Motion Picture Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty-eight years.
• 1931 – An earthquake in Nicaragua destroys Managua; killing 2,000.
• 1931 – A Transcontinental & Western Air airliner crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing eight, including University of Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne.
• 1933 – The Civilian Conservation Corps is established with the mission of relieving rampant unemployment in the United States.
• 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces invade Christmas Island, then a British possession.
• 1945 – World War II: A defecting German pilot delivers a Messerschmitt Me 262A-1, the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft, to the Americans, the first to fall into Allied hands.
• 1949 – The Dominion of Newfoundland joins the Canadian Confederation and becomes the 10th Province of Canada.
• 1951 – Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.
• 1957 – Elections to the Territorial Assembly of the French colony Upper Volta are held. After the elections PDU and MDV form a government.
• 1958 – In the Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservatives, led by John Diefenbaker, win the largest percentage of seats in Canadian history, with 208 seats of 265.
• 1959 – The 14th Dalai Lama, crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum.
• 1964 – Brazilian General Olímpio Mourão Filho orders his troops to move towards Rio de Janeiro, beginning the coup d'état.
• 1966 – The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.
• 1968 – American President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks to the nation of "Steps to Limit the War in Vietnam" in a television address. At the conclusion of his speech, he announces: "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President."
• 1970 – Explorer 1 re-enters the Earth's atmosphere after 12 years in orbit.
• 1980 – The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors.
• 1990 – Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
• 1991 – Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
• 1992 – The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.
• 1992 – The Treaty of Federation is signed in Moscow.
• 1993 – The Macao Basic Law is adopted by the Eight National People's Congress of China to take effect December 20, 1999 Resumption by China of the Exercise of Sovereignty over Macao
• 1995 – Selena is murdered by her fan club president Yolanda Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas.
• 1995 – TAROM Flight 371, an Airbus A310-300, crashes near Balotesti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
• 1998 – Netscape releases Mozilla source code under an open source license.
• 2004 – Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed.
• 2018 – Start of the 2018 Armenian revolution.

Births

Pre-1600

• 1360 – Philippa of Lancaster (d. 1415)
• 1499 – Pope Pius IV (d. 1565)
• 1504 – Guru Angad, Indian religious leader (d. 1552)
• 1519 – Henry II of France (d. 1559)
• 1536 – Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shōgun (d. 1565)
• 1596 – René Descartes, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1650)

1601–1900

• 1601 – Jakov Mikalja, Italian linguist and lexicographer (d. 1654)
• 1621 – Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician (d. 1678)
• 1651 – Charles II, Elector Palatine, German husband of Princess Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark (d. 1685)
• 1675 – Pope Benedict XIV (d. 1758)
• 1718 – Mariana Victoria of Spain (d. 1781)
• 1723 – Frederick V of Denmark (d. 1766)
• 1730 – Étienne Bézout, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1783)
• 1732 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1809)
• 1740 – Panoutsos Notaras, Greek politician (d. 1849)
• 1747 – Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, German pianist and composer (d. 1800)
• 1777 – Charles Cagniard de la Tour, French physicist and engineer (d. 1859)
• 1778 – Coenraad Jacob Temminck, Dutch zoologist and ornithologist (d. 1858)
• 1794 – Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1852)
• 1809 – Edward FitzGerald, English poet and translator (d. 1883)
• 1809 – Otto Lindblad, Swedish composer (d. 1864)
• 1813 – Félix María Zuloaga, Mexican general and unconstitutional interim president (1858 and 1860–1862) (d. 1898)
• 1819 – Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (d. 1901)
• 1823 – Mary Boykin Chesnut, American author (d. 1886)
• 1833 – Mary Abigail Dodge, American writer and essayist (d. 1896)
• 1835 – John La Farge, American artist (d. 1910)
• 1847 – Hermann de Pourtalès, Swiss sailor (d. 1904)
• 1847 – Yegor Ivanovich Zolotarev, Russian mathematician and theorist (d. 1878)
• 1851 – Francis Bell, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1936)
• 1855 – Alfred E. Hunt, American businessman (d. 1899)
• 1859 – Emil Fenyvessy, Hungarian actor and screenwriter (d. 1924)
• 1865 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, Indian physician (d. 1887)
• 1871 – Arthur Griffith, Irish journalist and politician, 3rd President of Dáil Éireann (d. 1922)
• 1872 – Sergei Diaghilev, Russian ballet manager and critic, founded the Ballets Russes (d. 1929)
• 1874 – Benjamín G. Hill, Mexican revolutionary general, governor of Sonora (d. 1920)
• 1874 – Henri Marteau, French violinist and composer (d. 1934)
• 1876 – Borisav Stanković, Serbian author (d. 1927)
• 1878 – Jack Johnson, American boxer (d. 1946)
• 1884 – Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (d. 1946)
• 1885 – Pascin, Bulgarian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1930)
• 1890 – Ben Adams, American jumper (d. 1961)
• 1890 – William Lawrence Bragg, Australian-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
• 1891 – Victor Varconi, Hungarian-American actor and director (d. 1976)
• 1893 – Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor and manager (d. 1954)
• 1893 – Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt, German physician and historian (d. 1982)
• 1895 – Vardis Fisher, American author and academic (d. 1968)
• 1900 – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (d. 1974)

1901–present

• 1905 – Robert Stevenson, English director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
• 1905 – George Treweek, Australian rugby league player (d. 1991)
• 1906 – Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
• 1908 – Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer (d. 1999)
• 1911 – Freddie Green, American guitarist (d. 1987)
• 1911 – Elisabeth Grümmer, German soprano (d. 1986)
• 1912 – William Lederer, American soldier and author (d. 2009)
• 1913 – Etta Baker, African-American singer and guitarist (d. 2006)
• 1914 – Octavio Paz, Mexican poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
• 1914 – Dagmar Lange, Swedish author (d. 1991)
• 1915 – Albert Hourani, English historian and author (d. 1993)
• 1915 – Shoichi Yokoi, Japanese sergeant (d. 1997)
• 1916 – Lucille Bliss, American voice actress (d. 2012)
• 1916 – Tommy Bolt, American golfer (d. 2008)
• 1916 – John H. Wood, Jr., American lawyer and judge (d. 1979)
• 1917 – Dorothy DeLay, American violinist and educator (d. 2002)
• 1918 – Ted Post, American director (d. 2013)
• 1919 – Frank Akins, American football player (d. 1993)
• 1920 – Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, British aristocrat, socialite and author (d. 2014)
• 1921 – Lowell Fulson, African-American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1999)
• 1921 – Peggy Rea, American actress and casting director (d. 2011)
• 1922 – Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (d. 1999)
• 1922 – Patrick Magee, Irish actor (d. 1982)
• 1923 – Don Barksdale, American basketball player (d. 1993)
• 1923 – François Sermon, Belgian footballer (d. 2013)
• 1924 – Leo Buscaglia, American author and academic (d. 1998)
• 1924 – Charles Guggenheim, American director and producer (d. 2002)
• 1925 – Jean Coutu, Canadian actor and director (d. 1999)
• 1926 – John Fowles, English novelist (d. 2005)
• 1926 – Beni Montresor, Italian director, set designer, author, and illustrator (d. 2001)
• 1926 – Rocco Petrone, American colonel and engineer (d. 2006)
• 1927 – Cesar Chavez, American labor union leader and activist (d. 1993)
• 1927 – William Daniels, American actor
• 1927 – Eduardo Martínez Somalo, Spanish cardinal (d. 2021)
• 1927 – Vladimir Ilyushin, Russian pilot (d. 2010)
• 1927 – Elmer Diedtrich, American businessman and politician (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Bud MacPherson, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1988)
• 1928 – Lefty Frizzell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
• 1928 – Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2016)
• 1929 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne Inc. (d. 2007)
• 1929 – Bert Fields, American lawyer and author
• 1930 – Yehuda Nir, Polish-American psychiatrist (d. 2014)
• 1930 – Jim Mutscheller, American football player and coach (d. 2015)
• 1931 – Miller Barber, American golfer (d. 2013)
• 1931 – Tamara Tyshkevich, Belarusian shot putter (d. 1997)
• 1932 – John Jakes, American author
• 1932 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
• 1933 – Anita Carter, American singer-songwriter and bassist (d. 1999)
• 1933 – Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet (d. 1983)
• 1934 – Richard Chamberlain, American actor
• 1934 – Shirley Jones, American actress and singer
• 1934 – John D. Loudermilk, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
• 1934 – Carlo Rubbia, Italian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1934 – Kamala Surayya, Indian poet and author (d. 2009)
• 1935 – Herb Alpert, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer
• 1935 – Judith Rossner, American author (d. 2005)
• 1936 – Marge Piercy, American poet and novelist
• 1936 – Walter E. Williams, American economist and academic (d. 2020)
• 1938 – Patrick Bateson, English biologist and academic (d. 2017)
• 1938 – Sheila Dikshit, Indian politician, 22nd Governor of Kerala (d. 2019)
• 1938 – Antje Gleichfeld, German runner
• 1938 – Bill Hicke, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2005)
• 1938 – Tõnno Lepmets, Estonian basketball player (d. 2005)
• 1938 – Arthur B. Rubinstein, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2018)
• 1938 – David Steel, Scottish academic and politician
• 1939 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian anthropologist and politician, 1st President of Georgia (d. 1993)
• 1939 – Israel Horovitz, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
• 1939 – Walker David Miller, American lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
• 1939 – Volker Schlöndorff, German director and producer
• 1939 – Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, German footballer
• 1940 – Brian Ackland-Snow, English production designer and art director (d. 2013)
• 1940 – Barney Frank, American lawyer and politician
• 1940 – Patrick Leahy, American lawyer and politician
• 1941 – Franco Bonvicini, Italian author and illustrator (d. 1995)
• 1941 – Faith Leech, Australian swimmer (d. 2013)
• 1942 – Ulla Hoffmann, Swedish politician
• 1942 – Hugh McCracken, American guitarist and producer (d. 2013)
• 1942 – Michael Savage, American far-right radio host and author
• 1943 – Roy Andersson, Swedish director and screenwriter
• 1943 – Deirdre Clancy, English costume designer
• 1943 – Christopher Walken, American actor
• 1944 – Pascal Danel, French singer-songwriter
• 1944 – Angus King, American politician
• 1944 – Mick Ralphs, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1945 – Edwin Catmull, American computer scientist and engineer
• 1945 – Gabe Kaplan, American actor and comedian
• 1945 – Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress (d. 1995)
• 1946 – Gonzalo Márquez, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1984)
• 1946 – Bob Russell, English politician
• 1947 – Augustin Banyaga, Rwandan-American mathematician and academic
• 1947 – Wendy Overton, American tennis player
• 1947 – Kristian Blak, Danish-Faroese pianist, composer, and producer
• 1947 – Don Foster, English academic and politician
• 1947 – César Gaviria, Colombian economist and politician, 36th President of Colombia
• 1947 – Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Israeli physicist and economist (d. 2011)
• 1948 – Gary Doer, Canadian politician and diplomat, 20th Premier of Manitoba
• 1948 – Al Gore, American soldier and politician, 45th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize laureate
• 1948 – Rhea Perlman, American actress
• 1948 – Gustaaf Van Cauter, Belgian cyclist
• 1949 – Gilles Gilbert, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1950 – András Adorján, Hungarian chess player and author
• 1950 – Ed Marinaro, American football player and actor
• 1950 – Sandra Morgen, American anthropologist and academic (d. 2016)
• 1953 – Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (d. 2014)
• 1955 – Svetozar Marović, President of Serbia and Montenegro
• 1955 – Angus Young, Scottish-Australian guitarist and songwriter
• 1957 – Alan Duncan, English businessman and politician, former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
• 1959 – Markus Hediger, Swiss poet and translator
• 1961 – Ron Brown, American sprinter and football player
• 1961 – Howard Gordon, American screenwriter and producer
• 1962 – Olli Rehn, Finnish footballer and politician
• 1963 – Paul Mercurio, Australian actor and dancer
• 1964 – Mark Hoban, English accountant and politician
• 1965 – Tom Barrasso, American ice hockey player and coach
• 1965 – Patty Fendick, American tennis player and coach
• 1965 – Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer (d. 2006)
• 1965 – William McNamara, American actor and producer
• 1965 – Steven T. Seagle, American author and screenwriter
• 1966 – Roger Black, English runner and journalist
• 1966 – Nick Firestone, American race car driver
• 1968 – César Sampaio, Brazilian footballer
• 1969 – Nyamko Sabuni, Burundian-Swedish politician
• 1969 – Steve Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1970 – Alenka Bratušek, Slovenian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Slovenia
• 1971 – Demetris Assiotis, Cypriot footballer
• 1971 – Martin Atkinson, English footballer and referee
• 1971 – Pavel Bure, Russian ice hockey player
• 1971 – Craig McCracken, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
• 1971 – Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor
• 1972 – Alejandro Amenábar, Chilean-Spanish director and screenwriter
• 1972 – Andrew Bowen, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1972 – Luca Gentili, Italian footballer and coach
• 1972 – Evan Williams, American businessman, co-founded Twitter and Pyra Labs
• 1973 – Christopher Hampson, English ballet dancer and choreographer
• 1974 – Benjamin Eicher, German director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1974 – Natali, Russian singer, composer and songwriter
• 1974 – Stefan Olsdal, Swedish bass player
• 1974 – Jani Sievinen, Finnish swimmer
• 1975 – Adam Green, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1975 – Nathan Grey, Australian rugby player and coach
• 1975 – Cameron Murray, Scottish rugby player
• 1975 – Ryan Rupe, American baseball player
• 1976 – Howard Frier, American basketball player
• 1976 – Igors Sļesarčuks, Latvian-Russian footballer
• 1976 – Graeme Smith, Scottish swimmer
• 1977 – Toshiya, Japanese bass player, songwriter, and producer
• 1977 – Garth Tander, Australian race car driver
• 1978 – Michael Clark, Australian cricketer and footballer
• 1978 – Stephen Clemence, English footballer and manager
• 1978 – Jarrod Cooper, American football player
• 1978 – Jérôme Rothen, French footballer
• 1979 – Omri Afek, Israeli footballer
• 1979 – Euan Burton, Scottish martial artist and coach
• 1979 – Alexis Ferrero, Argentinian footballer
• 1979 – Charlie Manning, American baseball player
• 1979 – Jonna Mendes, American skier
• 1979 – Rhys Wesser, Australian rugby league player
• 1980 – Martin Albrechtsen, Danish footballer
• 1980 – Karolina Lassbo, Swedish lawyer and blogger
• 1980 – Matias Concha, Swedish footballer
• 1980 – Kate Micucci, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
• 1980 – Michael Ryder, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1980 – Maaya Sakamoto, Japanese actress, voice actress and singer
• 1981 – Ryan Bingham, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1981 – Thomas Chatelle, Belgian footballer
• 1981 – Han Tae-you, South Korean footballer
• 1981 – Pa Dembo Touray, Gambian footballer
• 1981 – Maarten van der Weijden, Dutch swimmer
• 1982 – Tal Ben Haim, Israeli footballer
• 1982 – Bam Childress, American football player
• 1982 – Audrey Kawasaki, American painter
• 1983 – Hashim Amla, South African cricketer
• 1983 – Ashleigh Ball, Canadian voice actress and musician
• 1983 – Sophie Hunger, Swiss-German musician
• 1983 – Vlasios Maras, Greek gymnast
• 1983 – Nigel Plum, Australian rugby league player
• 1984 – David Clarkson, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1984 – Eddie Johnson, American soccer player
• 1984 – James Jones, American football player
• 1984 – Martins Dukurs, Latvian sled racer
• 1984 – Kaie Kand, Estonian heptathlete
• 1984 – Alberto Junior Rodríguez, Peruvian footballer
• 1984 – Ed Williamson, English rugby player
• 1985 – Steve Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1985 – Jo-Lonn Dunbar, American football player
• 1985 – Jesper Hansen, Danish footballer
• 1985 – Ivan Mishyn, Ukrainian race car driver
• 1985 – Kory Sheets, American football player
• 1985 – Jalmar Sjöberg, Swedish wrestler
• 1986 – Andreas Dober, Austrian footballer
• 1986 – James King, Scottish rugby player
• 1986 – Paulo Machado, Portuguese footballer
• 1987 – Nordin Amrabat, Dutch footballer
• 1987 – Hugo Ayala, Mexican footballer
• 1987 – Amaury Bischoff, Portuguese footballer
• 1987 – Humpy Koneru, Indian chess player
• 1987 – Kirill Starkov, Danish ice hockey player
• 1987 – Nelli Zhiganshina, Russian figure skater
• 1988 – Thomas De Corte, Belgian footballer
• 1988 – Conrad Sewell, Australian singer and songwriter
• 1988 – Dorin Dickerson, American football player
• 1988 – DeAndre Liggins, American basketball player
• 1988 – Louis van der Westhuizen, Namibian cricketer
• 1989 – Alberto Martín Romo García Adámez, Spanish footballer
• 1989 – Nejc Vidmar, Slovenian footballer
• 1989 – Liu Zige, Chinese swimmer
• 1990 – George Iloka, American football player
• 1990 – Lyra McKee, Irish journalist (d. 2019)
• 1990 – Sandra Roma, Swedish tennis player
• 1991 – Milan Milanović, Serbian footballer
• 1991 – Rodney Sneijder, Dutch footballer
• 1992 – Stijn de Looijer, Dutch footballer
• 1992 – Adam Zampa, Australian cricketer
• 1993 – Mikael Ishak, Swedish footballer
• 1994 – Samira Asghari, Afghan member of the International Olympic Committee
• 1994 – Tyler Wright, Australian surfer
• 1994 – Mads Würtz Schmidt, Danish road cyclist
• 1995 – Fiona Brown, footballer
• 1996 – Liza Koshy, American actress, comedian, and television host
• 1998 – Jakob Chychrun, American-born Canadian ice hockey player
• 1999 – Japhet Tanganga, English footballer

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 0032 BC – Titus Pomponius Atticus, Roman nobleman of the Equestrian order (b. 109 BC)
• 0528 – Xiaoming, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 510)
• 0963 – Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (b. 906)
• 1241 – Pousa, voivode of Transylvania
• 1251 – William of Modena, Italian bishop and diplomat
• 1340 – Ivan I of Moscow, Russian Grand Duke (b. 1288)
• 1342 – Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro, Italian Augustinian monk
• 1462 – Isidore II of Constantinople, patriarch of Constantinople
• 1491 – Bonaventura Tornielli, Italian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1411)
• 1547 – Francis I, French king (b. 1494)
• 1567 – Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (b. 1504)

1601–1900

• 1621 – Philip III, Spanish king (b. 1578)
• 1622 – Gonzalo Méndez de Canço, Royal Governor of La Florida (b. 1554)
• 1631 – John Donne, English lawyer and poet (b. 1572)
• 1671 – Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (b. 1637)
• 1723 – Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, English soldier and politician, 14th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1661)
• 1741 – Pieter Burman the Elder, Dutch scholar and author (b. 1668)
• 1751 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, Hanoverian-born heir to the British throne (b. 1707)
• 1797 – Olaudah Equiano, Nigerian merchant, author, and activist (b.1745)
• 1837 – John Constable, English painter and educator (b. 1776)
• 1850 – John C. Calhoun, American lawyer and politician, 7th Vice President of the United States (b. 1782)
• 1855 – Charlotte Brontë, English novelist and poet (b. 1816)
• 1877 – Antoine Augustin Cournot, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1801)
• 1880 – Henryk Wieniawski, Polish violinist and composer (b. 1835)
• 1885 – Franz Abt, German composer and conductor (b. 1819)

1901–present

• 1907 – Galusha A. Grow, American lawyer and politician, 28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1823)
• 1910 – Jean Moréas, Greek poet, essayist and art critic (b. 1856)
• 1913 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier (b. 1837)
• 1915 – Wyndham Halswelle, English-Scottish runner and captain (b. 1882)
• 1917 – Emil von Behring, German physiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1854)
• 1924 – George Charles Haité, English painter and illustrator (b. 1855)
• 1927 – Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and political reformer (b. 1858)
• 1930 – Ludwig Schüler, German politician, Mayor of Marburg (b. 1836)
• 1931 – Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (b. 1888)
• 1935 – Georges V. Matchabelli, Georgian-American businessman and diplomat, founded Prince Matchabelli perfume (b. 1885)
• 1939 – Ioannis Tsangaridis, Greek general (b. 1887)
• 1944 – Mineichi Koga, Japanese admiral (b. 1885)
• 1945 – Frank Findlay, New Zealand banker and politician (b. 1884)
• 1945 – Hans Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
• 1950 – Robert Natus, Estonian architect (b. 1890)
• 1952 – Wallace H. White, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1877)
• 1956 – Ralph DePalma, Italian-American race car driver and actor (b. 1884)
• 1956 – Nellah Massey Bailey, American politician and librarian (b. 1893)
• 1968 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (b. 1885)
• 1970 – Semyon Timoshenko, Soviet Commander during the Winter War and the Eastern Front of World War II (b. 1894)
• 1975 – Percy Alliss, English golfer (b. 1897)
• 1976 – Paul Strand, American photographer and director (b. 1890)
• 1978 – Astrid Allwyn, American actress (b. 1905)
• 1978 – Charles Herbert Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (b. 1899)
• 1980 – Vladimír Holan, Czech poet and author (b. 1905)
• 1980 – Jesse Owens, American sprinter and long jumper (b. 1913)
• 1981 – Enid Bagnold, English author and playwright (b. 1889)
• 1983 – Christina Stead, Australian author and academic (b. 1902)
• 1986 – Jerry Paris, American actor and director (b. 1925)
• 1988 – William McMahon, Australian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1908)
• 1993 – Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (b. 1965)
• 1993 – Mitchell Parish, Lithuanian-American songwriter (b. 1900)
• 1995 – Selena, American singer-songwriter (b. 1971)
• 1996 – Dante Giacosa, Italian automobile designer and engineer (b. 1905)
• 1996 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1958)
• 1998 – Bella Abzug, American lawyer, activist, and politician (b. 1920)
• 1998 – Tim Flock, American race car driver (b. 1924)
• 1998 – Joel Ryce-Menuhin, American pianist (b. 1933)
• 1999 – Yuri Knorozov, Russian linguist and ethnographer (b. 1922)
• 2001 – David Rocastle, English footballer (b. 1967)
• 2001 – Clifford Shull, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
• 2002 – Barry Took, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
• 2002 – Moturu Udayam, Indian activist and politician (b. 1924)
• 2002 – Carlos J. Gradin, Argentine Archaeologist (b. 1913)
• 2003 – Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (b. 1907)
• 2003 – Anne Gwynne, American actress (b. 1918)
• 2003 – Tommy Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1949)
• 2004 – Scott Helvenston, American soldier (b. 1965)
• 2005 – Stanley J. Korsmeyer, American oncologist and academic (b. 1951)
• 2005 – Justiniano Montano, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
• 2005 – Frank Perdue, American businessman (b. 1920)
• 2006 – Jackie McLean, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1931)
• 2007 – Paul Watzlawick, Austrian-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1921)
• 2008 – Jules Dassin, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (b. 1911)
• 2008 – Bill Keightley, American equipment manager (b. 1926)
• 2009 – Raúl Alfonsín, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 46th President of Argentina (b. 1927)
• 2009 – Choor Singh, Indian-Singaporean lawyer and judge (b. 1911)
• 2011 – Gil Clancy, American boxer and trainer (b. 1922)
• 2011 – Alan Fitzgerald, Australian journalist and author (b. 1935)
• 2011 – Mary Greyeyes, the first First Nations woman to join the Canadian Armed Forces (b. 1920)
• 2011 – Oddvar Hansen, Norwegian footballer and coach (b. 1921)
• 2011 – Ishbel MacAskill, Scottish singer and actress (b. 1941)
• 2011 – Henry Taub, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1927)
• 2012 – Judith Adams, New Zealand-Australian nurse and politician (b. 1943)
• 2012 – Dale R. Corson, American physicist and academic (b. 1914)
• 2012 – Bernard O. Gruenke, American stained glass artist (b. 1914)
• 2012 – Jerry Lynch, American baseball player (b. 1930)
• 2012 – Alberto Sughi, Italian painter (b. 1928)
• 2012 – Halbert White, American economist and academic (b. 1950)
• 2013 – Charles Amarin Brand, French archbishop (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Ernie Bridge, Australian singer and politician (b. 1936)
• 2013 – Bob Clarke, American illustrator (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Ahmad Sayyed Javadi, Iranian lawyer and politician, Iranian Minister of Interior (b. 1917)
• 2013 – Dmitri Uchaykin, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1980)
• 2014 – Gonzalo Anes, Spanish economist, historian, and academic (b. 1931)
• 2014 – Roger Somville, Belgian painter (b. 1923)
• 2015 – Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (b. 1931)
• 2015 – Cocoa Fujiwara, Japanese author and illustrator (b. 1983)
• 2015 – Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian lawyer and politician (b. 1937)
• 2015 – Dalibor Vesely, Czech-English historian, author, and academic (b. 1934)
• 2016 – Ronnie Corbett, Scottish comedian, actor and screenwriter (b. 1930)
• 2016 – Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German politician (b. 1927)
• 2016 – Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-born English architect and academic, designed the Bridge Pavilion (b. 1950)
• 2016 – Imre Kertész, Hungarian author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
• 2016 – Denise Robertson, British writer and television broadcaster (b. 1932)
• 2017 – Gilbert Baker, American artist and LGBT rights activist (b. 1951)
• 2017 – James Rosenquist, American artist (b. 1933)
• 2019 – Nipsey Hussle, American rapper (b. 1985)
• 2020 – Gita Ramjee, Ugandan-South African scientist and researcher (b. 1956)
• 2021 – Ken Reitz, American baseball player (b. 1951)

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)
• Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijan)
• 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

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day

• Historical Events on March 31
• Today in Canadian History