Summary of the Day ✨ 31 March (31/03)
Severe tornadoes struck the American Midwest and South as the 2018 Armenian revolution began, while astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko returned to Earth after a year in space. Astronomers discovered the dwarf planet Makemake, and four American contractors were killed in an ambush during the Iraq War on this eventful day.
Historical Events 📜
- 2023: A historic tornado outbreak occurs in the American Midwest and South.
- 2018: Start of the 2018 Armenian revolution.
- 2016: NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth after a yearlong mission at the International Space Station.
- 2005: The dwarf planet Makemake is discovered by a team led by astronomer Michael E. Brown at the Palomar Observatory.
- 2004: Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed.
- 1998: Netscape releases Mozilla source code under an open source license.
- 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.
- 1993: The Macao Basic Law is adopted by the Eighth National People’s Congress of China to take effect December 20, 1999. Resumption by China of the Exercise of Sovereignty over Macao
- 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.
- 1991: Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country’s independence from the Soviet Union.
- 1991: The Warsaw Pact formally disbands.
- 1990: Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
- 1986: Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940 crashes into the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range near the Mexican town of Maravatío, killing 167.
Famous Births 👶
- 2005: Reed Baker-Whiting, American professional footballer
- 2004: Samson Baidoo, Austrian professional footballer
- 2004: Mateo Sanabria, Argentine professional footballer
- 2004: Alex Luna, Argentine professional footballer
- 1999: Japhet Tanganga, English footballer
- 1999: Brooke Scullion, Irish Singer
- 1999: Jens Odgaard, Danish professional footballer
- 1999: Denys Strekalin, Ukrainian-born pair skater
- 1999: Adam Chrzanowski, Polish professional footballer
- 1999: Santiago Chocobares, Argentine rugby union player
- 1999: Ballou Tabla, Canadian professional soccer player
- 1999: Elžbieta Kropa, Lithuanian figure skater
- 1999: Edon Zhegrova, professional footballer
- 1999: Shiann Salmon, Jamaican track and field athlete
- 1999: Ben Williams, Welsh professional footballer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2026: Stephen Lewis, Canadian politician and diplomat, 14th Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations (born 1937)
- 2025: Sian Barbara Allen, American television actress (born 1946)
- 2025: Betty Webb, English code breaker (born 1923)
- 2024: Barbara Rush, American actress (born 1927)
- 2022: Shirley Burkovich, former American All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) player (born 1933)
- 2022: Patrick Demarchelier, French fashion photographer (born 1943)
- 2022: Moana Jackson, New Zealand lawyer specialising in constitutional law (born 1945)
- 2022: Tullio Moneta, Italian mercenary and actor (born 1937)
- 2021: Ken Reitz, American baseball player (born 1951)
- 2021: Muhammad Wakkas, Bangladeshi teacher and parliamentarian (born 1952)
- 2020: Gita Ramjee, Ugandan-South African scientist and researcher (born 1956)
- 2019: Nipsey Hussle, American rapper (born 1985)
- 2018: Nick Newton, inventor of the Newton Starting Blocks (born 1933)
- 2017: Gilbert Baker, American artist and LGBT rights activist (born 1951)
- 2017: James Rosenquist, American artist (born 1933)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Cesar Chavez Day (California, Washington (state))
- Christian feast day
Abdas of Susa - Christian feast day
Acathius of Melitene (Eastern Orthodox Church) - Christian feast day
Anesius and companions - Christian feast day
Benjamin - Christian feast day
Balbina - Christian feast day
John Donne (Anglican Communion, Lutheran) - Christian feast day
Natalia Tułasiewicz - Christian feast day
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