1492 - King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued an edict expelling Jews who were unwilling to convert to Christianity.
1776 - Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John that women were "determined to foment a rebellion" if the new Declaration of Independence failed to guarantee their rights.
1779 - Russia and Turkey signed a treaty concerning military action in Crimea.
1831 - Quebec and Montreal were incorporated as cities.
1854 - The U.S. government signed the Treaty of Kanagawa with Japan. The act opened the ports of Shimoda and Hakotade to American trade.
1862 - Skirmishing between Rebels and Union forces took place at Island 10 on the Mississippi River.
1870 - In Perth Amboy, NJ, Thomas P. Munday became the first black to vote in the U.S.
1880 - Wabash, IN, became the first town to be completely illuminated with electric light.
1889 - In Paris, the Eiffel Tower officially opened.
1900 - The W.E. Roach Company was the first automobile company to put an advertisement in a national magazine. The magazine was the "Saturday Evening Post".
1900 - In France, the National Assembly passed a law reducing the workday for women and children to 11 hours.
1901 - In Russia, the Czar lashed out at Socialist-Revolutionaries with the arrests of 72 people and the seizing of two printing presses.
1902 - In Tennessee, 22 coal miners were killed by an explosion.
1904 - In India, hundreds of Tibetans were slaughtered by the British.
1905 - Kaiser Wilhelm arrived in Tangier proclaiming to support for an independent state of Morocco.
1906 - The Conference on Moroccan Reforms in Algerciras ended after two months with France and Germany in agreement.
1906 - The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States was founded to set rules in amateur sports. The organization became the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1910.
1908 - 250,000 coal miners in Indianapolis, IN, went on strike to await a wage adjustment.
1909 - Serbia accepted Austrian control over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
1917 - The U.S. purchased and took possession of the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million.
1918 - For the first time in the U.S., Daylight Saving Time went into effect.
1921 - Great Britain declared a state of emergency because of the thousands of coal miners on strike.
1923 - In New York City, the first U.S. dance marathon was held. Alma Cummings set a new world record of 27 hours.
1932 - The Ford Motor Co. debuted its V-8 engine.
1933 - The U.S. Congress authorized the Civilian Conservation Corps to relieve rampant unemployment.
1933 - The "Soperton News" in Georgia became the first newspaper to publish using a pine pulp paper.
1939 - Britain and France agreed to support Poland if Germany threatened invasion.
1940 - La Guardia airport in New York officially opened to the public.
1941 - Germany began a counter offensive in North Africa.
1945 - "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams opened on Broadway.
1946 - Monarchists won the elections in Greece.
1947 - John L. Lewis called a strike in sympathy for the miners killed in an explosion in Centralia, IL, on March 25, 1947.
1948 - The Soviets in Germany began controlling the Western trains headed toward Berlin.
1949 - Winston Churchill declared that the A-bomb was the only thing that kept the U.S.S.R. from taking over Europe.
1949 - Newfoundland entered the Canadian confederation as its 10th province.
1958 - The U.S. Navy formed the atomic submarine division.
1959 - The Dalai Lama (Lhama Dhondrub, Tenzin Gyatso) began exile by crossing the border into India where he was granted political asylum. Gyatso was the 14th Daila Lama.
1960 - The South African government declared a state of emergency after demonstrations lead to the death of more than 50 Africans.
1966 - An estimated 200,000 anti-war demonstrators march in New York City.
1966 - The Soviet Union launched Luna 10, which became the first spacecraft to enter a lunar orbit.
1967 - U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Consular Treaty, the first bi-lateral pact with the Soviet Union since the Bolshevik Revolution.
1970 - The U.S. forces in Vietnam down a MIG-21, it was the first since September 1968.
1976 - The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that Karen Anne Quinlan could be disconnected from a respirator. Quinlan remained comatose until 1985 when she died.
1980 - U.S. President Carter deregulated the banking industry.
1985 - ABC-TV aired the 200th episode of "The Love Boat."
1986 - 167 people died when a Mexicana Airlines Boeing 727 crashed in Los Angeles.
1987 - HBO (Home Box Office) earned its first Oscar for "Down and Out in America".
1989 - Canada and France signed a fishing rights pact.
1991 - Albania offered a multi-party election for the first time in 50 years. Incumbent President Ramiz Alia won.
1991 - Iraqi forces recaptured the northern city of Kirkuk from Kurdish guerillas.
1993 - Brandon Lee was killed accidentally while filming a movie.
1994 - "Nature" magazine announced that a complete skull of Australppithecus afarensis had been found in Ethiopia. The finding is of humankind's earliest ancestor.
1998 - U.N. Security Council imposed arms embargo on Yugoslavia.
1998 - Buddy Hackett received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1998 - For the first time in U.S. history the federal government's detailed financial statement was released. This occurred under the Clinton administration.
1999 - Three U.S. soldiers were captured by Yugoslav soldiers three miles from the Yugoslav border in Macedonia.
1999 - Fabio was hit in the face by a bird during a promotional ride of a new roller coaster at the Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, VA. Fabio received a one-inch cut across his nose.
2000 - In Uganda, officials set the number of deaths linked to a doomsday religious cult, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments, at more than 900. In Kanungu, a March 17 fire at the cult's church killed more than 530 and authorities subsequently found mass graves at various sites linked to the cult.
2004 - Air America Radio launched five stations around the U.S.
2004 - Google Inc. announced that it would be introducing a free e-mail service called Gmail.
Music History
1684 - Composer Francesco Durante was born.
1732 - Composer Franz Joseph Haydn was born. He is known for helping to develop the Classical style.
1901 - Anton Dvorak's opera "Rusalka" premiered in Russia.
1943 - "Oklahoma!" by Rodgers and Hammerstein debuted on Broadway. The original title was "Away We Go".
1958 - Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" was released.
1967 - Jimi Hendrix began his first British tour with Cat Stevens.
1982 - The Doobie Brothers announced their break-up.
1987 - Prince's "Sign O' The Times" LP was released in the U.S.
1989 - Guns N' Roses released their single "Patience."
1992 - White Zombie's "La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. One" was released. It was their major label debut album.
1992 - Human touch and Lucky Day, both by Bruce Springsteen were released.
1995 - A former Led Zeppelin fan was arrested for trying to stab Jimmy Page at a Page and Robert Plant concert.
1995 - Selena was killed by the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldivar. Saldivar had been fired for embezzlement.
1998 - The first Celebration of Female Artists Awards took place at The Grosvenor House in London.
1998 - The video for "Good Times," the only movie to star Sonny & Cher, hit stores. The video included an unreleased version of "I Got You Babe." The movie was made in 1967.
1999 - It was announced that tickets for the Cranberries' forthcoming U.S. tour would only be sold via the Internet at www.cranberries.com.
Elvis Presley History
1966 - The movie "Frankie and Johnny," starring Elvis Presley and Donna Douglas, premiered in Baton Rouge, LA.
1977 - An Elvis Presley concert in Baton Rouge, LA, was postponed after Elvis did not return from the intermission.
1986 - Elvis Presley's "Crying In The Chapel" was certified gold by the RIAA.
Random Elvis Quote
If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.
- Johnny Carson
Television History
1985 - ABC-TV aired the 200th episode of "The Love Boat."
1987 - HBO (Home Box Office) earned its first Oscar for "Down and Out in America".
2003 - U.S. military officials accused Geraldo Rivera of disclosing unauthorized military movements. Rivera had outlined military movements in the dirt while embedded with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq.
2003 - NBC fired Peter Arnett after he gave an unauthorized interview with state-run Iraqi TV. During the interview Arnett said that the American-led war effort had initially failed because of Iraqi resistance.
2003 - The first season of "American Chopper" began.
American Bandstand History
1961 - Clarence "Frogman" Henry performed "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" and "Ain't Got No Home" on "American Bandstand."
1973 - The Raspberries performed "I Wanna Be With You" and "Let's Pretend" on "American Bandstand."
1984 - Madness performed "The Sun and The Rain" and "Keep Moving" on "American Bandstand."
1984 - The video for Adam Ant's "Strip" was aired on "American Bandstand."
1984 - K.C. performed "Give It Up" on "American Bandstand."
Sports History
1906 - The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States was founded to set rules in amateur sports. The organization became the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1910.
1923 - King Clancy (Ottawa Senators) played all six positions in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He played goalie for 2 minutes while Clint Benedict served a penalty.
1968 - Seattle chose the nickname Pilots for their new AL franchise.
1971 - Knute Rockne died in a plane crash.
1972 - The Major League Baseball Players Association voted to go on strike on April 1.
1973 - Muhammad Ali wore a $10000 robe with "The Peoples Champion" inscribed on it. Ali lost the fight to Ken Norton. Elvis Presley had given the robe to Ali on January 2, 1971.
1990 - Joe Sakic became the youngest person in NHL history to score 100 points in a season. He was also the first to do so with a last-place team.
1991 - Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) recorded his 86th goal of the season. It was the third best total in NHL history.
1992 - Cotton Fitzsimmons (Phoenix Suns) became the sixth coach in NBA history to get 800 career wins.
1997 - Martina Hingis, 16 years old, became the youngest women's tennis player to reach the world number-one mark.
1998 - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks debuted in the major league.
1998 - Pokey Reese (Cincinnati Reds) tied a major league record when he had four errors on opening day.
2003 - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the season opener between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
2004 - NFL owners adopted a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebrations. The penalty was added to the fines previously in place for choreographed and multiplayer celebrations. Also, if the infraction was flagrant the player would be ejected. The previous day the owners had instituted a modified instant replay system for five years.
U.S. President History
1967 - U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Consular Treaty, the first bi-lateral pact with the Soviet Union since the Bolshevik Revolution.
1980 - U.S. President Carter deregulated the banking industry.
1998 - For the first time in U.S. history the federal government's detailed financial statement was released. This occurred under the Clinton administration.
2003 - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the season opener between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
U.S. President Quotes
"I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart, and that is softness of head."
- Theodore Roosevelt
Birthdays
Rene Descartes 1596 - Philosopher, "I think, therefore I am"
Andrew Marvell 1621 - Poet
John Harrison 1693
Nikolai Gogol 1809 - Playwright, novelist
Edward Fitzgerald 1809 - Author
Robert Wilhelm Bunsen 1811
Mary Chestnut 1823 - Author
Sir Dugald Clerk 1854
Jack Johnson 1878
Henry Morgan 1915 - Comedian
Tommy Bolt 1918 - Golfer
Richard Kiley 1922 - Actor ("The Thorn Birds")
Leo Buscaglia 1925
Cesar Chavez 1927 - Labor leader, founder of National Farm Workers Association
William Daniels 1927 - Actor ("St. Elsewher", voice of KITT on "Knight Rider")
Gordie (Gordon) Howe 1928 - Hockey player (Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers)
Lefty(William Orville) Frizzell 1928 - Country musician
Liz Claiborne 1929 - Fashion designer
Miller Barber 1931 - Golfer
John Jakes 1932 - Author ("California", "In the Big Country")
John D. Loudermilk 1934 - Country singer and songwriter
Shirley Jones 1934 - Singer, Actress ("The Partridge Family")
Herb Alpert 1935 - Musician
Richard Chamberlain 1935 - Actor ("The Bourne Identity")
Billy Hicke 1938 - Hockey player (Montreal Canadiens, NY Rangers, Minnesota Rangers, Baltimore Clippers, Oakland Seals, California Golden Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins)
Christopher Walken 1943 - Actor ("The Deerhunter", "Pulp Fiction")
Rod Allen 1944 - Musician (The Fortunes)
Gabe Kaplan 1945 - Actor ("Welcome Back Kotter"), comedian
Al Nichol 1946 - Musician (The Turtles)
Al Gore 1948 - U.S. Vice President under President Bill Clinton
Rhea Perlman 1948 - Actress ("Cheers"), comedian
Mick Ralphs 1948 - Musician (Bad Company, Mott the Hoople)
Ed Marinaro 1950 - Football player (Minnesota Vikings), Actor ("Hill Street Blues")
Sean Hopper 1953 - Musician (Huey Lewis and The News)
Marc McClure 1957 - Actor ("Freak Friday")
Angus Young 1959 - Guitar player (AC/DC)
William McNamara 1965 - Actor
Pavel Bure 1971 - Hockey player
Ewen McGregor 1971 - Actor ("Star Wars", "Moulin Rouge")
Deaths which occurred on March 31:
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
1567 Philip the Generous, count of Hessen, dies at 62
1578 Juan de Escobedo Secretary of Spanish land guardian Don Juan, murdered
1621 Felipe III King of Spain (1598-1621), dies at 42
1631 John Donne Metaphysical poet, dies (birth date unknown)
1656 Pierre de La Barre composer, dies at 64
1722 Campegius Vitringa Dutch theologist/exegete, dies at 62
1741 Peter Burmannus [Peter Burman], Dutch attorney/classicist, dies at 72
1809 Franz Joseph Haydn composer, dies on 77th birthday
1837 John Constable English painter/water colors painter, dies at 60
1850 John Calhoun dies at 68
1855 Charlotte Brontë English author (Jane Eyre), dies at 38
1877 Antoine A Cournot French mathematician (rule of C), dies at 75
1880 Henryk Wieniawski Polish violist/composer, dies at 44
1881 Gaetano Gaspari composer, dies at 73
1884 Jan T Beelen Netherlands/Belgian catholic bible expert, dies at 77
1885 Franz Wilhelm Abt German composer/choir conductor, dies at 65
1885 Philipp Fahrbach composer, dies at 69
1886 Giovanni Rossi composer, dies at 57
1892 Adolf Rzepko composer, dies at 66
1898 Edward Noyes Westcott US attorney/writer (David Harum), dies
1900 Frank Milligan cricketer (Mafeking 2 Tests England vs South Africa 1898-99), dies
1901 John Stainer composer, dies at 60
1913 John Pierpont Morgan US banker/CEO (US Steel Corp), dies at 75
1914 Ch Morgenstern writer, dies at 42
1928 Gustave Ador President of Austria (1919), dies at 82
1928 Medardo Rosso Italian sculptor (portraits), dies at 69
1931 Knute Rockne football player/coach, dies in a plane crash at 43
1934 Franz Ehrle German jesuit/head of Vatican library, dies at 88
1938 Willem J T Kloos Dutch poet/critic (New Guide), dies at 78
1939 Indrið Einarsson Iceland playwright (Skipið Sekkur), dies at 87
1944 Mineichi Koga Admiral of Japanese fleet, dies
1945 Hans Fischer German physicist (Nobel 1930), dies at 63
1945 Maurice Rose 1st US General in Nazi Germany, killed in action at 45
1948 Egon E Kisch Czechoslovakian writer/journalist (Raging Reporter), dies at 62
1951 Ralph Forbes actor (Riptide, Shock, Shock), dies at 45
1957 Gene Lockhart New York NY, actor (Going My Way), dies at 65
1959 Peter Suhrkamp German publisher (Suhrkamp Verlag), dies at 68
1960 Joseph Haas German (opera)composer (Totenmesse), dies at 81
1961 Seerp Anema Dutch poet/writer (Modern Art & Degenerating), dies at 85
1967 Don Alvarado actor (Morning Glory, Big Steal), dies at 62
1967 Hieronim Feicht composer, dies at 72
1970 Semjon Timoshenko Russian Marshal/Inspector-General (WWII), dies at 75
1971 Liselotte Liselot Beekmeyer Dutch actress (Child Crying), dies at 31
1973 Kurt George Hugo Thomas composer, dies at 68
1974 Andrea Checci actress (2 Women, Assassin, Black Sunday), dies at 57
1978 Astrid Allwyn actress (Love Affair, Girl for Calgary), dies at 68
1980 Jesse Owens of 1936 Berlin Olympics fame, dies in Arizona at 66
1982 Fritz Eberhard West German lawyer/resistor, dies at 85
1983 Stephen Murray actor (Guilty, Silent Dust, Master Spy), dies at 70
1986 Harry Ritz comedian/actor (Ritz Brothers), dies at 79
1986 Jerry Paris director/actor (Jerry-Dick Van Dyke Show), dies at 60
1986 O'Kelly Isley US, singer (Isley Brothers), dies of heart attack at 48
1988 Talib Rasul Hakim composer, dies at 48
1990 Lillian "Miss" Miller audience member (Merv Griffin, Tonight Show), dies
1991 John Carter US jazz clarinetist (Roots & folklore), dies
1993 Brandon Lee US actor (Crow)/son of Bruce Lee, accidentally shot at 28
1993 Jose Maria Lemus President of El Salvador (1956-60), dies
1994 Léon J Ramirez Reine [Degrelle], Belgian/Spanish Nazi (Rex), dies at 87
1995 Carl M Story fiddler, dies at 78
1995 Selena [Quintanilla Perez] Mexican Grammy winning singer, killed by a fan at 24
1996 Dante Giacosa engineer/designer, dies at 91
1996 Dario Bellezza poet, dies at 51
1996 Jeffrey Lee Pierce musician, dies at 37
1996 Julius Young fast food entrepreneur, dies at 73
1997 Edwin Alberian TV celebrity (Clarabell), dies at 76
1997 Laxmishankar Pathak food retailer, dies at 62