March 31st – Today In History

We take a look at some of the events that occurred on March 31st.

Today In …

1774 - In retaliation for the Boston Tea Party, England’s Parliament levied the Boston Port Act against the colonies.

1889 - The Eiffel Tower officially opened.

1918 - Daylight savings time went into effect in the U.S.

Sharing A Birthday Today…

Robert Wilhelm Bunsen the chemist who invented the Bunsen Burner was born in 1811.

Richard Chamberlain who starred in “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds” was born in 1934.

Liz Claiborne the renowned designer was born in 1929.

William Daniels who appeared in the films “The Graduate” and “Blades of Glory” was born in 1927.

Lefty Frizzell the legendary singer of the songs “Always Late (With Your Kisses)” and “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time” was born in 1928.

Al Gore politician, former Vice President, environmental activist and Oscar winner was born in 1948.

Shirley Jones who starred on TV’s “The Partridge Family” was born in 1934.

Gabe Kaplan who starred on TV’s “Welcome Back Kotter” was born in 1945.

Ed Marinaro who starred on TV’s “Hill Street Blues” was born in 1950.

Ewan McGregor the star of “Trainspotting” and “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” was born in 1971.

Rhea Perlman who starred on TV’s “Cheers” was born in 1948.

Michael Savage the talk radio personality was born in 1942.

Josh Saviano who starred as Paul Pfeiffer on TV’s “The Wonder Years” was born in 1976.

Christopher Walken the Oscar winning actor for “The Deer Hunter” and star of the films “Sleepy Hollow” and “Catch Me If You Can” as well as Saturday Night Live’s famed “The Continental” was born in 1943.

Angus Young the infamous guitarist for the rock band AC/DC was born in 1955.

We Said Goodbye To…

Charles Best one of the scientists who discovered insulin passed away in 1978 at the age of 79.

Charlotte Bronte the renowned author of the book “Jane Eyre” passed away in 1855 at the age of 38.

O’Kelly Isley Jr. a member of the famed Isley Brothers passed away in 1986 at the age of 49.

Brandon Lee actor and son of Bruce Lee was killed when he was shot on the set of his film “The Crow” in 1993. Lee was 28.

Jesse Owens the famed Olympic champion and athlete passed away in 1980 at the age of 66.

Frank Perdue of Perdue Chicken fame passed away in 2005 at the age of 84.

Selena Quintanilla a.k.a. Selena the popular Tejano singer was killed in 1995 at the age of 23.

Knute Rockne the famed football coach passed away in 1931 at the age of 43.

Terri Schiavo passed away in 2005 at the age of 41. Her husband and parents fought for a number of years in court after a cardiac/breathing arrest left her in 1990 left her in a vegetative state.

Top Of The Charts On This Day In…

1962 - On The Country Charts – “She’s Got You” by Patsy Cline
1984 - “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins

TV Moments In…

1992 - “Dateline NBC” premiered. Jane Pauley was one of the first anchors for the news program.

Memorable Sports Moments In…

1973 - After twelve rounds, Ken Norton defeated Muhammad Ali, who suffered a broken jaw during the bout.

1985 - Madison Square Garden in New York City was the site of WrestleMania I. The main event saw Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. (See WrestleMania Dates for the complete listing of the events!)

In Print In…

1836 - “The Pickwick Papers” by Charles Dickens was first published.

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Visit my site for movie goofs on Sleepy Hollow and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.