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March 31 in History: Eiffel Tower Opens, Titanic Construction Begins, and “The Matrix” Premieres

Scott Winters March 31, 2026 0 Comments

Discover what happened on March 31 in history, along with notable events that shaped architecture, innovation, and pop culture.

What Happened on March 31 in History?

Important events on this day include the opening of the Eiffel Tower, the start of Titanic construction, and the premiere of The Matrix.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1870 – In Perth Amboy, NJ, Thomas Munday Peterson became the first black to vote in the United States.

1871 – A new Capitol Building was authorized in Lansing, MI

1880 – Wabash, IN, became the first town to be completely illuminated with electric light.

1885 – The Binney & Smith Company was founded in New York, NY. The company later became Crayola, LLC.

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”.

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.

1909 – Construction of the RMS Titanic began.

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.

1923 – In New York, NY, the first U.S. dance marathon was held. Alma Cummings set a new world record for dancing 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.

1940 – La Guardia airport in New York, NY, officially opened to the public.

1951 – Remington Rand delivered the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.

1958 – The U.S. Navy formed the atomic submarine division.

1966 – The Soviet Union launched Luna 10, which later became the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.

1970 – A Wisconsin group, led by automobile dealer Bud Selig, purchased the bankrupt Seattle Pilots baseball team and moves it to Milwaukee barely in time for the start of the regular season.

1972 – Major League Baseball players went on strike with four days left in spring training, refusing to play exhibition games due to a dispute over pensions. (The walkout would extend into the first week of the season, with most teams losing a half dozen games.)

1976 – A new traffic law went into effect that allowed drivers to make right turns after stopping at a red light. The law was put in place to help conserve fuel.

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 – President Jimmy Carter deregulated the banking industry.

1984 – The TV show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” hosted by Robin Leach, debuted. The series ran until September of 1995.

1985 – The 200th episode of “The Love Boat” aired on ABC.

1985 – The first WrestleMania, the biggest wrestling event ever from the WWE (then the WWF) took place in Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.

1987 – HBO (Home Box Office) earned its first Oscar for “Down and Out in America”.

1989 – Wrestlemania 5, with Hulk Hogan taking on Macho Man Savage, became the largest pay-per-view program in cable TV history.

1992 – The USS Missouri, the last active U.S. Navy battleship, was decommissioned in Long Beach, CA.

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 – 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 Bill Clinton administration.

1999 – The movie “The Matrix”, starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, premiered in theaters.

1999 – Model Fabio is hit in the face by a bird, suffering an inch-long cut, during a promotional ride of a rollercoaster at Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, VA.

1999 – The game Rollercoaster Tycoon was released for computers.

2000 – The movie “High Fidelity”, starring John Cusack as a record store owner, opened in theaters. The cast included Bruce Springsteen (playing himself in his film acting debut) and Tenacious D’s Jack Black.

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.

2004 – In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors, working for Blackwater USA, were killed after being ambushed.

2005 – Terri Schiavo, 41, dies two weeks after doctors remove her feeding tube in response to a court ruling. She had been in a vegetative state since 1990. Her case provoked fierce wrangling in the United States and raised fundamental legal, ethical and scientific questions.

2016 – Apple released the iPhone SE.

2016 – NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Komienko returned to Earth after a yearlong mission on the International Space Station.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MARCH 31:

William Daniels – 99 years old (1927) – Actor

Shirley Jones – 92 years old (1934) – Actress and singer

Herb Alpert – 91 years old (1935) – Singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer

Marge Piercy – 90 years old (1936) – Poet and novelist

Barney Frank – 86 years old (1940) – Lawyer and politician

Patrick Leahy – 86 years old (1940) – Lawyer and politician

Michael Savage – 84 years old (1942) – Far-right radio host and author

Christopher Walken – 83 years old (1943) – Actor

Angus King – 82 years old (1944) – Politician

Edwin Catmull – 81 years old (1945) – Computer scientist and engineer

Gabe Kaplan – 81 years old (1945) – Actor and comedian

Augustin Banyaga – 79 years old (1947) – Rwandan-American mathematician and academic

Wendy Overton – 79 years old (1947) – Tennis player

Al Gore – 78 years old (1948) – Soldier and politician, 45th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize laureate

Rhea Perlman – 78 years old (1948) – Actress

Ed Marinaro – 76 years old (1950) – Football player and actor

Ron Brown – 65 years old (1961) – Sprinter and football player

Howard Gordon – 65 years old (1961) – Screenwriter and producer

Tom Barrasso – 61 years old (1965) – Ice hockey player and coach

Patty Fendick – 61 years old (1965) – Tennis player and coach

William McNamara – 61 years old (1965) – Actor and producer

Steven T. Seagle – 61 years old (1965) – Author and screenwriter

Nick Firestone – 60 years old (1966) – Race car driver

Steve Smith – 57 years old (1969) – Basketball player and sportscaster

Craig McCracken – 55 years old (1971) – Animator, producer, and screenwriter

Andrew Bowen – 54 years old (1972) – Actor, producer, and screenwriter

Evan Williams – 54 years old (1972) – Businessman, co-founded Twitter and Pyra Labs

Adam Green – 51 years old (1975) – Director, producer, and screenwriter

Ryan Rupe – 51 years old (1975) – Baseball player

Howard Frier – 50 years old (1976) – Basketball player

Jarrod Cooper – 48 years old (1978) – Football player

Charlie Manning – 47 years old (1979) – Baseball player

Jonna Mendes – 47 years old (1979) – Skier

Kate Micucci – 46 years old (1980) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress

Ryan Bingham – 45 years old (1981) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Bam Childress – 44 years old (1982) – Football player

Brian Tyree Henry – 44 years old (1982) – Actor

Audrey Kawasaki – 44 years old (1982) – Painter

Eddie Johnson – 42 years old (1984) – Soccer player

James Jones – 42 years old (1984) – Football player

Jo-Lonn Dunbar – 41 years old (1985) – Football player

Kory Sheets – 41 years old (1985) – Football player

Dorin Dickerson – 38 years old (1988) – Football player

DeAndre Liggins – 38 years old (1988) – Basketball player

George Iloka – 36 years old (1990) – Football player

Liza Koshy – 30 years old (1996) – Actress, comedian, and television host

Jakob Chychrun – 28 years old (1998) – American-born Canadian ice hockey player

Reed Baker-Whiting – 21 years old (2005) – Professional footballer

DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MARCH 31:

Dance Marathon Day: Dance Marathon Day bursts to life with music, movement, and purpose. It’s not just about dancing, it’s about showing up for something bigger and doing it with sore calves and a grin. People come together, often in teams, ready to groove for hours at a time, turning a simple dance...
Transfer Day: Transfer Day marks the moment when the U.S. Virgin Islands officially became part of the United States. Each year, the day brings people together to remember a major shift in the islands’ story, from the way government worked to the flags flying over public buildings. Public events, flag ceremonies, and school...
International Transgender Day of Visibility: It's time to embrace and celebrate the full spectrum of human identity and expression. Let's spread love, acceptance, and understanding!
National She’s Funny That Way Day: National She’s Funny That Way Day is a spirited nod to the women who make audiences laugh, gasp, think, and occasionally snort-laugh in public. It shines a light on the particular spark women bring to comedy, whether that comedy is sharp and political, gently observational, gloriously absurd, or so personal...
National Crayon Day: Brighten up your world with a rainbow of colors in a box! Create your own masterpiece and let your imagination run wild with these artistic tools.
National Prom Day: That special night for high school students to dress up, dance, and create unforgettable memories with good friends.
National Farm Workers Day: Help fundraise or donate to charities that aid farmers in order to support the hard workers who keep our agricultural systems running, and food in our stores.
World Backup Day: Ensuring your digital stuff is safe and sound, so no digital mishaps can ruin your day or leave you in a tight spot.
National Après Day: National Après Day is a lively celebration dedicated to the joy of relaxing and enjoying good times with friends after an adventure-filled day. This day, established by Breckenridge Distillery, captures the essence of unwinding and sharing stories, whether you've been skiing, hiking, or just experiencing the thrill of the day...
Terri’s Day: Terri’s Day brings people together to honor the life of Terri Schiavo, a woman who became the center of a nationally debated case about end-of-life care. Her story captured hearts and minds as her family and husband faced painful choices about her medical treatment after a sudden medical event left...
Anesthesia Tech Day: Anesthesia Tech Day celebrates the crucial role of anesthesia technicians and technologists in the medical world. These professionals ensure surgeries and other procedures run smoothly by managing the anesthesia equipment and assisting anesthesiologists. Without their expertise, operations' precision and safety would be at risk. From monitoring patients to troubleshooting complex machinery...
César Chávez Day: César Chávez Day is a special time to remember a true leader who fought tirelessly for farmworkers' rights. Celebrated on annually, the day marks the birth of César Chávez, a man whose life was dedicated to securing better working conditions, fair wages, and respect for laborers. Through nonviolent methods like strikes...
National Clams on the Half Shell Day: Did you know there's a day dedicated to enjoying clams on the half-shell? National Clams on the Half Shell Day celebrates one of the ocean's tastiest treats. Clams, served on the half shell, offer a fresh, salty taste of the sea that seafood lovers adore. Whether eaten raw with a squeeze...
National Bunsen Burner Day: That nifty lab gadget that cranks up the heat for chemical experiments, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
National Tater Day: With so many reasons to love potatoes, it’s no surprise that these little vegetables have their own day to celebrate them.
Eiffel Tower Day: Standing tall and proud, this iron structure in the heart of Paris has become an iconic symbol of France and a must-visit attraction for tourists worldwide.
Hug a Medievalist Day: Hug a Medievalist Day is all about showing appreciation for scholars who dive deep into the mysteries of the medieval world. These experts work hard to understand and share the history, literature, and culture of a thousand years. They help uncover truths from long-lost manuscripts and bring forgotten stories back...
March Madness: Get your game face on for March Madness! This high-energy tournament is a slam dunk of excitement, passion, and heart-pumping action. So grab your team colors, gear up for the showdown, and let the madness begin!
Make Mine Chocolate: "Make Mine Chocolate" is a lively campaign urging people to think twice before giving live rabbits as Easter gifts. The campaign encourages people to opt for chocolate bunnies instead. This approach helps spread the message of responsible pet ownership while offering a sweet alternative that won't end up in shelters...
National Physicians Week : Healing hands, medical marvels—physicians navigate the intricate realms of health, weaving stories of resilience and care.
NanoDays: NanoDays celebrates the fascinating world of nanotechnology through hands-on activities and engaging displays, sparking curiosity for learners of all ages. This nationwide event, organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network, invites families and communities to explore how nanoscale science shapes future innovations in fields like medicine, electronics, and environmental...
National Green Week: National Green Week is an exciting initiative that brings attention to the importance of environmental sustainability. Schools and organizations across the country use this week to engage students in activities that promote greener living. The event aims to inspire young minds to adopt eco-friendly habits that can make a lasting...
Semana Santa: Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is a profound time of reflection and devotion in many Christian communities. Streets come alive with solemn processions, participants carry religious icons, and traditional music fills the air. This period focuses on the final days of Jesus Christ, drawing believers together in shared faith and contemplation...