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Eiffel Tower opens in Paris

Born on This Day

Johann Sebastian Bach

1685 - 1750

German Baroque composer and musician who laid the foundation of Western music with unmatched mastery of harmony and counterpoint.

Christopher Walken

1943 -

Oscar-winning actor noted for offbeat performances in films like "The Deer Hunter" and "Pulp Fiction"—and his need for more cowbell.

Rhea Perlman

1948 -

Emmy-winning actress best known for playing feisty bar worker Carla in the sitcom "Cheers."

Johann Sebastian BachGetty Images

Christopher WalkenEllen Graham/Getty Images

Rhea PerlmanBruce Glikas/WireImage

1985

MAR31

The first-ever Wrestlemania is held at Madison Square Garden, a nine-match event headlined by Mr. T and Hulk Hogan smacking down Rowdy Piper and Mr. Wonderful. Also there: Muhammad Ali as a referee and Liberace as a timekeeper.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on March 31st

Spain announces it will expel all Jews

In 1492, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castille issue the Alhambra Decree, mandating that all Jews be expelled from the country. This comes not long after they had conquered the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, finally freeing Spain from Muslim rule after nearly 800 years. In 1478, Ferdinand and Isabella, whose […]

Parliament passes the Boston Port Act

On March 31, 1774, British Parliament passes the Boston Port Act, closing the port of Boston and demanding that the city’s residents pay for the nearly $1 million worth (in today’s money) of tea dumped into Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773. The Boston Port Act was the first and […]

Abigail Adams urges husband to “remember the ladies”

In a letter dated March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams writes to her husband, John Adams, urging him and the other members of the Continental Congress not to forget about the nation’s women when fighting for America’s independence from Great Britain. The future First Lady wrote in part, “I long to hear that you have declared […]

Treaty of Kanagawa signed with Japan

In Tokyo, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, representing the U.S. government, signs the Treaty of Kanagawa with the Japanese government, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade and permitting the establishment of a U.S. consulate in Japan. In July 1853, Commodore Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay with a squadron of four U.S. vessels. […]

The First Moroccan Crisis

On March 31, 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany arrives in Tangiers to declare his support for the sultan of Morocco, provoking the anger of France and Britain in what will become known as the First Moroccan Crisis, a foreshadowing of the greater conflict between Europe’s great nations still to come, the First World War. The […]

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“Oklahoma!” premieres on Broadway

Oklahoma! opens on Broadway on March 31, 1943. In spite of a less-than-promising lead-up, it would go on to set a Broadway record of 2,212 performances before finally closing five years later. The financial risk of mounting a Broadway musical is so great that few productions ever make it to the Great White Way without […]

Dalai Lama begins exile

The Dalai Lama, fleeing the Chinese suppression of a national uprising in Tibet, crosses the border into India, where he is granted political asylum. Born in Taktser, China, as Tensin Gyatso, he was designated the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940, a position that eventually made him the religious and political leader of Tibet. At the […]

Warsaw Pact’s military union ends

After 36 years in existence, the Warsaw Pact—the military alliance between the Soviet Union and its eastern European satellites—comes to an end. The action was yet another sign that the Soviet Union was losing control over its former allies and that the Cold War was falling apart. The Warsaw Pact was formed in 1955, primarily […]

Pop star Selena murdered by fan club president

Pop star Selena is murdered in Corpus Christi, Texas, shot dead by the president of her fan club. The tragic death prompts an immediate outpouring of grief from fans. Selena Quintanilla Perez rose to fame as the lead singer of her family band, Selena y los Dinos. The band toured extensively, playing in dance halls, […]

“The Matrix” released in theaters

On March 31, 1999, the writing and directing sibling team of Lana and Lilly Wachowski release their second film, the mind-blowing science-fiction blockbuster The Matrix. Born and raised in Chicago, the Wachowskis both dropped out of college and started a house-painting and construction business before they got into the film industry. They collaborated on two […]

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