This Day in History — March 31
• 3/3 Burrowed Days from April
• Julian period - A period of 7,980 years beginning January 1, 4713 b.c.
~Devised in 1583 by Joseph Scaliger
~provides a chronological basis for the study of ancient history
~To find the Julian year, add 4,713 to any year
~There is no Year Zero- No calendar moves directly from 1 BC to 1 AD
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National Days:
- Bunsen Burner Day
- Tator Day
- Clams on the Half Shell Day
- Prom Day
- Crayon Day
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What Happened:
— 1736 - Bellevue Hospital founded in New York City
~first public hospital in the U.S.
— 1776 - Abigail Adams wrote her husband, John, at the second Continental Congress about the proposed Declaration of Independence
~”Remember the ladies and be more favorable and generous to them than your ancestors”
— 1840 - President Van Buren signed executive order establishing 10-hour workday for federal employees
— 1854 - Treaty of Kanagawa of friendship and trade withJapan signed by Commodore Matthew C. Perry
~ended the country's period of seclusion
— 1870 - Thomas Mundy Peterson of New Jersey was the first Black to vote in the U.S. via provisions of the 15th Amendment
~most likely voted Republican
— 1880 - the first town to claim to use electric lighting throughout the town was Wabash, Indiana
~first incorporated community to be completely illuminated
— 1889 - The Eiffel Tower was dedicated in Paris, France
~”constructed as the entrance arch for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) in Paris to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution” -google
~the tallest man made structure at the time @ 984 ft
— 1906 - The Intercollegiate Athletic Association is formed
~later known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association
— 1918 - President Woodrow Wilson's enacts Standard Time Act or the first daylight saving time
~opposed by farmers: “cows can’t tell time”
~”War Time” - advanced clocks ahead an hour
~designed to conserve fuel by reducing the need for artificial light
~1966 - the government set the Universal Time Act = standardized Daylight Saving Time nationwide
— 1917 - United States took formal possession of Virgin Islands from Denmark
~next up: Greenland
— 1933 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Act (1933-1942)
~later known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
~creating a federal work relief program for unwed & unemployed men between 18–25 y.o.
~centerpiece of the New Deal
~it enrolled 3 million men to perform environmental work, planting over 3 billion trees and building infrastructure in national/state parks
— 1948 - Congress passes Marshall Aid Act
~rehabilitate war-torn Europe
— 1949 - Newfoundland joined Canadian Federation as the tenth province
— 1953 - The Department of Health, Education and Welfare was established
— 1967 - NATO Supreme Military Headquarters formally opened
~in Casteau, Belgium
— 1967 - Jimi Hendrix infamously burned his guitar on stage in London
~to “sacrifice the things you love”
— 1968 - President Lyndon B. Johnson authorizes a troop surge in Vietnam
~increasing the number of soldiers to 549,500
—1968 - President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would neither seek nor accept nomination for another term
~bc America was MAD he did Vietnam!! For $$$$!!!!
— 1970 - The first U.S. satellite, Explorer I, returned to the earth’s atmosphere
~more than 12 years after its launch
~estimated to last 2-10 years in space
— 1971 - U.S. Army jury sentenced Lt. William Calley to life imprisonment for murder of S. Vietnamese civilians at My Lai in 1968
— 1976 - The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that the mechanical life sustaining system could be removed from Karen Ann Quinlan
— 1987 - New Jersey judge Harvey R. Sorkow awarded custody of Baby “M ” to William and Elizabeth Stern
~ruled that the surrogate parents’ contracts were constitutionally protected
— 1982 - Team owners and the National Basketball Players Association agreed on a four-year labor contract
~introduced revenue sharing for players for the first time in professional sports
— 1992 - The USS Missouri was decommissioned for a second and final time
~site of the Japanese surrender in 1945 which formally ending World War II
~the last U.S. battleship still in service
— 1999 - A modernization of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew
~movie: 10 Things I Hate About You
— 2016 - NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth
~after a yearlong mission
— 2017 - Crayola announced that the color dandelion would be retired from its 24-crayon pack
~replaced by a color in the blue family
~explains national crayon day
~March 31, 2026: dandelion is back!!!!!!
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Birth/Death:
— Rene Descartes (Mar. 1596- ): philosopher
~father of modern philosophy
~best known for the famous phrase:
“I think, therefore I am”
— Robert Bunsen (Mar. 1811-1899): chemist
— Gerald Pearson (Mar. 1905-1987): Physicist
~invented the solar cell
— Cesar Chavez (Mar. 1927-): founder of United Farm Workers
— Edwin Catmull (Mar. 1945-Still Living): Co-founder of Pixar
— Al Gore (Mar. 1948-): 45th U.S. vice president to Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
— Evan Williams (Mar. 1972-Still Living): Co-founder of Twitter
~now known as “X”
— Frank Perdue (-Mar. 2005): transformed a backyard egg business into one of the nation’s largest poultry processors
~Perdue Farms
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Sources: nationaldaycalendar, farmersalmanac, Britannica
March 31 has always intrigued me as a day packed with remarkable historical milestones and unique celebrations that reflect diverse aspects of culture, science, and politics. For example, the invention of the Bunsen burner by Robert Bunsen, whose birthday is celebrated on this day, revolutionized scientific labs worldwide. I remember using the Bunsen burner in chemistry class; understanding its design, especially the adjustable air holes that create a hotter blue flame or cooler yellow safety flame, truly deepened my appreciation for precise scientific tools. Another fascinating point is the Julian period, which Joseph Scaliger devised in 1583 as a long chronological framework to study ancient history. The idea that to find the Julian year, you can add 4,713 to any year, is a simple yet profound calendrical concept. It struck me how this connects to the transition from 1 BC directly to 1 AD without a year zero, a detail often overlooked but crucial in historical date reckoning. The historic episodes on this day also reveal social progress, like Thomas Mundy Peterson becoming the first Black voter under the 15th Amendment in 1870. This moment was a powerful precursor to civil rights developments in America. Similarly, witnessing national observances such as Prom Day or Crayon Day alongside solemn moments like President Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam troop surge orders gives March 31 a complex and dynamic character. I found it remarkable that the first complete town to be lit entirely by electric light was Wabash, Indiana, on March 31, 1880, marking the dawn of modern urban electrification. This contrasts with its technological counterpart, the Eiffel Tower's dedication in 1889 as the tallest man-made structure and a symbol of industrial ingenuity. Reflecting on such a day filled with advancements in science, impactful political decisions, and cultural changes reminds me how history is a tapestry woven from diverse threads. It encourages me to value both the technological tools like the Bunsen burner I often took for granted and the social milestones that shaped modern society. On March 31, the convergence of events in history inspires appreciation for progress across all fields.
