Today in History, 31 March: What Happened on this Day?

What happened today in history( 31 March): Immanuel Kant was appointed Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Königsberg, Jews were expelled from Prague, the US population hit 23,191,876, and more.

Yashita Sinha Updated: Mar 31, 2023 07:00 IST

This day in history: Anandi Gopal Joshi's birthday

Today in History, 31 March: It’s the last day of March and from tomorrow we are entering a new month. Before this day ends, we will tell you about its historical significance. So, without further ado, let’s get started. Today is the day when British High Commissioner Sir Bartle Frere arrived in Cape Town, the recreational use of marijuana was legalized in New York, and Australian fast bowler Fred Spofforth played his first test cricket match. Skim through the below sections to know more.

Historical Events On This Day

In 1770, Immanuel Kant was appointed Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Königsberg.
In 1745, Jews were expelled from Prague.
In 1808, the Kingdom of Westphalia was created in France.
In 1822, soldiers of the Ottoman Empire massacred the population of the Greek island of Chios.
In 1850, the US population hit 23,191,876.
In 1866, the harbor of Valparaíso, Chile got bombarded by the Spanish navy.
In 1877, British High Commissioner Sir Bartle Frere arrived in Cape Town.
In 2020, British pensioner Robert Weighton became the world's oldest man at 112 years.
In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a lockdown to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the recreational use of marijuana was legalized in New York.

Sports Events Today

In 1877, Australian fast bowler Fred Spofforth played his first test cricket match.
In 1984, Mike Bossy became the first player in NHL history to record 7 straight 50-goal seasons.
In 1987, Indiana defeated Syracuse by 74-73 in the 49th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.

Art and Culture Events Today

In 1981, Robert De Niro and Sissy Spacek won Oscars for "Ordinary People" at the 53rd Academy Awards.
In 1983 "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life," was released in the US.
In 1990, the TV series "Carol & Company" starring Carol Burnett premiered on NBC-TV.

Notable Deaths On This Day

S.NO	Death year	Personality
1	1727	Isaac Newton was a genius mathematician, physicist, and astronomer who made the world familiar with the concept of gravitation force. He also wrote a book called ‘Principia’ highlighting the laws of motion.
2	1927	Meena Kumari was an Indian actress and poet who started her acting career as a child and brilliantly grew as an actor over the years. In 1954, she won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Baiju Bawra.
3	1980	James Cleveland Owens was an American Track and Field Athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
4	1993	Brandon Lee was an American actor who is best recognized for his films such as ‘The Crow’, ‘Laser Mission’ and ‘Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story’.
5	2008	Jules Dassin was an American film director, actor, and producer known for directing films like ‘The Naked City’, ‘Brute Force’ and ‘Night and the City.

Famous Birthdays On This Day

S.NO	Birth year	Personality
1	1865	Anandi Gopal Joshi was the first female Indian doctor. She is remembered as the first woman of Indian origin to graduate in western medicine in the USA.
2	1971	Ewan McGregor is a Scottish actor best recognized for his roles in ‘Trainspotting’ and the ‘Star Wars prequel trilogy. He is also a motorcyclist who has participated in several motorcycle marathons.
3	1972	Evan Williams is an American internet entrepreneur who co-founded widely used internet services such as Blogger and Twitter. He is now on the team of the Board of directors of Twitter.
4	1974	Victoria Smurfit is an Irish actress best known for playing Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series Ballykissangel and Cruella de Vil in Once Upon a Time.
5	1985	Molly Qerim is a globally recognized sports anchor for ESPN. She has served as a breaking news reporter for ESPN 2’s ‘Fantasy Football Now’ for which she has received an Emmy Award.