March 31 in History
March 31 is the birthday of Reed Baker-Whiting (2005) and the anniversary of the death of Stephen Lewis (2026). Below are famous birthdays, deaths, events for March 31, plus editor's picks and genealogy records.

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Philippa of Lancaster was born in 1360, while Titus Pomponius Atticus, Roman nobleman of the Equestrian order died in 32 BC.

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Famous people born on March 31
Famous people who died on March 31










2018
Nick Newton (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Nick Newton, inventor of the Newton Starting Blocks (born 1933)







2015
Carlos Gaviria Díaz (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Colombian lawyer, professor and politician (1937–2015)

2014
Gonzalo Anes (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Gonzalo Anes, Spanish economist, historian, and academic (born 1931)





What happened on March 31
- 2023
A historic tornado outbreak occurs in the American Midwest and South.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2018
Start of the 2018 Armenian revolution.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2016
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth after a yearlong mission at the International Space Station.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2005
The dwarf planet Makemake is discovered by a team led by astronomer Michael E. Brown at the Palomar Observatory.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2004
Iraq War in Anbar Province: In Fallujah, Iraq, four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, are killed after being ambushed.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1998
Netscape releases Mozilla source code under an open source license.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1995
Selena is murdered by her fan club president Yolanda Saldívar at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1995
TAROM Flight 371, an Airbus A310-300, crashes near Balotesti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1993
The Macao Basic Law is adopted by the Eighth National People's Congress of China to take effect December 20, 1999. Resumption by China of the Exercise of Sovereignty over Macao
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1992
The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1992
The Treaty of Federation is signed in Moscow.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1991
Georgian independence referendum: Nearly 99 percent of the voters support the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1991
The Warsaw Pact formally disbands.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1990
Approximately 200,000 protesters take to the streets of London to protest against the newly introduced Poll Tax.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1986
Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940 crashes into the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range near the Mexican town of Maravatío, killing 167.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab)
Births, deaths and events from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).
Editor's picks
Born on March 31
- 1360 — Philippa of Lancaster (died 1415)
- 1499 — Pope Pius IV (died 1565)
- 1504 — Guru Angad, Indian religious leader (died 1552)
Died on March 31
- 32 BC — Titus Pomponius Atticus, Roman nobleman of the Equestrian order (born 109 BC)
- 528 — Xiaoming, emperor of Northern Wei (born 510)
- 963 — Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad, Saffarid emir (born 906)
Source: Wikipedia historical listings for March 31
Quick answers
Who was born on March 31? Reed Baker-Whiting (2005), Samson Baidoo (2004), Japhet Tanganga (1999).
Who died on March 31? Stephen Lewis (2026), Sian Barbara Allen (2025), Betty Webb (code breaker) (2025).
Explore genealogy records
Researching someone born in March? Search birth records
Live genealogy events
This calendar is live and has its own date controls; it is separate from the March 31 historical article above.

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Holiday Sale: 65% off AncestryDNA. Offer ends 11/19. Terms apply.
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