On This Day - What Happened On March 31 | Britannica

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1889 Eiffel Tower inaugurated The 984-foot (300-meter) Eiffel Tower, a wrought iron technological masterpiece created by Gustave Eiffel to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution, was officially inaugurated in Paris this day in 1889. © Corbis

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Zaha Hadid British architect bornOctober 31, 1950Baghdad, IraqdiedMarch 31, 2016 (aged 65)Miami, FloridaNils Jorgensen/AP Images 1948 Al Gore vice president of United States 1927 Cesar Chavez American labor leader 1732 Joseph Haydn Austrian composer 1685 Johann Sebastian Bach German composer 1596 René Descartes French mathematician and philosopher See All Biographies On This Day

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2008 American director Jules Dassin, a master of film noir perhaps best known for the influential heist film Rififi (1955), died at age 96. Take our movie quizHulton Archive/Getty Images 1992 The USS Missouri—site of the Japanese surrender in 1945, formally ending World War II—was decommissioned for a second and final time; it was the last U.S. battleship still in service. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about submarines, ships, and other watercraftU.S. Navy Photograph 1980 American track-and-field legend Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, died at age 66. Sort fact from fiction in our Olympics quizAP 1968 U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson ended a televised speech about the Vietnam War by announcing that he would not seek reelection, stunning viewers. Watch an overview of Lyndon B. Johnson's life and careerWhite House Collection 1948 American politician Al Gore, who served as vice president (1993–2001) in the administration of U.S. President Bill Clinton and lost the disputed 2000 presidential election, was born. Test your knowledge of U.S. presidential elections© Eric Lee/Paramount Classics, a division of Paramount Pictures; all rights reserved 1943 Oklahoma! debuted on Broadway. The first of 11 musicals written by the iconic team of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, Oklahoma! launched a golden age of American musical comedy that lasted through the 1950s. Learn more about the people, places, and events that shaped the 1940s© LMPC/Getty Images 1928 Canadian-born American ice hockey player Gordie Howe—one of the game's greatest players, known for both his scoring ability and his toughness—was born in Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada. See where Howe ranks on our list of the 10 best hockey players of all timeCourtesy of the National Hockey League 1918 Clocks in the United States were set one hour ahead as Daylight Saving Time went into operation for the first time.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZC4-10663) 1870 Thomas Peterson-Mundy of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, became the first African American to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Read about the history of voting in the United StatesNational Archives, Washington, D.C. 1854 U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry signed the Treaty of Kanagawa in Japan, ending that country's period of seclusion. How much do you know about Japanese history?The Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk Newspapers' Art Trust Purchase and Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Spark in Memory of their Son Donald, 52.55.2 1732 Composer Joseph Haydn, one of the most important figures in the development of the Classical style in music during the 18th century, was born in Rohrau, Austria. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about music composersLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Detroit Publishing Company (dig. id. det 4a27870) 1596 French mathematician, scientist, and philosopher René Descartes, widely considered the father of modern philosophy and perhaps best known for the famous phrase “I think, therefore I am,” was born. Test your knowledge of a few things you probably didn't learn in Philosophy 101National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland 1521 The first Roman Catholic mass in the Philippines was celebrated on the island of Limasawa. Take our quiz about the history of Roman Catholicism SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.