Ever been to France? If so, have you visited the famous Eiffel Tower? Did you know that on this day in history, the Eiffel Tower was first opened to the public? Find out other important events of this day, March 31 in history.
Read on!
- 1889-The Eiffel Tower was opened on this day.
- 1900-In France, the National Assembly passed a law reducing the workday for women and children to 11 hours.
- 1917-The U.S. purchased and took possession of the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million.
- 1918-In the U.S., Daylight Saving Time went into effect for the first time.
- 1932-The Ford Motor Co. debuted its V-8 engine.
- 1940-La Guardia airport in New York was officially opened to the public.
- 1941-Germany began a counteroffensive in North Africa.
- 1959-The Dalai Lama began exile by crossing the border into India where he was granted political asylum.
- 1964-A military coup d’état in Brazil was led by Gen. Humberto Castello Branco.
- 1966-The Soviet Union launched Luna 10, becoming the first spacecraft to enter a lunar orbit.
- 1980-U.S. President Carter deregulated the banking industry.
- 1986- Mexican Airlines Boeing 727 crashed in Los Angeles, killing 167 people.
- 1989- Canada and France signed a fishing rights pact.
- 1993– Brandon Lee was killed accidentally while filming a movie.
- 1995-Grammy award-winning singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was shot and murdered in a motel room.
- 1995– Baseball players agreed to end a 232-day strike.
- 1998– For the first time in the U.S., the federal government released a detailed financial statement.
- 2004– Air America Radio launched five stations around the U.S.
- 2004– Google Inc. announced the possible introduction of an e-mail service called Gmail.
- 2011– A deadly Egyptian cobra that had escaped New York’s Bronx Zoo was found alive on this day, in the zoo’s reptile house.