This Day in History on March 31 - History and Headlines

Browsing: March 31

Corona Jerks!

By Major Dan on March 31, 2020 Health/Medicine, Lists, March 31, Nature, Politics

A Brief History On March 31, 2018, we published an article about “Jerks of the Month,” a topic we have touched upon from time to time. Today, we modify our approach to discuss only those jerks as they relate to our coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is killing people across the country and the world and threatens to destroy our economy. This pandemic is serious business and it needs serious people to beat the sneaky illness, NOT Jerks! (Feel free to add your own nominees to our list or to dispute those persons we have cited.) See our other article “What…

Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time?

By Major Dan on March 30, 2019 Health/Medicine, Inventions, March 31, Politics, Science & Technology

A Brief History On March 31, 1918, Daylight Saving Time (DST) went into effect for the very first time. For the first time, Americans would be told to “Spring Ahead!” and clocks across the nation had to change by 1 hour in advance. First things first! The term is “Daylight Saving Time,” NOT “Daylight Savings Time.” (This common error seems to drive some people absolutely nuts, so if you have a bit of the devil in you, go ahead and add the unnecessary “S” and watch the fireworks begin.) Digging Deeper The idea of changing the clocks is to get…

March 31, 2018: Stephon Clark Criminal Record (Jerks of the Month, March 2018)

By Abdul Alhazred on March 31, 2018 Crime, Lists, March 31, Politics

A Brief History On March 31, 2018, we look back on a month replete with jerks, people that make life for the rest of us harder or less enjoyable. We list the specific reasons why we include jerks on this list, and you are welcome to agree or disagree, detailing your own specific information that confirms or denies our position. (You will note we do not exempt either end of the political spectrum, neither conservative nor liberal from inclusion on the Jerks of the Month list.) Digging Deeper 1. Stephon Clark. A son, brother, father and a convicted criminal. Although…

March 31, 2017: Weird Stuff Happening in March!

By Major Dan on March 31, 2017 Bizarre Bulletin, March 31, Science & Technology

A Brief History On March 31, 2017, lab rats, chemistry students, and scientists will be celebrating Bunsen Burner Day, that ubiquitous lab fixture often seen heating secret potions in science fiction film labs. Of course, March is home to International Women’s Day (March 8th) and is Women’s History Month, but the month named after Mars, the Roman God of War, also has some other nifty days you may or may not have noticed over the past few weeks. Digging Deeper Robert Bunsen, a German chemist, invented his famous gas burner in 1852, but that was not the only invention named…

10 Iconic Structures That Identify a City

By Major Dan on March 31, 2016 Lists, March 31, Society, Travel

A Brief History On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France and has stood as a symbol of that city ever since. The tallest man-made structure in the world at that time, it remained the tallest until 1930 when it was surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York. Many cities have a structure that is readily recognized as the most prominent symbol of that city. Here is an inexhaustive list of 10 of the most iconic ones, with follow-up lists planned to cover other iconic structures that exist in such other major world cities as…