This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened on 31st March!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 31st March”.
1727: Issac Newton dies
Sir Issac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician, who was the leading figure of the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest mathematicians and most influential scientists of all times. He is famously known for his discovery of three laws of motion and gravity. He died in his sleep at the age of 84.
1889: Eiffel Tower inaugurated
On this day in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was officially inaugurated in Paris. The 300-meter high tower was by Gustave Eiffel to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It was built to be the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. At that time it was the tallest man-made structure in the world.
1918: The United States switch to DST for the first time
DST aka Daylight Saving Time or Summer Time is a system of uniformly advancing clocks in order to prolong daylight hours during the standard waking time of the summer months. The practice was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin in 1784. Australia, Great Britain, Germany, and the United States, all adopted the Daylight Saving Time during World War I to conserve fuel by reducing the need for artificial light.
2009: International Transgender Day Of Visibility
Every year, 31st March is observed as International Transgender Day Of Visibility. The day is dedicated to celebrating and honouring trans people worldwide and also raise awareness about the discrimination they face. It was founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall in 2009. She argued that the only well-known transgender-centred day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance which mourned the murders of transgender people but did not acknowledge and celebrate the living members of the community.
