This Day in Sports History
March 31

Copyright © 2006-2024 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: ken@kpolsson.com
URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/sports/
(this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing a single day's events)

What happened in history on this day: March 31?

On March 31 in ...

  • 1877 - Test Cricket debut of Fred "Demon" Spofforth, Australia versus England at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
  • 1909 - American Major League Baseball rules that players who jump contracts are suspended for five years.
  • 1923 - Stanley Cup: Ottawa Senators (NHL) sweep Edmonton Eskimos (WCHL) in two games.
  • 1935 - Fusahige Suzuki runs world record marathon (2:07:09).
  • 1955 - Collie Smith scores 104 on cricket debut West Indies versus Australia, Kingston.
  • 1968 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Palm Beach County Golf Open.
  • 1968 - Seattle's American League club is named Pilots.
  • 1970 - US Federal bankruptcy court allows Seattle Pilots to be sold to Milwaukee.
  • 1973 - Philadelphia Flyers score 8 goals in one period vs New York Islanders, on 60 shots.
  • 1973 - Ken Norton defeats Muhammad Ali in a 12-round split decision.
  • 1975 - 37th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Kentucky 92-55; this is John Wooden's final game and UCLA's 10th NCAA championship in 12 years.
  • 1976 - Cleveland Cavaliers clinch their first ever NBA playoff berth.
  • 1978 - Red Rum wins third consecutive Grand National and retires.
  • 1980 - Larry Holmes TKOs Leroy Jones in 8 rounds for WBC heavyweight boxing title.
  • 1980 - Mike Weaver knocks out John Tate in 15 rounds for WBA heavyweight boxing title.
  • 1985 - 4th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Old Dominion beats Georgia 70-65.
  • 1986 - 48th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Duke 72-69.
  • 1987 - 49th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Syracuse 74-73.
  • 1990 - Dionisio Castro cycles world record 20 km (57:18.4).
  • 1991 - 10th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Virginia 70-67.
  • 1991 - 20th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Amy Alcott.
  • 1991 - Saint Louis Blues' Brett Hull scores his 86th goal.
  • 1992 - Delhi beats Tamil Nadu on first innings to win cricket Ranji Trophy.
  • 1994 - Walkway from Cleveland's Tower City to Jacobs Field officially opens.
  • 1995 - First game at Coors Stadium, Colorado (replacement Colorado Rockies beat New York Yankees 4-1).
  • 1995 - Bombay beats Punjab on first innings to win cricket Ranji Trophy.
  • 1995 - Federal judge orders injunction to end US baseball strike.
  • 1996 - 15th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Georgia 83-65.
  • 1996 - First baseball Opening Day in March takes place in Seattle.
  • 1996 - 25th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Patty Sheehan.
  • 1996 - Karnataka defeats Tamil Nadu on first innings to win Ranji Trophy.
  • 1997 - 59th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arizona beats Kentucky 84-79 (overtime).
  • 1998 - Tampa Bay Devil Rays' first game; they host Detroit Tigers.
  • 2022 - At Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA, NHL regular season game: Dallas Stars beats Anaheim Ducks by score 3-2.
  • 2022 - At Scotiabank Saddledrome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, NHL regular season game: Los Angeles Kings beats Calgary Flames by score 3-2.
  • 2022 - At Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, NHL regular season game: Colorado Avalanche beats San Jose Sharks by score 4-2.
  • 2022 - At Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, NHL regular season game: Pittsburgh Penguins beats Minnesota Wild by score 4-3.
  • 2022 - At PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, NHL regular season game: Carolina Hurricanes beats Montreal Canadiens by score 4-0.
  • 2022 - At UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, USA, NHL regular season game: New York Islanders beats Columbus Blue Jackets by score 5-2.
  • 2022 - At FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, USA, NHL regular season game: Florida Panthers beats Chicago Blackhawks by score 4-0.
  • 2022 - At Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, NHL regular season game: Toronto Maple Leafs beats Winnepeg Jets by score 7-3.
  • 2022 - At TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, NHL regular season game: Boston Bruins beats New Jersey Devils by score 8-1.

Births of sports figures on March 31

  • 1878 - Birth of Arthur John Johnson AKA Jack Johnson in Galveston, Texas, USA; heavyweight boxing champion (1908-1915).
  • 1923 - Birth of Donald Argee Barksdale in Berkley, California, USA; basketball player (Olympics-gold-1948).
  • 1923 - Birth of Lawrie Miller in New Zealand; cricket player (opening bat in 13 Tests).
  • 1928 - Birth of Gordie Howe in Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada; NHL right wing (Detroit Red Wings).
  • 1931 - Birth of Miller Barber in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA; PGA golfer (1968 Byron Nelson Classic).
  • 1932 - Birth of Godfrey Lawrence; cricket player (South African fast bowler, 8-53 versus New Zealand 1961).
  • 1940 - Birth of Jim Criner; WLAF head coach (Scottish Claymores).
  • 1946 - Birth of Aftab Gul; cricket player (Pakistani opening batsman in six Tests 1969-71).
  • 1958 - Birth of Jay Feenan in Windham, New Hampshire, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
  • 1960 - Birth of Mark Tuinei; NFL tackle (Dallas Cowboys).
  • 1961 - Birth of Ron Brown in Los Angeles, California, USA; 4x100 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1984).
  • 1962 - Birth of John Taylor; NFL wide receiver (San Francisco 49ers).
  • 1964 - Birth of Dave Wyman; NFL linebacker (Denver Broncos).
  • 1964 - Birth of David Diaz-Infante; NFL guard (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32).
  • 1964 - Birth of Rod Jones; NFL cornerback (Cincinnati Bengals).
  • 1965 - Birth of Marlon Vonhagt; cricket player (one ODI Sri Lanka 1984-85 World Series Cup).
  • 1965 - Birth of Patty Fendick in Sacramento, California, USA; tennis star (1989 Auckland).
  • 1965 - Birth of Tom Barrasso in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; NHL goalie (Pittsburgh Penguins).
  • 1966 - Birth of Natalie Gosselin in Levis, Québec, Canada; 52kg judoka (Olympics-1996).
  • 1966 - Birth of Thomas Fitzgerald in Brooklyn, New York, USA; team handball left wing (Olympics-1996).
  • 1967 - Birth of Glenn Montgomery; NFL defensive tackle (Seattle Seahawks, Houston Oilers).
  • 1967 - Birth of Nanci Bowen in Tifton, Georgia, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Nabisco Dinah Shore).
  • 1968 - Birth of J R Reid; NBA forward (New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets).
  • 1969 - Birth of Kevin Sargent; NFL tackle/guard (Cincinnati Bengals).
  • 1969 - Birth of Steve Smith; NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks).
  • 1970 - Birth of Derek Brown; NFL tight end (Jacksonville Jaguars).
  • 1970 - Birth of Oleg Romanov; NHL defenseman (Belarus, Olympics-1998).
  • 1970 - Birth of Stuart Carruthers; Australian field hockey fullback (Olympics-1996).
  • 1971 - Birth of Pavel Bure in Moscow, Russia; NHL left wing (Team Russia Olympics-Silver-1998, Vancouver Canucks).
  • 1972 - Birth of John Godina in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA; shot putter/discus thrower (Olympics-silver-1996).
  • 1972 - Birth of Kelly O'Leary in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; kayaker (Olympics-1996).
  • 1974 - Birth of Anthony Hicks; NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31).
  • 1974 - Birth of James Burgess; linebacker (San Diego Chargers).
  • 1974 - Birth of Jason Odom; tackle (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
  • 1980 - Birth of Jenny Smith in Western Australia; gymnast (Olympics-1996).
  • 1980 - Birth of Chien-Ming Wang; Taiwanese Major League Baseball player.
  • 1982 - Birth of Jessica Joseph in Royal Oak, Michigan; dance skater (and Butler-1997 National).

Deaths of sports figures on March 31

  • 1900 - Frank Milligan, cricket player (Mafeking 2 Tests England versus South Africa 1898-99), dies.
  • 1931 - Knute Rockne, American football player/coach, dies in a plane crash at age 43.
  • 1980 - Jesse Owens, American athlete (Olympics-gold-1936), dies in Tucson, Arizona at age 66 (born 1913).

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