Highlights of the day

  • 1821 McGill University granted Royal charter.
  • 1949 Newfoundland joins Confederation at midnight as Canada’s 10th province
  • 1958 Diefenbaker wins 208 ridings in the 24th federal election; largest ever majority by percentage of seats.

List of Facts for March 31

  • 1547 French King Henri II starts reign; to 1559; on death of François I. Paris, France
  • 1713 Treaty of Utrecht returns Nova Scotia to Britain; France keeps Ile Royale (Cape Breton) and Ile St-Jean (PEI). Utrecht, Netherlands
  • 1821 McGill University granted Royal charter. Montreal, Quebec
  • 1831 Montreal incorporated as a city; no longer an out-port of Quebec. Montreal, Quebec
  • 1831 Québec incorporated as a city. Québec, Québec
  • 1854 Franklin Expedition - HBC Doctor John Rae continues his fourth Arctic expedition, setting out across Rae Isthmus for Pelly Bay, after wintering at Repulse Bay; meets Inuit who saw Europeans on the west coast of King William Island, and found graves on the mainland near mouth of Back River; he buys silver spoons belonging to the Franklin expedition. Rae Isthmus, Nunavut
  • 1854 Franklin Expedition - The British Admiralty officially labels the Franklin Expedition crew deceased in service. London, England
  • 1885 North West Rebellion - Edmonton Volunteer Infantry is formed to defend Edmonton. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1885 Ottawa disallows BC’s Chinese Restriction Act. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1890 Education - Manitoba legislature passes the Manitoba School Act, abolishing separate schools for Catholics and Protestants, effective May 1; non-sectarian system of public education. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1896 Waneta, British Columbia, erected into an outport of Customs and Warehousing Port, and placed under the survey of the Collector of Customs at Nelson.
  • 1901 Census - Canada’s fourth census taken on this day.
  • 1906 King Edward VII grants British Columbia’s Coat-of-Arms. London, England
  • 1914 Canada now has 3,000 officers and men in the Permanent Force; 5,615 officers and 68,991 men in the militia. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1914 Seventy-eight seal hunters die, many crippled by frostbite, in a two day long storm when their sealing steamer, the Newfoundland, fails to pick them up due to mistaken orders. Newfoundland
  • 1915 A.B. Hudson accuses the government of Premier Rodmond Roblin of corruption in its expenditures to build a new Legislative Building. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1922 Three hundred unemployed men occupy the Calgary City Council chambers and demand work. Calgary, Alberta
  • 1923 Hockey - Ottawa Senators sweep Edmonton Eskimos in 2 for the Stanley Cup; second game of 1923. Ottawa star King Clancy becomes the first hockey player to play all six positions during a game. In the third period, goaltender Clint Benedict was given a two-minute penalty. At the time, goalies served their own penalties. Not wanting to leave the net open, Clancy plays goal for the two minutes Benedict was gone. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1932 Alberta Provincial Police disbanded due to near bankruptcy of the province during the Depression and replaced by RCMP. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1933 Frank Oliver dies; newspaperman and politician; his ferocious lobbying ensured that Edmonton would become the permanent capital of Alberta. Alberta
  • 1937 Construction begins on the Lions Gate Bridge to and from Stanley Park and North Vancouver; opens for two way traffic May 29, 1939 by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during a royal visit to Canada. Vancouver, BC
  • 1937 Toronto Stock Exchange closes at 193.6; up 200% since 1932. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1940 Osoyoos Mines of Canada, Limited, ceases mining on Kruger Mountain near Osoyoos.
  • 1943 Finance Minister J. L. Ilsley announces that wartime meat rationing by coupon will begin in early May. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1949 Newfoundland joins Confederation as Canada’s 10th province; oldest Dominion in the British Commonwealth joins 82 years after Confederation; Joey Smallwood first Premier, until 1972. Newfoundland
  • 1958 Federal Election - John Diefenbaker wins Canada’s 24th general election, transforming his majority into a huge victory for the PCs; takes 208 seats to 49 for the Liberals under Louis St-Laurent; 8 CCF; a majority of 151, with 50 Quebec seats; gets 53.6% of popular vote; the largest ever majority government (by percentage of seats) in Canadian history and the second largest percentage of the popular vote; just nine months after his minority victory in the 23rd election; serves as Prime Minister to April 22, 1963.
  • 1962 Urban - Brockville incorporated as a city. Brockville, Ontario
  • 1964 Ottawa and provinces start four-day conference in Québec City; discuss Canada Pension Plan, tax equalization. Québec, Québec
  • 1964 University of Toronto historian Donald Grant Creighton 1902-1978 first recipient of Canada Council’s Molson Prize; with Québec poet Alain Grandbois. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1967 Gordon Lightfoot gives the first of his annual series of concerts at Massey Hall; a 1969 concert will be released as the LP Sunday Concert. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1971 Terrorism - FLQ terrorist Paul Rose is sentenced to life in prison. Montréal, Québec
  • 1974 Football - Toronto Northmen of the fledgling WFL sign Miami Dolphins Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Paul Warfield; the league goes nowhere. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1975 CN Tower reaches 555.35 metres in height, becoming the world’s tallest free-standing structure; the giant communications mast cost $44 million, uses 145,000 tonnes of concrete and steel. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1978 Queen’s Park passes Ontario law reform providing for equal division of family assets following marriage break-up. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1978 Medicine - Biochemist Charles Best dies at age 79; co-discoverer of insulin, used to treat diabetes. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1979 Hockey - Guy Lafleur of the Montréal Canadiens scores his 50th goal of the seaon against Pittsburgh Penguins.
  • 1982 Technology - Canada’s first fibre optics cable manufacturing plant opens in Saskatoon. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
  • 1982 Hockey - Mark Messier of the Edmonton Oilers scores his 50th goal of the season against Los Angeles Kings.
  • 1984 Hockey - Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scores his 50th goal of the season against Washington Capitals.
  • 1984 One-legged runner Steve Fonyo dips his artificial leg in St. John’s Harbour to start run across Canada to raise money for cancer research, and to honour the memory of his friend Terry Fox; his 7,294 km run will be successful. St. John’s, Newfoundland
  • 1987 Media - Canadian Matt Frewer stars in science fiction adventure show Max Headroom, making its debut on ABC-TV. New York, New York
  • 1995 Media - Perrin Beatty appointed President of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), accepting a mandate to absorb a 25% cut in the corporation’s funding. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2004 Justice - Colin Thatcher is denied early parole. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2004 Media - Federal Court of Canada rejects Canadian Recording Industry Association request to obtain names of music fileswappers, making the sharing legal. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 2004 Budget - Saskatchewan government releases 2004 budget, raising the Provincial Sales Taxs from 6% to 7%., 2004. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 2004 Crime - Police arrest 170 north Americans, including 29 Canadians, for xdrug dealing.
  • 2004 Symbols - Gomery Enquiry into the Sponsorship Scandal finds that the one million flag promise in 1996 by Sheila Copps was organized by Groupaction. Montréal, Québec