Famous birthdays, deaths and events of 1931
Birthdays January 5 - Alvin Ailey, American choreographer (d. 1989) January 5 - Alfred Brendel, Austrian pianist January 5 - Robert Duvall , American actor January 6 - E. L. Doctorow, American author January 6 - Dickie Moore, Canadian ice hockey player January 8 - Bill Graham, German-born American music promoter (d. 1991) January 9 - Algis Budrys, American author January 10 - Peter Barnes, English writer (d. 2004) January 11 - Betty Churcher, director of the National Gallery of Australia January 13 - Ian Hendry, English actor (d. 1984) January 13 - Charles Nelson Reilly, American actor (d. 2007) January 14 - Caterina Valente, French-born singer January 17 - James Earl Jones , American actor January 20 - Hachidai Nakamura, Japanese songwriter and pianist (d. 1992) January 22 - Sam Cooke, American singer (d. 1964) January 25 - Dean Jones, American actor January 26 - Mary Murphy, American film actress January 27 - Mordecai Richler, Canadian author (d. 2001) January 30 - Shirley Hazzard, Australian-born author January 31 - Ernie Banks, American baseball player January 31 - Christopher Chataway, English athlete February 2 - Les Dawson, British comedian (d. 1993) February 2 - Judith Viorst, American author February 6 - Rip Torn , American actor February 6 - Mamie Van Doren , American actress February 8 - James Dean , American actor (d. 1955) February 9 - Thomas Bernhard, Austrian playwright and novelist (d. 1989) February 9 - Josef Masopust, Czech footballer February 10 - Thomas Bernhard, Austrian author (d. 1989) February 10 - Doug Young, American voice actor February 11 - Larry Merchant, American sportswriter February 12 - Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch author February 14 - Bernie Geoffrion, Canadian hockey player (d. 2006) February 14 - Brian Kelly, American actor (d. 2005) February 14 - Phyllis McGuire, American singer (The McGuire Sisters) February 15 - Claire Bloom, British actress February 15 - Geoff Edwards, American television game show host February 16 - Ken Takakura, Japanese actor February 18 - Toni Morrison, American writer February 18 - Bob St. Clair, American football player February 24 - Dominic Chianese, American actor March 2 - Tom Wolfe, American author March 5 - Barry Tuckwell, Australian horn virtuoso March 6 - Hal Needham, American stuntman March 8 - John McPhee, American writer and professor March 8 - Neil Postman, American cultural critic (d. 2003) March 10 - Georges Dor, Quebec author March 12 - Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, American actor (d. 1980) March 14 - Phil Phillips, American singer and songwriter March 16 - Betty Johnson, American singer March 18 - John Fraser, Scottish-born stage March 20 - Hal Linden, American actor March 22 - William Shatner , Canadian actor March 23 - Yevgenij Grishin, Russian speed skater (d. 2005) March 23 - Viktor Korchnoi, Russian chess player March 25 - Paul Motian, American jazz drummer and composer March 26 - Leonard Nimoy , American actor and director March 27 - David Janssen, American actor (d. 1980) March 31 - Miller Barber, American golfer April 1 - Rolf Hochhuth, German writer April 1 - Ita Ever, Estonian actress April 6 - Ivan Dixon, American actor and director (d. 2008) April 7 - Donald Barthelme, American author April 11 - Johnny Sheffield, American actor April 11 - Koichi Sugiyama, Japanese composer April 12 - Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet-songwriter (d. 1995) April 13 - Robert Enrico, French film director and screenwriter (d. 2001) April 13 - Dan Gurney, American race car driver and team owner April 13 - Jon Stone, co-creator of Sesame Street (d. 1997) April 14 - Paul Masnick, Canadian ice hockey player April 19 - Garfield Morgan, English actor April 27 - Igor Oistrakh, Ukrainian violinist April 29 - Lonnie Donegan, Scottish musician (d. 2002) May 4 - Thomas Stuttaford, British doctor and writer May 5 - Greg, Belgian comic-book writer (Achille Talon) (d May 6 - Willie Mays, American baseball player May 7 - Teresa Brewer , American pop and jazz singer (d. 2007) May 9 - Vance Brand, American astronaut May 10 - Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter May 14 - Alvin Lucier, American composer May 15 - Ken Venturi, American golfer May 16 - Jack Dodson, American actor (d. 1994) May 16 - Denise Filiatrault, French Canadian actress and director May 16 - Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. May 16 - Hana Brady, Killed during Holocaust May 18 - Robert Morse, American actor May 19 - Bob Anderson, British racing driver (d. 1967) May 20 - Ken Boyer, American baseball player (d. 1982) May 23 - Barbara Barrie, American actress May 24 - Michael Lonsdale, French actor May 25 - Irwin Winkler, American film producer and director May 28 - Carroll Baker , American actress May 31 - Shirley Verrett, American soprano June 2 - Larry Jackson, baseball player (d. 1990) June 3 - Françoise Arnoul, French actress June 3 - John Norman, American author June 3 - Lindy Remigino, American athlete June 5 - Jacques Demy, French film director (d. 1990) June 8 - Dana Wynter, German-born American actress June 9 - Jackie Mason, American comedian June 9 - Joe Santos, American actor June 10 - João Gilberto, Brazilian singer and guitarist June 11 - Audrey Schuh, American soprano June 13 - Irvin D. Yalom, psychotherapist,Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University June 14 - Junior Walker, Saxophonist and singer (Jr. Walker & the All Stars) (d. 1995) June 14 - Marla Gibbs, American actress June 20 - Olympia Dukakis, Greek-American actress June 20 - Martin Landau, American actor June 24 - Billy Casper, American golfer June 28 - Junior Johnson, American NASCAR driver June 28 - Lucien Victor, Belgian cyclist (d. 1995) June 29 - Ed Gilbert, American actor (d. 1999) June 30 - Bert Eriksson, Flemish neo-Nazi (d. 2005) June 30 - Andrew Hill, American jazz pianist (d. 2007) July 1 - Leslie Caron , French actress July 4 - Stephen Boyd, Northern Irish actor (d. 1977) July 4 - Sébastien Japrisot, French author July 5 - Ismail Mahomed, South African and Namibian Chief Justice (d. 2000) July 6 - Della Reese , American singer July 7 - David Eddings, American author July 10 - Nick Adams, American actor (d. 1968) July 10 - Alice Munro, Canadian writer July 11 - Thurston Harris, American singer (d. 1990) July 11 - Tab Hunter, American actor July 13 - Frank Ramsey, American basketball player July 15 - Clive Cussler, American author July 20 - Tony Marsh, English racing driver July 23 - Te Atairangi Kaahu, Māori Queen (d. 2006) July 23 - Guy Fournier, French Canadian author and screenwriter July 23 - Claude Fournier, French Canadian film director and screenwriter July 24 - Ermanno Olmi, Italian director July 24 - Éric Tabarly, French sailor (d. 1998) July 26 - Takashi Ono, Japanese gymnast July 27 - Jerry Van Dyke, American actor July 28 - Johnny Martin, Former Australain cricketer (d. 1992) July 31 - Kenny Burrell, American guitarist August 1 - Trevor Goddard, Former South African cricketer August 2 - Viliam Schrojf, Slovak footballer (d. 2007) August 2 - Eddie Fuller, Former South African cricketer (d. 2008) August 4 - Naren Tamhane, Indian cricketer (d. 2002) August 9 - Chuck Essegian, American baseball player August 12 - William Goldman, American screenwriter August 16 - Eydie Gormé, American singer August 18 - Dick White, English footballer August 19 - Willie Shoemaker, American jockey (d. 2003) August 20 - Don King, American boxing promoter August 23 - Hamilton O. Smith, American microbiologist August 25 - Hal Fishman, Los Angeles based local news anchor. (d. 2007) August 25 - Regis Philbin , American television host August 27 - Sri Chinmoy, Indian guru (d. 2007) August 27 - Joe Cunningham, American baseball player August 28 - John Shirley-Quirk, English bass-baritone August 28 - Tito Capobianco, Argentinian stage impresario August 29 - Stelios Kazantzidis, Greek singer (d. 2001) August 30 - Jack Swigert, American astronaut (d. 1982) August 31 - Jean Béliveau, Canadian ice hockey player August 31 - Noble Willingham, American actor (d. 2004) September 1 - Boxcar Willie, American country musician (d. 1999) September 2 - Clifford Jordan, American jazz saxophonist (d. 1993) September 3 - Albert DeSalvo, The Boston Strangler (d. 1973) September 4 - Mitzi Gaynor, American actress September 10 - Philip Baker Hall , American actor September 12 - Sir Ian Holm, English actor September 12 - George Jones , American singer September 13 - Barbara Bain , American actress September 17 - Anne Bancroft , American actress (d. 2005) September 19 - Brook Benton, American singer (d. 1988) September 19 - Jean-Claude Carrière, French screenwriter and actor September 20 - Cherd Songsri, Thai filmmaker (d. 2006) September 21 - Larry Hagman , American actor September 22 - Fay Weldon, British feminist September 24 - Anthony Newley, British actor and singer (d. 1999) September 24 - Mike Parkes, British Formula One driver (d. 1977) September 25 - Manouchehr Atashi, Iranian poet (d. 2005) September 27 - Freddy Quinn, Austrian singer September 29 - Anita Ekberg , Swedish actress September 30 - Angie Dickinson , American actress October 1 - Sylvano Bussotti, Italian composer October 3 - Glenn Hall, National Hockey League goaltender October 4 - Richard Rorty, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy October 13 - Eddie Mathews, American baseball player (d. 2001) October 13 - Raymond Kopa, French footballer October 14 - Nikhil Banerjee, Indian classical musician (d. 1986) October 16 - Charles Colson, American Watergate conspirator October 16 - Rosa Rosal, Filipino actress and humanitarian October 17 - Ernst Hinterberger, Austrian writer October 19 - John le Carré, English novelist October 20 - Mickey Mantle , American baseball player (d. 1995) October 21 - Vivian Pickles, English actress. October 23 - Diana Dors , British actress (d. 1984) October 24 - Sofia Gubaidulina, Russian composer October 25 - Annie Girardot, French actress October 27 - Nawal el-Saadawi, Egyptian writer October 29 - Franco Interlenghi, Italian actor November 3 - Monica Vitti, Italian actress November 5 - Ike Turner , American musician (d. 2007) November 6 - Peter Collins, English race car driver (d. 1958) November 6 - Mike Nichols, American film director November 8 - Darla Hood, American actress (d. 1979) November 9 - Whitey Herzog, American baseball player November 12 - Bob Crewe, American songwriter and producer (The Four Seasons) November 13 - Andrée Lachapelle, French Canadian actress November 16 - Hubert Sumlin, American blues musician November 21 - Malcolm Williamson, Australian composer (d. 2003) November 23 - Dervla Murphy, Irish traveller and author November 23 - Gloria Lynne, American singer November 28 - Hope Lange, American actress (d. 2003) November 28 - Dervla Murphy, Irish cyclist and author November 29 - Shintaro Katsu, Japanese actor (d. 1997) November 29 - André Noyelle, Belgian cyclist (d. 2003) November 30 - Jack Ging, American actor December 1 - Jimmy Lyons, American musician (d. 1986) December 1 - Jim Nesbitt, singer (d. 2007) December 2 - Nigel Calder, British science writer December 2 - Wynton Kelly, American jazz pianist (d. 1971) December 3 - Franz Josef Degenhardt, German author December 3 - Jaye P. Morgan, American singer December 4 - Alex Delvecchio, Canadian ice hockey player December 6 - Zeki Müren, Turkish actor December 8 - Bob Arum, American boxing promoter December 9 - William Reynolds, American actor December 9 - Ladislav Smoljak, Czech actor December 11 - Rita Moreno , Puerto Rican actress December 11 - Pierre Pilote, Canadian ice hockey player December 11 - Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian guru (d. 1990) December 12 - Lionel Blair, English actor and choreographer December 17 - Dave Madden, Canadian-born American actor December 20 - Mala Powers, American film actress (d. 2007) December 23 - Ronnie Schell, American actor December 24 - Mauricio Kagel, Argentine composer December 24 - Ray Bryant, American jazz pianist and composer December 27 - Scotty Moore, American guitarist December 28 - Guy Debord, French writer (d. 1994) December 30 - Skeeter Davis, American singer (d. 2004) December 31 - Bob Shaw, Irish writer (d. 1996)
Deaths January 1 - Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (b. 1851) January 4 - Art Acord, American actor (b. 1890) January 9 - Wayne Munn, wrestler (b. 1896) January 11 - James Milton Carroll, American Baptist pastor January 17 - Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia, son of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich (b. 1864) January 21 - Felix Blumenfeld, Russian composer (b. 1863) January 22 - Alma Rubens, American actress (b. 1897) January 23 - Anna Pavlova, Russian ballerina (b. 1881) February 23 - Nellie Melba, Australian opera soprano (b. 1861) March 11 - F.W. Murnau, German film director (b. 1888) March 20 - Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876) March 23 - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru March 27 - Arnold Bennett, British novelist (b. 1867) April 8 - Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish writer May 12 - Eugène Ysaÿe, Belgian violinist (b. 1858) May 14 - David Belasco, American theatrical producer (b. 1853) May 14 - Denys Finch Hatton, English big-game hunter (b. 1887) May 31 - Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, French Canadian cardinal June 29 - Nérée Beauchemin, Quebec poet (b. 1850) July 4 - Buddie Petit, American jazz musician (b. 1895) August 6 - Bix Beiderbecke, American musician (b. 1903) August 27 - Francis Marion Smith, American borax magnate (b. 1846) September 5 - John Thomson, football player who died in an accidental collision during a match (b. 1909) September 11 - Salvatore Maranzano, American crime boss (b. 1868) October 3 - Carl Nielsen, Danish composer (b. 1865) October 13 - Ernst Didring, Swedish author (b. 1868) October 17 - Alfons Maria Jakob, German neurologist (b. 1884) October 21 - Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian writer (b. 1862) October 26 - Charles Comiskey, baseball team owner (b. 1859) November 19 - Xu Zhimo, Chinese poet (b. 1897) November 27 - Lya De Putti, Hungarian actress (b. 1899) December 2 - Vincent d'Indy, French composer (b. 1851) December 5 - Vachel Lindsay, American poet (b. 1879) December 13 - Gustave le Bon, French psychologist (b. 1840) December 26 - Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey decimal classification (b. 1851)
Events January 6 - Thomas Edison submits his last patent application. January 7 - Guy Menzies flies the first solo non-stop trans-Tasman flight (from Australia to New Zealand) in 11 hours and 45 minutes, crash-landing on New Zealand's west coast. January 22 - Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia. February 3 - The Hawke's Bay earthquake, New Zealand's worst natural disaster, kills 258. February 10 - New Delhi becomes the capital of India. February 20 - California gets the go-ahead by the U.S. Congress to build the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. March 3 - The United States officially adopts "The Star-Spangled Banner" as its national anthem. March 4 - The British Viceroy of India, Governor-General Edward Frederick Lindley Wood and Mohandas Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) meet to sign an agreement envisaging the release of political prisoners and allowing that salt is freely used by the poorest layers of the population. March 11 - Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO, is introduced in the Soviet Union. March 19 - Gambling is legalized in Nevada. March 19 - The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra plays its first concert in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. March 23 - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev embrace the gallows during the Indian struggle for independence. Their request to be shot by a firing squad is refused. March 25 - The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape. March 31 - An earthquake destroys Managua, Nicaragua, killing 2,000. April 14 - Spanish Cortes deposes King Alfonso XIII and proclaims the 2nd Spanish Republic. May 1 - The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City. May 14 - Ådalen shootings: five people are killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers open fire on an unarmed trade union demonstration. May 31 - 7.1 magnitude Earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan: 40,000 dead. June 12 - Charlie Parker equals cricket record for the earliest date to reach 100 wickets in a season. Tich Freeman reaches 100 wickets a day later. June 23 - Wiley Post and Harold Gatty take off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island in an attempt to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine plane. July 1 - United Airlines began service (as Boeing Air Transport). July 24 - A fire at a home for the elderly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania kills 48 people. August 8 - Workers go on strike at the Hoover dam. August 24 - France and the Soviet Union sign a neutrality/no attack treaty. August 24 - Resignation of the United Kingdom's Second Labour Government. Formation of the UK National Government. August 28 - France and Soviet Union sign a treaty of non-aggression. September 11 - Salvatore Maranzano is murdered by Charles Luciano's hitmen. September 15 - In Scotland, the two-day Invergordon Mutiny against Royal Navy pay cuts begins. September 18 - The Mukden Incident gives Japan the pretext to invade and occupy Manchuria. September 30 - Start of "Die Voortrekkers" youth movement for Afrikaners in Bloemfontein, South Africa. October 1 - The George Washington Bridge linking New Jersey and New York opens. October 1 - The second (and current) Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is opened in New York. October 17 - Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion. October 24 - The George Washington Bridge opens to public traffic. November 7 - The Chinese Soviet Republic is proclaimed on the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. December 9 - The Constituent Cortes approves the constitution which establishes the Second Spanish Republic. December 11 - The British Parliament enacts the Statute of Westminster, establishing legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of Canada, the Irish Free State, Dominion of Newfoundland, the Dominion of New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa.
