THE DAY IN HISTORY · MARCH 31

March 31 in history

What happened on March 31: 5 moments from the Maps of History atlases, in 1146, 1854, 1905, 1936 and 1959, each linked to the map that shows it.

1146 — Bernard preaches the Second Crusade

31 Mar 1146 — Bernard of Clairvaux preaches the Second Crusade at Vézelay before King Louis VII and a vast crowd. Two royal armies will set out for the east. Almost none of their men will return home.

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1854 — Treaty of Kanagawa

31 Mar 1854 — Perry returned with a larger squadron and signed Japan’s first treaty with a Western power. American ships could now obtain supplies at Shimoda and Hakodate, and an American consul could reside in Japan. The treaty contained no provision for trade.

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1905 — First Moroccan Crisis

31 Mar 1905 — Wilhelm II rides through Tangier and announces his support for Moroccan independence. He means to test the new Anglo-French entente, but at the Algeciras conference in 1906 only Austria-Hungary backs Germany. The attempt to separate Britain and France has brought them closer together.

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1936 — Battle of Maychew

31 Mar 1936 — Haile Selassie’s last army attacks the Italian line at Maychew. Artillery, air power and mustard gas break the attack, opening the road to the capital. Italy had signed conventions banning the gas.

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1959 — Dalai Lama’s flight to India

31 Mar 1959 — The 23-year-old Dalai Lama reaches Khenzimane after a fortnight’s ride across the Himalaya. He crosses into India, where Nehru grants him asylum. About 80,000 Tibetans follow in 1959–60. The government-in-exile he establishes at Dharamsala still contests Beijing’s account of Tibet.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC UNDER MAO MAP → · THE FULL STORY →