31 March

Across recorded history, 1,607 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 31 March. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Charlotte Brontë

1816–1855

British novelist and poet

Charlotte Brontë was a British novelist who authored several works of literature.

Selena

1971–1995

American singer

Selena was an American singer who achieved prominence for her contributions to Tejano music.

Imre Kertész

1929–2016

Hungarian author

Imre Kertész was a Hungarian novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual.

Jesse Owens

1913–1980

American track and field athlete

Jesse Owens was an American track and field athlete who achieved international recognition as an Olympic champion.

Zaha Hadid

1950–2016

Iraqi British architect, designer and painter

Zaha Hadid was an architect known for her influential designs and structural work.

Emil von Behring

1854–1917

German physiologist who received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1901 for his discovery of a diphtheria antitoxin

Emil von Behring was a physiologist who received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of a diphtheria antitoxin.

J. P. Morgan

1837–1913

American financier, banker, and art collector

J. P. Morgan was an American financier who directed the formation of several prominent industrial corporations and served as a notable art collector.

John C. Calhoun

1782–1850

vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832

John C. Calhoun was a politician who served as the vice president of the United States.

John Constable

1776–1837

English painter

John Constable was an English landscape painter known for his depictions of the Dedham Vale area.

Raúl Alfonsín

1927–2009

Argentine politician

Raúl Alfonsín was an Argentine politician who served as the president of Argentina.

Hans Fischer

1881–1945

German chemist

Hans Fischer was a chemist who conducted research on the constitution of hemin and chlorophyll pigments.

Hans-Dietrich Genscher

1927–2016

German politician and member of the Free Democratic Party

Hans-Dietrich Genscher was a German politician who served as the country's foreign minister.

Clifford Shull

1915–2001

American physicist

Clifford Shull was an American physicist who pioneered the use of neutron scattering to study the atomic structure of materials.

Brandon Lee

1965–1993

American actor

Brandon Lee was an American actor who appeared in various film and television productions.

Rodion Malinovsky

1898–1967

Soviet military commander

Rodion Malinovsky was a Soviet military commander who served as a marshal and politician.

Semyon Timoshenko

1895–1970

Soviet military commander

Semyon Timoshenko was a Soviet military commander who served as a senior officer in the Red Army.

Allan Kardec

1804–1869

systematizer of Spiritism

Allan Kardec was a philosopher who served as the primary systematizer of Spiritism.

Christian Morgenstern

1871–1914

German author

Christian Morgenstern was a German poet known for his literary works.

Léon Degrelle

1906–1994

Belgian journalist, politician, SS soldier, fugitive

Léon Degrelle was a Belgian politician and SS soldier who served as a fugitive following his involvement in the Second World War.

Jules Dassin

1911–2008

American film director

Jules Dassin was an American film director known for his work in the film noir genre.

Pavel Milyukov

1859–1943

Russian politician and historian

Pavel Milyukov was a Russian politician and historian who served as a foreign minister during the Russian Provisional Government.

Bella Abzug

1920–1998

American politician

Bella Abzug was an American politician who served as a prominent advocate for women's rights and social reform.

Nilo Peçanha

1867–1924

President of Brazil

Nilo Peçanha was a Brazilian politician who served as the President of Brazil.

Henri Wieniawski

1835–1880

Russian-Polish musician

Henri Wieniawski was a violinist and composer who performed and taught music throughout his career.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.