March 31, 1826

1826 In Washington D.C., a supplementary article to the Treaty of Washington was signed between the Creeks and U.S. Government correcting the original treaty by expanding the second tract from 47 to 50 miles and from 30 to 45 miles. The additional cession would become part of Carroll County.

March 31, 1867

1867 Major General John Pope arrived in Atlanta by special train from Chattanooga to take command of the Third District (which consisted of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama). He was welcomed by a number of Atlanta citizens, who after meeting him were apparently pleased with his selection. That evening, Pope boarded another train for Montgomery, Ala.

March 31, 1911

1911 Former Confederate general Alfred Iverson Jr. died in Atlanta.

March 31, 1918

1918 The first Daylight Savings Time went into effect nationwide on March 31 pursuant to the Standard Time Act of 1918, passed by Congress as a wartime measure to save energy by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. Repealed in 1919, Daylight Savings Time was again observed during World War II. Since 1967, with a few exceptions, Daylight Savings Time has been observed nationwide.

March 31, 1968

1968 Otis Redding’s "Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay" topped the pop music charts nationwide.

March 31, 1971

1971 For his role in the "My Lai" massacre, a court martial jury at Fort Benning discharged Lt. William L. Calley from the U.S. Army and sentenced him to life imprisonment. After Pres. Nixon granted clemency, Calley would serve three years house arrest.

March 31, 1976

1976 The Georgia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution proposing a new state constitution for Georgia. That new document -- the Constitution of 1976 -- was ratified by voters in the Nov. 2, 1976 general election.

March 31, 1996

1996 In Charlotte, N.C., the University of Tenneesee’s Lady Vols beat the University of Georgia’s Lady Dogs 83-65 to win the NCAA basketball championship.

March 31, 1999

1999 University of Georgia graduate Charlayne Hunter-Gault was awarded a George Foster Peabody Award -- her second. Stationed in Africa, Hunter-Gault chief correspondent in Africa for National Public Radio at that time, was recognized for "excellence in international reporting, from an undercovered and often misunderstood region of the world." Born Feb. 27, 1942 in Due West, S.C., she and her mother soon moved to Covington, Ga., while her father -- a U.S. Army chaplain -- was on active duty. In 1951, her father joined the family in a move to Atlanta. Ten years later, Charlayne Hunter joined Hamilton Holmes as the first black students to attend the University of Georgia. In 1963, she graduated with a degree in journalism, thus launching a long career in journalism that would include ten years with the New York Times, a long association with PBS’s "MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour," and an assignment covering Africa for NPR. Hunter-Gault won her first Peabody Award for her coverage of apartheid in South Africa. Other recognitions include two Emmys, 1986 Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, and the American Women in Radio and Television Award. In 1988, Charlayne Hunter-Gault became the first African America to deliver the commencement address at her alma mater.

March 31, 1999

1999 Athletic director Vince Dooley announced that Rhode Island basketball coach Jim Harrick was the University of Georgia’s new head basketball coach. In 1995, Harrick lead UCLA to the national championship. In his two years at Rhode Island, Harrick lead the team to its highest national ranking in history.

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MAY
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Today in History

1914 Famous writer and Atlanta Constitution columnist Celestine Sibley was born in Holley, Florida. [See Aug. 15 entry for biographical information on Sibley.] read more