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ON THIS DAY

On This Day: August 31

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On Aug. 31, 1997, Britain's Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris at age 36.

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On Aug. 31, 1907, William Shawn, editor of The New Yorker magazine for 35 years, was born. Following his death on Dec. 8, 1992, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

1888	Mary Ann Nichols, a prostitute, was found murdered in London's East End. She is generally regarded as the first victim of Jack the Ripper.
1935	President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an act prohibiting the export of U.S. arms to belligerents.
1954	Hurricane Carol hit the northeastern United States, resulting in nearly 70 deaths and millions of dollars in damage.
1962	The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago became independent within the British Commonwealth.
1985	California's "Night Stalker" killer Richard Ramirez was captured by residents of an East Los Angeles neighborhood.
1992	White separatist Randy Weaver surrendered to authorities in Naples, Idaho, ending an 11-day siege by federal agents that claimed the lives of Weaver's wife and son and a deputy U.S. marshal.
1994	Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltics after half a century.
1997	Britain's Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris at age 36.
2005	Some 1,000 people were killed when a religious procession across a Baghdad bridge was engulfed in panic over rumors of a suicide bomber.
2006	Iran defied a U.N. deadline to stop enriching uranium.
2009	Walt Disney Co. announced it was acquiring comic book giant Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion.
2010	President Barack Obama ended the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, declaring no victory after seven years of bloodshed.

Current Birthdays

Actor Richard Gere turns 62 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Queen Rania, the wife of Jordan's King Abdullah II turns 41 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

1935	Frank Robinson, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 76
1939	Jerry Allison, Rock musician (Buddy Holly and the Crickets), turns 72
1945	Van Morrison, Rock singer, musician, turns 66
1945	Itzhak Perlman, Violinist, turns 66
1946	Tom Coughlin, Football coach, turns 65
1957	Glenn Tilbrook, Rock singer (Squeeze), turns 54
1970	Deborah Gibson, Singer, actress, turns 41
1972	Chris Tucker, Actor, turns 39
1975	Sara Ramirez, Actress ("Grey's Anatomy"), turns 36
1983	Larry Fitzgerald, Football player, turns 28

Historic Birthdays

William Shawn8/31/1907 - 12/8/1992American editor of The New Yorker (1952-87).Go to obituary »

97	John Neville Keynes 8/31/1852 - 11/15/1949 English philosopher and economist
69	Georg Jensen 8/31/1866 - 10/2/1935 Danish silversmith and designer
81	Maria Montessori 8/31/1870 - 5/6/1952 Italian educator; founder of Montessori education
82	Wilhelmina 8/31/1880 - 11/28/1962 Dutch queen (1890-1948)
71	George Sarton 8/31/1884 - 3/22/1956 Belgian-born American scholar
54	DuBose Heyward 8/31/1885 - 6/16/1940 American dramatist, novelist and poet
77	Fredric March 8/31/1897 - 4/14/1975 American screen and stage actor
79	Arthur Godfrey 8/31/1903 - 3/16/1983 American radio and television entertainer
74	Dore Schary 8/31/1905 - 7/7/1980 American screenwriter, playwright, producer and director
49	Ramon Magsaysay 8/31/1907 - 3/17/1957 Philippine president (1953-7)
72	William Saroyan 8/31/1908 - 5/18/1981 American novelist and playwright
67	Alan Jay Lerner 8/31/1918 - 6/14/1986 American librettist and lyricist for stage and screen