March 31

March 31 in the history of the Birmingham District:

• 2015: Alabama Education Association president Henry Mabry retired.
• 2010: Grayson Hall succeeded Dowd Ritter as president and CEO of Regions Bank.
• 2008: Former Chancellor Roy Johnson pleaded guilty to fraud of the state's two-year college system.
• 2008: David Neal was fired after 11 years as WBRC-TV's chief meteorologist.
• 2005: WRAX-FM moved from FM 107.7 to FM 100.5.
• 1995: State Superintendent of Education Wayne Teague retired.
• 1970: Jerome Hines, basso for the Metropolitan Opera, gave the last performance at Loew's Temple Theater.
• 1933: President Roosevelt signed the bill authorizing the Civilian Conservation Corps
• 1921: Birmingham Railway, Light & Power Company was sold to the Birmingham Electric Company.
• 1903: Laura E. Burton graduated from the Louisville Medical College of the University of Kentucky.
• 1881: Flora Richards married B. A. Thompson.
• 1865: Detachments of Wilson's Raiders destroyed the Tannehill Ironworks and Shelby Furnace.

Births

• 1989: Actress, tech worker Hannah Hughes was born.
• 1925: Banker Harry Brock Jr was born in Fort Payne.
• 1900: Birmingham Black Barons player and Baseball Hall of Famer Mule Suttles was born in Blocton.
• 1853: Saloonkeeper George Raps was born in Racine, Wisconsin.
• 1830: Merchant banker Christian Enslen was born in Stuttgart, Germany.

Deaths

• 2015: Civic leader Bill Voigt died from cancer and Parkinson's disease.
• 2010: Prosecutor Bob McGregor died from liver cancer.
• 2008: Minister and local SCLC leader Alfonzo Scales died.
• 2004: Music-N-More owner Aquil Abdur-Rasheed was shot to death at his store in Midfield.
• 1995: Businessman and philanthropist John M. Harbert died.
• 1878: Furnace master Moses Stroup died in Montevallo.

Sports

• 2000: The Birmingham Steeldogs played their very first game, losing 59 to 18 against the Tennessee Valley Vipers at the BJCC Arena.
• 1994: Michael Jordan was assigned to the Birmingham Barons.