What Day Is August 31? Princess Diana Dies in Paris (1997)
August 31 is the 243rd day of the year and the last day of August. Princess Diana died in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris in the early hours of August 31, 1997. The German Unification Treaty was signed on August 31, 1990.
About August 31
August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in a leap year). There are 122 days remaining until the end of the year. It is the last day of August.
The significance of August 31
At 12:23 AM on August 31, 1997, a Mercedes carrying Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed crashed into a support pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. The driver, Henri Paul, died at the scene. Diana was pulled from the wreckage alive but with severe internal injuries. She died at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital at 4:00 AM. The only survivor was bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who was in the front passenger seat. Diana was 36 years old. Her funeral on September 6 drew an estimated one billion TV viewers. Her brother Charles Spencer’s eulogy directly criticized the media pursuit she had endured for 15 years. The crash, the photographers present at the tunnel, and the question of Henri Paul’s blood alcohol level remained subjects of investigation and controversy for more than a decade. In 1990, the German Unification Treaty (Einigungsvertrag) was signed on August 31 in Berlin; formal reunification followed on October 3.
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On This Day in History
- 1957The Federation of Malaya became independent from Britain, celebrated today as Merdeka Day in Malaysia. It was the first independent state in peninsular Southeast Asia.
- 1997Princess Diana died at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris after a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel at 12:23 AM. Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul also died; bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones survived.
Baby Names for This Day
August 31 is the last day of August and the anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Names connected to this date:
- DianaGirl
Princess Diana, born 1961, died August 31, 1997, in Paris; globally mourned, her funeral on September 6 was watched by roughly one billion people.
- SpencerUnisex
Diana's family name before her marriage to Prince Charles; her brother Charles Spencer delivered a memorable eulogy at her funeral.
- WilliamBoy
Diana's older son; he was 15 when she died. Prince William later became the Prince of Wales, the title his mother held.
- HarryBoy
Diana's younger son; he was 12 at the time of the crash. He has spoken extensively about the effect of her death on his life.
- MerdekaUnisex
'Independence' in Malay; Malaysia's national day on August 31 marks the 1957 independence of Malaya from Britain.
- TrevorBoy
Trevor Rees-Jones, the only survivor of the Pont de l'Alma crash; he was Diana's bodyguard and sat in the front passenger seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is August 31?add
August 31 is the day Princess Diana died in Paris (1997). The German Unification Treaty was signed (1990). Malaysia celebrated independence (1957). It is the last day of August and the 243rd day of the year.
What number day of the year is August 31?add
August 31 is the 243rd day of the year, or the 244th in a leap year, with 122 days remaining.
What zodiac sign is August 31?add
August 31 is Virgo, which runs from August 23 to September 22.