What Happened on March 31, 1986

• 48th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Duke, 72-69; first tournament to use a shot clock (initially set at 45 seconds)
• English Hampton Court palace badly damaged by fire, 1 dead
• Mexicana Airlines Boeing 727 crashes, killing 167

• Six metropolitan county councils are abolished in England.

• Cveta Majtanović, Serbian pop singer (Idol Serbia-Montenegro & Macedonia, 2004), born in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia

• Jerry Paris, American director (Happy Days) and actor (The Dick Van Dyke Show - "Jerry"), dies at 60
• O'Kelly Isley, American rock singer (Isley Brothers. 1954-86 - "Shout"; "Twist and Shout"; "It's Your Thing"), dies of a heart attack at 48

Holidays: Easter Monday (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom)

• #1 Song: Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
• #1 Song: Living Doll - Cliff Richard & The Young Ones Featuring Hank B Marvin