A tragic high speed early morning car accident in Paris took the life of Princess Diana Spencer and plunged the world into mourning on this date in 1997. Driver Henri Paul, who was drunk, lost control of the Mercedes S-280, crashing into a pillar on the underpass below the Pont de l'Alma...
Diana's companion, Dodi Fayed was killed instantly as was driver Henri Paul. Trevor Rees Jones, bodyguard of the princess escaped with serious but nonfatal injuries. He was the only one wearing his seat belt. Trapped inside the car, Diana suffered massive chest injuries, was treated at the scene. Taken to Pitie-Salpetiere Hospital, the princess suffered cardiac arrest and at 3AM was pronounced dead...
What followed was an outpouring of love from all corners of the world. Mourners would bring more than a million bouquets of flowers and waited more than 12 hours to sign books of condolences. A charity fund would raise $133 million of which $48 million came from sales of Elton John's memorial single "Candle In The Wind 1997" and $20 million from official Diana souvenirs...
Diana's funeral service was watched by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. Diana was 36 at the time of her death...
More August 31 Memories...
1950) Brooklyn Dodger Gil Hodges hits 4 home runs in one game, tying a major league record...
1969) Heavweight champ Rocky Marciano dies in a light plane crash in Iowa, the day before his 46th birthday...
1974) "The Partridge Family" TV show ends, David Cassidy pursues a solo career...
1974) Carole King's "Jazzman" is released...
1976) A judge rules that George Harrison was guilty of copying from the Chiffons song "He's So Fine" when he wrote "My Sweet Lord"...
1981) The 30-year contract between Milton Berle and NBC-TV expires...
1985) "Night Stalker" killer Richard Ramirez is captured by residents of an East Los Angeles neighborhood...
1989) The Rolling Stones begin their 1st concert tour in 8 years at JFK stadium in Philadelphia...
1995) The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opens in Cleveland...
1997) Princess Diana dies at 36 (feature story)...
1997) The Yankees retire Don Mattingly's number, #23...
1998) "Titanic" becomes the first movie in North America to earn more than $600 million...
2001) A Bronx Little League team's 3rd place finish is ruled invalid because star pitcher Danny Almonte was found to be 2 years older than the age limit of 12...
2002) Jazz great Lionel Hampton hits his last note on the vibes at 94...
Happy Birthday to...
1916) Broadcast journalist Daniel Schorr...
1931) Dan Rather...
1935) National's manager/Hall of Famer Frank Robinson...
1939) Crickets' drummer Jerry Allison...
1945) Violinist Itzhak Perlman...
1945) Van Morrison...
1949) Richard Gere...
1953) O.J. Prosecutor Marcia Clark...
1970) Deborah Gibson...
Commentary...
About Diana Frances Spencer: Lady Di was born July 1, 1961 in England...She became known as Lady Diana Spencer in 1975...She became a kindergarten teacher at a fashionable school in suburban London after completing her education...In 1980 she began a romance with Prince Charles. In 1981 they were engaged to be married...On July 29, 1981 nearly one billion viewers in 74 countries witnessed her marriage to the heir to the British throne...their first child, Prince William was born in 1982. Second child, Prince Henry was born in 1984...In 1992 Diana and Charles formally separated and in August of 1996, the prince and princess reached a final divorce agreement...
Diana's looks and shy demeanor made her an instant media sensation. She would become one of the most photographed women in the world and the focus of paparazzi wherever she went. Lady Di's generous spirit was also felt with the countless hours she devoted to charity work...
Princess Diana's flame was extinguished at the age of 36. The end of Elton John's memorial song to Lady Di puts things in the right perspective, "And your footsteps will always fall here along England's greenest hills. Your candle's burned out long before your legend ever will..."
