Born in 1931
Turns 95 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1931
1931 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $36.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $36.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $36.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $36.50
Front Page: Canada edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1931 · Canada
A little history to go with their gift.
Britain left the gold standard, Virginia Woolf published The Waves, and Charlie Chaplin released City Lights as silent cinema faced the talkies. The year’s records span economic change and two distinct works that tested how stories could be told.
What happened in 1931?
The Dominions Gain Legislative Equality
The Statute of Westminster received royal assent on 11 December 1931 and redefined the constitutional relationship between Britain and the Dominions.
Montreal Wins the Stanley Cup in Game Five
The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks 2–0 in Game Five on April 14, 1931, to win the Stanley Cup final series, 3–2.
Canada Claims Another Hockey World Title
Canada finished first at the 1931 world ice hockey championship in Krynica, with the University of Manitoba Grads representing the country.
Canada passes a new farm and unemployment relief law
The Unemployment and Farm Relief Act took effect in August 1931 to provide aid for the winter of 1931–32.
Firsts and new ideas
William Shatner Is Born in Montreal
William Shatner was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on March 22, 1931.
Biography.com · Encyclopedia.com, Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television
Ruska and Knoll build an electron microscope
In Berlin, Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll built the first electron microscope in 1931.
Nobel Prize Outreach · Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society
Number ones and music in 1931
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Crosby sings I Surrender Dear on screen
Bing Crosby's 1931 short I Surrender Dear put his first solo hit on screen with Gus Arnheim's orchestra.
EMI opens Abbey Road Studios
EMI Studios opened at Abbey Road in London in November 1931, with Edward Elgar conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.
Prices and everyday money in 1931
Canada figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh eggs | $0.337 | 1 dozen Statistics Canada, Canada Year Book Historical Collection |
| Storage eggs | $0.271 | 1 dozen Statistics Canada, Canada Year Book Historical Collection |
| Milk | $0.111 | 1 imperial quart Statistics Canada, Canada Year Book Historical Collection |
| Plain white bread | $0.062 | 1 lb Statistics Canada, Canada Year Book Historical Collection |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1931 turns 95 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
See milestone birthdays this year