Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by whitelisting our website.

1797

March 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.
  • 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Didius Julianus.
  • 364 – Roman Emperor Valentinian I appoints his brother Flavius Valens co-emperor.
  • 1566 – The foundation stone of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, is laid by Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
  • 1737 – The Marathas under Baji Rao I attack and defeat the Mughals in the Battle of Delhi.
  • 1776 – Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.
  • 1794 – Allies under Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld defeat French forces at Le Cateau.
  • 1795 – Partitions of Poland: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a northern fief of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, ceases to exist and becomes part of Imperial Russia.
  • 1801 – Treaty of Florence is signed, ending the war between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples.
  • 1802 – Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid ever to be discovered.
  • 1809 – Peninsular War: France defeats Spain in the Battle of Medellín.
  • 1814 – War of 1812: In the Battle of Valparaíso, two American naval vessels are captured by two Royal Navy vessels of equal strength.
  • 1842 – First concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Otto Nicolai.
  • 1854 – Crimean War: France and Britain declare war on Russia.
  • 1860 – First Taranaki War: The Battle of Waireka begins.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: In the Battle of Glorieta Pass, Union forces stop the Confederate invasion of the New Mexico Territory. The battle began on March 26.
  • 1871 – The Paris Commune is formally established in Paris.
  • 1883 – Tonkin Campaign: French victory in the Battle of Gia Cuc.
  • 1910 – Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a seaplane, the Fabre Hydravion, after taking off from a water runway near Martigues, France.
  • 1920 – Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1920 affects the Great Lakes region and Deep South states.
  • 1933 – The Imperial Airways biplane City of Liverpool is believed to be the first airliner lost to sabotage when a passenger sets a fire on board.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Generalissimo Francisco Franco conquers Madrid after a three-year siege.
  • 1941 – World War II: Britain’s Mediterranean Fleet sinks three heavy cruisers and two destroyers of Italy’s Regia Marina.
  • 1942 – World War II: A British combined force permanently disables the Louis Joubert Lock in Saint-Nazaire in order to keep the German battleship Tirpitz away from the mid-ocean convoy lanes.
  • 1946 – Cold War: The United States Department of State releases the Acheson–Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.
  • 1951 – First Indochina War: In the Battle of Mạo Khê, French Union forces, led by World War II hero Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, inflict a defeat on Việt Minh forces commanded by General Võ Nguyên Giáp.
  • 1959 – The State Council of the People’s Republic of China dissolves the government of Tibet.
  • 1968 – Brazilian high school student Edson Luís de Lima Souto is killed by military police at a protest for cheaper meals at a restaurant for low-income students.
  • 1969 – Greek poet and Nobel Prize laureate Giorgos Seferis makes a famous statement on the BBC World Service opposing the junta in Greece.
  • 1970 – An earthquake strikes western Turkey at about 23:05 local time, killing 1,086 and injuring 1,260.
  • 1978 – The US Supreme Court hands down 5–3 decision in Stump v. Sparkman, a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization and judicial immunity.
  • 1979 – A coolant leak at the Three Mile Island’s Unit 2 nuclear reactor outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania leads to the core overheating and a partial meltdown.
  • 1979 – The British House of Commons passes a vote of no confidence against James Callaghan’s government by 1 vote, precipitating a general election.
  • 1990 – United States President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal.
  • 1994 – In South Africa, African National Congress security guards kill dozens of Inkatha Freedom Party protesters.
  • 1999 – Kosovo War: Serb paramilitary and military forces kill 146 Kosovo Albanians in Izbica.
  • 2003 – In a friendly fire incident, two American A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft attack British tanks participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, killing one soldier.
  • 2005 – An earthquake shakes northern Sumatra with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong), leaving 915–1,314 people dead and 340–1,146 injured.
  • 2006 – Massive protests are mounted against France’s First Employment Contract law, meant to reduce youth unemployment.

Births of March 28

  • 931 – Liu Chengyou, emperor of Later Han (d. 951)
  • 1097 – Atsiz, Abbasid caliph (d. 1156)
  • 1416 – Jodha of Mandore, Ruler of Marwar (d. 1489)
  • 1468 – Charles I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1490)
  • 1472 – Fra Bartolomeo, Italian painter (d. 1517)
  • 1483 – Raphael, Italian painter and architect (d. 1520)
  • 1515 – Teresa of Ávila, Spanish nun and saint (d. 1582)
  • 1522 – Albert the Warlike, German prince (d. 1557)
  • 1527 – Isabella Markham, English courtier (d. 1579)
  • 1591 – William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English earl (d. 1668)
  • 1592 – John Amos Comenius, Czech bishop and educator (d. 1670)
  • 1599 – Witte de With, Dutch captain (d. 1658)
  • 1613 – Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang of China (d. 1688)
  • 1621 – Heinrich Schwemmer, German composer and educator (d. 1696)
  • 1638 – Frederik Ruysch, Dutch botanist and anatomist (d. 1731)
  • 1652 – Samuel Sewall, English judge (d. 1730)
  • 1725 – Andrew Kippis, English minister and author (d. 1795)
  • 1727 – Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria, (d. 1777)
  • 1743 – Yekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova, Russian academic and politician (d. 1810)
  • 1750 – Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan general and politician, President of Venezuela (d. 1816)
  • 1760 – Thomas Clarkson, English activist (d. 1846)
  • 1773 – Henri Gatien Bertrand, French general (d. 1844)
  • 1793 – Henry Schoolcraft, American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist (d. 1864)
  • 1795 – Georg Heinrich Pertz, German historian and author (d. 1876)
  • 1806 – Thomas Hare, English lawyer and political scientist (d. 1891)
  • 1811 – John Neumann, Czech-American bishop and saint (d. 1860)
  • 1815 – Arsène Houssaye, French author and poet (d. 1896)
  • 1818 – Wade Hampton III, American general and politician, 77th Governor of South Carolina (d. 1902)
  • 1819 – Joseph Bazalgette, English architect and engineer, designed the Hammersmith Bridge and Battersea Bridge (d. 1891)
  • 1828 – Melchior Anderegg, Swiss mountain guide (d. 1914)
  • 1832 – Henry D. Washburn, American politician, general and explorer (d. 1871)
  • 1836 – Frederick Pabst, German-American brewer, founded the Pabst Brewing Company (d. 1904)
  • 1840 – Emin Pasha, German-Jewish Egyptian physician and politician (d. 1892)
  • 1847 – Gyula Farkas, Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1930)
  • 1849 – James Darmesteter, French historian and author (d. 1894)
  • 1850 – Kyrle Bellew, English theatre actor (d. 1911)
  • 1851 – Bernardino Machado, Portuguese academic and politician, 3rd President of Portugal (d. 1944)
  • 1862 – Aristide Briand, French politician, Prime Minister of France, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1932)
  • 1866 – Jimmy Ross, Scottish footballer (d. 1902)
  • 1868 – Maxim Gorky, Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 1936)
  • 1871 – Willem Mengelberg, Dutch-Swiss conductor (d. 1951)
  • 1873 – John Geiger, American rower (d. 1956)
  • 1878 – Abraham Walkowitz, Russian-American painter (d. 1965)
  • 1879 – Terence MacSwiney, Irish republican politician and hunger striker; Lord Mayor of Cork (d. 1920)
  • 1881 – Martin Sheridan, Irish-American discus thrower and jumper (d. 1918)
  • 1884 – Angelos Sikelianos, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1951)
  • 1886 – Gustave Mesny, French general (d. 1945)
  • 1890 – Paul Whiteman, American violinist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1967)
  • 1892 – Corneille Heymans, Belgian physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
  • 1892 – Tom Maguire, Irish general (d. 1993)
  • 1893 – Spyros Skouras, Greek-American businessman (d. 1971)
  • 1894 – Ernst Lindemann, German captain (d. 1941)
  • 1895 – Ángela Ruiz Robles, Spanish teacher, writer and inventor, pioneer of the electronic book (d. 1975)
  • 1895 – Christian Herter, American politician, 53rd United States Secretary of State (d. 1966)
  • 1895 – Donald Grey Barnhouse, American pastor and theologian (d. 1960)
  • 1895 – Spencer W. Kimball, American religious leader, 12th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1985)
  • 1897 – Sepp Herberger, German footballer and manager (d. 1977)
  • 1897 – Tillie Voss, American football player (d. 1975)
  • 1899 – Gussie Busch, American businessman (d. 1989)
  • 1899 – Harold B. Lee, American religious leader, 11th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1973)
  • 1899 – Buck Shaw, American football player and coach (d. 1977)
  • 1900 – Edward Wagenknecht, American critic and educator (d. 2004)
  • 1902 – Flora Robson, English actress (d. 1984)
  • 1902 – Jaromír Vejvoda, Czech fiddler and composer (d. 1988)
  • 1903 – Rudolf Serkin, Czech-American pianist and educator (d. 1991)
  • 1904 – Isabel Cuchí Coll, Puerto Rican author and journalist (d. 1993)
  • 1905 – Pandro S. Berman, American production manager and producer (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Marlin Perkins, American zoologist and television host (d. 1986)
  • 1906 – Murray Adaskin, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 2002)
  • 1906 – Robert Allen, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1906 – Dorothy Knowles, South African-English author, fencer and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1907 – Lúcia Santos, Portuguese nun (d. 2005)
  • 1907 – Norrey Ford, English author (d. 1985)
  • 1907 – Irving Paul Lazar, American lawyer and talent agent (d. 1993)
  • 1909 – Nelson Algren, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1981)
  • 1910 – Frederick Baldwin Adams, Jr., American librarian and art collector (d. 2001)
  • 1910 – Jimmie Dodd, American actor and singer-songwriter (d. 1964)
  • 1910 – Ingrid of Sweden, (d. 2000)
  • 1911 – Consalvo Sanesi, Italian race car driver (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian author (d. 1984)
  • 1912 – Marina Raskova, Russian pilot and navigator (d. 1943)
  • 1913 – Kazuo Taoka, Japanese crime boss (d. 1981)
  • 1913 – Toko Shinoda, Japanese artist
  • 1914 – Edward Anhalt, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2000)
  • 1914 – Bohumil Hrabal, Czech author (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Kenneth Richard Norris, Australian entomologist and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (d. 1996)
  • 1914 – Everett Ruess, American explorer, poet, and painter (d. 1934)
  • 1915 – Jay Livingston, American singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – Claude Bertrand, Canadian neurosurgeon and scholar (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Edward Amy, Canadian soldier (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Jacob Avshalomov, American composer and conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Tom Brooks, Australian cricket umpire (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Eileen Crofton, British physician and author (d. 2010)
  • 1919 – Vic Raschi, American baseball player and coach (d. 1988)
  • 1921 – Harold Agnew, American physicist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Dirk Bogarde, English actor and author (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Herschel Grynszpan, German assassin of Ernst vom Rath (d. 1960)
  • 1921 – Walter Neugebauer, Croatian-German author and illustrator (d. 1992)
  • 1922 – Neville Bonner, Australian politician (d. 1999)
  • 1922 – Grace Hartigan, American painter and educator (d. 2008)
  • 1922 – Joey Maxim, American boxer and actor (d. 2001)
  • 1922 – B. Neminathan, Sri Lankan politician
  • 1923 – Paul C. Donnelly, American scientist and engineer (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Thad Jones, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1986)
  • 1924 – Freddie Bartholomew, American actor (d. 1992)
  • 1924 – Fred Flanagan, Australian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Russian actor (d. 1994)
  • 1925 – Dorothy DeBorba, American child actress (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Polly Umrigar, Indian cricketer (d. 2006)
  • 1927 – Theo Colborn, American zoologist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Marianne Fredriksson, Swedish journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Vina Mazumdar, Indian academic and activist (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-American political activist and analyst; 10th United States National Security Advisor (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Alexander Grothendieck, German-French mathematician and theorist (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Paul England, Australian race car driver and engineer (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Robert Ashley, American soldier and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – Jerome Isaac Friedman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1930 – Elizabeth Bainbridge, English soprano
  • 1933 – Tete Montoliu, Spanish pianist (d. 1997)
  • 1933 – Frank Murkowski, American soldier, banker, and politician, 8th Governor of Alaska
  • 1934 – Lester R. Brown, American environmentalist, founded the Earth Policy Institute and Worldwatch Institute
  • 1934 – Laurie Taitt, Guyanese-English hurdler (d. 2006)
  • 1935 – Frank Judd, Baron Judd, English politician, Secretary of State for International Development
  • 1935 – Michael Parkinson, English journalist and author
  • 1935 – Józef Szmidt, Polish triple jumper
  • 1936 – Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian novelist, playwright, and essayist Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1938 – Hans-Jürgen Bäsler, German footballer (d. 2002)
  • 1939 – Dov Frohman, Israeli electrical engineer and business executive
  • 1940 – Tony Barber, English-Australian television host
  • 1940 – Luis Cubilla, Uruguayan footballer and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Daniel Dennett, American philosopher and academic
  • 1942 – Kitanofuji Katsuaki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 52nd Yokozuna
  • 1942 – Neil Kinnock, Welsh politician, Vice-President of the European Commission
  • 1942 – Mike Newell, English director and producer
  • 1942 – Samuel Ramey, American opera singer
  • 1942 – Conrad Schumann, East German border guard (d. 1998)
  • 1942 – Jerry Sloan, American basketball player and coach
  • 1943 – Richard Eyre, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Conchata Ferrell, American actress
  • 1944 – Rick Barry, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1944 – Ken Howard, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1945 – Rodrigo Duterte, Filipino politician, 16th President of the Philippines
  • 1945 – Johnny Famechon, French-Australian boxer
  • 1945 – Björn Hamilton, Swedish engineer and politician
  • 1946 – Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist and astronaut (d. 2014)
  • 1946 – Henry Paulson, American banker and politician, 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury
  • 1946 – Alejandro Toledo, Peruvian economist and politician, 48th President of Peru
  • 1947 – Greg Thompson, Canadian educator and politician, 25th Minister of Veterans Affairs (d. 2019)
  • 1948 – John Evan, English keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1948 – Janice Lynde, American actress
  • 1948 – Dianne Wiest, American actress
  • 1948 – Milan Williams, American keyboard player (d. 2006)
  • 1949 – Ronnie Ray Smith, American sprinter (d. 2013)
  • 1952 – Keith Ashfield, Canadian politician (d. 2018)
  • 1952 – Tony Brise, English race car driver (d. 1975)
  • 1953 – Melchior Ndadaye, Burundian banker and politician, 4th President of Burundi (d. 1993)
  • 1953 – Rosemary Ashe, British actress and singer
  • 1954 – Donald Brown, American pianist and educator
  • 1955 – John Alderdice, Baron Alderdice, Northern Irish psychiatrist and politician, 1st Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
  • 1955 – Reba McEntire, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1956 – Susan Ershler, American mountaineer and author
  • 1957 – Harvey Glance, American sprinter and coach
  • 1958 – Edesio Alejandro, Cuban composer
  • 1958 – Elisabeth Andreassen, Swedish-Norwegian singer
  • 1958 – Bart Conner, American gymnast and sportscaster
  • 1958 – Curt Hennig, American wrestler, manager, and sportscaster (d. 2003)
  • 1959 – Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rican politician, President of Costa Rica
  • 1959 – Chiaki Morosawa, Japanese anime screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1959 – Chris Myers, American journalist and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Chris Barrie, British actor and comedian
  • 1960 – José Maria Neves, Cape Verdeian politician, Prime Minister of Cape Verde
  • 1960 – Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, French-Belgian author and playwright
  • 1961 – Byron Scott, American basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Jure Franko, Slovenian skier
  • 1962 – Simon Bazalgette, English businessman
  • 1963 – Jan Masiel, Polish politician
  • 1964 – Karen Lumley, English politician
  • 1966 – Cheryl James, American rapper and actress
  • 1967 – John Ziegler, German-American radio host and director
  • 1968 – Iris Chang, Chinese-American journalist and author (d. 2004)
  • 1968 – Nasser Hussain, Indian-English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Colin Brazier, English journalist
  • 1969 – Rodney Atkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1969 – Brett Ratner, American director and producer
  • 1970 – Vince Vaughn, American actor
  • 1970 – Jennifer Weiner, American journalist and author
  • 1971 – Christianne Meneses Jacobs, Nicaraguan-American journalist and educator
  • 1971 – Orfeh, American singer, songwriter and actress
  • 1972 – Nick Frost, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Keith Tkachuk, American ice hockey player
  • 1973 – Björn Kuipers, Dutch footballer and referee
  • 1975 – Fabrizio Gollin, Italian race car driver
  • 1975 – Kate Gosselin, American television personality
  • 1975 – Iván Helguera, Spanish footballer
  • 1975 – Shanna Moakler, American model
  • 1976 – Dave Keuning, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1977 – Lauren Weisberger, American author
  • 1978 – Nathan Cayless, Australian-New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1979 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer and media personality
  • 1980 – Cho Seung-woo, South Korean actor
  • 1980 – David Lee, English footballer
  • 1980 – Rasmus Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1980 – Luke Walton, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Lindsay Frimodt, American fashion model
  • 1981 – Edwar Ramírez, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Julia Stiles, American actress
  • 1983 – Ladji Doucouré, French sprinter and hurdler
  • 1984 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi actor
  • 1984 – Christopher Samba, Congolese footballer
  • 1984 – Nikki Sanderson, English actress
  • 1985 – Stefano Ferrario, Italian footballer
  • 1985 – Sauli Koskinen, Finnish TV host and entertainer
  • 1985 – Steve Mandanda, French footballer
  • 1985 – Stanislas Wawrinka, Swiss tennis player
  • 1986 – Bowe Bergdahl, American sergeant
  • 1986 – Lady Gaga, American singer-songwriter, dancer, producer, and actress
  • 1986 – J-Kwon, American rapper
  • 1986 – Amaia Salamanca, Spanish actress
  • 1986 – Barbora Strýcová, Czech tennis player
  • 1987 – Jean-Paul Adela, Seychellois footballer
  • 1987 – Yohan Benalouane, French-Tunisian footballer
  • 1987 – Simeon Jackson, Canadian soccer player
  • 1987 – Kagney Linn Karter, American pornographic actress
  • 1987 – Yotam Solomon, Israeli/American fashion designer
  • 1987 – Mary Kate Wiles, American actress
  • 1988 – Ryan Kalish, American baseball player
  • 1988 – Lacey Turner, English actress
  • 1989 – Afrikan Boy, English rapper
  • 1989 – David Goodwillie, Scottish footballer
  • 1989 – Lukas Jutkiewicz, English footballer
  • 1989 – Mira Leung, Canadian figure skater
  • 1989 – Marek Suchý, Czech footballer
  • 1990 – Zac Clarke, Australian footballer
  • 1990 – Zoella (Zoe Sugg), English Youtuber
  • 1991 – Amy Bruckner, American actress
  • 1991 – Lisa-Maria Moser, Austrian tennis player
  • 1991 – Marie-Philip Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Ondřej Palát, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Sergi Gómez, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Lucho Ayala, Filipino actor
  • 1994 – Jackson Wang, Hong Kong rapper
  • 1995 – Jonathan Drouin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1996 – Matt Renshaw, English-Australian cricketer
  • 2004 – Anna Shcherbakova, Russian figure skater (two-time Russian National Champion – ’19 & ’20)

Deaths of March 28

  • 193 – Pertinax, Roman emperor (b. 126)
  • 741 – Hatsusebe, Japanese princess
  • 965 – Arnulf I, count of Flanders
  • 966 – Flodoard, Frankish canon and chronicler
  • 1072 – Ordulf, Duke of Saxony (b. 1022)
  • 1134 – Saint Stephen Harding, founder of the Cistercian order
  • 1239 – Emperor Go-Toba of Japan (b. 1180)
  • 1241 – Valdemar II of Denmark (b. 1170)
  • 1254 – William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby (b. 1193)
  • 1285 – Pope Martin IV (b. 1220)
  • 1346 – Venturino of Bergamo, Dominican preacher (b. 1304)
  • 1461 – John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford (b. 1435)
  • 1563 – Heinrich Glarean, Swiss poet and theorist (b. 1488)
  • 1566 – Sigismund von Herberstein, Austrian historian and diplomat (b. 1486)
  • 1583 – Magnus, Duke of Holstein (b. 1540)
  • 1584 – Ivan the Terrible, Russian king (b. 1530)
  • 1687 – Constantijn Huygens, Dutch poet and composer (b. 1596)
  • 1794 – Marquis de Condorcet, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1743)
  • 1818 – Antonio Capuzzi, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1755)
  • 1865 – Petrus Hofman Peerlkamp, Dutch scholar and critic (b. 1786)
  • 1866 – Solomon Foot, American lawyer and politician (b. 1802)
  • 1868 – James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, English lieutenant and politician (b. 1797)
  • 1870 – George Henry Thomas, American general (b. 1816)
  • 1874 – Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish-German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1795)
  • 1881 – Modest Mussorgsky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1839)
  • 1893 – Edmund Kirby Smith, American general (b. 1824)
  • 1900 – Piet Joubert, South African soldier and politician (b. 1831 or 1834)
  • 1910 – Édouard Colonne, French violinist and conductor (b. 1838)
  • 1917 – Albert Pinkham Ryder, American painter (b. 1847)
  • 1923 – Charles Hubbard, American archer (b. 1849)
  • 1927 – Joseph-Médard Émard, Canadian archbishop (b. 1853)
  • 1929 – Katharine Lee Bates, American poet and songwriter (b. 1859)
  • 1929 – Lomer Gouin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 13th Premier of Quebec (b. 1861)
  • 1934 – Mahmoud Mokhtar, Egyptian sculptor and educator (b. 1891)
  • 1941 – Marcus Hurley, American basketball player and cyclist (b. 1883)
  • 1941 – Kavasji Jamshedji Petigara, Indian police officer (b. 1877)
  • 1941 – Virginia Woolf, English novelist, essayist, short story writer, and critic (b. 1882)
  • 1942 – Miguel Hernández, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1910)
  • 1943 – Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1873)
  • 1944 – Stephen Leacock, English-Canadian political scientist and author (b. 1869)
  • 1947 – Karol Świerczewski, Polish general (b. 1897)
  • 1949 – Grigoraș Dinicu, Romanian violinist and composer (b. 1889)
  • 1953 – Jim Thorpe, American football player and coach (b. 1887)
  • 1958 – W. C. Handy, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1873)
  • 1962 – Hugo Wast, Argentinian author and screenwriter (b. 1883)
  • 1963 – Antonius Bouwens, Dutch target shooter (b. 1876)
  • 1965 – Clemence Dane, English author and playwright (b. 1888)
  • 1965 – Jack Hoxie, American actor (b. 1885)
  • 1969 – Dwight D. Eisenhower, American general and politician, 34th President of the United States (b. 1890)
  • 1971 – Robert Hunter, American golfer (b. 1886)
  • 1972 – Donie Bush, American baseball player, manager, and team owner (b. 1887)
  • 1974 – Arthur Crudup, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1905)
  • 1974 – Dorothy Fields, American songwriter (b. 1905)
  • 1974 – Françoise Rosay, French actress (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Richard Arlen, American actor (b. 1898)
  • 1977 – Eric Shipton, Sri Lankan-English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1907)
  • 1980 – Dick Haymes, Argentinian-American actor and singer (b. 1918)
  • 1982 – William Giauque, Canadian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1895)
  • 1984 – Carmen Dragon, American conductor and composer (b. 1914)
  • 1985 – Marc Chagall, Russian-French painter and poet (b. 1887)
  • 1986 – Virginia Gilmore. American actress (b. 1919)
  • 1987 – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (b. 1905)
  • 1992 – Nikolaos Platon, Greek archaeologist and academic (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – Scott Cunningham, American author (b. 1956)
  • 1994 – Eugène Ionesco, Romanian-French playwright and critic (b. 1909)
  • 1996 – Shin Kanemaru, Japanese politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1914)
  • 1999 – Franco Gasparri, Italian actor (b. 1948)
  • 2000 – Anthony Powell, English soldier and author (b. 1905)
  • 2001 – Moe Koffman, Canadian flute player, saxophonist, and composer (b. 1928)
  • 2004 – Peter Ustinov, English-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Moura Lympany, English-Monacan pianist (b. 1916)
  • 2005 – Robin Spry, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1939)
  • 2006 – Pro Hart, Australian painter (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Vethathiri Maharishi, Indian philosopher and author (b. 1911)
  • 2006 – Charles Schepens, Belgian-American ophthalmologist and author (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Caspar Weinberger, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 15th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1917)
  • 2009 – Maurice Jarre, French-American composer and conductor (b. 1924)
  • 2010 – June Havoc, American actress, dancer, and director (b. 1912)
  • 2011 – Wenche Foss, Norwegian actress (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – John Arden, English author and playwright (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Alexander Arutiunian, Armenian pianist and composer (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Harry Crews, American novelist, playwright, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Addie L. Wyatt, African American labor leader (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – George E. P. Box, English-American statistician and educator (b. 1919)
  • 2013 – Manuel García Ferré, Spanish-Argentinian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Richard Griffiths, English actor (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Art Malone, American race car driver (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Hugh McCracken, American guitarist, harmonica player, and producer (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Heinz Patzig, German footballer and manager (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Bob Teague, American college football star and television news-reporter (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Gus Triandos, American baseball player and scout (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Robert Zildjian, American businessman, founded Sabian (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Jeremiah Denton, American admiral and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Lorenzo Semple, Jr., American screenwriter and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Avraham Yaski, Israeli architect and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Chuck Brayton, American baseball player and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Joseph Cassidy, Canadian-English priest and academic (b. 1954)
  • 2015 – Miroslav Ondříček, Czech cinematographer (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Gene Saks, American actor and director (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – James Noble, American actor (b. 1922)

Holidays and observances on March 28

  • Christian feast day:
    • Stephen Harding
    • Guntram
    • Priscus
    • Pope Sixtus III
    • Tuotilo
    • March 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commemoration of Sen no Rikyū (Schools of Japanese tea ceremony)
  • Serfs Emancipation Day (Tibet)
  • Teachers’ Day (Czech Republic and Slovakia)

March 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized on Ferrara, a papal fiefdom.
  • 1329 – Pope John XXII issues his In Agro Dominico condemning some writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical.
  • 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León reaches the northern end of The Bahamas on his first voyage to Florida.
  • 1625 – Charles I becomes King of England, Scotland and Ireland as well as claiming the title King of France.
  • 1782 – Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • 1794 – The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates.
  • 1809 – Peninsular War: A combined Franco-Polish force defeats the Spanish in the Battle of Ciudad Real.
  • 1814 – War of 1812: In central Alabama, U.S. forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
  • 1836 – Texas Revolution: On the orders of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican army massacres 342 Texas POWs at Goliad, Texas.
  • 1866 – President of the United States of America Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866. His veto is overridden by Congress and the bill passes into law on April 9.
  • 1871 – The first international rugby football match, when Scotland defeats England in Edinburgh at Raeburn Place.
  • 1884 – A mob in Cincinnati, Ohio, attacks members of a jury which had returned a verdict of manslaughter in what was seen as a clear case of murder; over the next few days the mob would riot and eventually destroy the courthouse.
  • 1886 – Geronimo, Apache warrior, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars.
  • 1899 – Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Marilao River.
  • 1915 – Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States is put in quarantine for the second time, where she would remain for the rest of her life.
  • 1918 – The National Council of Bessarabia proclaims union with the Kingdom of Romania.
  • 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Taierzhuang begins, resulting several weeks later in the war’s first major Chinese victory over Japan.
  • 1941 – World War II: Yugoslav Air Force officers topple the pro-Axis government in a bloodless coup.
  • 1943 – World War II: Battle of the Komandorski Islands: In the Aleutian Islands the battle begins when United States Navy forces intercept Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska.
  • 1945 – World War II: Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan’s ports and waterways begins. Argentina declares war on the Axis Powers.
  • 1958 – Nikita Khrushchev becomes Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.
  • 1964 – The Good Friday earthquake, the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history at a magnitude of 9.2 strikes Southcentral Alaska, killing 125 people and inflicting massive damage to the city of Anchorage.
  • 1975 – Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins.
  • 1977 – Tenerife airport disaster: Two Boeing 747 airliners collide on a foggy runway on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 583 (all 248 on KLM and 335 on Pan Am). Sixty-one survived on the Pan Am flight. This is the deadliest aviation accident in history.
  • 1980 – The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.
  • 1980 – Silver Thursday: A steep fall in silver prices, resulting from the Hunt Brothers attempting to corner the market in silver, leads to panic on commodity and futures exchanges.
  • 1981 – The Solidarity movement in Poland stages a warning strike, in which at least 12 million Poles walk off their jobs for four hours.
  • 1986 – A car bomb explodes outside Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, Australia, killing one police officer and injuring 21 people.
  • 1990 – The United States begins broadcasting anti-Castro propaganda to Cuba on TV Martí.
  • 1993 – Jiang Zemin is appointed President of the People’s Republic of China.
  • 1993 – Italian former minister and Christian Democracy leader Giulio Andreotti is accused of mafia allegiance by the tribunal of Palermo.
  • 1998 – The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.
  • 1999 – Kosovo War: An American Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is shot down by a Yugoslav SAM, the first and only Nighthawk to be lost in combat.
  • 2000 – A Phillips Petroleum plant explosion in Pasadena, Texas kills one person and injures 71 others.
  • 2002 – Passover massacre: A Palestinian suicide bomber kills 29 people at a Passover seder in Netanya, Israel.
  • 2002 – Nanterre massacre: In Nanterre, France, a gunman opens fire at the end of a town council meeting, resulting in the deaths of eight councilors; 19 other people are injured.
  • 2004 – HMS Scylla, a decommissioned Leander-class frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe.
  • 2009 – The dam forming Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Indonesia, fails, killing at least 99 people.
  • 2014 – Philippines signs a peace accord with the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades of conflict.
  • 2015 – Al-Shabab militants attack and temporarily occupy a Mogadishu hotel leaving at least 20 people dead.
  • 2016 – A suicide blast in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore claims over 70 lives and leaves almost 300 others injured. The target of the bombing are Christians celebrating Easter.
  • 2020 – North Macedonia becomes the 30th member of NATO.

Births on March 27

  • 972 – Robert II, king of France (d. 1031)
  • 1401 – Albert III, duke of Bavaria (d. 1460)
  • 1416 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded Order of the Minims (d. 1507)
  • 1546 – Johannes Piscator, German theologian (d. 1625)
  • 1627 – Stephen Fox, English politician (d. 1716)
  • 1676 – Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian prince (b. 1676)
  • 1679 – Domenico Lalli, Italian poet and librettist (d. 1741)
  • 1681 – Joaquín Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish-Italian cardinal (d. 1760)
  • 1702 – Johann Ernst Eberlin, German organist and composer (d. 1762)
  • 1710 – Joseph Abaco, Belgian cellist and composer (d. 1805)
  • 1712 – Claude Bourgelat, French surgeon and author (d. 1779)
  • 1714 – Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian historian and theologian (d. 1795)
  • 1724 – Jane Colden, American botanist and author (d. 1766)
  • 1745 – Lindley Murray, American-English Quaker and grammarian (d. 1826)
  • 1746 – Michael Bruce, Scottish poet and composer (d. 1767)
  • 1746 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican-French lawyer and politician (d. 1785)
  • 1765 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1841)
  • 1781 – Alexander Vostokov, Estonian-Russian philologist and academic (d. 1864)
  • 1784 – Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, Hungarian philologist, orientalist, and author (d. 1842)
  • 1785 – Louis XVII of France (d. 1795)
  • 1797 – Alfred de Vigny, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1863)
  • 1801 – Alexander Barrow, American lawyer and politician (d. 1846)
  • 1802 – Charles-Mathias Simons, German-Luxembourger jurist and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 1874)
  • 1809 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, French engineer, urban planner, and politician (d. 1891)
  • 1811 – Edward William Cooke, English painter and illustrator (d. 1880)
  • 1814 – Charles Mackay, Scottish journalist, anthologist, and author (d. 1889)
  • 1820 – Edward Augustus Inglefield, English admiral and explorer (d. 1894)
  • 1822 – Henri Murger, French novelist and poet (d. 1861)
  • 1824 – Virginia Minor, American women’s suffrage activist (d. 1894)
  • 1839 – John Ballance, Irish-New Zealand journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1893)
  • 1843 – George Frederick Leycester Marshall, English colonel and entomologist (d. 1934)
  • 1844 – Adolphus Greely, American general and explorer, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1935)
  • 1845 – Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
  • 1845 – Jakob Sverdrup, Norwegian bishop and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Church Affairs (d. 1899)
  • 1847 – Otto Wallach, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
  • 1851 – Ruperto Chapí, Spanish composer, co-founded Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (d. 1909)
  • 1851 – Vincent d’Indy, French composer and educator (d. 1931)
  • 1852 – Jan van Beers, Belgian painter and illustrator (d. 1927)
  • 1854 – Giovanni Battista Grassi, Italian physician, zoologist, and entomologist (d. 1925)
  • 1855 – William Libbey, American target shooter, colonel, mountaineer, geographer, geologist, and archaeologist (d. 1927)
  • 1857 – Karl Pearson, English mathematician, eugenicist, and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1859 – George Giffen, Australian cricketer and footballer (d. 1927)
  • 1860 – Frank Frost Abbott, American-Swiss scholar and academic (d. 1924)
  • 1862 – Jelena Dimitrijević, Serbian short story writer, novelist, poet, traveller, social worker, feminist and polyglot (d. 1945)
  • 1862 – Arturo Berutti, Argentinian composer (d. 1938)
  • 1863 – Henry Royce, English engineer and businessman, founded Rolls-Royce Limited (d. 1933)
  • 1866 – John Allan, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Victoria (d. 1936)
  • 1868 – Patty Hill, American songwriter and educator (d. 1946)
  • 1869 – James McNeill, Irish politician, 2nd Governor-General of the Irish Free State (d. 1938)
  • 1869 – J. R. Clynes, English trade unionist and politician, Home Secretary (d. 1949)
  • 1871 – Heinrich Mann, German author and poet (d. 1950)
  • 1871 – Joseph G. Morrison, American captain and Nazarene minister (d. 1939)
  • 1871 – Piet Aalberse, Dutch politician, Minister of Labour (d. 1948)
  • 1875 – Albert Marquet, French painter (d. 1947)
  • 1877 – Oscar Grégoire, Belgian water polo player and swimmer (d. 1947)
  • 1878 – Kathleen Scott, British sculptor (d. 1947)
  • 1879 – Sándor Garbai, Hungarian politician, 19th Prime Minister of Hungary (d. 1947)
  • 1879 – Miller Huggins, American baseball player and manager (d. 1929)
  • 1879 – Edward Steichen, Luxembourger-American painter and photographer (d. 1973)
  • 1881 – Arkady Averchenko, Russian playwright and satirist (d. 1925)
  • 1882 – Thomas Graham Brown, Scottish mountaineer and physiologist (d. 1965)
  • 1883 – Marie Under, Estonian author and poet (d. 1980)
  • 1884 – Gordon Thomson, English rower and lieutenant (d. 1953)
  • 1885 – Julio Lozano Díaz, Honduran accountant and politician, 40th President of Honduras (d. 1957)
  • 1885 – Reginald Fletcher, 1st Baron Winster, English navy officer and politician, Secretary of State for Transport (d. 1961)
  • 1886 – Sergey Kirov, Russian politician (d. 1934)
  • 1886 – Wladimir Burliuk, Ukrainian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
  • 1886 – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German-American architect, designed IBM Plaza and Seagram Building (d. 1969)
  • 1887 – Väinö Siikaniemi, Finnish javelin thrower, poet, and translator (d. 1932)
  • 1888 – George Alfred Lawrence Hearne, English-South African cricketer (d. 1978)
  • 1889 – Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Egyptian-Turkish journalist, author, and politician (d. 1974)
  • 1889 – Leonard Mociulschi, Romanian general (d. 1979)
  • 1890 – Harald Julin, Swedish swimmer and water polo player (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton, Scottish admiral (d. 1974)
  • 1891 – Lajos Zilahy, Hungarian novelist and playwright (d. 1974)
  • 1891 – Klawdziy Duzh-Dushewski, Belarusian-Lithuanian architect, journalist, and diplomat, created the Flag of Belarus (d. 1959)
  • 1892 – Ferde Grofé, American pianist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1892 – Thorne Smith, American author (d. 1934)
  • 1893 – Karl Mannheim, Hungarian-English sociologist and academic (d. 1947)
  • 1893 – G. Lloyd Spencer, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – George Beranger, Australian-American actor and director (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – René Fonck, French colonel and pilot (d. 1953)
  • 1895 – Roland Leighton, English soldier and poet (d. 1915)
  • 1897 – Douglas Hartree, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1958)
  • 1897 – Fred Keating, American magician, stage and film actor (d. 1961)
  • 1899 – Francis Ponge, French poet and author (d. 1988)
  • 1899 – Herbert Arthur Stuart, German-Swiss physicist and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1899 – Gloria Swanson, American actress and producer (d. 1983)
  • 1901 – Carl Barks, American illustrator and screenwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1901 – Erich Ollenhauer, German politician (d. 1963)
  • 1901 – Eisaku Satō, Japanese politician, 61st Prime Minister of Japan, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
  • 1901 – Kenneth Slessor, Australian journalist and poet (d. 1971)
  • 1902 – Sidney Buchman, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1975)
  • 1902 – Charles Lang, American cinematographer (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – Xavier Villaurrutia, Mexican poet and playwright (d. 1950)
  • 1905 – Leroy Carr, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1935)
  • 1905 – Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff, German general (d. 1980)
  • 1905 – Elsie MacGill, Canadian-American author and engineer (d. 1980)
  • 1906 – Pee Wee Russell, American clarinet player, saxophonist, and composer (d. 1969)
  • 1909 – Golo Mann, German historian and author (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – Ben Webster, American saxophonist (d. 1973)
  • 1909 – Valery Marakou, Belarusian poet and translator (d. 1937)
  • 1910 – Ai Qing, Chinese poet and author (d. 1996)
  • 1911 – Veronika Tushnova, Russian poet and physician (d. 1965)
  • 1912 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Theodor Dannecker, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1914 – Richard Denning, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Budd Schulberg, American author, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Robert Lockwood, Jr., American guitarist (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Cyrus Vance, American lawyer and politician, 57th United States Secretary of State (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – Colin Rowe, English-American architect, theorist and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Phil Chess, Czech-American record producer, co-founded Chess Records (d. 2016)
  • 1921 – Moacir Barbosa Nascimento, Brazilian footballer and coach (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Harold Nicholas, American actor and dancer (d. 2000)
  • 1922 – Dick King-Smith, English author (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Stefan Wul, French author and surgeon (d. 2003)
  • 1922 – Jules Olitski, Ukrainian-American painter, printmaker, and sculptor (d. 2007)
  • 1923 – Shūsaku Endō, Japanese author (d. 1996)
  • 1923 – Louis Simpson, Jamaican-American poet, translator, and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Sarah Vaughan, American singer (d. 1990)
  • 1924 – Ian Black, Scottish international footballer, goalkeeper and lawn bowls player (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Margaret K. Butler, American mathematician and computer programmer (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Frank O’Hara, American writer (d. 1966)
  • 1927 – Sylvia Anderson, English voice actress, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Anthony Lewis, American journalist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor (d. 2007)
  • 1928 – Jean Dotto, French cyclist (d. 2000)
  • 1929 – Anne Ramsey, American actress (d. 1988)
  • 1929 – Reg Evans, Australian actor (d. 2009)
  • 1930 – Daniel Spoerri, Romanian-Swiss photographer, writer and artist
  • 1931 – David Janssen, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1980)
  • 1932 – Junior Parker, American singer and harmonica player (d. 1971)
  • 1932 – Bailey Olter, Micronesian politician, 3rd President of the Federated States of Micronesia (d. 1999)
  • 1933 – Lê Văn Hưng, South Vietnamese Brigadier general (d. 1975)
  • 1934 – István Csurka, Hungarian journalist, author, and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Stanley Rother, American Roman Catholic priest and missionary (d. 1981)
  • 1935 – Julian Glover, English actor
  • 1936 – Malcolm Goldstein, American violinist and composer
  • 1937 – Alan Hawkshaw, English keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1939 – Jay Kim, South Korean-American engineer and politician
  • 1939 – Cale Yarborough, American race car driver and businessman
  • 1940 – Sandro Munari, Italian race car driver
  • 1940 – Austin Pendleton, American actor, director, and playwright
  • 1941 – Ivan Gašparovič, Slovak lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Slovakia
  • 1941 – Liese Prokop, Austrian pentathlete and politician, Austrian Minister of the Interior (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – Michael Jackson, English journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1942 – John Sulston, English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Michael York, English actor
  • 1943 – Mike Curtis, American football player and coach (d. 2020)
  • 1944 – Jesse Brown, American marine and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (d. 2002)
  • 1944 – Bryan Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1946 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1947 – Oliver Friggieri, Maltese author, critic, poet and philosopher
  • 1947 – Brian Jones, English balloonist and pilot
  • 1947 – Walt Mossberg, American journalist
  • 1948 – Jens-Peter Bonde, Danish lawyer and politician
  • 1950 – Tony Banks, English keyboardist and songwriter
  • 1950 – Petros Efthymiou, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs
  • 1950 – Maria Ewing, African-American soprano
  • 1950 – Chris Stewart, English musician and author
  • 1950 – Terry Yorath, Welsh international footballer, Midfielder and international manager
  • 1951 – Andrei Kozyrev, Belgian-Russian politician and diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Russia
  • 1952 – Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Austrian skier
  • 1952 – Maria Schneider, French actress (d. 2011)
  • 1953 – Herman Ponsteen, Dutch cyclist
  • 1954 – Gerard Batten, English lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – Patrick McCabe, Irish writer
  • 1955 – Mariano Rajoy, Spanish lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Spain
  • 1955 – Susan Neiman, Jewish American-German philosopher and author
  • 1956 – Leung Kwok-hung, Hong Kong activist and politician
  • 1956 – Thomas Wassberg, Swedish cross country skier
  • 1957 – Kostas Vasilakakis, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Stephen Dillane, English actor
  • 1958 – Didier de Radiguès, Belgian race car driver and motorcycle racer
  • 1959 – Andrew Farriss, Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist
  • 1960 – Hans Pflügler, German footballer
  • 1960 – Renato Russo, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1961 – Ellery Hanley, English rugby league player and coach
  • 1961 – Tony Rominger, Swiss professional cyclist
  • 1962 – Jann Arden, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Brett French, Australian rugby league player
  • 1962 – Rob Hollink, Dutch poker player
  • 1962 – John O’Farrell, English journalist and author
  • 1962 – Brad Wright, American-Spanish basketball player
  • 1962 – Kevin J. Anderson, American science fiction writer
  • 1963 – Cory Blackwell, American basketball player
  • 1963 – Randall Cunningham, American football player, coach, and pastor
  • 1963 – Filippos Sachinidis, Greek-Canadian economist and politician
  • 1963 – Gary Stevens, English-Australian footballer and physiotherapist
  • 1963 – Quentin Tarantino, American director, producer, screenwriter and actor
  • 1963 – Xuxa, Brazilian actress, singer, businesswoman and television presenter
  • 1965 – Gregor Foitek, Swiss race car driver
  • 1966 – Žarko Paspalj, Serbian basketball player
  • 1967 – Talisa Soto, American actress
  • 1968 – Irina Belova, Russian heptathlete
  • 1969 – Gianluigi Lentini, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Pauley Perrette, American actress
  • 1970 – Leila Pahlavi, Princess of Iran (d. 2001)
  • 1970 – Derek Aucoin, Canadian baseball player
  • 1970 – Mariah Carey, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1970 – Brent Fitz, Canadian-American multi-instrumentalist and recording artist
  • 1970 – Jarrod McCracken, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1970 – Elizabeth Mitchell, American actress
  • 1970 – Uwe Rosenberg, German game designer, created Bohnanza
  • 1971 – David Coulthard, Scottish race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor
  • 1972 – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Surinamese-Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1972 – Charlie Haas, American professional wrestler
  • 1973 – Roger Telemachus, South African cricketer
  • 1974 – Marek Citko, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1974 – George Koumantarakis, Greek-South African footballer
  • 1974 – Gaizka Mendieta, Spanish footballer
  • 1975 – Andrew Blowers, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1975 – Kim Felton, Australian golfer
  • 1975 – Jeff Palmer, American gay porn actor and singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Fergie, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1975 – Christian Fiedler, German footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Roberta Anastase, Romanian politician, 57th President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
  • 1976 – Danny Fortson, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Adrian Anca, Romanian footballer
  • 1977 – Vítor Meira, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1978 – Gabriel Paraschiv, Romanian footballer
  • 1978 – Marius Bakken, Norwegian runner
  • 1978 – Amélie Cocheteux, French tennis player
  • 1979 – Tom Palmer, English rugby union player
  • 1979 – Mohsen Moeini, Iranian author and director
  • 1979 – Imran Tahir, Pakistani-South African cricketer
  • 1979 – Jennifer Wilson, Zimbabwean-South African field hockey player
  • 1980 – Sean Ryan, American football player
  • 1980 – Michaela Paštiková, Czech tennis player
  • 1980 – Maksim Shevchenko, Kazakhstani footballer
  • 1981 – Terry McFlynn, Irish footballer
  • 1981 – Akhil Kumar, Indian boxer
  • 1981 – Jukka Keskisalo, Finnish runner
  • 1981 – Hilda Kibet, Kenyan runner
  • 1982 – Shawn Beveney, Guyanese footballer
  • 1983 – Yuliya Golubchikova, Russian pole vaulter
  • 1983 – Vasily Koshechkin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Román Martínez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1984 – Adam Ashley-Cooper, Australian rugby player
  • 1984 – Ben Franks, Australian-born New Zealand rugby player
  • 1984 – Brett Holman, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Dustin Byfuglien, American ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Danny Vukovic, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Manuel Neuer, German footballer
  • 1987 – Jefferson Bernárdez, Honduran footballer
  • 1987 – Samuel Francis, Nigerian-Qatari sprinter
  • 1987 – Polina Gagarina, Russian singer-songwriter
  • 1987 – Buster Posey, American baseball player
  • 1988 – Jessie J, English singer-songwriter
  • 1988 – Atsuto Uchida, Japanese footballer
  • 1988 – Brenda Song, American actress
  • 1988 – Mauro Goicoechea, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1988 – Holliday Grainger, English actress
  • 1989 – Matt Harvey, American baseball player
  • 1989 – Camilla Lees, New Zealand netball player
  • 1990 – Erdin Demir, Swedish-Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Ben Hunt, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Nicolas Nkoulou, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1990 – Luca Zuffi, Swiss footballer
  • 1990 – Kimbra, New Zealand musician
  • 1990 – Brodha V, Indian Rapper and Music Producer
  • 1992 – Marc Muniesa, Spanish footballer
  • 1995 – Bill Tuiloma, New Zealand footballer

Deaths on March 27

  • 710 – Rupert of Salzburg, Austrian bishop and saint (b. 660)
  • 853 – Haymo of Halberstadt, German bishop and author (b. 778)
  • 913 – Du Xiao, chancellor of Later Liang
  • 913 – Zhang empress of Later Liang
  • 916 – Alduin I, Frankish nobleman
  • 965 – Arnulf I, Count of Flanders (born c. 890)
  • 973 – Hermann Billung, Frankish lieutenant (b. 900)
  • 1045 – Ali ibn Ahmad al-Jarjara’i, Fatimid vizier
  • 1184 – Giorgi III, King of Georgia
  • 1248 – Maud Marshal, English countess (b. 1192)
  • 1350 – Alfonso XI of Castile (b. 1312)
  • 1378 – Pope Gregory XI (b. 1336)
  • 1462 – Vasily II of Moscow (b. 1415)
  • 1472 – Janus Pannonius, Hungarian bishop and poet (b. 1434)
  • 1482 – Mary of Burgundy, Sovereign Duchess regnant of Burgundy, married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1457)
  • 1564 – Lütfi Pasha, Turkish historian and politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1488)
  • 1572 – Girolamo Maggi, Italian polymath (b. c. 1523)
  • 1598 – Theodor de Bry, Belgian-German engraver, goldsmith, and publisher (b. 1528)
  • 1613 – Sigismund Báthory (b. 1573)
  • 1615 – Margaret of Valois (b. 1553)
  • 1621 – Benedetto Giustiniani, Italian cardinal (b. 1554)
  • 1624 – Ulrik of Denmark, Danish prince-bishop (b. 1578)
  • 1625 – James VI and I of the United Kingdom (b. 1566)
  • 1635 – Robert Naunton, English politician (b. 1563)
  • 1676 – Bernardino de Rebolledo, Spanish poet, soldier, and diplomat (b. 1597)
  • 1679 – Abraham Mignon, Dutch painter (b. 1640)
  • 1697 – Simon Bradstreet, English businessman and politician, 20th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1603)
  • 1729 – Leopold, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1679)
  • 1757 – Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1717)
  • 1770 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian painter (b. 1696)
  • 1848 – Gabriel Bibron, French zoologist and herpetologist (b. 1805)
  • 1849 – Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford, Irish-Canadian politician, 35th Governor General of Canada (b. 1776)
  • 1850 – Wilhelm Beer, Prussian astronomer and banker (b. 1797)
  • 1864 – Jean-Jacques Ampère, French philologist and academic (b. 1800)
  • 1869 – James Harper, American publisher and politician, 65th Mayor of New York City (b. 1795)
  • 1875 – Juan Crisóstomo Torrico, Peruvian soldier and politician, President of Peru (b. 1808)
  • 1875 – Edgar Quinet, French historian and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1878 – George Gilbert Scott, English architect, designed the Albert Memorial and St Mary’s Cathedral (b. 1811)
  • 1886 – Henry Taylor, English poet and playwright (b. 1800)
  • 1889 – John Bright, English politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1811)
  • 1890 – Carl Jacob Löwig, German chemist and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1898 – Syed Ahmad Khan, Indian philosopher and activist (b. 1817)
  • 1900 – Joseph A. Campbell, American businessman, founded the Campbell Soup Company (b. 1817)
  • 1910 – Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, Swiss-American ichthyologist, zoologist, and engineer (b. 1835)
  • 1913 – Richard Montgomery Gano, American minister, physician, and general (b. 1830)
  • 1918 – Henry Adams, American journalist, historian, and author (b. 1838)
  • 1918 – Martin Sheridan, Irish-American discus thrower and jumper (b. 1881)
  • 1921 – Harry Barron, English general and politician, 16th Governor of Western Australia (b. 1847)
  • 1922 – Nikolay Sokolov, Russian composer and educator (b. 1859)
  • 1923 – James Dewar, Scottish chemist and physicist (b. 1842)
  • 1925 – Carl Neumann, German mathematician and academic (b. 1832)
  • 1926 – Kick Kelly, American baseball player, manager, and umpire (b. 1856)
  • 1926 – Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1887)
  • 1927 – Joe Start, American baseball player and manager (b. 1842)
  • 1927 – Klaus Berntsen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1844)
  • 1928 – Leslie Stuart, English organist and composer (b. 1863)
  • 1931 – Arnold Bennett, English author and playwright (b. 1867)
  • 1934 – Francis William Reitz, South African lawyer and politician, 5th State President of the Orange Free State (b. 1844)
  • 1938 – William Stern, German-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1871)
  • 1940 – Michael Joseph Savage, Australian-New Zealand politician, 23rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1872)
  • 1942 – Julio González, Catalan sculptor and painter (b. 1876)
  • 1943 – George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway, English politician, 5th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1882)
  • 1945 – Vincent Hugo Bendix, American engineer and businessman, founded Bendix Corporation (b. 1881)
  • 1945 – Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1866)
  • 1946 – Karl Groos, German psychologist and philosopher (b. 1861)
  • 1949 – Elisheva Bikhovski, Israeli-Russian poet (b. 1888)
  • 1952 – Kiichiro Toyoda, Japanese businessman, founded Toyota (b. 1894)
  • 1956 – Évariste Lévi-Provençal, French orientalist and historian (b. 1894)
  • 1958 – Leon C. Phillips, American lawyer and politician, 11th Governor of Oklahoma (b. 1890)
  • 1960 – Gregorio Marañón, Spanish physician, philosopher, and author (b. 1887)
  • 1967 – Jaroslav Heyrovský, Czech chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
  • 1968 – Yuri Gagarin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1934)
  • 1968 – Vladimir Seryogin, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1922)
  • 1973 – Mikhail Kalatozov, Georgian-Russian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (b. 1903)
  • 1974 – Eduardo Santos, Colombian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of Colombia (b. 1888)
  • 1975 – Arthur Bliss, English conductor and composer (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Georg August Zinn, German lawyer and politician, Minister President of Hesse (b. 1901)
  • 1977 – Shirley Graham Du Bois, American author, playwright, and composer (b. 1896)
  • 1977 – Diana Hyland, American actress (b. 1936)
  • 1977 – Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Dutch airline pilot (b. 1927)
  • 1978 – Nat Bailey, Canadian businessman, founded the White Spot (b. 1902)
  • 1978 – Kunwar Digvijay Singh, Indian field hockey (b. 1922)
  • 1978 – Sverre Farstad, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1920)
  • 1980 – Steve Fisher, American author and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Jakob Ackeret, Swiss engineer and academic (b. 1898)
  • 1982 – Fazlur Khan, Bangladeshi-American engineer and architect, designed the John Hancock Center and Willis Tower (b. 1929)
  • 1987 – William Bowers, American journalist and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Charles Willeford, American author, poet, and critic (b. 1919)
  • 1989 – May Allison, American actress (b. 1890)
  • 1989 – Malcolm Cowley, American novelist, poet, and literary critic (b. 1898)
  • 1990 – Percy Beard, American hurdler and coach (b. 1908)
  • 1991 – Aldo Ray, American actor (b. 1926)
  • 1992 – Colin Gibson, English footballer (b. 1923)
  • 1992 – Lang Hancock, Australian businessman (b. 1909)
  • 1992 – James E. Webb, American colonel and politician, 16th Under Secretary of State (b. 1906)
  • 1993 – Kamal Hassan Ali, Egyptian general and politician, Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Paul László, Hungarian-American architect and interior designer (b. 1900)
  • 1994 – Elisabeth Schmid, German archaeologist and osteologist (b. 1912)
  • 1994 – Lawrence Wetherby, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1908)
  • 1995 – René Allio, French director and screenwriter (b. 1924)
  • 1997 – Lane Dwinell, American businessman and politician, 69th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Ella Maillart, Swiss skier, sailor, field hockey player, and photographer (b. 1903)
  • 1998 – David McClelland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1917)
  • 1999 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (b. 1946)
  • 2000 – George Allen, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1914)
  • 2000 – Ian Dury, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1942)
  • 2002 – Milton Berle, American comedian and actor (b. 1908)
  • 2002 – Dudley Moore, English actor (b. 1935)
  • 2002 – Billy Wilder, Austrian-born American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 2003 – Edwin Carr, New Zealand composer and educator (b. 1926)
  • 2004 – Robert Merle, French author (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Wilfred Gordon Bigelow, Canadian soldier and surgeon (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Dan Curtis, American director and producer (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Stanisław Lem, Ukrainian-Polish author (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Rudolf Vrba, Czech Holocaust survivor and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Neil Williams, English cricketer (b. 1962)
  • 2007 – Nancy Adams, New Zealand botanist and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Paul Lauterbur, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Jean-Marie Balestre, French businessman (b. 1921)
  • 2009 – Irving R. Levine, American journalist and author (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Dick Giordano, American illustrator (b. 1932)
  • 2011 – Clement Arrindell, Nevisian judge and politician, 1st Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis (b. 1931)
  • 2011 – Farley Granger, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Adrienne Rich, American poet, essayist and feminist (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Yvonne Brill, Canadian-American scientist and engineer (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Fay Kanin, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Richard N. Frye, American scholar and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense and first United States Secretary of Energy (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Johnny Helms, American trumpet player, bandleader, and educator (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – T. Sailo, Indian soldier and politician, 2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – Mother Angelica, American Roman Catholic religious leader and media personality (b. 1923)

Holidays and observances on March 27

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alexander, a Pannonian soldier, martyred in 3rd century.
    • Amador of Portugal
    • Augusta of Treviso
    • Charles Henry Brent (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh
    • John of Egypt
    • Philetus
    • Romulus of Nîmes, a Benedictine abbot, martyred c. 730.
    • Rupert of Salzburg
    • Zanitas and Lazarus of Persia
    • March 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Armed Forces Day (Myanmar)
  • International whisk(e)y day
  • World Theatre Day (International)

March 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1027 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1169 – Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt.
  • 1344 – The Siege of Algeciras, one of the first European military engagements where gunpowder was used, comes to an end.
  • 1351 – Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English knights.
  • 1484 – William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop’s Fables.
  • 1552 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru.
  • 1636 – Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands.
  • 1697 – Safavid government troops take control of Basra
  • 1812 – An earthquake devastates Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1812 – A political cartoon in the Boston Gazette coins the term “gerrymander” to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection.
  • 1830 – The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York.
  • 1839 – The first Henley Royal Regatta is held.
  • 1871 – The elections of Commune council of the Paris Commune are held.
  • 1885 – The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada.
  • 1913 – First Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople.
  • 1915 – The Vancouver Millionaires win the 1915 Stanley Cup Finals, the first championship played between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the National Hockey Association.
  • 1917 – World War I: First Battle of Gaza: British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance.
  • 1922 – The German Social Democratic Party is founded in Poland.
  • 1931 – Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland.
  • 1931 – Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is founded in Vietnam.
  • 1934 – The United Kingdom driving test is introduced.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war.
  • 1942 – World War II: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends as the island is officially secured by American forces.
  • 1954 – Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons.
  • 1958 – The United States Army launches Explorer 3.
  • 1958 – The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris.
  • 1967 – Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City.
  • 1970 – South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy.
  • 1971 – East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Liberation War begins.
  • 1975 – The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force.
  • 1979 – Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C.
  • 1981 – Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party.
  • 1982 – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C.
  • 1991 – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
  • 1997 – Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven’s Gate mass suicides.
  • 1998 – During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives.
  • 2005 – Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China.
  • 2010 – The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan is torpedoed, killing 46 sailors. After an international investigation, the President of the United Nations Security Council blames North Korea.
  • 2017 – Russia-wide anti-corruption protests in 99 cities. The Levada Center survey showed that 38% of surveyed Russians supported protests and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption.

Births on March 26

  • 1031 – Malcolm III, king of Scotland (d. 1093)
  • 1516 – Conrad Gessner, Swiss botanist and zoologist (d. 1565)
  • 1554 – Charles of Lorraine, duke of Mayenne (d. 1611)
  • 1584 – John II, duke of Zweibrücken (d. 1635)
  • 1633 – Mary Beale, British artist (d. 1699)
  • 1634 – Domenico Freschi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1710)
  • 1656 – Nicolaas Hartsoeker, Dutch mathematician and physicist (d. 1725)
  • 1687 – Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, queen consort of Prussia (d. 1757)
  • 1698 – Prokop Diviš, Czech priest, scientist and inventor (d. 1765)
  • 1749 – William Blount, American politician (d. 1800)
  • 1753 – Benjamin Thompson, American-French physicist and politician, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1814)
  • 1773 – Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigator (d. 1838)
  • 1794 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (d. 1872)
  • 1804 – David Humphreys Storer, American physician and academic (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – Julie-Victoire Daubié, French journalist (d. 1874)
  • 1829 – Théodore Aubanel, French poet (d. 1886)
  • 1842 – Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, French occultist (d. 1909)
  • 1850 – Edward Bellamy, American author, socialist, and utopian visionary (d. 1898)
  • 1852 – Élémir Bourges, French author (d. 1925)
  • 1854 – Maurice Lecoq, French target shooter (d. 1925)
  • 1856 – William Massey, Irish-New Zealand farmer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1925)
  • 1857 – Théodore Tuffier, French surgeon (d. 1929)
  • 1859 – A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (d. 1936)
  • 1859 – Adolf Hurwitz, Jewish German-Swiss mathematician and academic (d. 1919)
  • 1860 – André Prévost, French tennis player (d. 1919)
  • 1866 – Fred Karno, English producer and manager (d. 1941)
  • 1868 – King Fuad I of Egypt (d. 1936)
  • 1873 – Dorothea Bleek, South African-German anthropologist and philologist (d. 1948)
  • 1874 – Robert Frost, American poet and playwright (d. 1963)
  • 1875 – Max Abraham, Polish-German physicist and academic (d. 1922)
  • 1875 – Syngman Rhee, South Korean journalist and politician, 1st President of South Korea (d. 1965)
  • 1876 – William of Wied, prince of Albania (d. 1945)
  • 1876 – Kate Richards O’Hare, American Socialist Party activist and editor (d. 1948)
  • 1879 – Othmar Ammann, Swiss-American engineer, designed the George Washington Bridge and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (d. 1965)
  • 1879 – Waldemar Tietgens, German rower (d. 1917)
  • 1881 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founded Gucci (d. 1953)
  • 1882 – Hermann Obrecht, Swiss politician (d. 1940)
  • 1884 – Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist and educator (d. 1969)
  • 1884 – Georges Imbert, French chemical engineer and inventor (d. 1950)
  • 1886 – Hugh Mulzac, Vincentian-American soldier and politician (d. 1971)
  • 1888 – Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse and philanthropist (d. 1948)
  • 1893 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist, academic, and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to West Germany (d. 1978)
  • 1893 – Palmiro Togliatti, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (d. 1964)
  • 1894 – Viorica Ursuleac, Ukrainian-Romanian soprano and actress (d. 1985)
  • 1895 – Vilho Tuulos, Finnish triple jumper (d. 1967)
  • 1898 – Rudolf Dassler, German businessman, founded Puma SE (d. 1974)
  • 1898 – Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (d. 1979)
  • 1900 – Angela Maria Autsch, German nun, died in Auschwitz helping Jewish prisoners (d. 1941)
  • 1904 – Joseph Campbell, American mythologist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1904 – Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1986)
  • 1904 – Attilio Ferraris, Italian footballer (d. 1947)
  • 1905 – Monty Berman, English cinematographer and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1905 – André Cluytens, Belgian-French conductor and director (d. 1967)
  • 1905 – Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1997)
  • 1906 – Rafael Méndez, Mexican trumpet player and composer (d. 1981)
  • 1907 – Azellus Denis, Canadian lawyer and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Franz Stangl, Austrian-German SS officer (d. 1971)
  • 1909 – Chips Rafferty, Australian actor (d. 1971)
  • 1910 – K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 10th Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (d. 2002)
  • 1911 – Lennart Atterwall, Swedish javelin thrower (d. 2001)
  • 1911 – J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (d. 1960)
  • 1911 – Bernard Katz, German-English biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (d. 1983)
  • 1913 – Jacqueline de Romilly, Jewish Franco-Greek philologist, author, and scholar (d. 2010)
  • 1913 – Paul Erdős, Hungarian-Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1996)
  • 1914 – Toru Kumon, Japanese mathematician and academic (d. 1995)
  • 1914 – William Westmoreland, American general (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Lennart Strandberg, Swedish sprinter (d. 1989)
  • 1915 – Hwang Sun-won, North Korean author and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
  • 1916 – Bill Edrich, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1986)
  • 1916 – Sterling Hayden, American actor and author (d. 1986)
  • 1917 – Rufus Thomas, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1919 – Strother Martin, American actor (d. 1980)
  • 1919 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1965)
  • 1920 – Sergio Livingstone, Chilean footballer and journalist (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – William Milliken, American politician, 44th Governor of Michigan (d. 2019)
  • 1922 – Oscar Sala, Italian-Brazilian physicist and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Guido Stampacchia, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1923 – Gert Bastian, German general and politician (d. 1992)
  • 1923 – Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Maqsood Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (d. 1999)
  • 1925 – Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Vesta Roy, American politician, Governor of New Hampshire (d. 2002)
  • 1925 – Edward Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, English soldier and politician (d. 2020)
  • 1925 – Ben Mondor, Canadian-American businessman (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – James Moody, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Harold Chapman, English photographer
  • 1929 – Edward Sorel, American illustrator and caricaturist
  • 1929 – Edwin Turney, American businessman, co-founded Advanced Micro Devices (d. 2008)
  • 1930 – Sandra Day O’Connor, American lawyer and jurist
  • 1930 – Gregory Corso, American poet (d. 2001)
  • 1931 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Leroy Griffith, American businessman
  • 1932 – James Andrew Harris, American chemist and academic (d. 2000)
  • 1933 – Tinto Brass, Italian director and screenwriter
  • 1934 – Alan Arkin, American actor
  • 1934 – Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, Brazilian footballer (d. 2002)
  • 1937 – Wayne Embry, American basketball player and manager
  • 1937 – Barbara Jones, American sprinter
  • 1937 – James Lee, Canadian businessman and politician, 26th Premier of Prince Edward Island
  • 1938 – Norman Ackroyd, English painter and illustrator
  • 1938 – Anthony James Leggett, English-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1940 – James Caan, American actor and singer
  • 1940 – Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
  • 1941 – Richard Dawkins, Kenyan-English ethologist, biologist, and academic
  • 1941 – Lella Lombardi, Italian racing driver (d. 1992)
  • 1942 – Erica Jong, American novelist and poet
  • 1943 – Mustafa Kalemli, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of the Interior
  • 1943 – Bob Woodward, American journalist and author
  • 1944 – Diana Ross, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1945 – Paul Bérenger, Mauritian politician, Prime Minister of Mauritius
  • 1945 – Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast and coach (d. 2004)
  • 1946 – Johnny Crawford, American actor and singer
  • 1946 – Alain Madelin, French politician, French Minister of Finance
  • 1947 – Subhash Kak, Indian-American professor and author
  • 1947 – John Rowles, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1948 – Kyung-wha Chung, South Korean violinist and educator
  • 1948 – Richard Tandy, English pianist and keyboard player (Electric Light Orchestra)
  • 1948 – Steven Tyler, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1949 – Jon English, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2016)
  • 1949 – Rudi Koertzen, South African cricketer and umpire
  • 1949 – Vicki Lawrence, American actress, comedian, talk show host, and singer
  • 1949 – Fran Sheehan, American bass player
  • 1949 – Patrick Süskind, German author and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Ernest Lee Thomas, American actor
  • 1950 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1950 – Graham Barlow, English cricketer
  • 1950 – Martin Short, Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer
  • 1950 – Alan Silvestri, American composer and conductor
  • 1951 – Željko Pavličević, Croatian professional basketball coach and former professional player
  • 1951 – Carl Wieman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1952 – Didier Pironi, French racing driver (d. 1987)
  • 1953 – Lincoln Chafee, American academic and politician, 74th Governor of Rhode Island
  • 1953 – Elaine Chao, Taiwanese-American banker and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Labor
  • 1953 – Tatyana Providokhina, Russian runner
  • 1954 – Clive Palmer, Australian businessman and politician
  • 1954 – Curtis Sliwa, American talk show host and activist, founded Guardian Angels
  • 1954 – Dorothy Porter, Australian poet and playwright (d. 2008)
  • 1956 – Charly McClain, American country singer
  • 1956 – Park Won-soon, South Korean lawyer and politician, 35th Mayor of Seoul
  • 1957 – Fiona Bruce, Scottish lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Leeza Gibbons, American talk show host and television personality
  • 1957 – Paul Morley, English journalist, producer, and author
  • 1957 – Shirin Neshat, Iranian visual artist
  • 1958 – Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (d. 1986)
  • 1960 – Marcus Allen, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Jennifer Grey, American actress and dancer
  • 1960 – Graeme Rutjes, Australian-Dutch footballer
  • 1961 – William Hague, English historian and politician, First Secretary of State
  • 1962 – Richard Coles, English pianist, saxophonist, and priest
  • 1962 – Kevin Seitzer, American baseball player and coach
  • 1962 – Yuri Gidzenko, Russian pilot and cosmonaut
  • 1962 – John Stockton, American basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Eric Allan Kramer, American-Canadian actor
  • 1963 – Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese author
  • 1964 – Martin Bella, Australian rugby league player
  • 1964 – Martin Donnelly, Irish racing driver
  • 1964 – Maria Miller, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  • 1964 – Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1965 – Trey Azagthoth, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1965 – Violeta Szekely, Romanian runner
  • 1966 – Michael Imperioli, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Jason Chaffetz, American politician
  • 1968 – Laurent Brochard, French cyclist
  • 1968 – Kenny Chesney, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1968 – James Iha, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1969 – Alessandro Moscardi, Italian rugby player
  • 1970 – Paul Bosvelt, Dutch footballer
  • 1970 – Jelle Goes, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1970 – Thomas Kyparissis, Greek footballer
  • 1970 – Martin McDonagh, English-born Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director
  • 1971 – Behzad Ghorbani, Iranian zoologist
  • 1971 – Martyn Day, Scottish politician
  • 1971 – Erick Morillo, Colombian-American DJ and producer
  • 1971 – Rennae Stubbs, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Paul Williams, English footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Leslie Mann, American actress
  • 1972 – Jason Maxwell, American baseball player
  • 1973 – Larry Page, American computer scientist and businessman, co-founder of Google
  • 1973 – T. R. Knight, American actor
  • 1973 – Matt Burke, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Irina Spîrlea, Romanian tennis player
  • 1974 – Vadimas Petrenko, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1974 – Michael Peca, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1976 – Amy Smart, American actress and former model
  • 1976 – Alex Varas, Chilean footballer
  • 1976 – Eirik Verås Larsen, Norwegian sprint kayaker
  • 1977 – Kevin Davies, English footballer
  • 1977 – Bianca Kajlich, American actress
  • 1977 – Sylvain Grenier, Canadian wrestler
  • 1978 – Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player
  • 1979 – Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer
  • 1979 – Ben Blair, New Zealand rugby union footballer
  • 1979 – Hiromi Uehara, Japanese pianist and composer
  • 1979 – Pierre Womé, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1979 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress
  • 1980 – Margaret Brennan, American journalist
  • 1980 – Son Ho-young, South Korean singer
  • 1980 – Richie Wellens, English footballer
  • 1981 – Sébastien Centomo, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Baruch Dego, Ethiopian-Israeli footballer
  • 1981 – Massimo Donati, Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Josh Wilson, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Brendan Ryan, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Nate Kaeding, American football player
  • 1983 – Andreas Hinkel, German footballer
  • 1983 – Floriana Lima, American actress
  • 1983 – Roman Bednář, Czech footballer
  • 1983 – Mike Mondo, American wrestler
  • 1984 – Jimmy Howard, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Drew Mitchell, Australian rugby player
  • 1984 – Felix Neureuther, German skier
  • 1984 – Marco Stier, German footballer
  • 1984 – Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1984 – Sara Jean Underwood, American model, television host, and actress
  • 1985 – Keira Knightley, English actress
  • 1985 – Matt Grevers, American swimmer
  • 1985 – Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer
  • 1985 – Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1986 – Maxime Biset, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Rob Kearney, Irish rugby player
  • 1986 – Emma Laine, Finnish tennis player
  • 1987 – Kim Dong-suk, South Korean footballer
  • 1987 – Jermichael Finley, American football player
  • 1987 – Steven Fletcher, Scottish footballer
  • 1989 – Simon Kjær, Danish footballer
  • 1990 – Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor
  • 1990 – Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1990 – Yuya Takaki, Japanese idol, singer, dancer, model and actor
  • 1990 – Xiumin, South Korean singer and actor, member of South Korean boy band EXO
  • 1991 – Matt Davidson, American baseball player
  • 1992 – Nina Agdal, Danish model
  • 1992 – Stoffel Vandoorne, Belgian racing driver
  • 1994 – Jed Wallace, English footballer
  • 1996 – Zane Musgrove, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1996 – Kathryn Bernardo, Filipino actress
  • 1998 – Satoko Miyahara, Japanese figure skater
  • 2003 – Bhad Bhabie, American rapper and social media personality

Deaths on March 26

  • 752 – Pope-elect Stephen
  • 809 – Ludger, Frisian missionary
  • 903 – Sugawara no Michizane, Japanese poet
  • 908 – Ai, emperor of the Tang Dynasty (b. 892)
  • 922 – Mansur Al-Hallaj, Persian mystic and poet (b. 858)
  • 929 – Wang Du, Chinese warlord and governor (jiedushi)
  • 973 – Guntram (“the Rich”), Frankish nobleman
  • 983 – ‘Adud al-Dawla, Iranian ruler (b. 936)
  • 1091 – Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, Andalusian poet
  • 1130 – Sigurd the Crusader, Norwegian king (b. 1090)
  • 1132 – Geoffrey of Vendôme, French cardinal and theologian (b. 1065)
  • 1212 – Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)
  • 1242 – William de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle
  • 1324 – Marie de Luxembourg, Queen of France (b. 1304)
  • 1326 – Alessandra Giliani, anatomist (b. c. 1307)
  • 1402 – David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland (b. 1378)
  • 1437 – Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Scottish nobleman and regicide
  • 1517 – Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer (b. 1450)
  • 1535 – Georg Tannstetter, Austrian mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (b. 1482)
  • 1546 – Thomas Elyot, English scholar and diplomat (b. 1490)
  • 1566 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish organist and composer (b. 1510)
  • 1625 – Giambattista Marini, Italian poet (b. 1569)
  • 1649 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
  • 1679 – Johannes Schefferus, Swedish historian and author (b. 1621)
  • 1697 – Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician (b. 1640)
  • 1726 – John Vanbrugh, English playwright and architect, designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard (b. 1664)
  • 1772 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French author and politician (b. 1704)
  • 1776 – Samuel Ward, American jurist and politician, 31st Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island (b. 1725)
  • 1780 – Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (b. 1713)
  • 1793 – John Mudge, English physician and engineer (b. 1721)
  • 1797 – James Hutton, Scottish geologist and physician (b. 1726)
  • 1814 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician and politician (b. 1738)
  • 1827 – Ludwig van Beethoven, German pianist and composer (b. 1770)
  • 1858 – John Addison Thomas, American lieutenant, engineer, and politician, 3rd United States Assistant Secretary of State (b. 1811)
  • 1862 – Uriah P. Levy, American commander (b. 1792)
  • 1881 – Roman Sanguszko, Polish general and activist (b. 1800)
  • 1885 – Anson Stager, American general and businessman, co-founded Western Union (b. 1825)
  • 1888 – Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar (b. 1837)
  • 1892 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (b. 1819)
  • 1902 – Cecil Rhodes, English-South African colonialist, businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (b. 1853)
  • 1905 – Maurice Barrymore, American actor (b. 1849)
  • 1910 – Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (b. 1864)
  • 1920 – William Chester Minor, American surgeon and lexicographer (b. 1834)
  • 1923 – Sarah Bernhardt, French actress and screenwriter (b. 1844)
  • 1926 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1852)
  • 1932 – Henry M. Leland, American machinist, inventor, engineer, automotive entrepreneur and founded of Cadillac and Lincoln (b. 1843)
  • 1934 – John Biller, American jumper and discus thrower (b. 1877)
  • 1940 – Wilhelm Anderson, German-Estonian astrophysicist (b. 1880)
  • 1940 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (b. 1873)
  • 1942 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (b. 1874)
  • 1942 – Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (b. 1862)
  • 1945 – David Lloyd George, English-Welsh lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1863)
  • 1951 – James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (b. 1864)
  • 1954 – Charles Perrin, French rower (b. 1875)
  • 1957 – Édouard Herriot, French politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1872)
  • 1958 – Phil Mead, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1887)
  • 1959 – Raymond Chandler, American crime novelist and screenwriter (b. 1888)
  • 1966 – Victor Hochepied, French swimmer (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (b. 1937)
  • 1973 – Noël Coward, English playwright, actor, and composer (b. 1899)
  • 1973 – Johnny Drake, American football player (b. 1916)
  • 1979 – Beauford Delaney, American-French painter (b. 1901)
  • 1979 – Jean Stafford, American author and academic (b. 1915)
  • 1980 – Roland Barthes, French linguist and critic (b. 1915)
  • 1983 – Anthony Blunt, English historian and spy (b. 1907)
  • 1984 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st President of Guinea (b. 1922)
  • 1987 – Eugen Jochum, German conductor (b. 1902)
  • 1987 – Walter Abel, American actor (b. 1898)
  • 1990 – Halston, American fashion designer (b. 1932)
  • 1992 – Barbara Frum, American-Canadian journalist and radio host (b. 1937)
  • 1993 – Louis Falco, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1942)
  • 1995 – Eazy-E, American rapper and producer (b. 1964)
  • 1996 – Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (b. 1914)
  • 1996 – David Packard, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (b. 1912)
  • 2000 – Alex Comfort, English physician and author (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Randy Castillo, American drummer and songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 2003 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and politician, 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (b. 1927)
  • 2004 – Jan Sterling, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1912)
  • 2005 – Frederick Rotimi Williams, Nigerian lawyer and politician (b. 1920)
  • 2006 – Anil Biswas, Indian journalist and politician (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Paul Dana, American racing driver (b. 1975)
  • 2006 – Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1956)
  • 2008 – Robert Fagles, American poet and academic (b. 1933)
  • 2008 – Manuel Marulanda, Colombian rebel leader (b. 1930)
  • 2009 – Shane McConkey, Canadian skier and BASE jumper (b. 1969)
  • 2009 – Arne Bendiksen, Norwegian singer and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2010 – Charles Ryskamp, American art collector and curator (b. 1928)
  • 2011 – Roger Abbott, English-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2011 – Geraldine Ferraro, American lawyer and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2011 – Diana Wynne Jones, English author (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Sisto Averno, American football player (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Michael Begley, Irish carpenter and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2012 – Thomas M. Cover, American theorist and academic (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – David Craighead, American organist and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Manik Godghate, Indian poet and educator (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Helmer Ringgren, Swedish theologian and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Tom Boerwinkle, American basketball player and sportscaster (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Krzysztof Kozłowski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Interior (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Dave Leggett, American baseball player (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1964)
  • 2014 – Roger Birkman, American psychologist and author (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Dick Guidry, American businessman and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Marcus Kimball, Baron Kimball, English politician (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Dinkha IV, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Friedrich L. Bauer, German mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1931)
  • 2016 – Jim Harrison, American novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1937)
  • 2018 – Fabrizio Frizzi, Italian television presenter (b. 1958)

Holidays and observances on March 26

  • Christian feast days:
    • Castulus
    • Emmanuel and companions
    • Felicitas
    • Harriet Monsell (Church of England)
    • Larissa
    • Ludger
    • Richard Allen (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • March 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Independence Day and National Day (Bangladesh), celebrates the declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
  • Martyr’s Day or Day of Democracy (Mali)
  • Prince Kūhiō Day (Hawaii, United States)
  • Purple Day (Canada and United States)
  • Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (Eastern Christianity)

March 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea.
  • 238 – Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperors.
  • 871 – Æthelred of Wessex is defeated by a Danish invasion army at the Battle of Marton.
  • 1508 – Ferdinand II of Aragon commissions Amerigo Vespucci chief navigator of the Spanish Empire.
  • 1621 – The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony sign a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoags.
  • 1622 – Jamestown massacre: Algonquians kill 347 English settlers around Jamestown, Virginia, a third of the colony’s population, during the Second Anglo-Powhatan War.
  • 1630 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables.
  • 1638 – Anne Hutchinson is expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony for religious dissent.
  • 1713 – The Tuscarora War comes to an end with the fall of Fort Neoheroka, effectively opening up the interior of North Carolina to European colonization.
  • 1739 – Nader Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks the city, stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne.
  • 1765 – The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act that introduces a tax to be levied directly on its American colonies.
  • 1784 – The Emerald Buddha is moved with great ceremony to its current location in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand.
  • 1829 – In the London Protocol, the three protecting powers (United Kingdom, France and Russia) establish the borders of Greece.
  • 1849 – The Austrians defeat the Piedmontese at the Battle of Novara.
  • 1871 – In North Carolina, William Woods Holden becomes the first governor of a U.S. state to be removed from office by impeachment.
  • 1872 – Illinois becomes the first state to require gender equality in employment.
  • 1873 – The Spanish National Assembly abolishes slavery in Puerto Rico.
  • 1894 – The first playoff game for the Stanley Cup starts.
  • 1906 – The first England vs France rugby union match is played at Parc des Princes in Paris
  • 1920 – Azeri and Turkish army soldiers with participation of Kurdish gangs attacked the Armenian inhabitants of Shushi (Nagorno Karabakh).
  • 1933 – Cullen–Harrison Act: President Franklin Roosevelt signs an amendment to the Volstead Act, legalizing the manufacture and sale of “3.2 beer” (3.2% alcohol by weight, approximately 4% alcohol by volume) and light wines.
  • 1939 – Germany takes Memel from Lithuania.
  • 1942 – World War II: In the Mediterranean Sea, the Royal Navy confronts Italy’s Regia Marina in the Second Battle of Sirte.
  • 1943 – World War II: The entire village of Khatyn (in what is the present-day Republic of Belarus) is burnt alive by Schutzmannschaft Battalion 118.
  • 1945 – World War II: The city of Hildesheim, Germany heavily damaged in a British air raid, though it had little military significance and Germany was on the verge of final defeat.
  • 1945 – The Arab League is founded when a charter is adopted in Cairo, Egypt.
  • 1960 – Arthur Leonard Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes receive the first patent for a laser.
  • 1972 – The United States Congress sends the Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification.
  • 1972 – In Eisenstadt v. Baird, the United States Supreme Court decides that unmarried persons have the right to possess contraceptives.
  • 1975 – A fire at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Decatur, Alabama causes a dangerous reduction in cooling water levels.
  • 1978 – Karl Wallenda of The Flying Wallendas dies after falling off a tight-rope suspended between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • 1982 – NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia is launched from the Kennedy Space Center on its third mission, STS-3.
  • 1992 – USAir Flight 405 crashes shortly after takeoff from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, leading to a number of studies into the effect that ice has on aircraft.
  • 1992 – Fall of communism in Albania: The Democratic Party of Albania wins a decisive majority in the parliamentary election.
  • 1993 – The Intel Corporation ships the first Pentium chips (80586), featuring a 60 MHz clock speed, 100+ MIPS, and a 64 bit data path.
  • 1995 – Cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returns to earth after setting a record of 438 days in space.
  • 1997 – Tara Lipinski, aged 14 years and nine months, becomes the youngest women’s World Figure Skating Champion.
  • 2004 – Ahmed Yassin, co-founder and leader of the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group Hamas, two bodyguards, and nine civilian bystanders are killed in the Gaza Strip when hit by Israeli Air Force Hellfire missiles.
  • 2006 – Three Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) hostages are freed by British forces in Baghdad after 118 days of captivity and the murder of their colleague from the U.S., Tom Fox.
  • 2013 – At least 37 people are killed and 200 are injured after a fire destroys a camp containing Burmese refugees near Ban Mae, Thailand.
  • 2016 – Three suicide bombers kill 32 people and injure 316 in the 2016 Brussels bombings at the airport and at the Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station.
  • 2017 – A terrorist attack in London near the Houses of Parliament leaves four people dead and at least 20 injured.
  • 2019 – Robert S. Mueller III delivers his report on the Russian government’s influence on the election of Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election.
  • 2019 – Two buses crashes in Kitampo, a town north of Ghana’s capital Accra, killing at least 50 people.
  • 2020 – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces the country’s largest ever self-imposed curfew, in an effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Births on March 22

  • 841 – Bernard Plantapilosa, Frankish son of Bernard of Septimania (d. 885)
  • 875 – William I, Duke of Aquitaine (d. 918)
  • 1212 – Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan (d. 1235)
  • 1367 – Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, English politician, Earl Marshal of the United Kingdom (probable; d. 1399)
  • 1394 – Ulugh Beg, Persian astronomer and mathematician (d. 1449)
  • 1459 – Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1519)
  • 1499 – Johann Carion, German astrologer and chronicler (d. 1537)
  • 1503 – Antonio Francesco Grazzini, Italian author and educator (d. 1583)
  • 1517 – Gioseffo Zarlino, Italian composer (d. 1590)
  • 1519 – Catherine Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, English noblewoman (d. 1580)
  • 1582 – John Williams, Archbishop of York (d. 1650)
  • 1599 – Anthony van Dyck, Flemish-English painter and etcher (d. 1641)
  • 1609 – John II Casimir Vasa, Polish king (d. 1672)
  • 1615 – Katherine Jones, Viscountess Ranelagh, British scientist (d. 1691)
  • 1663 – August Hermann Francke, German clergyman, philanthropist, and scholar (d. 1727)
  • 1684 – William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, English politician, Secretary at War (d. 1764)
  • 1712 – Edward Moore, English poet and playwright (d. 1757)
  • 1720 – Nicolas-Henri Jardin, French architect, designed the Yellow Palace and Bernstorff Palace (d. 1799)
  • 1723 – Charles Carroll, American lawyer and politician (d. 1783)
  • 1728 – Anton Raphael Mengs, German painter and theorist (d. 1779)
  • 1785 – Adam Sedgwick, English scientist (d. 1873)
  • 1797 – William I, German Emperor (d. 1888)
  • 1808 – Caroline Norton, English feminist, social reformer, and author (d. 1877)
  • 1808 – David Swinson Maynard, American physician and lawyer (d. 1873)
  • 1812 – Stephen Pearl Andrews, American author and activist (d. 1886)
  • 1814 – Thomas Crawford, American sculptor, designed the Statue of Freedom (d. 1857)
  • 1817 – Braxton Bragg, American general (d. 1876)
  • 1818 – John Ainsworth Horrocks, English-Australian explorer, founded Penwortham (d. 1846)
  • 1822 – Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, Ottoman sociologist, historian, scholar, statesman and jurist (d. 1895)
  • 1842 – Mykola Lysenko, Ukrainian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1912)
  • 1846 – Randolph Caldecott, English illustrator and painter (d. 1886)
  • 1846 – James Timberlake, American lieutenant, police officer, and farmer (d. 1891)
  • 1852 – Otakar Ševčík, Czech violinist and educator (d. 1934)
  • 1852 – Hector Sévin, French cardinal (d. 1916)
  • 1855 – Dorothy Tennant, British painter (d. 1926)
  • 1857 – Paul Doumer, French mathematician, journalist, and politician, 14th President of France (d. 1932)
  • 1866 – Jack Boyle, American baseball player and umpire (d. 1913)
  • 1868 – Robert Andrews Millikan, American colonel and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1953)
  • 1869 – Tom McInnes, Scottish-English footballer (d. 1939)
  • 1873 – Ernest Lawson, Canadian-American painter (d. 1939)
  • 1880 – Ernest C. Quigley, Canadian-American football player and coach (d. 1960)
  • 1884 – Arthur H. Vandenberg, American journalist and politician (d. 1951)
  • 1884 – Lyda Borelli, Italian actress (d. 1959)
  • 1885 – Aryeh Levin, Polish-Lithuanian rabbi and educator (d. 1969)
  • 1886 – August Rei, Estonian lawyer and politician, Head of State of Estonia (d. 1963)
  • 1887 – Chico Marx, American actor (d. 1961)
  • 1890 – George Clark, American race car driver (d. 1978)
  • 1892 – Charlie Poole, American country banjo player (d. 1931)
  • 1892 – Johannes Semper, Estonian poet and scholar (d. 1970)
  • 1896 – He Long, Chinese general and politician, 1st Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1969)
  • 1896 – Joseph Schildkraut, Austrian-American actor (d. 1964)
  • 1899 – Ruth Page, American ballerina and choreographer (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Greta Kempton, Austrian-American painter (d. 1991)
  • 1902 – Johannes Brinkman, Dutch architect, designed the Van Nelle Factory (d. 1949)
  • 1902 – Madeleine Milhaud, French actress and composer (d. 2008)
  • 1903 – Bill Holman, American cartoonist (d. 1987)
  • 1907 – James M. Gavin, American general and diplomat, United States Ambassador to France (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – Jack Crawford, Australian tennis player (d. 1991)
  • 1908 – Louis L’Amour, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1988)
  • 1909 – Gabrielle Roy, Canadian author and educator (d. 1983)
  • 1910 – Nicholas Monsarrat, English sailor and author (d. 1979)
  • 1912 – Wilfrid Brambell, Irish actor and performer (d. 1985)
  • 1912 – Karl Malden, American actor (d. 2009)
  • 1912 – Agnes Martin, Canadian-American painter and educator (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Leslie Johnson, English race car driver (d. 1959)
  • 1913 – Tom McCall, American journalist and politician, 30th Governor of Oregon (d. 1983)
  • 1913 – Lew Wasserman, American businessman and talent agent (d. 2002)
  • 1913 – James Westerfield, American actor (d. 1971)
  • 1914 – John Stanley, American author and illustrator (d. 1993)
  • 1914 – Donald Stokes, Baron Stokes, English businessman (d. 2008)
  • 1917 – Virginia Grey, American actress (d. 2004)
  • 1917 – Irving Kaplansky, Canadian-American mathematician and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Paul Rogers, English actor (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Cheddi Jagan, Guyanese politician, 4th President of Guyana (d. 1997)
  • 1919 – Bernard Krigstein, American illustrator (d. 1990)
  • 1920 – James Brown, American actor and singer (d. 1992)
  • 1920 – Werner Klemperer, German-American actor (d. 2000)
  • 1920 – Lloyd MacPhail, Canadian businessman and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Fanny Waterman, English pianist and educator, founded the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
  • 1920 – Katsuko Saruhashi, Japanese geochemist (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Ross Martin, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1921 – Nino Manfredi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – John J. Gilligan, American lieutenant and politician, 62nd Governor of Ohio (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Stewart Stern, American screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Marcel Marceau, French mime and actor (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Al Neuharth, American journalist and author, founded USA Today (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Yevgeny Ostashev, Russian test pilot, participant in the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite (d. 1960)
  • 1924 – Osman F. Seden, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1924 – Bill Wendell, American television announcer (d. 1999)
  • 1927 – Marty Blake, American basketball player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Nicolas Tikhomiroff, Russian photographer (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Carrie Donovan, American journalist (d. 2001)
  • 1928 – E. D. Hirsch, American author, critic, and academic
  • 1928 – Ed Macauley, American basketball player, coach, and priest (d. 2011)
  • 1929 – Yayoi Kusama, Japanese artist
  • 1929 – P. Ramlee, Malaysian actor, director, singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. (d. 1973)
  • 1930 – Derek Bok, American lawyer and academic
  • 1930 – Pat Robertson, American minister and broadcaster, founded the Christian Broadcasting Network
  • 1930 – Stephen Sondheim, American composer and songwriter
  • 1931 – Burton Richter, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – William Shatner, Canadian actor
  • 1931 – Leslie Thomas, Welsh journalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Els Borst, Dutch physician and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Larry Evans, American chess player and journalist (d. 2010)
  • 1933 – Abolhassan Banisadr, Iranian economist and politician, 1st President of Iran
  • 1934 – May Britt, Swedish actress
  • 1934 – Sheila Cameron, English lawyer and judge
  • 1934 – Orrin Hatch, American lawyer and politician
  • 1935 – Lea Pericoli, Italian tennis player and journalist
  • 1935 – Frank Pulli, American baseball player and umpire (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – M. Emmet Walsh, American actor
  • 1936 – Ron Carey, American trade union leader (d. 2008)
  • 1936 – Roger Whittaker, Kenyan-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1936 – Erol Büyükburç, Turkish singer-songwriter, pop music composer, and actor (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Angelo Badalamenti, American pianist and composer
  • 1937 – Armin Hary, German sprinter
  • 1937 – Jon Hassell, American trumpet player and composer
  • 1938 – Rein Etruk, Estonian chess player (d. 2012)
  • 1940 – Dave Keon, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1940 – Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-American physician and author (d. 1996)
  • 1940 – George Edward Alcorn, Jr. American physicist and inventor
  • 1941 – Billy Collins, American poet
  • 1941 – Jeremy Clyde, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1941 – Bruno Ganz, Swiss actor (d. 2019)
  • 1941 – Cassam Uteem, Mauritian politician, 2nd President of Mauritius
  • 1942 – Jorge Ben Jor, Brazilian singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Dick Pound, Canadian lawyer and academic
  • 1943 – George Benson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Nazem Ganjapour, Iranian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1943 – Keith Relf, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1976)
  • 1945 – Eric Roth, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1946 – Don Chaney, American basketball player and coach
  • 1946 – Rivka Golani, Israeli viola player and composer
  • 1946 – Rudy Rucker, American mathematician, computer scientist, and author
  • 1946 – Harry Vanda, Dutch-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1947 – George Ferguson, English architect and politician, 1st Mayor of Bristol
  • 1947 – James Patterson, American author and producer
  • 1947 – Maarten van Gent, Dutch basketball player and coach
  • 1948 – Andrew Lloyd Webber, English composer and director
  • 1949 – Fanny Ardant, French actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Brian Hanrahan, English journalist (d. 2010)
  • 1952 – Des Browne, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1953 – Kenneth Rogoff, American economist and chess grandmaster
  • 1955 – Lena Olin, Swedish actress
  • 1955 – Pete Sessions, American politician
  • 1955 – Valdis Zatlers, Latvian physician and politician, 7th President of Latvia
  • 1956 – Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (born María Teresa Mestre y Batista)
  • 1957 – Jürgen Bucher, German footballer
  • 1957 – Stephanie Mills, American actress and singer
  • 1959 – Matthew Modine, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Tarmo Laht, Estonian architect
  • 1960 – Lauri Vahtre, Estonian historian and politician
  • 1961 – Simon Furman, British comic book writer
  • 1963 – Deborah Bull, English ballerina
  • 1963 – Susan Ann Sulley, English pop singer (The Human League)
  • 1963 – Martin Vizcarra, Peruvian engineer and politician, 67th President of Peru
  • 1964 – David Gillespie, Australian rugby league player
  • 1966 – Pia Cayetano, Filipino lawyer and politician
  • 1966 – Todd Ewen, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1966 – Artis Pabriks, Latvian academic and politician, 11th Minister for Defence of Latvia
  • 1966 – António Pinto, Portuguese runner
  • 1966 – Brian Shaw, American basketball player and coach
  • 1967 – Mario Cipollini, Italian cyclist
  • 1967 – Bernie Gallacher, Scottish-English footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1970 – Andreas Johnson, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1970 – Leontien van Moorsel, Dutch cyclist
  • 1970 – Hwang Young-cho, South Korean runner
  • 1971 – Keegan-Michael Key, American actor, comedian, and writer
  • 1972 – Shawn Bradley, German-American basketball player, coach, and actor
  • 1972 – Cory Lidle, American baseball player (d. 2006)
  • 1972 – Elvis Stojko, Canadian figure skater and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Beverley Knight, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1974 – Marcus Camby, American basketball player
  • 1974 – Philippe Clement, Belgian footballer
  • 1974 – Geo Meneses, Mexican producer and singer
  • 1975 – Cole Hauser, American actor and producer
  • 1975 – Jiří Novák, Czech-Monegasque tennis player
  • 1976 – Teun de Nooijer, Dutch field hockey player
  • 1976 – Kathryn Jean Lopez, American journalist
  • 1976 – Asako Toki, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1976 – Kellie Shanygne Williams, American actress
  • 1976 – Reese Witherspoon, American actress and producer
  • 1977 – Joey Porter, American football player and coach
  • 1977 – Tom Poti, American ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Aaron North, American guitarist
  • 1979 – Juan Uribe, Dominican baseball player
  • 1981 – Arne Gabius, German runner
  • 1982 – Piá, Brazilian footballer
  • 1982 – Enrico Gasparotto, Italian cyclist
  • 1982 – Michael Janyk, Canadian skier
  • 1984 – Piotr Trochowski, German footballer
  • 1985 – Mayola Biboko, Belgian footballer
  • 1985 – Jakob Fuglsang, Danish cyclist
  • 1985 – Mike Jenkins, American football player
  • 1985 – Justin Masterson, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Kelli Waite, Australian swimmer
  • 1986 – David Choi, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1986 – Dexter Fowler, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Ike Davis, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Jairo Mora Sandoval, Costa Rican environmentalist (d. 2013)
  • 1987 – Liam Doran, British rally cross driver
  • 1989 – Ruben Popa, Romanian footballer
  • 1989 – J. J. Watt, American football player
  • 1989 – Tyler Oakley, American internet celebrity

Deaths on March 22

  • 880 – Carloman of Bavaria, Frankish king
  • 1144 – William of Norwich, child murder victim
  • 1322 – Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, English politician, Lord High Steward of England (b. 1278)
  • 1418 – Dietrich of Nieheim, German bishop and historian (b. 1345)
  • 1421 – Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence, English soldier and politician, Lord High Steward of England (b. 1388)
  • 1454 – John Kemp, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • 1471 – George of Poděbrady (b. 1420)
  • 1544 – Johannes Magnus, Swedish archbishop and theologian (b. 1488)
  • 1602 – Agostino Carracci, Italian painter and educator (b. 1557)
  • 1685 – Emperor Go-Sai of Japan (b. 1638)
  • 1687 – Jean-Baptiste Lully, Italian-French composer and conductor (b. 1632)
  • 1758 – Jonathan Edwards, English minister, theologian, and philosopher (b. 1703)
  • 1772 – John Canton, English physicist and academic (b. 1718)
  • 1820 – Stephen Decatur, American commander (b. 1779)
  • 1832 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German novelist, poet, playwright, and diplomat (b. 1749)
  • 1840 – Étienne Bobillier, French mathematician and academic (b. 1798)
  • 1864 – Konstanty Kalinowski, writer, journalist, lawyer and revolutionary (b. 1838)
  • 1881 – Samuel Courtauld, English businessman (b. 1793)
  • 1896 – Thomas Hughes, English lawyer and politician (b. 1822)
  • 1913 – Song Jiaoren, Chinese educator and politician (b. 1882)
  • 1913 – Ruggero Oddi, Italian physiologist and anatomist (b.1864)
  • 1924 – William Macewen, Scottish surgeon and neuroscientist (b. 1848)
  • 1931 – James Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy, Irish lawyer and politician (b. 1851)
  • 1942 – Frederick Cuming, English cricketer (b. 1875)
  • 1942 – William Donne, English captain and cricketer (b. 1875)
  • 1945 – John Hessin Clarke, American lawyer and judge (b. 1857)
  • 1952 – D. S. Senanayake, 1st Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (b. 1883)
  • 1955 – Ivan Šubašić, Croatian lawyer and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1892)
  • 1958 – Mike Todd, American film producer (b. 1909)
  • 1960 – José Antonio Aguirre, Spanish lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Basque Country (b. 1904)
  • 1966 – John Harlin, American mountaineer and pilot (b. 1935)
  • 1971 – Johannes Villemson, Estonian-American runner (b. 1893)
  • 1971 – Nella Walker, American actress and vaudevillian (b. 1886)
  • 1974 – Peter Revson, American race car driver (b. 1939)
  • 1974 – Orazio Satta Puliga, Italian automobile designer (b. 1910)
  • 1976 – John Dwyer McLaughlin, American painter (b. 1898)
  • 1977 – A. K. Gopalan, Indian educator and politician (b. 1904)
  • 1978 – Karl Wallenda, German-American acrobat and tightrope walker, founded The Flying Wallendas (b. 1905)
  • 1979 – Ben Lyon, American actor and studio executive (b. 1901)
  • 1981 – James Elliott, American runner and coach (b. 1915)
  • 1981 – Gil Puyat, Filipino businessman and politician, 13th President of the Senate of the Philippines (b. 1907)
  • 1986 – Olive Deering, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 1986 – Mark Dinning, American singer (b. 1933)
  • 1987 – Odysseas Angelis, Greek general and politician (b. 1912)
  • 1989 – Peta Taylor, English cricketer (b. 1912)
  • 1990 – Gerald Bull, Canadian engineer and academic (b. 1928)
  • 1991 – Léon Balcer, Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Solicitor General of Canada (b. 1917)
  • 1991 – Paul Engle, American novelist, poet, playwright, and critic (b. 1908)
  • 1991 – Dave Guard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
  • 1991 – Gloria Holden, English-American actress (b. 1908)
  • 1993 – Steve Olin, American baseball player (b. 1965)
  • 1994 – Dan Hartman, American singer-songwriter, and producer (b. 1950)
  • 1994 – Walter Lantz, American animator, director, and producer (b. 1899)
  • 1996 – Don Murray, American drummer (b. 1945)
  • 1996 – Robert F. Overmyer, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1936)
  • 1996 – Billy Williamson, American guitarist (b. 1925)
  • 1999 – Max Beloff, Baron Beloff, English historian and academic (b. 1913)
  • 1999 – David Strickland, American actor (b. 1969)
  • 2000 – Carlo Parola, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1921)
  • 2001 – Stepas Butautas, Lithuanian basketball player and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2001 – Sabiha Gökçen, Turkish soldier and pilot (b. 1913)
  • 2001 – William Hanna, American animator, director, producer, and voice actor, co-founded Hanna-Barbera (b. 1910)
  • 2001 – Robert Fletcher Shaw, Canadian businessman, academic, and civil servant (b. 1910)
  • 2002 – Rudolf Baumgartner, Swiss violinist and conductor (b. 1917)
  • 2003 – Terry Lloyd, English journalist (b. 1952)
  • 2004 – Janet Akyüz Mattei, Turkish-American astronomer and academic (b. 1943)
  • 2004 – Ahmed Yassin, Co-founded Hamas (b. 1937)
  • 2004 – V. M. Tarkunde, Indian lawyer and civil rights activist (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Rod Price, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2005 – Gemini Ganesan, Indian film actor (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Kenzō Tange, Japanese architect, designed the Yoyogi National Gymnasium and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Pierre Clostermann, French soldier, pilot, and politician (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Pío Leyva, Cuban singer and author (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – Kurt von Trojan, Austrian-Australian journalist and author (b. 1937)
  • 2007 – U. G. Krishnamurti, Indian-Italian philosopher and educator (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Cachao López, Cuban-American bassist and composer (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – James Black, Scottish biologist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1924)
  • 2010 – Özhan Canaydın, Turkish basketball player and businessman (b. 1943)
  • 2011 – Artur Agostinho, Portuguese journalist (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – Victor Bouchard, Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Joe Blanchard, American football player and wrestler (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – John Payton, American lawyer and activist (b. 1946)
  • 2012 – Matthew White Ridley, 4th Viscount Ridley, English academic and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Mickey Sullivan, American baseball player and coach (b. 1932)
  • 2012 – David Waltz, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1943)
  • 2012 – Neil L. Whitehead, English anthropologist and author (b. 1956)
  • 2013 – Vladimír Čech, Czech actor and politician (b. 1951)
  • 2013 – James Nabrit, American lawyer and academic (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Bebo Valdés, Cuban-Swedish pianist and composer (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Derek Watkins, English trumpet player and composer (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Ray Williams, American basketball player and coach (b. 1954)
  • 2014 – Yashwant Vithoba Chittal, Indian author (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Mickey Duff, Polish-English boxer and manager (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Thor Listau, Norwegian soldier and politician (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Tasos Mitsopoulos, Cypriot politician, Cypriot Minister of Defence (b. 1965)
  • 2015 – Arkady Arkanov, Ukrainian-Russian actor and playwright (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Horst Buhtz, German footballer and manager (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – George Neel, Jr., American businessman (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Norman Scribner, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Phife Dawg, American rapper (b. 1970)
  • 2016 – Rob Ford, Canadian businessman and politician, 64th Mayor of Toronto (b. 1969)
  • 2016 – Rita Gam, American actress (b. 1927)
  • 2018 – Johan van Hulst, Dutch politician, academic and author, Yad Vashem recipient (b. 1911)

Holidays and observances on March 22

  • Bihar Day (Bihar, India)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Basil of Ancyra
    • Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen
    • Darerca of Ireland
    • Epaphroditus
    • Jonathan Edwards (Lutheranism)
    • Lea of Rome
    • Nicholas Owen
    • Paul of Narbonne
    • March 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Easter Sunday can fall (last in 1818, will not happen again until 2285), while April 25 is the latest. (Christianity)
  • Emancipation Day or Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud (Puerto Rico)
  • World Water Day (International)

March 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 21- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

In astrology, the day of the equinox is the first full day of the sign of Aries. It is also the traditional first day of the astrological year. In the 21st century, the equinox usually occurs on March 19 or 20; it occurred on March 21 only in 2003 and 2007. The next year in which the equinox occurs on March 21 will be 2102.

March 21 in History

  • 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the Vivarium, by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas and Peranius.
  • 630 – Emperor Heraclius returns the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem.
  • 717 – Battle of Vincy between Charles Martel and Ragenfrid.
  • 1152 – Annulment of the marriage of King Louis VII of France and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  • 1188 – Emperor Antoku accedes to the throne of Japan.
  • 1556 – On the day of his execution in Oxford, former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer deviates from the scripted sermon by renouncing the recantations he has made and adds, “And as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ’s enemy, and Antichrist with all his false doctrine.”
  • 1788 – A fire in New Orleans leaves most of the town in ruins.
  • 1800 – With the church leadership driven out of Rome during an armed conflict, Pius VII is crowned Pope in Venice with a temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché.
  • 1801 – The Battle of Alexandria is fought between British and French forces near the ruins of Nicopolis near Alexandria in Egypt.
  • 1804 – Code Napoléon is adopted as French civil law.
  • 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: Austrian forces repel French troops in the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube.
  • 1844 – The Bahá’í calendar begins. This is the first day of the first year of the Bahá’í calendar. It is annually celebrated by members of the Bahá’í Faith as the Bahá’í New Year or Náw-Rúz.
  • 1861 – Alexander Stephens gives the Cornerstone Speech.
  • 1871 – Otto von Bismarck is appointed as the first Chancellor of the German Empire.
  • 1871 – Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and explorer David Livingstone.
  • 1913 – Over 360 are killed and 20,000 homes destroyed in the Great Dayton Flood in Dayton, Ohio.
  • 1918 – World War I: The first phase of the German Spring Offensive, Operation Michael, begins.
  • 1919 – The Hungarian Soviet Republic is established becoming the first Communist government to be formed in Europe after the October Revolution in Russia.
  • 1921 – The New Economic Policy is implemented by the Bolshevik Party in response to the economic failure as a result of war communism.
  • 1925 – The Butler Act prohibits the teaching of human evolution in Tennessee.
  • 1925 – Syngman Rhee is removed from office after being impeached as the President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
  • 1928 – Charles Lindbergh is presented with the Medal of Honor for the first solo trans-Atlantic flight.
  • 1935 – Shah of Iran Reza Shah Pahlavi formally asks the international community to call Persia by its native name, Iran.
  • 1937 – Ponce massacre: Nineteen people in Ponce, Puerto Rico are gunned down by police acting on orders of the US-appointed Governor, Blanton C. Winship.
  • 1943 – Wehrmacht officer Rudolf von Gersdorff plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler by using a suicide bomb, but the plan falls through; von Gersdorff is able to defuse the bomb in time and avoid suspicion.
  • 1945 – World War II: British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma.
  • 1945 – World War II: Operation Carthage: Royal Air Force planes bomb Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. They also accidentally hit a school, killing 125 civilians.
  • 1945 – World War II: Bulgaria and the Soviet Union successfully complete their defense of the north bank of the Drava River as the Battle of the Transdanubian Hills concludes.
  • 1946 – The Los Angeles Rams sign Kenny Washington, making him the first African American player in professional American football since 1933.
  • 1952 – Alan Freed presents the Moondog Coronation Ball, the first rock and roll concert, in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • 1960 – Apartheid: Sharpeville massacre, South Africa: Police open fire on a group of black South African demonstrators, killing 69 and wounding 180.
  • 1963 – Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary (in California) closes.
  • 1965 – Ranger program: NASA launches Ranger 9, the last in a series of unmanned lunar space probes.
  • 1965 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads 3,200 people on the start of the third and finally successful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
  • 1968 – Battle of Karameh in Jordan between the Israel Defense Forces and the combined forces of the Jordanian Armed Forces and PLO.
  • 1970 – The first Earth Day proclamation is issued by Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco.
  • 1980 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces a United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet–Afghan War.
  • 1983 – The first cases of the 1983 West Bank fainting epidemic begin; Israelis and Palestinians accuse each other of poison gas, but the cause is later determined mostly to be psychosomatic.
  • 1986 – Debi Thomas became the first African American to win the World Figure Skating Championships
  • 1990 – Namibia becomes independent after 75 years of South African rule.
  • 1994 – The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change enters into force.
  • 1999 – Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon.
  • 2000 – Pope John Paul II makes his first ever pontifical visit to Israel.
  • 2006 – The social media site Twitter is founded.
  • 2009 – Four police officers are shot and killed and a fifth is wounded in two shootings at Oakland, California.
  • 2019 – The 2019 Xiangshui chemical plant explosion occurs, killing at least 47 people and injuring 640 others.

Births on March 21

  • 927 – Emperor Taizu of Song (d. 976)
  • 1474 – Angela Merici, Italian educator and saint (d. 1540)
  • 1501 – Anne Brooke, Baroness Cobham, English noble (d. 1558)
  • 1521 – Maurice, Elector of Saxony (d. 1553)
  • 1527 – Hermann Finck, German composer and educator (d. 1558)
  • 1555 – John Leveson, English politician (d. 1615)
  • 1557 – Anne Howard, Countess of Arundel, English countess and poet (d. 1630)
  • 1626 – Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur, Spanish saint and missionary (d. 1667)
  • 1672 – Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, Italian poet and translator (d. 1742)
  • 1685 – Johann Sebastian Bach, German Baroque composer and musician (d. 1750)
  • 1713 – Francis Lewis, Welsh-American merchant and politician (d. 1803)
  • 1716 – Josef Seger, Bohemian organist, composer, and educator (d. 1782)
  • 1752 – Mary Dixon Kies, American inventor (d. 1837)
  • 1763 – Jean Paul, German journalist and author (d. 1825)
  • 1768 – Joseph Fourier, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1830)
  • 1806 – Benito Juárez, Mexican lawyer and politician, 25th President of Mexico (d. 1872)
  • 1811 – Nathaniel Woodard, English priest and educator (d. 1891)
  • 1825 – Alexander Mozhaysky, Russian soldier and engineer (d. 1890)
  • 1835 – Thomas Hayward, English cricketer (d. 1876)
  • 1839 – Modest Mussorgsky, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1881)
  • 1854 – Alick Bannerman, Australian cricketer and coach (d. 1924)
  • 1857 – Alice Henry, Australian journalist and activist (d. 1943)
  • 1859 – Daria Pratt, American golfer (d. 1938)
  • 1865 – George Owen Squier, American general (d. 1934)
  • 1866 – Antonia Maury, American astronomer and astrophysicist (d. 1952)
  • 1867 – Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., American director and producer (d. 1932)
  • 1869 – David Robertson, Scottish-English golfer and rugby player (d. 1937)
  • 1874 – Alfred Tysoe, English runner (d. 1901)
  • 1876 – Walter Tewksbury, American runner and hurdler (d. 1968)
  • 1877 – Maurice Farman, French race car driver and pilot (d. 1964)
  • 1878 – Morris H. Whitehouse, American architect (d. 1944)
  • 1880 – Broncho Billy Anderson, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1971)
  • 1880 – Hans Hofmann, German-American painter and academic (d. 1966)
  • 1882 – Aleksander Kesküla, Estonian politician (d. 1963)
  • 1884 – George David Birkhoff, American mathematician (d. 1944)
  • 1885 – Pierre Renoir, French actor and director (d. 1952)
  • 1886 – Walter Dray, American pole vaulter (d. 1973)
  • 1887 – Clarice Beckett, Australian painter (d. 1935)
  • 1887 – Lajos Kassák, Hungarian poet, novelist and painter (d. 1967)
  • 1887 – M. N. Roy, Indian philosopher and politician (d. 1954)
  • 1889 – Jock Sutherland, American football player and coach (d. 1948)
  • 1896 – Friedrich Waismann, Austrian mathematician, physicist, and philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1959)
  • 1897 – Sim Gokkes, Dutch composer and conductor (d. 1943)
  • 1897 – Salvador Lutteroth, Mexican wrestling promoter, founded Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (d. 1987)
  • 1899 – Panagiotis Pipinelis, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1970)
  • 1901 – Karl Arnold, German businessman and politician, President of the German Bundesrat (d. 1958)
  • 1902 – Son House, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1988)
  • 1904 – Jehane Benoît, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1904 – Forrest Mars, Sr., American candy maker, created M&M’s and Mars bar (d. 1999)
  • 1904 – Nikos Skalkottas, Greek violinist and composer (d. 1949)
  • 1905 – Phyllis McGinley, American author and poet (d. 1978)
  • 1906 – John D. Rockefeller III, American philanthropist (d. 1978)
  • 1906 – Jim Thompson, American businessman (d. 1967)
  • 1906 – André Filho, Brazilian musician and songwriter (d. 1974)
  • 1907 – Zoltán Kemény, Hungarian sculptor (d. 1965)
  • 1909 – Harry Lane, English footballer (d. 1977)
  • 1910 – Julio Gallo, American businessman, co-founded E & J Gallo Winery (d. 1993)
  • 1910 – Muhammad Siddiq Khan, Bangladeshi librarian and educator (d. 1978)
  • 1911 – Walter Lincoln Hawkins, African-American scientist and inventor (d. 1992)
  • 1912 – André Laurendeau, Canadian journalist, playwright, and politician (d. 1968)
  • 1913 – George Abecassis, English race car driver and pilot (d. 1991)
  • 1913 – Guillermo Haro, Mexican astronomer (d. 1988)
  • 1914 – Paul Tortelier, French cellist and composer (d. 1990)
  • 1916 – Bismillah Khan, Indian shehnai player (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Ken Wharton, English race car driver (d. 1957)
  • 1917 – Frank Hardy, Australian journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1994)
  • 1918 – Patrick Lucey, American captain and politician, 38th Governor of Wisconsin (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Charles Thompson, American pianist and composer (d. 2016)
  • 1919 – Douglas Warren, Australian bishop (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Manolis Chiotis, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (d. 1970)
  • 1920 – Éric Rohmer, French director, film critic, journalist, novelist and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – Arthur Grumiaux, Belgian violinist and pianist (d. 1986)
  • 1921 – Antony Hopkins, English pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Russ Meyer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1923 – Louis-Edmond Hamelin, Canadian geographer, author, and academic (d. 2020)
  • 1923 – Nizar Qabbani, Syrian poet, publisher, and diplomat (d. 1998)
  • 1923 – Nirmala Srivastava, Indian religious leader, founded Sahaja Yoga (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Rezső Nyers, Hungarian politician (d. 2018)
  • 1924 – Philip Abbott, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1924 – Dov Shilansky, Lithuanian-Israeli lawyer and politician (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Harold Ashby, American saxophonist (d. 2003)
  • 1925 – Peter Brook, English-French director and producer
  • 1925 – Hugo Koblet, Swiss cyclist (d. 1964)
  • 1926 – André Delvaux, Belgian director and screenwriter (d. 2002)
  • 1927 – Halton Arp, American-German astronomer and critic (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German soldier and politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Surya Bahadur Thapa, Nepalese politician, 24th Prime Minister of Nepal (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Maurice Catarcio, American wrestler (d. 2005)
  • 1930 – James Coco, American actor (d. 1987)
  • 1930 – Otis Spann, American blues pianist, singer and composer (d. 1970)
  • 1931 – Toyonobori, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1998)
  • 1931 – Clark L. Brundin, American-English engineer and academic
  • 1931 – Catherine Gibson, Scottish swimmer (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Al Williamson, American illustrator (d. 2010)
  • 1932 – Walter Gilbert, American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1932 – Joseph Silverstein, American violinist and conductor (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – John Hall, English businessman
  • 1933 – Michael Heseltine, Welsh businessman and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  • 1934 – Al Freeman, Jr., American actor and director (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Brian Clough, English footballer and manager (d. 2004)
  • 1936 – Ed Broadbent, Canadian pilot and politician
  • 1936 – Mike Westbrook, English pianist and composer
  • 1937 – Ann Clwyd, Welsh journalist and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
  • 1937 – Tom Flores, American football player and coach
  • 1937 – Pierre-Jean Rémy, French diplomat and author (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Michael Foreman, English author and illustrator
  • 1938 – Grahame Thomas, Australian cricketer
  • 1939 – Kathleen Widdoes, American actress
  • 1940 – Solomon Burke, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1940 – Andrea Elle, German bicyclist
  • 1942 – Françoise Dorléac, French actress (d. 1967)
  • 1942 – Kostas Politis, Greek basketball player and coach (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Amina Claudine Myers, African-American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1942 – Patcha Ramachandra Rao, India metallurgist, educator and administrator (d. 2010)
  • 1943 – István Gyulai, Hungarian sprinter and sportscaster (d. 2006)
  • 1943 – Hartmut Haenchen, German conductor
  • 1943 – Vivian Stanshall, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter (d. 1995)
  • 1944 – Marie-Christine Barrault, French actress
  • 1944 – Janet Daley, American-English journalist and author
  • 1944 – Hideki Ishima, Japanese guitarist
  • 1944 – Mike Jackson, English general
  • 1944 – David Lindley, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1944 – Gaye Adegbalola, African-American singer and guitarist
  • 1945 – Anthony Grabiner, Baron Grabiner, English lawyer
  • 1945 – Charles Greene, American sprinter and coach
  • 1945 – Rose Stone, African-American R&B singer and keyboard player
  • 1946 – Timothy Dalton, Welsh-English actor
  • 1946 – Ray Dorset, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1946 – Joseph Mitsuaki Takami, Japanese cardinal
  • 1947 – George Johnston. Scottish footballer, forward
  • 1948 – Scott Fahlman, American computer scientist and academic
  • 1949 – Alvin Kallicharran, Guyanese cricketer and coach
  • 1949 – Andy Love, Scottish-English politician
  • 1949 – Eddie Money, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2019)
  • 1949 – Slavoj Žižek, Slovenian sociologist, philosopher, and academic
  • 1950 – Roger Hodgson, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1950 – Ron Oden, American minister and politician, 19th Mayor of Palm Springs
  • 1950 – Sergey Lavrov, Russian politician and diplomat, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1951 – Conrad Lozano, American bass player
  • 1951 – Russell Thompkins Jr., American soul singer
  • 1953 – Steve Furber, English computer scientist and academic
  • 1953 – Paul Martin Lester, American photographer, author, and educator
  • 1953 – David Wisniewski, English-American author and illustrator (d. 2002)
  • 1955 – Fadi Abboud, Lebanese economist and politician
  • 1955 – Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian politician and retired military officer, 38th President of Brazil
  • 1955 – Bob Bennett, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Greek politician
  • 1955 – Bärbel Wöckel, East German sprinter
  • 1956 – Dick Beardsley, American runner
  • 1956 – Guy Chadwick, German-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1956 – Richard H. Kirk, English guitarist, keyboard player, composer, and producer
  • 1956 – Ingrid Kristiansen, Norwegian runner
  • 1958 – Marlies Göhr, German sprinter
  • 1958 – Brad Hall, American comedian, director, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Gary Oldman, English actor, filmmaker, musician and author
  • 1959 – Sarah Jane Morris, English singer-songwriter
  • 1959 – Yuval Rotem, Israeli diplomat
  • 1959 – Nobuo Uematsu, Japanese keyboard player and composer
  • 1960 – Marwan Farhat, Syrian actor and voice actor
  • 1960 – Benito T. de Leon, Filipino general
  • 1960 – Raivo Puusepp, Estonian architect
  • 1960 – Ayrton Senna, Brazilian race car driver (d. 1994)
  • 1960 – Robert Sweet, American drummer and producer
  • 1961 – Lothar Matthäus, German footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Gary O’Reilly, English footballer, defender
  • 1961 – Kassie DePaiva, American actress
  • 1961 – Slim Jim Phantom, American rock drummer
  • 1961 – Kim Turner, American hurdler
  • 1962 – Matthew Broderick, American actor
  • 1962 – Kathy Greenwood, Canadian actress and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Rosie O’Donnell, American actress, producer, and talk show host
  • 1962 – Mark Waid, American author
  • 1963 – Shawon Dunston, American baseball player
  • 1963 – Ronald Koeman, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Shawn Lane, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1963 – Share Pedersen, American bass player
  • 1964 – Ieuan Evans, Welsh rugby player
  • 1964 – Jesper Skibby, Danish cyclist
  • 1965 – Xavier Bertrand, French businessman and politician, French Minister of Social Affairs
  • 1965 – Thomas Frank, American author, historian and political analyst
  • 1966 – Benito Archundia, Mexican footballer, referee, lawyer, and economist
  • 1966 – Hauke Fuhlbrügge, German runner
  • 1966 – Matthew Maynard, English cricketer and coach
  • 1966 – Moa Matthis, Swedish author
  • 1967 – Carwyn Jones, Welsh lawyer and politician, First Minister of Wales
  • 1967 – Mirela Rupic, American costume and fashion designer
  • 1968 – Cameron Clyne, Australian businessman
  • 1968 – Andrew Copeland, American singer and guitarist
  • 1968 – Gary Walsh, English football coach and former footballer
  • 1968 – Greg Ellis, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Tolunay Kafkas, Turkish footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Scott Williams, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Jonah Goldberg, American journalist and author
  • 1970 – Shiho Niiyama, Japanese voice actress (d. 2000)
  • 1970 – Cenk Uygur, Turkish-American political activist
  • 1971 – Zsolt Kürtösi, Hungarian decathlete
  • 1972 – Chris Candido, American wrestler (d. 2005)
  • 1972 – Balázs Kiss, Hungarian hammer thrower
  • 1972 – Derartu Tulu, Ethiopian runner
  • 1972 – Graeme Welch, English cricketer
  • 1973 – Ananda Lewis, American television host
  • 1973 – Stuart Nethercott, English footballer, defender and manager
  • 1973 – Large Professor, American rapper and producer
  • 1974 – Rhys Darby, New Zealand comedian and actor
  • 1974 – Dejima Takeharu, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1974 – Edsel Dope, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1974 – Ted Kravitz, British presenter and Formula One pit-lane reporter
  • 1974 – Kevin Leahy, American drummer
  • 1974 – Conor Woodman, Irish journalist and author
  • 1975 – Yacoub Al-Mohana, Kuwaiti director and producer
  • 1975 – Corne Krige, South African rugby player
  • 1975 – Fabricio Oberto, Argentinian-Italian basketball player
  • 1975 – Vitaly Potapenko, Ukrainian basketball player and coach
  • 1975 – Mark Williams, Welsh snooker player
  • 1976 – Rachael MacFarlane, American voice actress and singer
  • 1976 – Bamboo Mañalac, Filipino singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Tekin Sazlog, German-Turkish footballer
  • 1977 – Bruno Cirillo, Italian footballer
  • 1977 – Jamie Delgado, English tennis player
  • 1978 – Sally Barsosio, Kenyan runner
  • 1978 – Joyce Jimenez, Filipino movie and TV actress
  • 1978 – Charmaine Dragun, Australian journalist (d. 2007)
  • 1978 – Cristian Guzmán, Dominican baseball player
  • 1978 – Mohammad Rezaei, Iranian wrestler
  • 1980 – Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballer
  • 1980 – Marit Bjørgen, Norwegian skier
  • 1980 – Lee Jin, South Korean singer and actress
  • 1980 – Deryck Whibley, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1981 – Germano Borovicz Cardoso Schweger, Brazilian footballer
  • 1981 – Sébastien Chavanel, French cyclist
  • 1981 – Glenn Hall, Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Jason King, Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Todd Polglase, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Maria Elena Camerin, Italian tennis player
  • 1982 – Ejegayehu Dibaba, Ethiopian runner
  • 1982 – Aaron Hill, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Colin Turkington, Northern Irish race car driver
  • 1983 – Lucila Pascua, Spanish basketball player
  • 1983 – Jean Ondoa, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1984 – Tiago dos Santos Roberto, Brazilian footballer
  • 1984 – Guillermo Daniel Rodríguez, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1985 – Ryan Callahan, American ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Adrian Peterson, American football player
  • 1986 – Scott Eastwood, American actor
  • 1986 – Michu, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Romanos Alyfantis, Greek swimmer
  • 1986 – Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou, Greek pole vaulter
  • 1987 – Carlos Carrasco, Venezuelan baseball pitcher
  • 1988 – Kateřina Čechová, Czech sprinter
  • 1988 – Erik Johnson, American ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Eric Krüger, German sprinter
  • 1988 – Michael Madl, Austrian footballer, defender
  • 1989 – Jordi Alba, Spanish footballer
  • 1989 – Nicolás Lodeiro, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1990 – Mandy Capristo, German singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1990 – Ryann Krais, American runner and heptathlete
  • 1990 – Alex Nimo, Liberian-American soccer player
  • 1991 – Luke Chapman, English footballer
  • 1991 – Antoine Griezmann, French footballer
  • 1992 – Lehlogonolo Masalesa, South African footballer
  • 1992 – Karolína Plíšková, Czech tennis player
  • 1993 – Jake Bidwell, English footballer
  • 1993 – Jesse Joronen, Finnish footballer
  • 1994 – Margaret Lu, American fencer
  • 1997 – Martina Stoessel, Argentine actress
  • 2000 – Jace Norman, American actor

Deaths on March 21

  • 543 or 547 – Benedict of Nursia, Italian saint (b. 480)
  • 867 – Ælla, king of Northumbria
  • 867 – Osberht, king of Northumbria
  • 1034 – Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (b. 955)
  • 1063 – Richeza of Lotharingia (b. 995)
  • 1076 – Robert I, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1011)
  • 1201 – Absalon, Danish archbishop (b. c. 1128)
  • 1306 – Robert II, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1248)
  • 1372 – Rudolf VI, Margrave of Baden
  • 1487 – Nicholas of Flüe, Swiss monk and saint (b. 1417)
  • 1540 – John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford, English peer and courtier (b. c. 1482)
  • 1556 – Thomas Cranmer, English archbishop (b. 1489)
  • 1571 – Odet de Coligny, French cardinal and Protestant (b. 1517)
  • 1617 – Pocahontas, Algonquian Indigenous princess (b. c. 1595)
  • 1653 – Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha, Albanian politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
  • 1656 – James Ussher, Irish archbishop (b. 1581)
  • 1676 – Henri Sauval, French historian and author (b. 1623)
  • 1729 – John Law, Scottish-French economist and politician, Controller-General of Finances (b. 1671)
  • 1729 – Elżbieta Sieniawska, politically influential Polish magnate (b. 1669)
  • 1734 – Robert Wodrow, Scottish historian and author (b. 1679)
  • 1751 – Johann Heinrich Zedler, German publisher (b. 1706)
  • 1752 – Gio Nicola Buhagiar, Maltese painter (b. 1698)
  • 1762 – Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, French priest, astronomer, and academic (b. 1713)
  • 1772 – Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, French geographer and cartographer (b. 1703)
  • 1795 – Giovanni Arduino, Italian miner and geologist (b. 1714)
  • 1801 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian composer and educator (b. 1741)
  • 1804 – Louis Antoine, Duke of Enghien (b. 1772)
  • 1843 – Robert Southey, English poet, historian, and translator (b. 1774)
  • 1843 – Guadalupe Victoria, Mexican general and politician, 1st President of Mexico (b. 1786)
  • 1854 – Pedro María de Anaya, Mexican soldier. President (1847-1848) (b. 1795)
  • 1863 – Edwin Vose Sumner, American general (b. 1797)
  • 1869 – Juan Almonte, son of José María Morelos, was a Mexican soldier and diplomat who served as a regent in the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1864) (b. 1803)
  • 1884 – Ezra Abbot, American scholar and academic (b. 1819)
  • 1891 – Joseph E. Johnston, American general (b. 1807)
  • 1915 – Frederick Winslow Taylor, American golfer, tennis player, and engineer (b. 1856)
  • 1920 – Evelina Haverfield, British suffragette and aid worker (b. 1867)
  • 1932 – Frantz Reichel, French rugby player and hurdler (b. 1871)
  • 1934 – Franz Schreker, Austrian composer and conductor (b. 1878)
  • 1934 – Lilyan Tashman, American actress (b. 1896)
  • 1936 – Alexander Glazunov, Russian composer and conductor (b. 1865)
  • 1939 – Evald Aav, Estonian composer and conductor (b. 1900)
  • 1939 – Ali Hikmet Ayerdem, Turkish general and politician (b. 1877)
  • 1943 – Cornelia Fort, American soldier and pilot (b. 1919)
  • 1945 – Arthur Nebe, German SS officer (b. 1894)
  • 1951 – Willem Mengelberg, Dutch conductor and composer (b. 1871)
  • 1953 – Ed Voss, American basketball player (b. 1922)
  • 1956 – Hatı Çırpan, Turkish politician (b. 1890)
  • 1958 – Cyril M. Kornbluth, American soldier and author (b. 1923)
  • 1970 – Manolis Chiotis, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (b. 1920)
  • 1975 – Joe Medwick, American baseball player and coach (b. 1911)
  • 1978 – Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, President of Ireland (b. 1911)
  • 1980 – Peter Stoner, American mathematician and astronomer (b. 1888)
  • 1985 – Michael Redgrave, English actor, director, and manager (b. 1908)
  • 1987 – Walter L. Gordon, Canadian accountant, lawyer, and politician, 22nd Canadian Minister of Finance (b. 1906)
  • 1987 – Robert Preston, American captain, actor, and singer (b. 1918)
  • 1991 – Vedat Dalokay, Turkish architect and politician, Mayor of Ankara (b. 1927)
  • 1991 – Leo Fender, American businessman, founded Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (b. 1909)
  • 1992 – John Ireland, Canadian-American actor and director (b. 1914)
  • 1992 – Natalie Sleeth, American pianist and composer (b. 1930)
  • 1994 – Macdonald Carey, American actor (b. 1913)
  • 1994 – Lili Damita, French-American actress and singer (b. 1904)
  • 1994 – Aleksandrs Laime, Latvian-born explorer (b. 1911)
  • 1997 – Wilbert Awdry, English cleric and author, created Thomas the Tank Engine (b. 1911)
  • 1998 – Galina Ulanova, Russian ballerina (b. 1910)
  • 1999 – Jean Guitton, French philosopher and author (b. 1905)
  • 1999 – Ernie Wise, English comedian and actor (b. 1925)
  • 2001 – Chung Ju-yung, South Korean businessman, founded Hyundai (b. 1915)
  • 2001 – Anthony Steel, English actor and singer (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Herman Talmadge, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 70th Governor of Georgia (b. 1913)
  • 2003 – Shivani, Indian author (b. 1923)
  • 2003 – Umar Wirahadikusumah, Indonesian general and politician, 4th Vice President of Indonesia (b. 1924)
  • 2004 – Ludmilla Tchérina, French actress, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1924)
  • 2005 – Barney Martin, American police officer and actor (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Bobby Short, American singer and pianist (b. 1924)
  • 2007 – Drew Hayes, American author and illustrator (b. 1969)
  • 2007 – Sven O. Høiby, Norwegian hurdler and journalist (b. 1936)
  • 2008 – Denis Cosgrove, English-American geographer and academic (b. 1948)
  • 2008 – Guillermo Jullian de la Fuente, Chilean architect and academic (b. 1931)
  • 2009 – Walt Poddubny, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1960)
  • 2010 – Wolfgang Wagner, German director and manager (b. 1919)
  • 2011 – Loleatta Holloway, American singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2011 – Gerd Klier, German footballer (b. 1944)
  • 2011 – Ladislav Novák, Czech footballer and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2011 – Pinetop Perkins, American singer and pianist (b. 1913)
  • 2012 – Albrecht Dietz, German economist and businessman (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Ron Erhardt, American football player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Robert Fuest, English director, screenwriter, and production designer (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Tonino Guerra, Italian poet and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Irving Louis Horowitz, American sociologist, author, and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Yuri Razuvaev, Russian chess player and trainer (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Marina Salye, Russian geologist and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Chinua Achebe, Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Rick Hautala, American author and screenwriter (b. 1949)
  • 2013 – Harlon Hill, American football player and coach (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Pietro Mennea, Italian sprinter and politician (b. 1952)
  • 2013 – Giancarlo Zagni, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Qoriniasi Bale, Fijian lawyer and politician, 25th Attorney-General of Fiji (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Bill Boedeker, American football player and soldier (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Jack Fleck, American golfer (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Simeon Oduoye, Nigerian police officer and politician (b. 1945)
  • 2014 – James Rebhorn, American actor (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Ishaya Bakut, Nigerian general and politician, Governor of Benue State (b. 1947)
  • 2015 – Chuck Bednarik, American lieutenant and football player (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – James C. Binnicker, American sergeant (b. 1938)
  • 2015 – Hans Erni, Swiss painter, sculptor, and illustrator (b. 1909)
  • 2015 – Jørgen Ingmann, Danish singer and guitarist (Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann) (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Alberta Watson, Canadian actress (b. 1955)
  • 2017 – Chuck Barris, American game show host and producer (b. 1929)
  • 2017 – Colin Dexter, English author (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Martin McGuinness, Irish republican and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (2007–2017) (b. 1950)
  • 2017 – Mike Hall, British cyclist (b. 1981)
  • 2019 – Victor Hochhauser CBE, British music promoter (b. 1923)[21]
  • 2019 – Gonzalo Portocarrero, Peruvian sociologist (b. 1949)

Holidays and observances on March 21

  • Arbor Day (Portugal)
  • Birth of Benito Juárez, a Fiestas Patrias (Mexico)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello
    • Passing of Saint Benedict (Order of Saint Benedict)
    • Birillus
    • Enda of Aran
    • Nicholas of Flüe
    • Serapion of Thmuis
    • Thomas Cranmer (Anglicanism)
    • March 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Holy Saturday can fall, while April 24 is the latest; celebrated on the Saturday before Easter (Christianity)
  • Education Freedom Day
  • Harmony Day (Australia)
  • Human Rights Day (South Africa)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Namibia from South African mandate in 1990
  • International Colour Day (International)
  • International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (International)
  • International Day of Forests (International), by proclamation of the United Nations General Assembly
  • Mother’s Day (most of the Arab world)
  • National Tree Planting Day (Lesotho)
  • Newroz (Iran, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia)
  • Truant’s Day (Poland, Faroe Islands)
  • Vernal equinox related observances (see March 20)
  • World Down Syndrome Day (International)
  • World Poetry Day (International)
  • World Puppetry Day (International)
  • Youth Day (Tunisia)

March 21- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 19- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen ends the Song dynasty in China.
  • 1284 – The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England.
  • 1563 – The Edict of Amboise is signed, ending the first phase of the French Wars of Religion and granting certain freedoms to the Huguenots.
  • 1649 – The House of Commons of England passes an act abolishing the House of Lords, declaring it “useless and dangerous to the people of England”.
  • 1687 – Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men.
  • 1812 – The Cortes of Cádiz promulgates the Spanish Constitution of 1812.
  • 1853 – The Taiping reform movement occupies and makes Nanjing its capital until 1864.
  • 1861 – The First Taranaki War ends in New Zealand.
  • 1863 – The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines, and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Bentonville begins. By the end of the battle two days later, Confederate forces had retreated from Four Oaks, North Carolina.
  • 1885 – Louis Riel declares a provisional government in Saskatchewan, beginning the North-West Rebellion.
  • 1895 – Auguste and Louis Lumière record their first footage using their newly patented cinematograph.
  • 1918 – The US Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.
  • 1920 – The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919).
  • 1921 – Irish War of Independence: One of the biggest engagements of the war takes place at Crossbarry, County Cork. About 100 Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers escape an attempt by over 1,300 British forces to encircle them.
  • 1931 – Gambling is legalized in Nevada.
  • 1932 – The Sydney Harbour Bridge is opened.
  • 1943 – Frank Nitti, the Chicago Outfit Boss after Al Capone, commits suicide at the Chicago Central Railyard.
  • 1944 – World War II: The German army occupies Hungary.
  • 1945 – World War II: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the US under her own power.
  • 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler issues his “Nero Decree” ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities, and communications facilities in Germany to be destroyed.
  • 1946 – French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion become overseas départements of France.
  • 1954 – Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory in round seven at Madison Square Garden in the first televised prize boxing fight shown in colour.
  • 1954 – Willie Mosconi sets a world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio, setting a record that remains unbroken.
  • 1958 – The Monarch Underwear Company fire leaves 24 dead and 15 injured.
  • 1962 – Highly influential artist Bob Dylan releases his first album, Bob Dylan, for Columbia Records.
  • 1962 – The Algerian War of Independence ends.
  • 1964 – Over 500,000 Brazilians attend the March of the Family with God for Liberty, in protest against the government of João Goulart and against communism.
  • 1965 – The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, exactly 102 years after its destruction.
  • 1966 – 1965–66 Texas Western Miners men’s basketball team wins the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
  • 1969 – The 385-metre-tall (1,263 ft) TV-mast at Emley Moor transmitting station, United Kingdom, collapses due to ice build-up.
  • 1979 – The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating war with the United Kingdom.
  • 1987 – Televangelist Jim Bakker resigns as head of the PTL Club due to a brewing sex scandal; he hands over control to Jerry Falwell.
  • 1989 – The Egyptian flag is raised at Taba, marking the end of Israeli occupation since the Six Days War in 1967 and the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in 1979.
  • 1990 – The ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureș begin four days after the anniversary of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire.
  • 1998 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 crashes on approach to Kabul International Airport, killing all 45 on board.
  • 2002 – Zimbabwe is suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and of electoral fraud, following a turbulent presidential election.
  • 2004 – Catalina affair: A Swedish DC-3 shot down by a Soviet MiG-15 in 1952 over the Baltic Sea is finally recovered after years of work.
  • 2004 – March 19 Shooting Incident: The Republic of China(Taiwan) president Chen Shui-bian was shot just before the country’s presidential election on March 20.
  • 2008 – GRB 080319B: A cosmic burst that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed.
  • 2011 – Libyan Civil War: After the failure of Muammar Gaddafi’s forces to take Benghazi, the French Air Force launches Opération Harmattan, beginning foreign military intervention in Libya.
  • 2013 – A series of bombings and shootings kills at least 98 people and injures 240 others across Iraq.
  • 2016 – Flydubai Flight 981 crashes while attempting to land at Rostov-on-Don international airport, killing all 62 on board.
  • 2016 – An explosion occurs in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, killing five people and injuring 36.
  • 2018 – The last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, dies, ensuring a chance of extinction for the species.

Births on March 19

  • 1206 – Güyük Khan, Mongol ruler, 3rd Great Khan of the Mongol Empire (d. 1248)
  • 1434 – Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1443)
  • 1488 – Johannes Magnus, Swedish archbishop and theologian (d. 1544)
  • 1534 – José de Anchieta, Spanish missionary and saint (d. 1597)
  • 1542 – Jan Zamoyski, Polish nobleman (d. 1605)
  • 1601 – Alonzo Cano, Spanish painter, sculptor, and architect (d. 1667)
  • 1604 – John IV of Portugal (d. 1656)
  • 1641 – Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Syrian author and scholar (d. 1731)
  • 1661 – Francesco Gasparini, Italian composer and educator (d. 1727)
  • 1684 – Jean Astruc, French physician and scholar (d. 1766)
  • 1721 – Tobias Smollett, Scottish-Italian poet and author (d. 1771) (baptised on this day)
  • 1734 – Thomas McKean, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of Pennsylvania (d. 1817)
  • 1739 – Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, French lawyer and politician (d. 1824)
  • 1742 – Túpac Amaru II, Peruvian rebel leader (d. 1781)
  • 1748 – Elias Hicks, American farmer, minister, and theologian (d. 1830)
  • 1778 – Edward Pakenham, Anglo-Irish general and politician (d. 1815)
  • 1809 – Fredrik Pacius, German composer and conductor (d. 1891)
  • 1813 – David Livingstone, Scottish missionary and explorer (d. 1873)
  • 1816 – Johannes Verhulst, Dutch composer and conductor (d. 1891)
  • 1821 – Richard Francis Burton, English soldier, geographer, and diplomat (d. 1890)
  • 1823 – Arthur Blyth, English-Australian politician, 9th Premier of South Australia (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – William Allingham, Irish poet, author, and scholar (d. 1889)
  • 1829 – Carl Frederik Tietgen, Danish businessman (d. 1901)
  • 1844 – Minna Canth, Finnish journalist, playwright, and activist (d. 1897)
  • 1847 – Albert Pinkham Ryder, American painter (d. 1917)
  • 1848 – Wyatt Earp, American police officer (d. 1929)
  • 1849 – Alfred von Tirpitz, German admiral and politician (d. 1930)
  • 1858 – Kang Youwei, Chinese scholar and politician (d. 1927)
  • 1860 – William Jennings Bryan, American lawyer and politician, 41st United States Secretary of State (d. 1925)
  • 1861 – Lomer Gouin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 13th Premier of Quebec (d. 1929)
  • 1864 – Charles Marion Russell, American painter and sculptor (d. 1926)
  • 1865 – William Morton Wheeler, American entomologist, myrmecologist, and academic (d. 1937)
  • 1868 – Senda Berenson Abbott, Lithuanian-American basketball player and educator (d. 1954)
  • 1871 – Schofield Haigh, English cricketer and coach (d. 1921)
  • 1872 – Anna Held, Polish singer (d. 1918)
  • 1873 – Max Reger, German pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1916)
  • 1875 – Zhang Zuolin, Chinese warlord (d. 1928)
  • 1876 – Felix Jacoby, German philologist (d. 1959)
  • 1880 – Ernestine Rose, American librarian and advocate (d. 1961)
  • 1881 – Edith Nourse Rogers, American social worker and politician (d. 1960)
  • 1882 – Gaston Lachaise, French-American sculptor (d. 1935)
  • 1883 – Norman Haworth, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)
  • 1883 – Joseph Stilwell, American general (d. 1946)
  • 1885 – Attik, Greek composer (d. 1944)
  • 1888 – Josef Albers, German-American painter and educator (d. 1976)
  • 1888 – Léon Scieur, Belgian cyclist (d. 1969)
  • 1891 – Earl Warren, American lieutenant, jurist, and politician, 14th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1974)
  • 1892 – Theodore Sizer, American professor of the history of art (d. 1967)
  • 1892 – Ado Vabbe, Estonian painter (d. 1961)
  • 1892 – James Van Fleet, American general and diplomat (d. 1992)
  • 1894 – Moms Mabley, American comedian and singer (d. 1975)
  • 1900 – Carmen Carbonell, Spanish stage and film actress (d. 1988)
  • 1900 – Frédéric Joliot-Curie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
  • 1901 – Jo Mielziner, French-American set designer (d. 1976)
  • 1904 – John Sirica, American lawyer and judge (d. 1992)
  • 1905 – Joe Rollino, American weightlifter and boxer (d. 2010)
  • 1905 – Albert Speer, German architect and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1906 – Adolf Eichmann, German SS officer (d. 1962)
  • 1906 – Clara Breed, American librarian and activist (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – Louis Hayward, South African-born American actor (d. 1985)
  • 1910 – Joseph Carroll, American general (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Hugh Watt, Australian-New Zealand engineer and politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1980)
  • 1914 – Leonidas Alaoglu, Canadian-American mathematician and theorist (d. 1981)
  • 1914 – Jay Berwanger, American football player and coach (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Robert G. Cole, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1944)
  • 1915 – Patricia Morison, American actress and singer (d. 2018)
  • 1916 – Eric Christmas, English-Canadian actor (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Irving Wallace, American journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 1990)
  • 1917 – Laszlo Szabo, Hungarian chess player (d. 1998)
  • 1919 – Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1978)
  • 1920 – Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author, poet, and painter (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Tommy Cooper, British magician and prop comedian (d. 1984)
  • 1922 – Guy Lewis, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Hiroo Onoda, Japanese lieutenant (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Pamela Britton, American actress (d. 1974)
  • 1923 – Benito Jacovitti, Italian illustrator (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – Henry Morgentaler, Polish-Canadian physician and activist (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Joe Gaetjens, Haitian footballer (d. 1964)
  • 1925 – Brent Scowcroft, American general and diplomat, 9th United States National Security Advisor
  • 1927 – Richie Ashburn, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1997)
  • 1928 – Hans Küng, Swiss theologian and author
  • 1928 – Patrick McGoohan, Irish-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Emma Andijewska, Ukrainian poet, writer and painter
  • 1932 – Gay Brewer, American golfer (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Peter Hall, English geographer, author, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Gail Kobe, American actress and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1933 – Phyllis Newman, American actress and singer (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Philip Roth, American novelist (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Renée Taylor, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1933 – Richard Williams, Canadian-English animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1935 – Nancy Malone, American actress, director, and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Ursula Andress, Swiss model and actress
  • 1936 – Ben Lexcen, Australian sailor and architect (d. 1988)
  • 1937 – Clarence “Frogman” Henry, American R&B singer and pianist
  • 1937 – Egon Krenz, German politician
  • 1938 – Joe Kapp, American football player, coach, and actor
  • 1942 – Heather Robertson, Canadian journalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – Mario J. Molina, Mexican chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1943 – Mario Monti, Italian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Italy
  • 1943 – Vern Schuppan, Australian race car driver
  • 1944 – Said Musa, Belizean lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Belize
  • 1945 – John Holder, English cricketer and umpire
  • 1945 – Modestas Paulauskas, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1946 – Ruth Pointer, American musician
  • 1947 – Glenn Close, American actress, singer, and producer
  • 1947 – Marinho Peres, Brazilian footballer and coach
  • 1948 – David Schnitter, American saxophonist and educator
  • 1949 – Blase J. Cupich, American theologian and cardinal
  • 1950 – José S. Palma, Filipino archbishop
  • 1952 – Warren Lees, New Zealand cricketer and coach
  • 1952 – Martin Ravallion, Australian economist and academic
  • 1952 – Harvey Weinstein, American director and producer
  • 1953 – Ian Blair, English police officer
  • 1953 – Peter Hendy, English businessman
  • 1953 – Ricky Wilson, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1985)
  • 1954 – Cho Kwang-rae, South Korean footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1955 – Bruce Willis, German-American actor and producer
  • 1956 – Yegor Gaidar, Russian economist and politician, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (d. 2009)
  • 1958 – Andy Reid, American football player and coach
  • 1960 – Eliane Elias, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1962 – Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (d. 2003)
  • 1963 – Neil LaBute, American director and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Yoko Kanno, Japanese pianist and composer
  • 1964 – Jake Weber, English actor
  • 1966 – Michael Crockart, Scottish police officer and politician
  • 1966 – Olaf Marschall, German footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Andy Sinton, English international footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1967 – Vladimir Konstantinov, Russian-American ice hockey player
  • 1968 – Tyrone Hill, American basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian bassist and composer (d. 2011)
  • 1970 – Michael Krumm, German race car driver
  • 1973 – Ashley Giles, English cricketer and coach
  • 1975 – Antonio Daniels, American basketball player
  • 1975 – Matthew Richardson, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Andre Miller, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Alessandro Nesta, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Cydonie Mothersille, Jamaican-Caymanian sprinter
  • 1979 – Sheldon Brown, American football player
  • 1979 – Hee-seop Choi, South Korean-American baseball player
  • 1979 – Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player
  • 1979 – Christos Patsatzoglou, Greek footballer
  • 1979 – Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
  • 1980 – Luca Ferri, Italian footballer
  • 1980 – Taichi Ishikari, Japanese wrestler
  • 1980 – Mikuni Shimokawa, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Steve Cummings, English cyclist
  • 1981 – Kolo Touré, Ivorian footballer
  • 1982 – Jonathan Fanene, American football player
  • 1982 – Brad Jones, Australian footballer
  • 1982 – Eduardo Saverin, Brazilian-Singaporean businessman
  • 1982 – Yoshikaze Masatsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1985 – Inesa Jurevičiūtė, Lithuanian figure skater
  • 1986 – Tyler Bozak, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Michal Švec, Czech footballer
  • 1987 – Miloš Teodosić, Serbian basketball player
  • 1988 – Clayton Kershaw, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Aleksandr Kokorin, Russian footballer
  • 1993 – Mateusz Szwoch, Polish footballer
  • 1993 – Hakim Ziyech, Moroccan footballer
  • 1995 – Alexei Sintsov, Russian figure skater
  • 1995 – Héctor Bellerín, Spanish footballer
  • 1996 – Barbara Haas, Austrian tennis player

Deaths on March 19

  • 235 – Severus Alexander, Roman emperor (b. 208)
  • 953 – Al-Mansur Billah, caliph of the Fatimid Caliphate (b. 913)
  • 968 – Emma of Paris, duchess of Normandy (b. 943)
  • 1238 – Henry the Bearded, Polish duke and son of Bolesław I the Tall (b. 1163)
  • 1263 – Hugh of Saint-Cher, French cardinal (b. 1200)
  • 1279 – Zhao Bing, Chinese emperor (b. 1271)
  • 1286 – Alexander III, king of Scotland (b. 1241)
  • 1330 – Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1301)
  • 1372 – John II, marquess of Montferrat (b. 1321)
  • 1533 – John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, English baron and statesman (b. 1467)
  • 1534 – Michael Weiße, German theologian (b. c. 1488)
  • 1539 – Lord Edmund Howard, English nobleman (b. c. 1478)
  • 1563 – Arthur Brooke, English poet
  • 1568 – Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell, English noblewoman (b.c. 1518)
  • 1581 – Francis I, duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (b. 1510)
  • 1612 – Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill, Belarusian saint (b. 1585)
  • 1637 – Péter Pázmány, Hungarian cardinal (b. 1570)
  • 1649 – Gerhard Johann Vossius, German scholar and theologian (b. 1577)
  • 1683 – Thomas Killigrew, English playwright and manager (b. 1612)
  • 1687 – René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, French-American explorer (b. 1643)
  • 1697 – Nicolaus Bruhns, German organist and composer (b. 1665)
  • 1711 – Thomas Ken, English bishop and hymn-writer (b. 1637)
  • 1717 – John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, Scottish soldier (b. 1636)
  • 1721 – Pope Clement XI (b. 1649)
  • 1783 – Frederick Cornwallis, English archbishop (b. 1713)
  • 1790 – Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, Ottoman general and politician, 182nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1713)
  • 1797 – Philip Hayes, English organist and composer (b. 1738)
  • 1816 – Philip Mazzei, Italian-American physician and philosopher (b. 1730)
  • 1871 – Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger, Austrian mineralogist, geologist, and physicist (b. 1795)
  • 1897 – Antoine Thomson d’Abbadie, Irish-French geographer, ethnologist, linguist, and astronomer (b. 1810)
  • 1900 – John Bingham, American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Ambassador to Japan (b. 1815)
  • 1900 – Charles-Louis Hanon, French pianist and composer (b. 1819)
  • 1914 – Giuseppe Mercalli, Italian priest, geologist, and volcanologist (b. 1850)
  • 1919 – Emma Bell Miles, American writer, poet, and artist of Appalachia (b. 1879)
  • 1930 – Arthur Balfour, Scottish-English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1848)
  • 1930 – Henry Lefroy, Australian politician, 11th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1854)
  • 1942 – Clinton Hart Merriam, American zoologist, ornithologist, and entomologist (b. 1855)
  • 1944 – William Hale Thompson, American rancher and politician, 41st Mayor of Chicago (b. 1869)
  • 1949 – James Somerville, English admiral and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset (b. 1882)
  • 1949 – James Newland, Australian soldier and policeman (b. 1881)
  • 1950 – Edgar Rice Burroughs, American soldier and author (b. 1875)
  • 1950 – Norman Haworth, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1883)
  • 1951 – Dmytro Doroshenko, Ukrainian historian and politician, Prime Minister of Ukraine (b. 1882)
  • 1976 – Albert Dieudonné, French actor and author (b. 1889)
  • 1976 – Paul Kossoff, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 1977 – William L. Laurence, Lithuanian-born American journalist and author (b. 1888)
  • 1978 – M. A. Ayyangar, Indian lawyer and politician, 2nd Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1891)
  • 1982 – J. B. Kripalani, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1888)
  • 1982 – Randy Rhoads, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1956)
  • 1984 – Garry Winogrand, American photographer (b. 1928)
  • 1986 – Sabino Barinaga, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1922)
  • 1987 – Louis de Broglie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
  • 1988 – Bun Cook, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Andrew Wood, American singer-songwriter (b. 1966)
  • 1993 – Henrik Sandberg, Danish production manager and producer (b. 1915)
  • 1996 – Lise Østergaard, Danish psychologist and politician (b. 1924)
  • 1996 – Virginia Henderson, American nurse, researcher, theorist and author (b. 1897)
  • 1997 – Willem de Kooning, Dutch-American painter and educator (b. 1904)
  • 1997 – Eugène Guillevic, French poet and author (b. 1907)
  • 1998 – E. M. S. Namboodiripad, Indian theorist and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Kerala (b. 1909)
  • 1999 – Tofilau Eti Alesana, Samoan politician, 5th Prime Minister of Samoa (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Joanne Weaver, American baseball player (b. 1935)
  • 2000 – Shafiq-ur-Rahman, Pakistani physician and author (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Michael Mathias Prechtl, German soldier and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2004 – Mitchell Sharp, Canadian economist and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Finance (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (b. 1925)
  • 2008 – Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer (b. 1917)
  • 2008 – Hugo Claus, Belgian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Paul Scofield, English actor (b. 1922)
  • 2009 – Maria Bergson, Austrian-American architect and interior designer (b. 1914)
  • 2011 – Kym Bonython, Australian drummer and radio host (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Jim Case, American director and producer (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Ulu Grosbard, Belgian-American director and producer (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Hugo Munthe-Kaas, Norwegian intelligence agent (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Patrick Joseph McGovern, American businessman, founded IDG (b. 1937)
  • 2014 – Fred Phelps, American lawyer, pastor, and activist, founded the Westboro Baptist Church (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Heather Robertson, Canadian journalist and author (b. 1942)
  • 2014 – Robert S. Strauss, American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Russia (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Lawrence Walsh, Canadian-American lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (b. 1912)
  • 2014 – Joseph F. Weis, Jr., American lawyer and judge (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Gus Douglass, American farmer and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Safet Plakalo, Bosnian author and playwright (b. 1950)
  • 2015 – Danny Schechter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
  • 2016 – Roger Agnelli, Brazilian banker and businessman (b. 1959)
  • 2016 – Jack Mansell, English footballer and manager (b. 1927)
  • 2019 – William Whitfield, British architect (b. 1920)

Holidays and observances on March 19

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alkmund of Derby
    • Saint Joseph (Western Christianity; if this date falls on Sunday, the feast is moved to Monday March 20)
    • March 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Maundy Thursday can fall, while April 22 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday before Easter (Christianity)
  • Minna Canth’s Birthday (Finland)
  • Kashubian Unity Day (Poland)
  • St Joseph’s Day (Roman Catholicism and Anglican Communion) related observances:
    • Falles, celebrated on the week leading to March 19 (Valencia)
    • Father’s Day (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Honduras, and Bolivia)
    • “Return of the Swallow”, annual observance of the swallows’ return to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California

March 19- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 16- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

March 16 in History

  • 934 – Meng Zhixiang declares himself emperor and establishes Later Shu as a new state independent of Later Tang.
  • 1190 – Massacre of Jews at Clifford’s Tower, York.
  • 1244 – Over 200 Cathars who refuse to recant are burned to death after the Fall of Montségur.
  • 1322 – The Battle of Boroughbridge takes place in the Despenser Wars.
  • 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan reaches the island of Homonhon in the Philippines.
  • 1621 – Samoset, a Mohegan, visited the settlers of Plymouth Colony and greets them, “Welcome, Englishmen! My name is Samoset.”
  • 1660 – The Long Parliament of England is dissolved so as to prepare for the new Convention Parliament.
  • 1689 – The 23rd Regiment of Foot, or Royal Welch Fusiliers, is founded.
  • 1782 – American Revolutionary War: Spanish troops capture the British-held island of Roatán.
  • 1782 – Anglo-Spanish War (1779): Action of 16 March 1782.
  • 1792 – King Gustav III of Sweden is shot; he dies on March 29.
  • 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: An Austrian column is defeated by the French in the Battle of Valvasone.
  • 1802 – The Army Corps of Engineers is established to found and operate the United States Military Academy at West Point.
  • 1812 – The Siege of Badajoz begins: British and Portuguese forces besiege and defeat the French garrison during the Peninsular War.
  • 1815 – Prince Willem proclaims himself King of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, the first constitutional monarch in the Netherlands.
  • 1818 – In the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada, Spanish forces defeated Chileans under José de San Martín.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: During the Red River Campaign, Union troops reach Alexandria, Louisiana.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Averasborough began as Confederate forces suffer irreplaceable casualties in the final months of the war.
  • 1870 – The first version of the overture fantasy Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky receives its première performance.
  • 1872 – The Wanderers F.C. won the first FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world, beating Royal Engineers A.F.C. 1–0 at The Oval in Kennington, London.
  • 1894 – Jules Massenet’s opera Thaïs is first performed.
  • 1898 – In Melbourne the representatives of five colonies adopted a constitution, which would become the basis of the Commonwealth of Australia.
  • 1900 – Sir Arthur Evans purchased the land around the ruins of Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete.
  • 1916 – The 7th and 10th US cavalry regiments under John J. Pershing cross the US–Mexico border to join the hunt for Pancho Villa.
  • 1917 – World War I: A German auxiliary cruiser is sunk in the Action of 16 March 1917.
  • 1918 – Finnish Civil War: Battle of Länkipohja is infamous for its bloody aftermath as the Whites executed 70–100 capitulated Reds.
  • 1924 – In accordance with the Treaty of Rome, Fiume becomes annexed as part of Italy.
  • 1925 – An earthquake occurs in Yunnan, China.
  • 1926 – History of Rocketry: Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, Massachusetts.
  • 1935 – Adolf Hitler orders Germany to rearm herself in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Conscription is reintroduced to form the Wehrmacht.
  • 1936 – Warmer-than-normal temperatures rapidly melt snow and ice on the upper Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, leading to a major flood in Pittsburgh.
  • 1939 – From Prague Castle, Hitler proclaims Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate.
  • 1940 – First person killed (James Isbister) in a German bombing raid on the UK in World War II during a raid on Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ended, but small pockets of Japanese resistance persisted.
  • 1945 – Ninety percent of Würzburg, Germany is destroyed in only 20 minutes by British bombers, resulting in around 5,000 deaths.
  • 1958 – The Ford Motor Company produces its 50 millionth automobile, the Thunderbird, averaging almost a million cars a year since the company’s founding.
  • 1962 – A Flying Tiger Line Super Constellation disappears in the western Pacific Ocean, with all 107 aboard missing and presumed dead.
  • 1966 – Launch of Gemini 8, the 12th manned American space flight and first space docking with an Agena Target Vehicle.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: My Lai Massacre occurs; between 347 and 500 Vietnamese villagers (men, women, and children) are killed by American troops.
  • 1968 – General Motors produces its 100 millionth automobile, the Oldsmobile Toronado.
  • 1969 – A Viasa McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashes in Maracaibo, Venezuela, killing 155.
  • 1976 – British Prime Minister Harold Wilson resigns, citing personal reasons.
  • 1977 – Assassination of Kamal Jumblatt, the main leader of the anti-government forces in the Lebanese Civil War.
  • 1978 – Former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro is kidnapped. (He is later murdered by his captors.)
  • 1978 – A Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashes near Gabare, Bulgaria, killing 73.
  • 1978 – Supertanker Amoco Cadiz splits in two after running aground on the Portsall Rocks, three miles off the coast of Brittany, resulting in the largest oil spill in history at that time.
  • 1979 – Sino-Vietnamese War: The People’s Liberation Army crosses the border back into China, ends the war.
  • 1983 – Demolition of the Ismaning radio transmitter, the last wooden radio tower in Germany.
  • 1984 – William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Lebanon, is kidnapped by Hezbollah. (He later dies in captivity.)
  • 1985 – Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut. He is released on December 4, 1991.
  • 1988 – Iran–Contra affair: Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter are indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
  • 1988 – Halabja chemical attack: The Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraq is attacked with a mix of poison gas and nerve agents on the orders of Saddam Hussein, killing 5,000 people and injuring about 10,000 people.
  • 1988 – The Troubles: Ulster loyalist militant Michael Stone attacks a Provisional IRA funeral in Belfast with pistols and grenades. Three persons, one of them a member of PIRA are killed, and more than 60 others are wounded.
  • 1991 – The airplane carrying eight members of Reba McEntire’s touring band crashed on the side of Otay Mountain.
  • 1995 – Mississippi formally ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment was officially ratified in 1865.
  • 2001 – A series of bomb blasts that took place in the city of Shijiazhuang, China killed 108 people and injured 38 others, was the biggest mass murder in China in decades.
  • 2003 – American activist Rachel Corrie is killed in Rafah trying to obstruct the demolition of a home by being run over by a bulldozer.
  • 2005 – Israel officially hands over Jericho to Palestinian control.
  • 2014 – Crimea votes in a controversial referendum to secede from Ukraine to join Russia.
  • 2016 – A bomb detonates in a bus carrying government employees in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 15 and injuring at least 54.
  • 2016 – Two suicide bombers detonate their explosives at a mosque during morning prayer on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Nigeria, killing 22 and injuring 18.

Births on March 16

  • 1399 – The Xuande Emperor, ruler of Ming China (d. 1435)
  • 1445 – Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg, Swiss priest and theologian (d. 1510)
  • 1465 – Kunigunde of Austria, Archduchess of Austria (d. 1520)
  • 1473 – Henry IV, Duke of Saxony (d. 1541)
  • 1559 – Amar Singh I, successor of Maharana Pratap of Mewar (d. 1620)
  • 1581 – Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, Dutch historian and poet (d. 1647)
  • 1585 – Gerbrand Bredero, Dutch poet and playwright (d. 1618)
  • 1590 – Ii Naotaka, Japanese daimyō (d. 1659)
  • 1596 – Ebba Brahe, Swedish countess (d. 1674)
  • 1609 – Michael Franck, German baker, teacher, poet, and composer (d. 1667)
  • 1609 – Agostino Mitelli, Italian painter (d. 1660)
  • 1621 – Georg Neumark, German poet and composer (d. 1681)
  • 1631 – René Le Bossu, French critic (d. 1680)
  • 1638 – François Crépieul, Jesuit missionary (d. 1702)
  • 1654 – Andreas Acoluthus, German scholar (d. 1704)
  • 1670 – François de Franquetot de Coigny, French general (d. 1759)
  • 1673 – Jean Bouhier, French jurist and scholar (d. 1746)
  • 1687 – Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, queen consort of Frederick William I (d. 1757)
  • 1693 – Malhar Rao Holkar, Indian nobleman (d. 1766)
  • 1701 – Daniel Lorenz Salthenius, Swedish theologian (d. 1750)
  • 1729 – Maria Louise Albertine (d. 1818)
  • 1741 – Carlo Amoretti, Italian scientist (d. 1816)
  • 1744 – Nicolas-Germain Léonard, French poet and novelist (d. 1793)
  • 1750 – Caroline Herschel, German-English astronomer (d. 1848)
  • 1751 – James Madison, American academic and politician, 4th President of the United States (d. 1836)
  • 1753 – François Amédée Doppet, French general (d. 1799)
  • 1760 – Johann Heinrich Meyer, Swiss painter and writer (d. 1832)
  • 1766 – Jean-Frédéric Waldeck, French antiquarian, cartographer, artist and explorer (d. 1875)
  • 1771 – Antoine-Jean Gros, French painter (d. 1835)
  • 1773 – Juan Ramón Balcarce, Argentinian general and politician, 6th Governor of Buenos Aires Province (d. 1836)
  • 1774 – Matthew Flinders, English navigator and cartographer (d. 1814)
  • 1789 – Francis Rawdon Chesney, English general and explorer (d. 1872)
  • 1789 – Georg Ohm, German physicist and mathematician (d. 1854)
  • 1794 – Ami Boué, Austrian geologist and ethnographer (d. 1881)
  • 1797 – Alaric Alexander Watts, English poet and journalist (d. 1864)
  • 1799 – Anna Atkins, English botanist and photographer (d. 1871)
  • 1800 – Emperor Ninkō of Japan (d. 1846)
  • 1805 – Peter Ernst von Lasaulx, German philologist and politician (d. 1861)
  • 1806 – Félix De Vigne, Belgian painter (d. 1862)
  • 1808 – Hannah T. King, British-born American writer and pioneer (d. 1886)
  • 1813 – Gaëtan de Rochebouët, French prime minister (d. 1899)
  • 1819 – José Paranhos, Brazilian politician (d. 1880)
  • 1820 – Enrico Tamberlik, Italian tenor (d. 1889)
  • 1821 – Eduard Heine, German mathematician and academic (d. 1881)
  • 1822 – Rosa Bonheur, French painter and sculptor (d. 1899)
  • 1822 – John Pope, American general (d. 1892)
  • 1823 – William Henry Monk, English organist and composer (d. 1889)
  • 1825 – Camilo Castelo Branco, Portuguese writer (d. 1890)
  • 1828 – Émile Deshayes de Marcère, French politician (d. 1918)
  • 1834 – James Hector, Scottish geologist and surgeon (d. 1907)
  • 1836 – Andrew Smith Hallidie, English-American engineer and businessman (d. 1900)
  • 1839 – Sully Prudhomme, French poet and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1907)
  • 1839 – John Butler Yeats, Irish painter (d. 1922)
  • 1840 – Shibusawa Eiichi, Japanese businessman (d. 1931)
  • 1840 – Georg von der Gabelentz, German linguist and sinologist (d. 1893)
  • 1845 – Umegatani Tōtarō I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 15th Yokozuna (d. 1928)
  • 1846 – Gösta Mittag-Leffler, Swedish mathematician and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1846 – Rebecca Cole, American physician and social reformer (d. 1922)
  • 1846 – Jurgis Bielinis, Lithuanian book smuggler (d. 1918)
  • 1848 – Axel Heiberg, Norwegian financier and diplomat (d. 1932)
  • 1851 – Otto Bardenhewer, German patrologist (d. 1935)
  • 1851 – Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (d. 1931)
  • 1856 – Napoléon, Prince Imperial of France (d. 1879)
  • 1857 – Charles Harding Firth, English historian and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1859 – Alexander Stepanovich Popov, Russian physicist and academic (d. 1906)
  • 1865 – Patsy Donovan, Irish-American baseball player and manager (d. 1953)
  • 1869 – Willy Burmester, German violinist (d. 1933)
  • 1871 – Hans Merensky, South African geologist and philanthropist (d. 1951)
  • 1871 – Frantz Reichel, French rugby player and hurdler (d. 1932)
  • 1874 – Frédéric François-Marsal, French prime minister (d. 1958)
  • 1877 – Léo-Ernest Ouimet, Canadian director and producer (d. 1972)
  • 1878 – Clemens August Graf von Galen, German cardinal (d. 1946)
  • 1878 – Paul Jouve, French painter (d. 1973)
  • 1881 – Fannie Charles Dillon, American composer (d. 1947)
  • 1882 – James Lightbody, American runner (d. 1953)
  • 1883 – Ethel Anderson, Australian poet, author, and painter (d. 1958)
  • 1884 – Eric P. Kelly, American journalist and author (d. 1960)
  • 1885 – Giacomo Benvenuti, Italian composer and musicologist (d. 1943)
  • 1885 – Sydney Chaplin, English actor (d. 1965)
  • 1886 – Herbert Lindström, Swedish tug of war player (d. 1951)
  • 1887 – Emilio Lunghi, Italian runner (d. 1925)
  • 1887 – S. Stillman Berry, American marine zoologist (1984)
  • 1889 – Reggie Walker, South African athlete (d. 1951)
  • 1892 – César Vallejo, Peruvian poet, playwright, and journalist (d. 1938)
  • 1895 – Ernest Labrousse, French historian (d. 1988)
  • 1897 – Antonio Donghi, Italian painter (d. 1963)
  • 1897 – Conrad Nagel, American actor (d. 1970)
  • 1900 – Cyril Hume, American novelist (d. 1966)
  • 1900 – Mencha Karnicheva, Macedonian revolutionary and assassin (d. 1964)
  • 1901 – Alexis Chantraine, Belgian footballer (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Mike Mansfield, American politician and diplomat, 22nd United States Ambassador to Japan (d. 2001)
  • 1906 – Francisco Ayala, Spanish sociologist, author, and translator (d. 2009)
  • 1906 – Maurice Turnbull, Welsh-English cricketer and rugby player (d. 1944)
  • 1906 – Henny Youngman, English-American violinist and comedian (d. 1998)
  • 1908 – René Daumal, French author and poet (d. 1944)
  • 1908 – Ernest Rogez, French water polo player (d. 1986)
  • 1908 – Robert Rossen, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1966)
  • 1910 – Aladár Gerevich, Hungarian fencer (d. 1991)
  • 1910 – Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, Indian-English cricketer and politician, 8th Nawab of Pataudi (d. 1952)
  • 1911 – Pierre Harmel, Belgian lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2009)
  • 1911 – Josef Mengele, German physician and captain (d. 1979)
  • 1911 – Philip Pavia, American painter and sculptor (d.2005)
  • 1912 – Pat Nixon, First Lady of the United States (d. 1993)
  • 1913 – Rémy Raffalli, French soldier (d. 1952)
  • 1915 – Kunihiko Kodaira, Japanese mathematician and academic (d. 1997)
  • 1916 – Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Japanese engineer and businessman (d. 2010)
  • 1917 – Louis C. Wyman, American lawyer and politician (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Laure Pillay, Mauritian lawyer and jurist (d. 2017)
  • 1917 – Mehrdad Pahlbod, Iranian politician (d. 2018)
  • 1918 – Aldo van Eyck, Dutch architect (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Frederick Reines, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
  • 1920 – John Addison, English-American soldier and composer (d. 1998)
  • 1920 – Sid Fleischman, American author and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – Traudl Junge, German secretary (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – Leo McKern, Australian-English actor (d. 2002)
  • 1922 – Harding Lemay, American screenwriter and playwright (d. 2018)
  • 1923 – Heinz Wallberg, German conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1925 – Cornell Borchers, Lithuanian-German actress and singer (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Mary Hinkson, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Ervin Kassai, Hungarian basketball player and referee (d. 2012)
  • 1925 – Luis E. Miramontes, Mexican chemist and engineer (d. 2004)
  • 1926 – Charles Goodell, American lawyer and politician (d. 1987)
  • 1926 – Jerry Lewis, American actor and comedian (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Vladimir Komarov, Russian pilot, engineer, and astronaut (d. 1967)
  • 1927 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and politician, 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Olga San Juan, American actress and dancer (d. 2009)
  • 1928 – Wakanohana Kanji I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 45th Yokozuna (d. 2010)
  • 1928 – Christa Ludwig, German soprano and actress
  • 1929 – Betty Johnson, American singer
  • 1929 – Tihomir Novakov, Serbian-American physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Nadja Tiller, Austrian actress
  • 1930 – Tommy Flanagan, American pianist and composer (d. 2001)
  • 1930 – Minoru Miki, Japanese composer (d. 2011)
  • 1931 – Augusto Boal, Brazilian theatre director, writer and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1931 – Alan Heyman, American-South Korean musicologist and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Anthony Kenny, English philosopher and academic
  • 1931 – John Munro, Canadian lawyer and politician, 22nd Canadian Minister of Labour (d. 2003)
  • 1932 – Don Blasingame, American baseball player and manager (d. 2005)
  • 1932 – Walter Cunningham, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1932 – Kurt Diemberger, Austrian mountaineer and author
  • 1932 – Herbert Marx, Canadian politician (d. 2020)
  • 1933 – Keith Critchlow, English architect and academic, co-founded Temenos Academy
  • 1933 – Sanford I. Weill, American banker, financier, and philanthropist
  • 1934 – Jean Cournoyer, Canadian politician
  • 1934 – Ray Hnatyshyn, Canadian lawyer and politician, 24th Governor General of Canada (d. 2002)
  • 1934 – Roger Norrington, English violinist and conductor
  • 1935 – Teresa Berganza, Spanish soprano and actress
  • 1935 – Pepe Cáceres, Colombian bullfighter (d. 1987)
  • 1936 – Raymond Vahan Damadian, Armenian-American inventor, invented the MRI
  • 1936 – Fred Neil, American folk singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2001)
  • 1937 – David Frith, English historian, journalist, and author
  • 1937 – Attilio Nicora, Italian cardinal (d. 2017)
  • 1937 – Amos Tversky, Israeli-American psychologist and academic (d. 1996)
  • 1938 – Carlos Bilardo, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1939 – Yvon Côté, Canadian teacher
  • 1940 – Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1940 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani pianist and composer (d. 1979)
  • 1940 – Jan Pronk, Dutch academic and politician, Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment
  • 1940 – Keith Rowe, English guitarist
  • 1941 – Robert Guéï, Ivorian soldier and politician, 3rd President of Côte d’Ivoire (d. 2002)
  • 1941 – Chuck Woolery, American game show host and television personality
  • 1942 – Roger Crozier, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 1996)
  • 1942 – Gijs van Lennep, Dutch race car driver
  • 1942 – Jean-Pierre Schosteck, French politician
  • 1942 – James Soong, Chinese-Taiwanese politician, Governor of Taiwan Province
  • 1942 – Jerry Jeff Walker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Ursula Goodenough, American biologist, zoologist, and author
  • 1943 – Hans Heyer, German racing driver
  • 1943 – Álvaro de Soto, Peruvian diplomat
  • 1944 – Andrew S. Tanenbaum, American computer scientist and academic
  • 1946 – Sigmund Groven, Norwegian harmonica player and composer
  • 1946 – Mary Kaldor, English economist and academic
  • 1946 – J. Z. Knight, American New Age teacher and author
  • 1946 – Guesch Patti, French singer
  • 1948 – Michael Owen Bruce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1948 – Richard Desjardins, Canadian singer-songwriter and director
  • 1948 – Catherine Quéré, French politician
  • 1949 – Erik Estrada, American actor
  • 1949 – Victor Garber, Canadian actor and singer
  • 1949 – Elliott Murphy, American-French singer-songwriter and journalist
  • 1950 – Peter Forster, English bishop
  • 1950 – Kate Nelligan, Canadian actress
  • 1950 – Edhem Šljivo, Bosnian footballer
  • 1951 – Ray Benson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1951 – Abdelmajid Bourebbou, Algerian footballer
  • 1951 – Oddvar Brå, Norwegian skier
  • 1951 – Joe DeLamielleure, American football player
  • 1951 – Alexandre Gonzalez, French long-distance runner
  • 1953 – Claus Peter Flor, German conductor
  • 1953 – Isabelle Huppert, French actress
  • 1953 – Rainer Knaak, German chess player
  • 1953 – Richard Stallman, American computer scientist and programmer
  • 1954 – David Heath, English politician
  • 1954 – Jimmy Nail, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1954 – Tim O’Brien, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Dav Whatmore, Sri Lankan-Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1954 – Nancy Wilson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actress
  • 1955 – Svetlana Alexeeva, Russian ice dancer and coach
  • 1955 – Rimantas Astrauskas, Lithuanian physicist
  • 1955 – Bruno Barreto, Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Linda Lepomme, Belgian actress and singer
  • 1955 – Bob Ley, American sports anchor and reporter
  • 1955 – Andy Scott, Canadian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1955 – Jiro Watanabe, Japanese boxer
  • 1956 – Ozzie Newsome, American football player and manager
  • 1956 – Clifton Powell, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1956 – Yoriko Shono, Japanese writer
  • 1956 – Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Swiss lawyer and politician
  • 1958 – Phillip Wilcher, Australian pianist and composer
  • 1958 – Kate Worley, American author (d. 2004)
  • 1958 – Jorge Ramos, Mexican-American journalist and author
  • 1959 – Michael J. Bloomfield, American astronaut
  • 1959 – Sebastian Currier, American composer and educator
  • 1959 – Greg Dyer, Australian cricketer
  • 1959 – Flavor Flav, American rapper and actor
  • 1959 – Charles Hudson, American baseball player
  • 1959 – Steve Marker, American musician
  • 1959 – Jens Stoltenberg, Norwegian economist and politician, 27th Prime Minister of Norway, 13th Secretary General of NATO
  • 1960 – John Hemming, English businessman and politician
  • 1960 – Duane Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – Jenny Eclair, English comedian, actress and screenwriter
  • 1961 – Brett Kenny, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1961 – Todd McFarlane, Canadian author, illustrator, and businessman, founded McFarlane Toys
  • 1962 – Franck Fréon, French race car driver
  • 1962 – Liliane Gaschet, French athlete
  • 1963 – Jerome Flynn, English actor and singer
  • 1963 – Kevin Smith, New Zealand actor and singer (d. 2002)
  • 1964 – Patty Griffin, American singer-songwriter
  • 1964 – Jaclyn Jose, Filipino actress
  • 1964 – Pascal Richard, Swiss racing cyclist
  • 1964 – Gore Verbinski, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Steve Armstrong, American wrestler
  • 1965 – Cindy Brown, American basketball player
  • 1965 – Mark Carney, Canadian-English economist and banker
  • 1965 – Cristiana Reali, Italian-Brazilian actress
  • 1966 – Chrissy Redden, Canadian cross-country cyclist
  • 1967 – Tracy Bonham, American singer and violinist
  • 1967 – John Darnielle, American musician and novelist
  • 1967 – Lauren Graham, American actress and producer
  • 1967 – Ronnie McCoury, American bluegrass mandolin player, singer and songwriter
  • 1967 – Heidi Zurbriggen, Swiss alpine skier
  • 1968 – Trevor Wilson, American basketball player and police officer
  • 1969 – Judah Friedlander, American comedian and actor
  • 1969 – Ottis Gibson, Barbadian cricketer and coach
  • 1969 – Alina Ivanova, Russian athlete
  • 1969 – Evangelos Koronios, Greek basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – Joakim Berg, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1971 – Franck Comba, French rugby player
  • 1971 – Alan Tudyk, American actor
  • 1972 – Ismaïl Sghyr, French-Moroccan long-distance runner
  • 1973 – Andrey Mizurov, Kazakhstani road bicycle racer
  • 1973 – Vonda Ward, American boxer
  • 1974 – Georgios Anatolakis, Greek footballer and politician
  • 1974 – Anne Charrier, French actress
  • 1974 – Heath Streak, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1975 – Luciano Castro, Argentine actor
  • 1975 – Sienna Guillory, English model and actress
  • 1975 – Lionel Torres, French archer
  • 1976 – Blu Cantrell, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1976 – Leila Lejeune, French handballer
  • 1976 – Susanne Ljungskog, Swedish cyclist
  • 1976 – Abraham Núñez, Dominican baseball player
  • 1976 – Zhu Chen, Qatari chess Grandmaster
  • 1977 – Mónica Cruz, Spanish actress and dancer
  • 1977 – Thomas Rupprath, German swimmer
  • 1978 – Brooke Burns, American fashion model and actress
  • 1978 – Annett Renneberg, German actress and singer
  • 1979 – Christina Liebherr, Swiss equestrian
  • 1979 – Rashad Moore, American football player
  • 1979 – Sébastien Ostertag, French handball player
  • 1979 – Leena Peisa, Finnish keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1979 – Andrei Stepanov, Estonian footballer
  • 1980 – Todd Heap, American football player
  • 1980 – Felipe Reyes, Spanish basketball player
  • 1981 – Andrew Bree, Irish swimmer
  • 1981 – Curtis Granderson, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Julien Mazet, French road bicycle racer
  • 1981 – Fabiana Murer, Brazilian pole vaulter
  • 1982 – Miguel Comminges, Guadeloupean footballer
  • 1982 – Riley Cote, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1982 – Tommy Hansen, Czech actor
  • 1982 – Jesús Del Nero, Spanish road bicycle racer
  • 1982 – Brian Wilson, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Stephen Drew, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Brandon League, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Nicolas Rousseau, French road bicycle racer
  • 1983 – Tramon Williams, American football player
  • 1984 – Levi Brown, American football player
  • 1984 – Aisling Bea, Irish comedienne and actress
  • 1984 – Sharon Cherop, Kenyan long-distance runner
  • 1984 – Michael Ennis, Australian rugby player
  • 1984 – Hosea Gear, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1984 – Brandon Prust, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Teddy Atine-Venel, French athlete
  • 1985 – Eddy Lover, Panamanian singer-songwriter
  • 1985 – Aleksei Sokirskiy, Russian hammer thrower
  • 1986 – Alexandra Daddario, American actress
  • 1986 – Toney Douglas, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Kenny Dykstra, American wrestler
  • 1986 – T. J. Jordan, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Boaz Solossa, Indonesian footballer
  • 1986 – Daisuke Takahashi, Japanese figure skater
  • 1987 – Fabien Lemoine, French football player
  • 1988 – Jessica Gregg, Canadian speed skater
  • 1988 – Patrick Herrmann, German footballer
  • 1989 – Blake Griffin, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Jung So-min, South Korean actress
  • 1989 – Magalie Pottier, French racing cyclist
  • 1989 – Theo Walcott, English footballer
  • 1990 – Andre Young, American basketball player
  • 1991 – Reggie Bullock, American basketball player
  • 1991 – Wolfgang Van Halen, American bassist
  • 1993 – George Ford, English rugby union player
  • 1993 – Marine Lorphelin, Miss France
  • 1994 – Joel Embiid, Cameroonian basketball player
  • 1995 – Inga Janulevičiūtė, Lithuanian figure skater
  • 1997 – Florian Neuhaus, German football player

Deaths on March 16

  • AD 37 – Tiberius, Roman emperor (b. 42 BC)
  • 455 – Valentinian III, Roman emperor (assassinated; b. 419)
  • 455 – Heraclius, Roman courtier (primicerius sacri cubiculi )
  • 842 – Xiao Mian, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
  • 933 – Takin al-Khazari, Egyptian commander and politician, Abbasid Governor of Egypt
  • 943 – Pi Guangye, Chinese official and chancellor (b. 877)
  • 1021 – Heribert of Cologne, German archbishop and saint (b. 970)
  • 1072 – Adalbert of Hamburg, German archbishop (b. 1000)
  • 1181 – Henry I, Count of Champagne
  • 1185 – Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (b. 1161)
  • 1279 – Jeanne of Dammartin, Queen consort of Castile and León (b. 1216)
  • 1322 – Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford, English general and politician, Lord High Constable of England (b. 1276)
  • 1405 – Margaret III, Countess of Flanders (b. 1350)
  • 1410 – John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, French-English admiral and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1373)
  • 1457 – Ladislaus Hunyadi, Hungarian politician (b. 1433)
  • 1485 – Anne Neville, queen of Richard III of England (b. 1456)
  • 1559 – Anthony St. Leger, English-Irish politician Lord Deputy of Ireland (b. 1496)
  • 1649 – Jean de Brébeuf, French-Canadian missionary and saint (b. 1593)
  • 1679 – John Leverett, English general and politician, 19th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1616)
  • 1721 – James Craggs the Elder, English politician, Postmaster General of the United Kingdom (b. 1657)
  • 1736 – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Italian organist and composer (b. 1710)
  • 1737 – Benjamin Wadsworth, American minister and academic (b. 1670)
  • 1738 – George Bähr, German architect, designed the Dresden Frauenkirche (b. 1666)
  • 1747 – Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (b. 1690)
  • 1838 – Nathaniel Bowditch, American captain and mathematician (b. 1773)
  • 1841 – Félix Savart, French physicist and psychologist (d. 1791)
  • 1868 – David Wilmot, American politician, sponsor of Wilmot Proviso (b. 1814)
  • 1884 – Art Croft, American baseball player (b. 1855)
  • 1888 – Hippolyte Carnot, French politician (b. 1801)
  • 1892 – Samuel F. Miller, American lawyer and politician (b. 1827)
  • 1898 – Aubrey Beardsley, English author and illustrator (b. 1872)
  • 1899 – Joseph Medill, American journalist and politician, 26th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1823)
  • 1903 – Roy Bean, American lawyer and judge (b. 1825)
  • 1907 – John O’Leary, Irish politician (b. 1830)
  • 1912 – Max Burckhard, Austrian theater director (b. 1854)
  • 1914 – Gaston Calmette, French journalist (b. 1858)
  • 1914 – Charles Albert Gobat, Swiss lawyer and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1843)
  • 1914 – John Murray, Scottish oceanographer, biologist, and limnologist (b. 1841)
  • 1925 – August von Wassermann, German bacteriologist and hygienist (b. 1866)
  • 1930 – Miguel Primo de Rivera, Spanish general and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1870)
  • 1935 – John James Rickard Macleod, Scottish physician and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
  • 1935 – Aron Nimzowitsch, Latvian-Danish chess player (b. 1886)
  • 1936 – Marguerite Durand, French actress, journalist, and activist (b. 1864)
  • 1937 – Alexander von Staël-Holstein, Estonian orientalist and sinologist (b. 1877)
  • 1940 – Selma Lagerlöf, Swedish author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1858)
  • 1945 – Börries von Münchhausen, German poet (b. 1874)
  • 1955 – Nicolas de Staël, French-Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1914)
  • 1957 – Constantin Brâncuși, Romanian-French sculptor, painter, and photographer (b. 1876)
  • 1958 – Leon Cadore, American baseball player (b. 1891)
  • 1961 – Chen Geng, Chinese general and politician (b. 1903)
  • 1961 – Václav Talich, Czech violinist and conductor (b. 1883)
  • 1963 – Laura Adams Armer, American author and photographer (b. 1874)
  • 1965 – Alice Herz, German activist (b. 1882)
  • 1967 – Thomas MacGreevy, Irish poet (b. 1893)
  • 1968 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Italian-American pianist and composer (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Gunnar Ekelöf, Swedish poet and translator (b. 1907)
  • 1970 – Tammi Terrell, American singer (b. 1945)
  • 1971 – Bebe Daniels, American actress (b. 1901)
  • 1971 – Thomas E. Dewey, American lawyer and politician, 47th Governor of New York (b. 1902)
  • 1972 – Pie Traynor, American baseball player (b. 1898)
  • 1975 – T-Bone Walker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1910)
  • 1977 – Kamal Jumblatt, Lebanese lawyer and politician (b. 1917)
  • 1979 – Jean Monnet, French economist and politician (b. 1888)
  • 1980 – Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-American painter (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Arthur Godfrey, American actor and television host (b. 1903)
  • 1983 – Fred Rose, Polish-Canadian politician (b. 1907)
  • 1985 – Roger Sessions, American composer, critic, and educator (b. 1896)
  • 1985 – Eddie Shore, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1902)
  • 1988 – Jigger Statz, American baseball player (b.1897)
  • 1988 – Mickey Thompson, American race car driver (b. 1928)
  • 1990 – Ernst Bacon, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1898)
  • 1991 – Chris Austin, American country singer (b .1964)
  • 1991 – Jean Bellette, Australian artist (b. 1908)
  • 1992 – Yves Rocard, French physicist and engineer (b. 1903)
  • 1994 – Eric Show, American baseball player (b. 1956)
  • 1998 – Derek Barton, English-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
  • 1998 – Esther Bubley, American photographer (b. 1921)
  • 1999 – Gratien Gélinas, Canadian actor, director, and playwright (b. 1909)
  • 2000 – Thomas Ferebee, American colonel and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 2000 – Pavel Prudnikau, Belarusian poet and author (b. 1911)
  • 2000 – Michael Starr, Canadian judge and politician, 16th Canadian Minister of Labour (b. 1910)
  • 2000 – Carlos Velázquez, Puerto Rican pitcher (b. 1948)
  • 2001 – Bob Wollek, French race car driver (b. 1943)
  • 2003 – Rachel Corrie, American activist (b. 1979)
  • 2003 – Ronald Ferguson, English captain, polo player, and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2004 – Vilém Tauský, Czech conductor and composer (b. 1910)
  • 2005 – Todd Bell, American football player (b. 1958)
  • 2005 – Ralph Erskine, English architect, designed The London Ark (b. 1914)
  • 2005 – Dick Radatz, American baseball player (b. 1937)
  • 2007 – Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladeshi cricketer (b. 1984)
  • 2008 – Bill Brown, Australian cricketer and soldier (b. 1912)
  • 2008 – Ivan Dixon, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1931)
  • 2008 – Gary Hart, American wrestler and manager (b. 1942)
  • 2010 – Ksenija Pajčin, Serbian singer, dancer and model (b. 1977)
  • 2011 – Richard Wirthlin, American religious leader (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Donald E. Hillman, American colonel and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Takaaki Yoshimoto, Japanese poet, philosopher, and critic (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Jamal Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi physicist and cosmologist (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz, Argentinian economist and politician, Minister of Economy of Argentina (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Yadier Pedroso, Cuban pitcher (b. 1986)
  • 2013 – Ruchoma Shain, American-born teacher and author (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – Marina Solodkin, Russian-Israeli academic and politician (b. 1952)
  • 2013 – Frank Thornton, English actor (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Gary Bettenhausen, American race car driver (b. 1941)
  • 2014 – Donald Crothers, American chemist and academic (b. 1937)
  • 2014 – Yulisa Pat Amadu Maddy, Sierra Leonean author, poet, and playwright (b. 1936)
  • 2014 – Steve Moore, English author and illustrator (b. 1949)
  • 2014 – Alexander Pochinok, Russian economist and politician (b. 1958)
  • 2015 – Jack Haley, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1964)
  • 2015 – Don Robertson, American pianist and composer (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – Alexander Esenin-Volpin, Russian-American mathematician and poet (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Frank Sinatra Jr., American singer and actor (b. 1944)
  • 2017 – Lewis Rowland, American neurologist (b. 1925)
  • 2018 – Louise Slaughter, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York (b. 1929)
  • 2019 – Dick Dale, American surf-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (b. 1937)

Holidays and observances on March 16

  • Christian feast day:
    • Abbán
    • Finian Lobhar (Finian the Leper)
    • Heribert of Cologne
    • Hilarius of Aquileia
    • Julian of Antioch
    • March 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Book Smugglers (Lithuania)
  • Remembrance day of the Latvian legionnaires (Latvia)
  • Saint Urho’s Day (Finnish Americans and Finnish Canadians)
  • Austin 3:16 Day (Not official, but leisure day)

March 16- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 13- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years’ War.
  • 1591 – At the Battle of Tondibi in Mali, Moroccan forces of the Saadi dynasty, led by Judar Pasha, defeat the Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at least five to one.
  • 1639 – Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.
  • 1697 – Nojpetén, capital of the last independent Maya kingdom, fell to Spanish conquistadors, the final step in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.
  • 1741 – The Battle of Cartagena de Indias (part of the War of Jenkins’ Ear) begins..
  • 1809 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in the Coup of 1809.
  • 1826 – Pope Leo XII publishes the apostolic constitution Quo Graviora in which he renewed the prohibition on Catholics joining freemasonry.
  • 1845 – Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist.
  • 1848 – The German revolutions of 1848–1849 begin in Vienna.
  • 1862 – The Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves was passed by the United States Congress, effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • 1881 – Alexander II of Russia is assassinated.
  • 1884 – The Siege of Khartoum begins. It lasts until January 26, 1885.
  • 1900 – British forces occupy Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, during the Second Boer War.
  • 1920 – The Kapp Putsch briefly ousts the Weimar Republic government from Berlin.
  • 1930 – The news of the discovery of Pluto is announced by Lowell Observatory.
  • 1933 – Banks in the U.S. begin to re-open after the three-day national “bank holiday” mandated by the Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Emergency Banking Act.
  • 1943 – German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.
  • 1954 – The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ begins with an artillery barrage by Viet Minh forces under Võ Nguyên Giáp; Viet Minh victory lead to the end of the First Indochina War and French withdrawal from Vietnam.
  • 1957 – Cuban student revolutionaries storm the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.
  • 1969 – Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
  • 1979 – The New Jewel Movement, headed by Maurice Bishop, ousts the Prime Minister of Grenada, Eric Gairy, in a coup d’état.
  • 1988 – The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opens between Aomori and Hakodate, Japan.
  • 1992 – The Mw  6.6 Erzincan earthquake strikes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).
  • 1996 – The Dunblane massacre leads to the death of sixteen primary school children and one teacher in Dunblane, Scotland.
  • 1997 – The Missionaries of Charity choose Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as their leader.
  • 2003 – An article in Nature identifies the Ciampate del Diavolo as 350,000-year-old hominid footprints.
  • 2012 – The Sierre coach crash kills 28 people, including 22 children.
  • 2013 – The 2013 papal conclave elects Pope Francis as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.
  • 2016 – The Ankara bombing kills at least 37 people.
  • 2016 – Three gunmen attack two hotels in the Ivory Coast town of Grand-Bassam, killing at least 19 people.

Births on March 13

  • 1372 – Louis I, Duke of Orléans (d. 1407)
  • 1479 – Lazarus Spengler, German hymnwriter (d. 1534)
  • 1560 – William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Dutch count (d. 1620)
  • 1593 – Georges de La Tour, French painter (probable; d. 1652)
  • 1599 – John Berchmans, Belgian Jesuit scholastic and saint (d. 1621)
  • 1615 – Innocent XII, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1700)
  • 1683 – Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, German botanist (d. 1741)
  • 1700 – Michel Blavet, French flute player and composer (d. 1768)
  • 1719 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (d. 1797)
  • 1720 – Charles Bonnet, Swiss historian and author (d. 1793)
  • 1741 – Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1790)
  • 1763 – Guillaume Brune, French general and diplomat (d. 1815)
  • 1764 – Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1845)
  • 1770 – Daniel Lambert, English animal breeder (d. 1809)
  • 1781 – Karl Friedrich Schinkel, German painter and architect, designed the Konzerthaus Berlin (d. 1841)
  • 1798 – Abigail Fillmore, American wife of Millard Fillmore, 14th First Lady of the United States (d. 1853)
  • 1800 – Mustafa Reşid Pasha, Ottoman politician, 212th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1858)
  • 1815 – James Curtis Hepburn, American physician, linguist, and missionary (d. 1911)
  • 1825 – Hans Gude, Norwegian-German painter and academic (d. 1903)
  • 1855 – Percival Lowell, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1916)
  • 1857 – B. H. Roberts, English-American historian and politician (d. 1933)
  • 1860 – Hugo Wolf, Slovene-Austrian composer (d. 1903)
  • 1862 – Paul Prosper Henrys, French general (d. 1943)
  • 1864 – Alexej von Jawlensky, Russian-German painter (d. 1941)
  • 1870 – William Glackens, American painter and illustrator (d. 1938)
  • 1874 – Ellery Harding Clark, American jumper, coach, and lawyer (d. 1949)
  • 1880 – Josef Gočár, Czech architect (d. 1945)
  • 1883 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1926)
  • 1884 – Hugh Walpole, New Zealand-English author and educator (d. 1941)
  • 1886 – Home Run Baker, American baseball player and manager (d. 1963)
  • 1886 – Albert William Stevens, American captain and photographer (d. 1949)
  • 1888 – Paul Morand, French author and diplomat (d. 1976)
  • 1890 – Fritz Busch, German conductor and director (d. 1951)
  • 1892 – Janet Flanner, American journalist and author (d. 1978)
  • 1897 – Yeghishe Charents, Armenian poet and activist (d. 1937)
  • 1898 – Henry Hathaway, American director and producer (d. 1985)
  • 1899 – John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)
  • 1899 – Pancho Vladigerov, Bulgarian pianist and composer (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Andrée Bosquet, Belgian painter (d. 1980)
  • 1900 – Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
  • 1902 – Hans Bellmer, German-French painter and sculptor (d. 1975)
  • 1904 – Clifford Roach, Trinidadian cricketer and footballer (d. 1988)
  • 1907 – Dorothy Tangney, Australian politician (d. 1985)
  • 1908 – Walter Annenberg, American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Myrtle Bachelder, American chemist and Women’s Army Corps officer (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – Sammy Kaye, American saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Kemal Tahir, Turkish journalist and author (d. 1973)
  • 1911 – José Ardévol, Cuban composer and conductor (d. 1981)
  • 1913 – William J. Casey, American politician, 13th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1987)
  • 1913 – Sergey Mikhalkov, Russian author and playwright (d. 2009)
  • 1914 – W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Edward O’Hare, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1943)
  • 1916 – Lindy Boggs, American educator and politician, 5th United States Ambassador to the Holy See (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Jacque Fresco, American engineer and academic (d. 2017)
  • 1920 – Ralph J. Roberts, American businessman, co-founded Comcast (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – Al Jaffee, American cartoonist
  • 1923 – Dimitrios Ioannidis, Greek general (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Roy Haynes, American drummer and composer
  • 1926 – Carlos Roberto Reina, Honduran lawyer and politician, President of Honduras (d. 2003)
  • 1929 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Mahdi Elmandjra, Moroccan economist and sociologist (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Gero von Wilpert, German author and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1935 – David Nobbs, English author and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Robert Gammage, American captain and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Neil Sedaka, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1941 – Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (d. 2001)
  • 1942 – Dave Cutler, American computer scientist and engineer
  • 1942 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet and author (d. 2008)
  • 1944 – Terence Burns, Baron Burns, English economist and academic
  • 1945 – Anatoly Fomenko, Russian mathematician and academic
  • 1946 – Yonatan Netanyahu, American-Israeli colonel (d. 1976)
  • 1947 – Lesley Collier, English ballerina and educator
  • 1947 – Beat Richner, Swiss pediatrician and cellist (d. 2018)
  • 1947 – Lyn St. James, American race car driver
  • 1949 – Ze’ev Bielski, Israeli politician
  • 1949 – Sian Elias, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand
  • 1950 – Bernard Julien, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1950 – Charles Krauthammer, American physician, journalist, and author (d. 2018)
  • 1950 – William H. Macy, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1951 – Charo, Spanish-American singer, guitarist, and actress
  • 1952 – Wolfgang Rihm, German composer and educator
  • 1952 – Tim Sebastian, English journalist and author
  • 1953 – Andy Bean, American golfer
  • 1953 – Michael Curry, 27th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church
  • 1954 – Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, Guyanese-English politician and diplomat
  • 1954 – Robin Duke, Canadian actress and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Bruno Conti, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Glenne Headly, American actress (d. 2017)
  • 1955 – Olga Rukavishnikova, Russian pentathlete
  • 1956 – Dana Delany, American actress and producer
  • 1957 – John Hoeven, American banker and politician, 31st Governor of North Dakota
  • 1957 – Moses Hogan, American composer and conductor (d. 2003)
  • 1958 – Mágico González, Salvadoran footballer
  • 1958 – Rick Lazio, American lawyer and politician
  • 1958 – Caryl Phillips, Caribbean-English author and playwright
  • 1959 – Dirk Wellham, Australian cricketer
  • 1960 – Adam Clayton, English-born Irish musician and songwriter
  • 1960 – Joe Ranft, American animator, screenwriter, and voice actor (d. 2005)
  • 1963 – Vance Johnson, American football player
  • 1964 – Will Clark, American baseball player
  • 1966 – Chico Science, Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1967 – Andrés Escobar, Colombian footballer (d. 1994)
  • 1967 – Pieter Vink, Dutch footballer and referee
  • 1970 – Tim Story, American director and producer
  • 1971 – Annabeth Gish, American actress
  • 1971 – Allan Nielsen, Danish international footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1972 – Common, American rapper and actor
  • 1973 – Edgar Davids, Surinamese born Dutch international footballer midfielder and manager
  • 1973 – Bobby Jackson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1974 – Thomas Enqvist, Swedish tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Mark Clattenburg, English football referee
  • 1976 – Troy Hudson, American basketball player and rapper
  • 1976 – Danny Masterson, American actor and producer
  • 1978 – Tom Danielson, American cyclist
  • 1978 – Kenny Watson, American football player
  • 1979 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1979 – Cédric Van Branteghem, Belgian sprinter
  • 1980 – Caron Butler, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Nicole Ohlde, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Kaitlin Sandeno, American swimmer
  • 1984 – Geeta Basra, Indian actress
  • 1985 – Alcides Araújo Alves, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Emile Hirsch, American actor
  • 1986 – Neil Wagner, South African-New Zealand cricketer
  • 1987 – Marco Andretti, American race car driver
  • 1987 – Andreas Beck, German footballer
  • 1988 – Furdjel Narsingh, Dutch footballer
  • 1989 – Holger Badstuber, German footballer
  • 1989 – Marko Marin, German footballer
  • 1989 – Robert Wickens, Canadian racing driver
  • 1990 – Anicet Abel, Malagasy footballer
  • 1991 – Daniel Greig, Australian speed skater
  • 1991 – Tristan Thompson, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Gerard Deulofeu, Spanish footballer
  • 1995 – Mikaela Shiffrin, American skier
  • 1998 – Jay-Roy Grot, Dutch footballer

Deaths on March 13

  • 1202 – Mieszko III the Old, king of Poland (b. c. 1121)
  • 1271 – Henry of Almain, English knight (b. 1235)
  • 1415 – Minye Kyawswa, Crown Prince of Ava (b. 1391)
  • 1447 – Shah Rukh, Timurid ruler of Persia and Transoxania (b. 1377)
  • 1573 – Michel de l’Hôpital, French politician (b. 1507)
  • 1601 – Henry Cuffe, Politician (b. 1563)
  • 1619 – Richard Burbage, English actor (b. 1567)
  • 1711 – Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, French poet and critic (b. 1636)
  • 1719 – Johann Friedrich Böttger, German chemist and potter (b. 1682)
  • 1800 – Nana Fadnavis, Indian minister and politician (b. 1742)
  • 1808 – Christian VII of Denmark (b. 1749)
  • 1823 – John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent, English admiral and politician (b. 1735)
  • 1833 – William Bradley, English lieutenant and cartographer (b. 1757)
  • 1842 – Henry Shrapnel, English general (b. 1761)
  • 1854 – Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, French politician, 6th Prime Minister of France (b. 1773)
  • 1873 – David Swinson Maynard, American physician, lawyer, and businessman (b. 1808)
  • 1879 – Adolf Anderssen, German mathematician and chess player (b. 1818)
  • 1881 – Alexander II of Russia (b. 1818)
  • 1884 – Leland Stanford Jr., American son of Leland Stanford (b. 1868)
  • 1885 – Giorgio Mitrovich, Maltese politician (b. 1795)
  • 1901 – Benjamin Harrison, American general and politician, 23rd President of the United States (b. 1833)
  • 1906 – Susan B. Anthony, American activist (b. 1820)
  • 1912 – Eugène-Étienne Taché, Canadian engineer and architect, designed the Parliament Building (b. 1836)
  • 1921 – Jenny Twitchell Kempton, American opera singer and educator (b. 1835)
  • 1936 – Francis Bell, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1851)
  • 1938 – Clarence Darrow, American lawyer and author (b. 1857)
  • 1943 – Stephen Vincent Benét, American poet, short story writer, and novelist (b. 1898)
  • 1946 – Werner von Blomberg, German field marshal (b. 1878)
  • 1962 – Anne Acheson, Irish sculptor (d. 1882)
  • 1965 – Vittorio Jano, Italian engineer (b. 1891)
  • 1965 – Fan Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Albania (b. 1882)
  • 1971 – Rockwell Kent, American painter and illustrator (b. 1882)
  • 1972 – Tony Ray-Jones, English photographer (b. 1941)
  • 1975 – Ivo Andrić, Yugoslav novelist, poet, and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
  • 1976 – Ole Haugsrud, American sports executive (b. 1900)
  • 1983 – Paul Citroen, German-Dutch illustrator and educator (b. 1896)
  • 1990 – Bruno Bettelheim, Austrian-American psychologist and author (b. 1903)
  • 1995 – Odette Hallowes, French nurse and spy (b. 1912)
  • 1996 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director and screenwriter (b. 1941)
  • 1998 – Judge Dread, English singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 1998 – Hans von Ohain, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1911)
  • 1999 – Lee Falk, American cartoonist, director, and producer (b. 1911)
  • 1999 – Garson Kanin, American director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – John A. Alonzo, American actor and cinematographer (b. 1934)
  • 2001 – Encarnacion Alzona, Filipino historian and educator (b. 1895)
  • 2002 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (b. 1900)
  • 2004 – Franz König, Austrian cardinal (b. 1905)
  • 2006 – Robert C. Baker, American businessman, invented the chicken nugget (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Jimmy Johnstone, Scottish footballer (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Maureen Stapleton, American actress (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler and manager (b. 1925)
  • 2009 – Betsy Blair, American actress (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Alan W. Livingston, American businessman (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Jean Ferrat, French singer-songwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2011 – Rick Martin, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Reubin Askew, American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 37th Governor of Florida (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, Irish businessman and politician (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Sierra Leonean economist, lawyer, and politician, 3rd President of Sierra Leone (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Icchokas Meras, Lithuanian-Israeli author and screenwriter (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Al Rosen, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Hilary Putnam, American philosopher, mathematician, and computer scientist (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Amy Krouse Rosenthal, American author (b. 1965)
  • 2018 – Emily Nasrallah, Lebanese writer and women’s rights activist. (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances on March 13

  • Christian feast days:
    • Ansovinus
    • Gerald of Mayo
    • James Theodore Holly (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Nicephorus
    • Roderick
    • March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Kasuga Matsuri (Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan)
  • National Elephant Day (Thailand)
  • Africa Scout Day

March 13- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 9- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 141 BC – Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumes the throne over the Han dynasty of China.
  • 1009 – First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg.
  • 1226 – Khwarazmian sultan Jalal ad-Din conquers the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
  • 1230 – Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II defeats Theodore of Epirus in the Battle of Klokotnitsa.
  • 1500 – The fleet of Pedro Álvares Cabral leaves Lisbon for the Indies. The fleet will discover Brazil which lies within boundaries granted to Portugal in the Treaty of Tordesillas.
  • 1701 – Safavid troops retreat from Basra, ending a three year occupation.
  • 1765 – After a campaign by the writer Voltaire, judges in Paris posthumously exonerate Jean Calas of murdering his son. Calas had been tortured and executed in 1762 on the charge, though his son may have actually committed suicide.
  • 1776 – The Wealth of Nations by Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith is published.
  • 1796 – Napoléon Bonaparte marries his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais.
  • 1811 – Paraguayan forces defeat Manuel Belgrano at the Battle of Tacuarí.
  • 1815 – Francis Ronalds describes the first battery-operated clock in the Philosophical Magazine
  • 1841 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the United States v. The Amistad case that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.
  • 1842 – Giuseppe Verdi’s third opera, Nabucco, receives its première performance in Milan; its success establishes Verdi as one of Italy’s foremost opera composers.
  • 1842 – The first documented discovery of gold in California occurs at Rancho San Francisco, six years before the California Gold Rush.
  • 1847 – Mexican–American War: The first large-scale amphibious assault in U.S. history is launched in the Siege of Veracruz.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: USS Monitor and CSS Virginia fight to a draw in the Battle of Hampton Roads, the first battle between two ironclad warships.
  • 1908 – Inter Milan was founded on Football Club Internazionale, following a schism from A.C. Milan.
  • 1916 – Mexican Revolution: Pancho Villa leads nearly 500 Mexican raiders in an attack against the border town of Columbus, New Mexico.
  • 1933 – Great Depression: President Franklin D. Roosevelt submits the Emergency Banking Act to Congress, the first of his New Deal policies
  • 1942 – World War II: Dutch East Indies unconditionally surrendered to the Japanese forces in Kalijati, Subang, West Java, and the Japanese completed their Dutch East Indies campaign
  • 1944 – World War II: Soviet Army planes attack Tallinn, Estonia.
  • 1945 – World War II: A coup d’état by Japanese forces in French Indochina removes the French from power.
  • 1946 – Bolton Wanderers stadium disaster at Burnden Park, Bolton, England, kills 33 and injures hundreds more.
  • 1954 – McCarthyism: CBS television broadcasts the See It Now episode, “A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy”, produced by Fred Friendly.
  • 1956 – Soviet forces suppress mass demonstrations in the Georgian SSR, reacting to Nikita Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization policy.
  • 1957 – The 8.6 Mw  Andreanof Islands earthquake shakes the Aleutian Islands, causing over $5 million in damage from ground movement and a destructive tsunami.
  • 1959 – The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.
  • 1960 – Dr. Belding Hibbard Scribner implants for the first time a shunt he invented into a patient, which allows the patient to receive hemodialysis on a regular basis.
  • 1961 – Sputnik 9 successfully launches, carrying a dog and a human dummy, and demonstrating that the Soviet Union was ready to begin human spaceflight.
  • 1967 – Trans World Airlines Flight 553 crashes in a field in Concord Township, Ohio following a mid-air collision with a Beechcraft Baron, killing 26 people.
  • 1974 – The Mars 7 Flyby bus releases the descent module too early, missing Mars.
  • 1976 – Forty-two people die in the Cavalese cable car disaster, the worst cable-car accident to date.
  • 1977 – The Hanafi Siege: In a thirty-nine-hour standoff, armed Hanafi Muslims seize three Washington, D.C., buildings.
  • 1978 – President Soeharto inaugurated Jagorawi Toll Road, the first toll highway in Indonesia, connecting Jakarta, Bogor and Ciawi, West Java.
  • 1997 – Comet Hale–Bopp: Observers in China, Mongolia and eastern Siberia are treated to a rare double feature as an eclipse permits Hale-Bopp to be seen during the day.2011 – Space Shuttle Discovery makes its final landing after 39 flights.

Births on March 9

  • 1454 – Amerigo Vespucci, Italian cartographer and explorer (d. 1512)
  • 1564 – David Fabricius, German theologian, cartographer and astronomer (d. 1617)
  • 1568 – Aloysius Gonzaga, Italian saint (d. 1591)
  • 1662 – Franz Anton von Sporck, German noble (d. 1738)
  • 1697 – Friederike Caroline Neuber, German actress (d. 1760)
  • 1737 – Josef Mysliveček, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1781)
  • 1749 – Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, French journalist and politician (d. 1791)
  • 1753 – Jean-Baptiste Kléber, French general (d. 1800)
  • 1758 – Franz Joseph Gall, German neuroanatomist and physiologist (d. 1828)
  • 1763 – William Cobbett, English journalist and author (d. 1835)
  • 1806 – Edwin Forrest, American actor and philanthropist (d. 1872)
  • 1814 – Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet and playwright (d. 1861)
  • 1815 – David Davis, American jurist and politician (d. 1886)
  • 1820 – Samuel Blatchford, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1893)
  • 1824 – Amasa Leland Stanford, American businessman and politician, founded Stanford University (d. 1893)
  • 1847 – Martin Pierre Marsick, Belgian violinist, composer, and educator (d. 1924)
  • 1850 – Hamo Thornycroft, English sculptor and academic (d. 1925)
  • 1856 – Eddie Foy, Sr., American actor and dancer (d. 1928)
  • 1863 – Mary Harris Armor, American suffragist (d. 1950)
  • 1887 – Fritz Lenz, German geneticist and physician (d. 1976)
  • 1890 – Rupert Balfe, Australian footballer and lieutenant (d. 1915)
  • 1890 – Vyacheslav Molotov, Russian politician and diplomat, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1986)
  • 1891 – José P. Laurel, Filipino lawyer, politician and President of the Philippines (d. 1959)
  • 1892 – Mátyás Rákosi, Hungarian politician (d. 1971)
  • 1892 – Vita Sackville-West, English author, poet, and gardener (d. 1962)
  • 1902 – Will Geer, American actor (d. 1978)
  • 1904 – Paul Wilbur Klipsch, American soldier and engineer, founded Klipsch Audio Technologies (d. 2002)
  • 1910 – Samuel Barber, American pianist and composer (d. 1981)
  • 1911 – Clara Rockmore, American classical violin prodigy and theremin player, (d. 1998)
  • 1915 – Johnnie Johnson, English air marshal and pilot (d. 2001)
  • 1918 – George Lincoln Rockwell, American sailor and politician, founded the American Nazi Party (d. 1967)
  • 1918 – Mickey Spillane, American crime novelist (d. 2006)
  • 1920 – Franjo Mihalić, Croatian-Serbian runner and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – Carl Betz, American actor (d. 1978)
  • 1922 – Ian Turbott, New Zealand-Australian former diplomat and university administrator (d. 2016)
  • 1923 – James L. Buckley, American lawyer, judge, and politician
  • 1923 – André Courrèges, French fashion designer (d. 2016)
  • 1923 – Walter Kohn, Austrian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Joe Franklin, American radio and television host (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Gerald Bull, Canadian-American engineer and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1928 – Keely Smith, American singer and actress (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – Desmond Hoyte, Guyanese lawyer, politician and President of Guyana (d. 2002)
  • 1929 – Zillur Rahman, Bangladeshi politician, 19th President of Bangladesh (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Ornette Coleman, American saxophonist, violinist, trumpet player, and composer (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Jackie Healy-Rae, Irish politician (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Qayyum Chowdhury, Bangladeshi painter and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Walter Mercado, Puerto Rican-American astrologer and actor (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Lloyd Price, American R&B singer-songwriter
  • 1933 – David Weatherall, English physician, geneticist, and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1934 – Yuri Gagarin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1968)
  • 1934 – Joyce Van Patten, American actress
  • 1935 – Andrew Viterbi, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Qualcomm Inc.
  • 1936 – Mickey Gilley, American singer-songwriter and pianist[
  • 1936 – Marty Ingels, American actor and comedian (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Bernard Landry, Canadian lawyer, politician and Premier of Quebec (d. 2018)
  • 1937 – Harry Neale, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1937 – Brian Redman, English race car driver
  • 1940 – Raul Julia, Puerto Rican-American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1941 – Jim Colbert, American golfer
  • 1941 – Ernesto Miranda, American criminal (d. 1976)
  • 1942 – Ion Caramitru, Romanian actor and artistic director
  • 1942 – Mark Lindsay, American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer
  • 1943 – Bobby Fischer, American chess player and author (d. 2008)
  • 1944 – Lee Irvine, South African cricketer
  • 1945 – Robert Calvert, English singer-songwriter and playwright (d. 1988)
  • 1945 – Robin Trower, English rock guitarist and vocalist
  • 1946 – Alexandra Bastedo, English actress (d. 2014)
  • 1946 – Warren Skaaren, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1990)
  • 1946 – Bernd Hölzenbein, German footballer and scout
  • 1947 – Keri Hulme, New Zealand author and poet
  • 1948 – Emma Bonino, Italian politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1948 – Eric Fischl, American painter and sculptor
  • 1948 – Jeffrey Osborne, American singer and drummer
  • 1949 – Neil Hamilton, Welsh lawyer and politician
  • 1950 – Doug Ault, American baseball player and manager (d. 2004)
  • 1950 – Andy North, American golfer
  • 1950 – Howard Shelley, English pianist and conductor
  • 1951 – Helen Zille, South African journalist, politician and Premier of the Western Cape1952 – Bill Beaumont, English rugby player and manager
  • 1954 – Carlos Ghosn, Brazilian-Lebanese-French business executive
  • 1954 – Bobby Sands, PIRA volunteer; Irish republican politician (d. 1981)
  • 1954 – Jock Taylor, Scottish motorcycle racer (d. 1982)
  • 1955 – Teo Fabi, Italian race car driver
  • 1955 – Józef Pinior, Polish academic and politician
  • 1956 – Mark Dantonio, American football player and coach
  • 1956 – Shashi Tharoor, Indian politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs
  • 1956 – David Willetts, English academic and politician
  • 1958 – Paul MacLean, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1959 – Takaaki Kajita, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1959 – Lonny Price, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Linda Fiorentino, American actress
  • 1961 – Rick Steiner, American wrestler
  • 1961 – Darrell Walker, American basketball player and coach
  • 1963 – Terry Mulholland, American baseball player
  • 1963 – Jean-Marc Vallée, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Juliette Binoche, French actress
  • 1964 – Phil Housley, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1965 – Brian Bosworth, American football player and actor
  • 1965 – Benito Santiago, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
  • 1966 – Brendan Canty, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1966 – Tony Lockett, Australian footballer
  • 1968 – Youri Djorkaeff, French footballer
  • 1969 – Kimberly Guilfoyle, American lawyer and journalist
  • 1970 – Naveen Jindal, Indian businessman and politician
  • 1970 – Martin Johnson, English rugby player and coach
  • 1971 – Emmanuel Lewis, American actor
  • 1972 – Jodey Arrington, United States politician
  • 1973 – Liam Griffin, English race car driver
  • 1975 – Juan Sebastián Verón, Argentinian footballer
  • 1977 – Radek Dvořák, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
  • 1981 – Antonio Bryant, American football player
  • 1981 – Clay Rapada, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Ryan Bayley, Australian cyclist
  • 1982 – Matt Bowen, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Mirjana Lučić-Baroni, Croatian tennis player
  • 1983 – Wayne Simien, American basketball player[
  • 1983 – Clint Dempsey, American international soccer player, forward
  • 1984 – Abdoulay Konko, French footballer
  • 1984 – Julia Mancuso, American skier
  • 1985 – Brent Burns, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Jesse Litsch, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Pastor Maldonado, Venezuelan race car driver
  • 1985 – Parthiv Patel, Indian cricketer
  • 1986 – Colin Greening, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Brittany Snow, American actress and producer
  • 1989 – Taeyeon, South Korean artist, member of Girls’ Generation
  • 1990 – Daley Blind, Dutch footballer
  • 1990 – Matt Robinson, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1990 – YG (rapper), American rapper
  • 1991 – Jooyoung, Korean singer-songwriter
  • 1993 – Suga, South Korean artist (BTS)
  • 1994 – Morgan Rielly, Canadian ice hockey player

Deaths on March 9

  • 886 – Abu Ma’shar al-Balkhi, Muslim scholar and astrologer (b. 787)
  • 1202 – Sverre of Norway
  • 1440 – Frances of Rome, Italian nun and saint (b. 1384)
  • 1444 – Leonardo Bruni, Italian humanist (b. c.1370)
  • 1463 – Catherine of Bologna, Italian nun and saint (d. 1463)
  • 1566 – David Rizzio, Italian-Scottish courtier and politician (b. 1533).
  • 1649 – James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, Scottish soldier and politician, (b. 1606)
  • 1649 – Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, English soldier and politician (b. 1590)
  • 1661 – Cardinal Mazarin, Italian-French academic and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1602)
  • 1709 – Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, English courtier and politician (b. 1638)
  • 1808 – Joseph Bonomi the Elder, Italian architect (b. 1739)
  • 1810 – Ozias Humphry, English painter and academic (b. 1742)
  • 1825 – Anna Laetitia Barbauld, English poet, author, and critic (b. 1743)
  • 1847 – Mary Anning, English paleontologist (b. 1799)
  • 1851 – Hans Christian Ørsted, Danish physicist and chemist (b. 1777)1888 – William I, German Emperor (b. 1797)
  • 1895 – Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Austrian journalist and author (b. 1836)
  • 1897 – Sondre Norheim, Norwegian-American skier (b. 1825)
  • 1918 – Frank Wedekind, German author and playwright (b. 1864)
  • 1925 – Willard Metcalf, American painter and academic (b. 1858)
  • 1926 – Mikao Usui, Japanese spiritual leader, founded Reiki (b. 1865)
  • 1937 – Paul Elmer More, American journalist and critic (b. 1864)
  • 1943 – Otto Freundlich, German painter and sculptor (b. 1878)
  • 1954 – Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Swedish oceanographer and academic (b. 1874)
  • 1955 – Miroslava, Czech-Mexican actress (b. 1925)
  • 1964 – Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, German general (b. 1870)
  • 1969 – Abdul Munim Riad, Egyptian general (b. 1919)
  • 1971 – Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria (b. 1902)
  • 1974 – Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr., American pharmacologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
  • 1974 – Harry Womack, American singer (b. 1945)
  • 1983 – Faye Emerson, American actress (b. 1917)
  • 1983 – Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
  • 1988 – Kurt Georg Kiesinger, German lawyer, politician and Chancellor of Germany (b. 1904)
  • 1989 – Robert Mapplethorpe, American photographer (b. 1946)
  • 1991 – Jim Hardin, American baseball player (b. 1943)
  • 1992 – Menachem Begin, Belarusian-Israeli soldier, politician and Prime Minister of Israel, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)
  • 1993 – C. Northcote Parkinson, English historian and author (b. 1909)
  • 1994 – Charles Bukowski, American poet, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1920)
  • 1994 – Eddie Creatchman, Canadian wrestler, referee, and manager (b. 1928)
  • 1994 – Fernando Rey, Spanish actor (b. 1917)
  • 1997 – Jean-Dominique Bauby, French journalist and author (b. 1952)
  • 1997 – Terry Nation, Welsh author and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 1997 – The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper, songwriter, and actor (b. 1972)
  • 1999 – Harry Somers, Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1925)
  • 2000 – Jean Coulthard, Canadian composer and educator (b. 1908)
  • 2003 – Stan Brakhage, American director and cinematographer (b. 1933)
  • 2003 – Bernard Dowiyogo, Nauruan politician, President of Nauru (b. 1946)
  • 2006 – Tom Fox, American activist (b. 1951)
  • 2006 – John Profumo, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for War (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Brad Delp, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1951)
  • 2007 – Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1921)
  • 2010 – Willie Davis, American baseball player and manager (b. 1940)
  • 2010 – Doris Haddock, American activist and politician (b. 1910)
  • 2011 – David S. Broder, American journalist and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Max Jakobson, Finnish journalist and diplomat
  • 2013 – Merton Simpson, American painter and art collector (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – James Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, Northern Irish soldier and politician (b. 1920)
  • 2016 – Robert Horton, American actor (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Clyde Lovellette, American basketball player and coach (b. 1929)
  • 2017 – Howard Hodgkin, British painter (b. 1932)
  • 2018 – Jo Min-ki, Korean actor (b. 1965)
  • 2020 – John Bathersby, Australian Catholic bishop (b. 1936)

Holidays and observances on March 9

  • Christian feast day:
    • Catherine of Bologna
    • Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
    • Frances of Rome
    • Pacian
    • Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria (Coptic Orthodox Church)
    • Gregory of Nyssa (Episcopal Church (United States))
    • March 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Teachers’ Day or Eid Al Moalim (Lebanon)

March 9- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 4- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth).
  • 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia.
  • 852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a statute, a document with the first known written mention of the Croats name in Croatian sources.
  • 938 – Translation of the relics of martyr Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, Prince of the Czechs.
  • 1152 – Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of Germany.
  • 1238 – The Battle of the Sit River is fought in the northern part of the present-day Yaroslavl Oblast of Russia between the Mongol hordes of Batu Khan and the Russians under Yuri II of Vladimir-Suzdal during the Mongol invasion of Rus’.
  • 1351 – Ramathibodi becomes King of Siam.
  • 1386 – Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila) is crowned King of Poland.
  • 1461 – Wars of the Roses in England: Lancastrian King Henry VI is deposed by his House of York cousin, who then becomes King Edward IV.
  • 1493 – Explorer Christopher Columbus arrives back in Lisbon, Portugal, aboard his ship Niña from his voyage to what are now The Bahamas and other islands in the Caribbean.
  • 1519 – Hernán Cortés arrives in Mexico in search of the Aztec civilization and its wealth.
  • 1628 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal charter.
  • 1665 – English King Charles II declares war on the Netherlands marking the start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
  • 1675 – John Flamsteed is appointed the first Astronomer Royal of England.
  • 1681 – Charles II grants a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army fortifies Dorchester Heights with cannon, leading the British troops to abandon the Siege of Boston.
  • 1789 – In New York City, the first Congress of the United States meets, putting the United States Constitution into effect. The United States Bill of Rights is written and proposed to Congress.
  • 1790 – France is divided into 83 départements, cutting across the former provinces in an attempt to dislodge regional loyalties based on ownership of land by the nobility.
  • 1791 – The Constitutional Act of 1791 is introduced by the British House of Commons in London which envisages the separation of Canada into Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario).
  • 1791 – Vermont is admitted to the United States as the fourteenth state.
  • 1794 – The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed by the U.S. Congress.
  • 1797 – John Adams is inaugurated as the 2nd President of the United States of America, becoming the first President to begin his presidency on March 4.
  • 1804 – Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish convicts rebel against British colonial authority in the Colony of New South Wales.
  • 1813 – Cyril VI of Constantinople is elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
  • 1814 – Americans defeat British forces at the Battle of Longwoods between London, Ontario and Thamesville, near present-day Wardsville, Ontario.
  • 1837 – The city of Chicago is incorporated.
  • 1848 – Carlo Alberto di Savoia signs the Statuto Albertino that will later represent the first constitution of the Regno d’Italia.
  • 1849 – President-Elect Zachary Taylor and Vice President-Elect Millard Fillmore did not take their respective oaths of office (they did so the following day), leading to the erroneous theory that outgoing President pro tempore of the United States Senate David Rice Atchison had assumed the role of acting president for one day.
  • 1861 – The first national flag of the Confederate States of America (the “Stars and Bars”) is adopted.
  • 1865 – The third and final national flag of the Confederate States of America is adopted by the Confederate Congress.
  • 1882 – Britain’s first electric trams run in east London.
  • 1890 – The longest bridge in Great Britain, the Forth Bridge in Scotland, measuring 1,710 feet (520 m) long, is opened by the Duke of Rothesay, later King Edward VII.
  • 1899 – Cyclone Mahina sweeps in north of Cooktown, Queensland, with a 12 metres (39 ft) wave that reaches up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) inland, killing over 300.
  • 1908 – The Collinwood school fire, Collinwood near Cleveland, Ohio, kills 174 people.
  • 1909 – U.S. President William Taft used what became known as a Saxbe fix, a mechanism to avoid the restriction of the U.S. Constitution’s Ineligibility Clause, to appoint Philander C. Knox as U.S. Secretary of State.
  • 1913 – First Balkan War: The Greek army engages the Turks at Bizani, resulting in victory two days later.
  • 1913 – The United States Department of Labor is formed.
  • 1917 – Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first female member of the United States House of Representatives.
  • 1933 – Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the United States.
  • 1933 – Frances Perkins becomes United States Secretary of Labor, the first female member of the United States Cabinet.
  • 1933 – The Parliament of Austria is suspended because of a quibble over procedure – Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss initiates an authoritarian rule by decree.
  • 1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom launches Operation Claymore on the Lofoten Islands; the first large scale British Commando raid.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea in the south-west Pacific comes to an end.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, begins. It ends on 6 March with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion and the liberation of the town of Grevena.
  • 1944 – World War II: After the success of Big Week, the USAAF begins a daylight bombing campaign of Berlin.
  • 1957 – The S&P 500 stock market index is introduced, replacing the S&P 90.
  • 1960 – The French freighter La Coubre explodes in Havana, Cuba, killing 100.
  • 1962 – A Caledonian Airways Douglas DC-7 crashes shortly after takeoff from Cameroon, killing 111 – the worst crash of a DC-7.
  • 1966 – A Canadian Pacific Air Lines DC-8-43 explodes on landing at Tokyo International Airport, killing 64 people.
  • 1966 – In an interview in the London Evening Standard, The Beatles’ John Lennon declares that the band is “more popular than Jesus now”.
  • 1970 – French submarine Eurydice explodes underwater, resulting in the loss of the entire 57-man crew.
  • 1974 – People magazine is published for the first time in the United States as People Weekly.
  • 1976 – The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland from London by the British parliament.
  • 1977 – The 1977 Vrancea earthquake in eastern and southern Europe kills more than 1,500, mostly in Bucharest, Romania.
  • 1980 – Nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a sweeping election victory to become Zimbabwe’s first black prime minister.
  • 1985 – The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for AIDS infection, used since then for screening all blood donations in the United States.
  • 1986 – The Soviet Vega 1 begins returning images of Halley’s Comet and the first images of its nucleus.
  • 1990 – American basketball player Hank Gathers dies after collapsing during the semifinals of a West Coast Conference Tournament game.
  • 1996 – A derailed train in Weyauwega, Wisconsin (USA) causes the emergency evacuation of 2,300 people for 16 days.
  • 1998 – Gay rights: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex.
  • 2001 – BBC bombing: A massive car bomb explodes in front of the BBC Television Centre in London, seriously injuring one person; the attack was attributed to the Real IRA.
  • 2002 – Afghanistan: Seven American Special Operations Forces soldiers and 200 Al-Qaeda Fighters are killed as American forces attempt to infiltrate the Shah-i-Kot Valley on a low-flying helicopter reconnaissance mission.
  • 2009 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002.
  • 2012 – A series of explosions is reported at a munitions dump in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, killing at least 250 people.
  • 2015 – At least 34 miners die in a suspected gas explosion at the Zasyadko coal mine in the rebel-held Donetsk region of Ukraine.
  • 2018 – Former MI6 spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, causing a diplomatic uproar that results in mass-expulsions of diplomats from all countries involved.
  • 2019 – The Indian Attack submarine was spotted by the Pakistan Navy.
  • 2020 – Former Daredevil Nik Wallenda is the first person to walk over the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.

Births on March 4

  • 895 – Liu Zhiyuan, founder of the Later Han Dynasty (d. 948)
  • 977 – Al-Musabbihi, Fatimid historian and official (d. 1030)
  • 1188 – Blanche of Castile, French queen consort (d. 1252)
  • 1394 – Henry the Navigator, Portuguese explorer (d. 1460)
  • 1484 – George, margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1543)
  • 1492 – Francesco de Layolle, Italian organist and composer (d. 1540)
  • 1502 – Elisabeth of Hesse, princess of Saxony (d. 1557)
  • 1519 – Hindal Mirza, Mughal emperor (d. 1551)
  • 1526 – Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (d. 1596)
  • 1602 – Kanō Tan’yū, Japanese painter (d. 1674)
  • 1634 – Kazimierz Łyszczyński, Polish philosopher (d. 1689)
  • 1651 – John Somers, 1st Baron Somers, English lawyer, jurist, and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1716)
  • 1655 – Fra Galgario, Italian painter (d. 1743)
  • 1665 – Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, Swedish soldier (d. 1694)
  • 1678 – Antonio Vivaldi, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1741)
  • 1702 – Jack Sheppard, English criminal (d. 1724)
  • 1706 – Lauritz de Thurah, Danish architect, designed the Hermitage Hunting Lodge and Gammel Holtegård (d. 1759)
  • 1715 – James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, English historian and politician (d. 1763)
  • 1719 – George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot, English politician (d. 1777)
  • 1729 – Anne d’Arpajon, French wife of Philippe de Noailles (d. 1794)
  • 1745 – Charles Dibdin, English actor, playwright, and composer (d. 1814)
  • 1745 – Casimir Pulaski, Polish-American general (d. 1779)
  • 1756 – Henry Raeburn, Scottish painter and educator (d. 1823)
  • 1760 – William Payne, English painter (d. 1830)
  • 1760 – Hugh Ronalds, British nurseryman who cultivated and documented 300 varieties of apples (d. 1833)
  • 1769 – Muhammad Ali, Ottoman military leader and pasha (d. 1849)
  • 1770 – Joseph Jacotot, French philosopher and academic (d. 1840)
  • 1778 – Robert Emmet, Irish commander (d. 1803)
  • 1781 – Rebecca Gratz, American educator and philanthropist (d. 1869)
  • 1782 – Johann Rudolf Wyss, Swiss philosopher, author, and academic (d. 1830)
  • 1792 – Isaac Lea, American conchologist, geologist, and publisher (d. 1886)
  • 1793 – Karl Lachmann, German philologist and critic (d. 1851)
  • 1814 – Napoleon Collins, Rear Admiral of the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War (d. 1875)
  • 1817 – Edwards Pierrepont, American lawyer and politician, 34th United States Attorney General (d. 1892)
  • 1820 – Francesco Bentivegna, Italian rebel leader (d. 1856)
  • 1822 – Jules Antoine Lissajous, French mathematician and academic (d. 1880)
  • 1823 – George Caron, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1902)
  • 1826 – August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein, German linguist, ethnographer, and theologian (d. 1907)
  • 1826 – John Buford, American general (d. 1863)
  • 1826 – Elme Marie Caro, French philosopher and academic (d. 1887)
  • 1826 – Theodore Judah, American engineer, founded the Central Pacific Railroad (d. 1863)
  • 1828 – Owen Wynne Jones, Welsh clergyman and poet (d. 1870)
  • 1838 – Paul Lacôme, French pianist, cellist, and composer (d. 1920)
  • 1847 – Carl Josef Bayer, Austrian chemist and academic (d. 1904)
  • 1851 – Alexandros Papadiamantis, Greek author and poet (d. 1911)
  • 1854 – Napier Shaw, English meteorologist and academic (d. 1945)
  • 1856 – Alfred William Rich, English painter, author, and educator (d. 1921)
  • 1861 – Arthur Cushman McGiffert, American theologian and author (d. 1933)
  • 1862 – Jacob Robert Emden, Swiss astrophysicist and meteorologist (d. 1940)
  • 1863 – R. I. Pocock, English zoologist and archaeologist (d. 1947)
  • 1863 – John Henry Wigmore, American academic and jurist (d. 1943)
  • 1864 – David W. Taylor, American admiral, architect, and engineer (d. 1940)
  • 1866 – Eugène Cosserat, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1931)
  • 1867 – Jacob L. Beilhart, American activist, founded the Spirit Fruit Society (d. 1908)
  • 1867 – Charles Pelot Summerall, senior United States Army officer (d. 1955)
  • 1870 – Thomas Sturge Moore, English author and poet (d. 1944)
  • 1871 – Boris Galerkin, Russian mathematician and engineer (d. 1945)
  • 1873 – Guy Wetmore Carryl, American journalist and poet (d. 1904)
  • 1873 – John H. Trumbull, American colonel and politician, 70th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1961)
  • 1875 – Mihály Károlyi, Hungarian politician, President of the Hungary (d. 1955)
  • 1875 – Enrique Larreta, Argentinian historian and author (d. 1961)
  • 1876 – Léon-Paul Fargue, French poet and author (d. 1947)
  • 1876 – Theodore Hardeen, Hungarian-American magician (d. 1945)
  • 1877 – Alexander Goedicke, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1957)
  • 1877 – Fritz Graebner, German geographer and ethnologist (d. 1934)
  • 1877 – Garrett Morgan, African-American inventor (d. 1963)
  • 1878 – Takeo Arishima, Japanese author and critic (d. 1923)
  • 1878 – Egbert Van Alstyne, American pianist and songwriter (d. 1951)
  • 1879 – Bernhard Kellermann, German author and poet (d. 1951)
  • 1880 – Channing Pollock, American playwright and critic (d. 1946)
  • 1881 – Todor Aleksandrov, Bulgarian educator and activist (d. 1924)
  • 1881 – Thomas Sigismund Stribling, American lawyer and author (d. 1965)
  • 1881 – Richard C. Tolman, American physicist and chemist (d. 1948)
  • 1882 – Nicolae Titulescu, Romanian academic and politician, 61st Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1941)
  • 1883 – Maude Fealy, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1971)
  • 1883 – Robert Emmett Keane, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1883 – Sam Langford, Canadian-American boxer (d. 1956)
  • 1884 – Red Murray, American baseball player (d. 1958)
  • 1884 – Lee Shumway, American actor (d. 1959)
  • 1886 – Paul Bazelaire, French cellist and composer (d. 1958)
  • 1888 – Rafaela Ottiano, Italian-American actress (d. 1942)
  • 1888 – Jeff Pfeffer, American baseball player (d. 1972)
  • 1888 – Emma Richter, German paleontologist (d. 1956)
  • 1888 – Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (d. 1931)
  • 1889 – Oscar Chisini, Italian mathematician and statistician (d. 1967)
  • 1889 – Oren E. Long, American soldier and politician, 10th Territorial Governor of Hawaii (d. 1965)
  • 1889 – Pearl White, American actress (d. 1938)
  • 1889 – Robert William Wood, English-American painter (d. 1979)
  • 1890 – Norman Bethune, Canadian soldier and physician (d. 1939)
  • 1891 – Dazzy Vance, American baseball player (d. 1961)
  • 1893 – Charles Herbert Colvin, American engineer, co-founded the Pioneer Instrument Company (d. 1985)
  • 1893 – Adolph Lowe, German sociologist and economist (d. 1995)
  • 1894 – Charles Corm, Lebanese businessman and philanthropist (d. 1963)
  • 1895 – Milt Gross, American animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 1953)
  • 1896 – Kai Holm, Danish actor and director (d. 1985)
  • 1897 – Lefty O’Doul, American baseball player and manager (d. 1969)
  • 1898 – Georges Dumézil, French philologist and academic (d. 1986)
  • 1898 – Hans Krebs, German general (d. 1945)
  • 1899 – Peter Illing, Austrian born, British film and television actor (d. 1966)
  • 1899 – Emilio Prados, Spanish poet and author (d. 1962)
  • 1900 – Herbert Biberman, American director and screenwriter (d. 1971)
  • 1901 – Wilbur R. Franks, Canadian scientist, invented the g-suit (d. 1986)
  • 1901 – Charles Goren, American bridge player and author (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo, Malagasy-French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1937)
  • 1902 – Rachel Messerer, Lithuanian-Russian actress (d. 1993)
  • 1902 – Russell Reeder, American soldier and author (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – William C. Boyd, American immunologist and chemist (d. 1983)
  • 1903 – Malcolm Dole, American chemist and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1903 – Dorothy Mackaill, English-American actress and singer (d. 1990)
  • 1903 – John Scarne, American magician and author (d. 1985)
  • 1904 – Luis Carrero Blanco, Spanish admiral and politician, 69th President of the Government of Spain (d. 1973)
  • 1904 – George Gamow, Ukrainian-American physicist and cosmologist (d. 1968)
  • 1904 – Joseph Schmidt, Austrian-Hungarian tenor and actor (d. 1942)
  • 1906 – Meindert DeJong, Dutch-American soldier and author (d. 1991)
  • 1906 – Avery Fisher, American violinist and engineer, founded Fisher Electronics (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – Georges Ronsse, Belgian cyclist and manager (d. 1969)
  • 1907 – Edgar Barrier, American actor (d. 1964)
  • 1908 – T. R. M. Howard, American surgeon and activist (d. 1976)
  • 1908 – Thomas Shaw, American singer and guitarist (d. 1977)
  • 1909 – Harry Helmsley, American businessman (d. 1997)
  • 1909 – George Edward Holbrook, American chemist and engineer (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Tancredo Neves, Brazilian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Brazil (d. 1985)
  • 1911 – Charles Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick, English actor (d. 1984)
  • 1912 – Afro Basaldella, Italian painter and academic (d. 1976)
  • 1912 – Ferdinand Leitner, German conductor and composer (d. 1996)
  • 1912 – Carl Marzani, Italian-American activist and publisher (d. 1994)
  • 1913 – Taos Amrouche, Algerian singer and author (d. 1976)
  • 1913 – John Garfield, American actor and singer (d. 1952)
  • 1914 – Barbara Newhall Follett, American author (d. 1939)
  • 1914 – Ward Kimball, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Robert R. Wilson, American physicist, sculptor, and architect (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – László Csatáry, Hungarian art dealer (d. 2013)
  • 1915 – Frank Sleeman, Australian lieutenant and politician, Lord Mayor of Brisbane (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Carlos Surinach, Spanish-Catalan composer and conductor (d. 1997)
  • 1916 – William Alland, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1916 – Giorgio Bassani, Italian author and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Hans Eysenck, German-English psychologist and theorist (d. 1997)
  • 1917 – Clyde McCullough, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1982)
  • 1918 – Kurt Dahlmann, German pilot, lawyer, and journalist (d. 2017)
  • 1918 – Margaret Osborne duPont, American tennis player (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Buck Baker, American race car driver (d. 2002)
  • 1919 – Tan Chee Khoon, Malaysian physician and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1920 – Jean Lecanuet, French politician, French Minister of Justice (d. 1993)
  • 1920 – Alan MacNaughtan, Scottish-English actor (d. 2002)
  • 1921 – Halim El-Dabh, Egyptian-American composer and educator (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Joan Greenwood, English actress (d. 1987)
  • 1921 – Dinny Pails, English-Australian tennis player (d. 1986)
  • 1922 – Richard E. Cunha, American director and cinematographer (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Dina Pathak, Indian actor and director (d. 2002)
  • 1923 – Russell Freeburg, American journalist and author
  • 1923 – Francis King, English author and poet (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Patrick Moore, English astronomer and television host (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Kenneth O’Donnell, American soldier and politician (d. 1977)
  • 1925 – Alan R. Battersby, English chemist and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Paul Mauriat, French conductor and composer (d. 2006)
  • 1926 – Henri de Contenson, French archaeologist and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1926 – Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma, French businessman, soldier and race car driver (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Richard DeVos, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Amway (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Pascual Pérez, Argentinian boxer (d. 1977)
  • 1926 – Don Rendell, English saxophonist and flute player (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Phil Batt, American soldier and politician, 29th Governor of Idaho
  • 1927 – Thayer David, American actor (d. 1978)
  • 1927 – Jacques Dupin, French poet and critic (d. 2012)
  • 1927 – Robert Orben, American magician and author
  • 1927 – Dick Savitt, American tennis player and businessman
  • 1928 – Samuel Adler, German-American composer and conductor
  • 1928 – Alan Sillitoe, English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Bernard Haitink, Dutch violinist and conductor
  • 1929 – Peter Swerling, American theoretician and engineer (d. 2000)
  • 1931 – Wally Bruner, American journalist and television host (d. 1997)
  • 1931 – Bob Johnson, American ice hockey player and coach (d. 1991)
  • 1931 – William Henry Keeler, American cardinal (d. 2017)
  • 1931 – Alice Rivlin, American economist and politician (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Sigurd Jansen, Norwegian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1932 – Ryszard Kapuściński, Polish journalist, photographer, and poet (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Miriam Makeba, South African singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Ed Roth, American illustrator (d. 2001)
  • 1932 – Frank Wells, American businessman (d. 1994)
  • 1933 – Nino Vaccarella, Italian race car driver
  • 1934 – Mario Davidovsky, Argentinian-American composer and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1934 – John Duffey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1934 – Anne Haney, American actress (d. 2001)
  • 1934 – Barbara McNair, American singer and actress (d. 2007)
  • 1934 – Sandra Reynolds, South African tennis player
  • 1934 – Janez Strnad, Slovenian physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Edward Dębicki, Ukrainian-Polish poet and composer
  • 1935 – Bent Larsen, Danish chess player and author (d. 2010)
  • 1936 – Eric Allandale, Dominican trombonist and songwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1936 – Jim Clark, Scottish race car driver (d. 1968)
  • 1936 – Aribert Reimann, German pianist and composer
  • 1937 – José Araquistáin, Spanish footballer
  • 1937 – William Deverell, Canadian lawyer, author, and activist
  • 1937 – Graham Dowling, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1937 – Leslie H. Gelb, American journalist and author (d. 2019)
  • 1937 – Yuri Senkevich, Russian physician and explorer (d. 2003)
  • 1937 – Barney Wilen, French saxophonist and composer (d. 1996)
  • 1937 – Richard B. Wright, Canadian journalist and author (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Anton Balasingham, Sri Lankan-English negotiator (d. 2006)
  • 1938 – Alpha Condé, Guinean politician, President of Guinea
  • 1938 – Allan Kornblum, American police officer and judge (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Angus MacLise, American drummer and composer (d. 1979)
  • 1938 – Don Perkins, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1938 – Paula Prentiss, American actress
  • 1938 – Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Polish academic and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1939 – Jack Fisher, American baseball player
  • 1939 – Robert Shaye, American film producer
  • 1940 – Wolfgang Hoffmann-Riem, German scholar and judge
  • 1940 – David Plante, American novelist
  • 1941 – John Hancock, American film and television actor (d. 1992)
  • 1941 – Adrian Lyne, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1941 – James Zagel, American lawyer and judge
  • 1942 – Gloria Gaither, American singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Charles C. Krulak, American general
  • 1942 – David Matthews, American keyboard player and composer
  • 1942 – Lynn Sherr, American journalist and author
  • 1942 – James Gustave Speth, American lawyer and politician
  • 1942 – Zorán Sztevanovity, Serbian-Hungarian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Lucio Dalla, Italian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2012)
  • 1943 – Aldo Rico, Argentinian commander and politician
  • 1944 – Harvey Postlethwaite, English engineer (d. 1999)
  • 1944 – Anthony Ichiro Sanda, Japanese-American physicist and academic
  • 1944 – Len Walker, English footballer and manager
  • 1944 – Bobby Womack, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1945 – Tommy Svensson, Swedish footballer and manager
  • 1945 – Gary Williams, American basketball player and coach
  • 1946 – Michael Ashcroft, English businessman and politician
  • 1946 – Danny Frisella, American baseball player (d. 1977)
  • 1946 – Haile Gerima, Ethiopian born US filmmaker
  • 1946 – Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, American journalist and author
  • 1947 – David Franzoni, American screenwriter and film producer
  • 1947 – Jan Garbarek, Norwegian saxophonist and composer
  • 1947 – Bob Lewis, American guitarist
  • 1947 – Pēteris Plakidis, Latvian pianist and composer (d. 2017)
  • 1948 – Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, New Zealand-Australian author
  • 1948 – James Ellroy, American writer
  • 1948 – Tom Grieve, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1948 – Mike Moran, English musician, songwriter and record producer
  • 1948 – Jean O’Leary, American nun and activist (d. 2005)
  • 1948 – Chris Squire, English singer-songwriter and bass guitarist (d. 2015)
  • 1948 – Shakin’ Stevens, British singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazian politician, 2nd President of Abkhazia (d. 2011)
  • 1949 – Carroll Baker, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Ofelia Medina, Mexican actress and screenwriter
  • 1950 – Rick Perry, American captain and politician, 47th Governor of Texas
  • 1950 – Safet Plakalo, Bosnian author and playwright (d. 2015)
  • 1951 – Edelgard Bulmahn, German educator and politician, German Federal Minister of Education and Research
  • 1951 – Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, South Korean-American author, director, and producer (d. 1982)
  • 1951 – Kenny Dalglish, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1951 – Pete Haycock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1951 – Peter O’Sullivan, Welsh international footballer, winger
  • 1951 – Sam Perlozzo, American baseball player and manager
  • 1951 – Chris Rea, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Glenis Willmott, English scientist and politician
  • 1951 – Zoran Žižić, Montenegrin politician, 4th Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (d. 2013)
  • 1952 – Peter Kuhfeld, English painter
  • 1952 – Ronn Moss, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1952 – Svend Robinson, American-Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1952 – Umberto Tozzi, Italian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1953 – John Edwards, Australian director and producer
  • 1953 – Emilio Estefan, Cuban-American drummer and producer
  • 1953 – Paweł Janas, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1953 – Ray Price, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
  • 1953 – Reinhold Roth, German motorcycle racer
  • 1953 – Chris Smith, American lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Agustí Villaronga, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Daniel Woodrell, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1954 – Timur Apakidze, Russian general and pilot (d. 2001)
  • 1954 – Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Korean American author (d. 1982)
  • 1954 – François Fillon, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France
  • 1954 – Peter Jacobsen, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1954 – Catherine O’Hara, Canadian-American actress and comedian
  • 1954 – Irina Ratushinskaya, Russian poet and author (d. 2017)
  • 1955 – Tim Costello, Australian minister and politician
  • 1955 – Joey Jones, Welsh footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Nicholas Coleridge, English journalist and businessman
  • 1957 – Ron Fassler, American film and television actor and author
  • 1957 – Mykelti Williamson, American actor and director
  • 1958 – Patricia Heaton, American actress
  • 1958 – Massimo Mascioletti, Italian rugby player and coach
  • 1958 – Tina Smith, American politician, junior senator of Minnesota
  • 1959 – Rick Ardon, Australian journalist
  • 1959 – Plamen Getov, Bulgarian footballer
  • 1960 – Chonda Pierce, American comedian
  • 1961 – Ray Mancini, American boxer
  • 1961 – Steven Weber, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1961 – Roger Wessels, South African golfer and educator
  • 1962 – Simon Bisley, English author and illustrator
  • 1962 – Paul Canoville, English footballer
  • 1962 – Stephan Reimertz, German historian and author
  • 1963 – Jason Newsted, American heavy metal singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1964 – Dave Colclough, Welsh computer programmer and poker player (d. 2016)
  • 1964 – Brian Crowley, Irish lawyer and politician
  • 1964 – Tom Lampkin, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Paolo Virzì, Italian director and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Greg Alexander, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Paul W. S. Anderson, English director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Andrew Collins, English journalist and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Khaled Hosseini, Afghan-born American novelist
  • 1965 – Yury Lonchakov, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1965 – John Murphy British film composer
  • 1966 – Emese Hunyady, Hungarian speed skater
  • 1966 – Kevin Johnson, American basketball player and politician, 55th Mayor of Sacramento
  • 1966 – Fiona Ma, American accountant and politician
  • 1966 – Helmut Mayer, Austrian skier
  • 1966 – Glen Nissen, Australian rugby league player
  • 1966 – Dav Pilkey, American author and illustrator
  • 1966 – Grand Puba, American rapper
  • 1966 – Mike Small, American golfer and coach
  • 1967 – Daryll Cullinan, South African cricketer and coach
  • 1967 – Evan Dando, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Ivan Lewis, English lawyer and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1967 – Terry Matterson, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1967 – Dave Rayner, English cyclist (d. 1994)
  • 1967 – Sam Taylor-Johnson, English filmmaker and photographer
  • 1967 – Kubilay Türkyilmaz, Swiss footballer
  • 1967 – Tim Vine, English comedian, actor, and author
  • 1968 – Giovanni Carrara, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1968 – Jorge Celedón, Colombian singer
  • 1968 – Patsy Kensit, English model and actress
  • 1968 – Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek banker and politician, Prime Minister of Greece
  • 1968 – Graham Westley, English footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Pierluigi Casiraghi, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Wayne Collins, English footballer, midfielder
  • 1969 – Annie Yi, Taiwanese singer, actress, and writer
  • 1970 – Àlex Crivillé, Spanish motorcycle racer
  • 1970 – Will Keen, English actor
  • 1970 – Caroline Vis, Dutch tennis player
  • 1971 – Iain Baird, Canadian soccer player and manager
  • 1971 – Claire Baker, Scottish politician
  • 1971 – Emily Bazelon, American journalist
  • 1971 – Jason Croot, English actor and director
  • 1971 – Anders Kjølholm, Danish bass player
  • 1971 – Satoshi Motoyama, Japanese race car driver
  • 1971 – Geraldine O’Rawe, Northern Irish actress
  • 1972 – Katherine Center, American journalist and author
  • 1972 – Nocturno Culto, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1972 – Robert Smith, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Ivy Queen, Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, rapper, actress and record producer
  • 1972 – Jos Verstappen, Dutch race car driver
  • 1972 – Alison Wheeler, English singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – Massimo Brambilla, Italian footballer and coach
  • 1973 – Phillip Daniels, American football player and coach
  • 1973 – Valery Kobelev, Russian ski jumper
  • 1973 – Penny Mordaunt, English lieutenant and politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
  • 1973 – Linus of Hollywood, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1973 – Len Wiseman, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Chandra Sekhar Yeleti, Indian director and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Crowbar, American wrestler
  • 1974 – Mladen Krstajić, Serbian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Karol Kučera, Slovak tennis player
  • 1974 – Ariel Ortega, Argentinian footballer
  • 1974 – Tommy Phelps, South Korean-American baseball player and coach
  • 1974 – ICS Vortex, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – David Wagner, American tennis player and educator
  • 1974 – Bill Young, Australian rugby player
  • 1975 – Mats Eilertsen, Norwegian bassist and composer
  • 1975 – Patrick Femerling, German basketball player
  • 1975 – Antti Aalto, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Kristi Harrower, Australian basketball player
  • 1975 – Hawksley Workman, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Robbie Blake, English footballer
  • 1976 – Tommy Jönsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1977 – Nacho Figueras, Argentinian polo player and model
  • 1977 – Traver Rains, American fashion designer and photographer
  • 1978 – Pierre Dagenais, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Denis Dallan, Italian rugby player and singer
  • 1978 – Jean-Marc Pelletier, American ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Sarah Stock, Canadian wrestler and trainer
  • 1980 – Rohan Bopanna, Indian tennis player
  • 1980 – Omar Bravo, Mexican footballer
  • 1980 – Suzanna Choffel, American singer-songwriter
  • 1980 – Giedrius Gustas, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1980 – Scott Hamilton, New Zealand rugby player and coach
  • 1980 – Jack Hannahan, American baseball player
  • 1980 – Michael Henrich, American ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Phil McGuire, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1980 – Aja Volkman, American singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Ariza Makukula, Portuguese footballer
  • 1981 – Helen Wyman, English cyclist
  • 1982 – Landon Donovan, American soccer player and coach
  • 1982 – Cate Edwards, American lawyer and author
  • 1982 – Ludmila Ezhova, Russian gymnast
  • 1982 – Yasemin Mori, Turkish singer
  • 1983 – Samuel Contesti, French-Italian figure skater
  • 1983 – Adam Deacon, English film actor, rapper, writer and director
  • 1983 – Jaque Fourie, South African rugby player
  • 1983 – Drew Houston, American billionaire and Internet entrepreneur
  • 1984 – Josh Bowman, English actor
  • 1984 – Tamir Cohen, Israeli footballer
  • 1984 – Anders Grøndal, Norwegian race car driver
  • 1984 – Spencer Larsen, American football player
  • 1984 – Jeremy Loops, South African singer-songwriter and record producer
  • 1984 – Raven Quinn, American singer-songwriter
  • 1984 – Zak Whitbread, American-English footballer
  • 1985 – Jake Buxton, English footballer
  • 1985 – Chinedum Ndukwe, American football player
  • 1985 – Whitney Port, American fashion designer and author
  • 1986 – Steven Burke, English road and track cyclist
  • 1986 – Tom De Mul, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Mike Krieger, Brazilian-American computer programmer and businessman, co-founded Instagram
  • 1986 – Siim Roops, Estonian footballer
  • 1986 – Bohdan Shust, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1986 – Manu Vatuvei, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1986 – Margo Harshman, American actress
  • 1987 – Ben McKinley, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Cameron Wood, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Tamzin Merchant, English actress
  • 1988 – Gal Mekel, Israeli basketball player
  • 1988 – Laura Siegemund, German tennis player
  • 1988 – Adam Watts, English footballer
  • 1989 – Benjamin Kiplagat, Ugandan long-distance runner
  • 1990 – Andrea Bowen, American actress
  • 1990 – Draymond Green, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Paddy Madden, Irish footballer
  • 1990 – Fran Mérida, Spanish footballer
  • 1992 – Nick Castellanos, American baseball player
  • 1992 – Erik Lamela, Argentinian international footballer, midfielder
  • 1992 – Bernd Leno, German footballer
  • 1992 – Karl Mööl, Estonian footballer
  • 1993 – Bobbi Kristina Brown, American singer and actress (d. 2015)
  • 1993 – Richard Peniket, English footballer
  • 1994 – Callum Harriott, English footballer
  • 1994 – AJ Tracey, British hip-hop artist and record producer
  • 1995 – Chlöe Howl, British singer-songwriter
  • 1995 – Bill Milner, English actor
  • 1996 – Lukas Webb, Australian rules footballer
  • 2002 – Jacob Hopkins, American actor

Deaths on March 4

  • 306 – Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia, Christian martyrs
  • 480 – Landry of Sées, French bishop and saint
  • 561 – Pelagius I, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 934 – Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah, Fatimid caliph (b. 873)
  • 1172 – Stephen III, king of Hungary (b. 1147)
  • 1193 – Saladin, founder of the Ayyubid Sultanate (b. 1137)
  • 1238 – Joan of England, queen of Scotland (b. 1210)
  • 1238 – Yuri II, Russian Grand Prince (b. 1189)
  • 1303 – Daniel of Moscow, Russian Grand Duke (b. 1261)
  • 1314 – Jakub Świnka, Polish priest and archbishop
  • 1371 – Jeanne d’Évreux, queen consort of France (b. 1310)
  • 1388 – Thomas Usk, English author
  • 1484 – Saint Casimir, Polish prince (b. 1458)
  • 1496 – Sigismund, archduke of Austria (b. 1427)
  • 1583 – Bernard Gilpin, English priest and theologian (b. 1517)
  • 1604 – Fausto Sozzini, Italian theologian and educator (b. 1539)
  • 1615 – Hans von Aachen, German painter and educator (b. 1552)
  • 1710 – Louis III, duke of Bourbon (b. 1668)
  • 1733 – Claude de Forbin, French admiral and politician (b. 1656)
  • 1744 – John Anstis, English historian and politician (b. 1669)
  • 1762 – Johannes Zick, German painter (b. 1702)
  • 1793 – Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre (b. 1725)
  • 1795 – John Collins, American politician, 3rd Governor of Rhode Island (b. 1717)
  • 1805 – Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French painter (b. 1725)
  • 1807 – Abraham Baldwin, American minister, lawyer, and politician (b. 1754)
  • 1811 – Mariano Moreno, Argentinian journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1778)
  • 1832 – Jean-François Champollion, French philologist and scholar (b. 1790)
  • 1851 – James Richardson, English explorer (b. 1809)
  • 1852 – Nikolai Gogol, Ukrainian-Russian short story writer, novelist, and playwright (b. 1809)
  • 1853 – Thomas Bladen Capel, English admiral (b. 1776)
  • 1853 – Christian Leopold von Buch, German geologist and paleontologist (b. 1774)
  • 1858 – Matthew C. Perry, American naval commander (b. 1794)
  • 1864 – Thomas Starr King, American minister and politician (b. 1824)
  • 1866 – Alexander Campbell, Irish-American minister and theologian (b. 1788)
  • 1872 – Carsten Hauch, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1790)
  • 1883 – Alexander H. Stephens, American lawyer and politician, Vice President of the Confederate States of America (b. 1812)
  • 1888 – Amos Bronson Alcott, American philosopher and educator (b. 1799)
  • 1903 – Joseph Henry Shorthouse, English author (b. 1834)
  • 1906 – John Schofield, American general and politician, 28th United States Secretary of War (b. 1831)
  • 1915 – William Willett, English inventor, founded British Summer Time (b. 1856)
  • 1916 – Franz Marc, German painter (b. 1880)
  • 1925 – Moritz Moszkowski, Polish-German pianist and composer (b. 1854)
  • 1925 – James Ward, English psychologist and philosopher (b. 1843)
  • 1925 – John Montgomery Ward, American baseball player and manager (b. 1860)
  • 1927 – Ira Remsen, American chemist and academic (b. 1846)
  • 1938 – George Foster Peabody, American banker and philanthropist (b. 1852)
  • 1938 – Jack Taylor, American baseball player (b. 1874)
  • 1940 – Hamlin Garland, American novelist, poet, essayist, and short story writer (b. 1860)
  • 1941 – Ludwig Quidde, German activist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1858)
  • 1944 – Fannie Barrier Williams, American educator and activist (b. 1855)
  • 1944 – Louis Buchalter, American mob boss (b. 1897)
  • 1944 – Louis Capone, Italian-American gangster (b. 1896)
  • 1944 – René Lefebvre, French businessman (b. 1879)
  • 1945 – Lucille La Verne, American actress (b. 1872)
  • 1945 – Mark Sandrich, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1948 – Antonin Artaud, French actor and director (b. 1896)
  • 1949 – Clarence Kingsbury, English cyclist (b. 1882)
  • 1952 – Charles Scott Sherrington, English neurophysiologist and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1857)
  • 1954 – Noel Gay, English composer and songwriter (b. 1898)
  • 1960 – Herbert O’Conor, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 51st Governor of Maryland (b. 1896)
  • 1963 – William Carlos Williams, American poet, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – Nicholas Schenck, Russian-American businessman (b. 1881)
  • 1972 – Harold Barrowclough, New Zealand general, lawyer, and politician, 8th Chief Justice of New Zealand (b. 1894)
  • 1972 – Charles Biro, American author and illustrator (b. 1911)
  • 1974 – Adolph Gottlieb, American painter and sculptor (b. 1903)
  • 1976 – John Marvin Jones, American judge and politician (b. 1882)
  • 1976 – Walter H. Schottky, Swiss-German physicist and engineer (b. 1886)
  • 1977 – Anatol E. Baconsky, Romanian poet, author, and critic (b. 1925)
  • 1977 – Nancy Tyson Burbidge, Australian botanist and curator (b. 1912)
  • 1977 – Andrés Caicedo, Colombian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1951)
  • 1977 – William Paul, American lawyer and politician (b. 1885)
  • 1977 – Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, German jurist and politician, German Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1887)
  • 1978 – Wesley Bolin, American businessman and politician, 15th Governor of Arizona (b. 1909)
  • 1978 – Joe Marsala, American clarinet player and songwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1979 – Willi Unsoeld, American mountaineer and educator (b. 1926)
  • 1980 – Alan Hardaker, English lieutenant and businessman (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Torin Thatcher, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1981 – Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer, German admiral (b. 1900)
  • 1986 – Albert L. Lehninger, American biochemist and academic (b. 1917)
  • 1986 – Richard Manuel, Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1943)
  • 1986 – Elizabeth Smart, Canadian poet and author (b. 1913)
  • 1987 – Seibo Kitamura, Japanese sculptor (b. 1884)
  • 1988 – Beatriz Guido, Argentine author and screenwriter (b. 1924)
  • 1989 – Tiny Grimes, American guitarist (b. 1916)
  • 1990 – Hank Gathers, American basketball player (b. 1967)
  • 1991 – Godfrey Bryan, English cricketer (b. 1902)
  • 1992 – Art Babbitt, American animator and director (b. 1907)
  • 1992 – Pare Lorentz, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1905)
  • 1993 – Art Hodes, Ukrainian-American pianist and composer (b. 1904)
  • 1993 – Tomislav Ivčić, Croatian singer-songwriter and politician (b. 1953)
  • 1993 – Izaak Kolthoff, Dutch chemist and academic (b. 1894)
  • 1993 – Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, English lieutenant and politician, Secretary of State for the Environment (b. 1929)
  • 1994 – John Candy, Canadian comedian and actor (b. 1950)
  • 1994 – George Edward Hughes, Irish-Scottish philosopher and author (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Matt Urban, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1919)
  • 1996 – Minnie Pearl, American entertainer (b. 1912)
  • 1996 – John Sauer, American football player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1925)
  • 1997 – Joe Baker-Cresswell, English captain (b. 1901)
  • 1997 – Robert H. Dicke, American physicist and astronomer (b. 1916)
  • 1998 – Ivan Dougherty, Australian general (b. 1907)
  • 1999 – Harry Blackmun, American lawyer and judge (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Del Close, American actor and educator (b. 1934)
  • 1999 – Miłosz Magin, Polish pianist and composer (b. 1929)
  • 2000 – Hermann Brück, German-Scottish physicist and astronomer (b. 1905)
  • 2000 – Michael Noonan, New Zealand-Australian author and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Ta-You Wu, Chinese physicist and academic (b. 1907)
  • 2001 – Gerardo Barbero, Argentinian chess player (b. 1961)
  • 2001 – Jean René Bazaine, French painter and author (b. 1904)
  • 2001 – Fred Lasswell, American cartoonist (b. 1916)
  • 2001 – Jim Rhodes, American businessman and politician, 61st Governor of Ohio (b. 1909)
  • 2001 – Harold Stassen, American educator and politician, 25th Governor of Minnesota (b. 1907)
  • 2002 – Ugnė Karvelis, Lithuanian author and translator (b. 1935)
  • 2002 – Elyne Mitchell, Australian skier and author (b. 1913)
  • 2002 – Velibor Vasović, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1939)
  • 2003 – Jaba Ioseliani, Georgian playwright, academic, and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Sébastien Japrisot, French author, screenwriter, and director (b. 1931)
  • 2004 – Claude Nougaro, French singer-songwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Nicola Calipari, Italian general (b. 1953)
  • 2005 – Yuriy Kravchenko, Ukrainian police officer and politician (b. 1951)
  • 2005 – Carlos Sherman, Uruguayan-Belarusian author and activist (b. 1934)
  • 2006 – John Reynolds Gardiner, American author and engineer (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Edgar Valter, Estonian author and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Thomas Eagleton, American lawyer and politician, 38th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Tadeusz Nalepa, Polish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
  • 2007 – Ian Wooldridge, English journalist (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Gary Gygax, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (b. 1938)
  • 2008 – Leonard Rosenman, American composer and conductor (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – Yvon Cormier, Canadian wrestler (b. 1938)
  • 2009 – Horton Foote, American playwright and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 2009 – George McAfee, American football player (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Raimund Abraham, Austrian architect and educator, designed the Austrian Cultural Forum New York (b. 1933)
  • 2010 – Johnny Alf, Brazilian pianist and composer (b. 1929)
  • 2010 – Vladislav Ardzinba, Abkhazian historian and politician, 1st President of Abkhazia (b. 1945)
  • 2010 – Fred Wedlock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1942)
  • 2011 – Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Nepalese journalist and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1924)
  • 2011 – Vivienne Harris, English journalist and publisher, co-founded the Jewish Telegraph (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Ed Manning, American basketball player and coach (b. 1943)
  • 2011 – Arjun Singh, Indian politician (b. 1930)
  • 2011 – Alenush Terian, Iranian astronomer and physicist (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – Simon van der Meer, Dutch-Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Paul McBride, Scottish lawyer and politician (b. 1965)
  • 2012 – Don Mincher, American baseball player (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Lillian Cahn, Hungarian-American businesswoman, co-founded Coach, Inc. (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Mickey Moore, Canadian-American actor and director (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – Toren Smith, Canadian businessman, founded Studio Proteus (b. 1960)
  • 2014 – Mark Freidkin, Russian author and poet (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – Elaine Kellett-Bowman, English lawyer and politician (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Jack Kinzler, American engineer (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Wu Tianming, Chinese director and producer (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Dušan Bilandžić, Croatian historian and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Ray Hatton, English-American runner, author, and academic (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Bud Collins, American journalist and sportscaster (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Pat Conroy, American author (b. 1945)
  • 2016 – P. A. Sangma, Indian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – Zhou Xiaoyan, Chinese soprano and educator (b. 1917)
  • 2017 – Clayton Yeutter, American politician (b. 1930)
  • 2018 – Davide Astori, Italian soccer player (b. 1987)
  • 2019 – Keith Flint, English singer (The Prodigy) (b. 1969)
  • 2019 – Luke Perry, American actor (b. 1966)
  • 2020 – Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Peruvian politician and diplomat

Holidays and observances on March 4

  • Christian feast day:
    • Adrian of Nicomedia
    • Casimir
    • Felix of Rhuys
    • Giovanni Antonio Farina (Catholic Church)
    • Blessed Humbert III, Count of Savoy (Roman Catholic Church)
    • Paul Cuffee (Episcopal Church)
    • Peter of Pappacarbone
    • Blessed Zoltán Meszlényi
    • March 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • St Casimir’s Day (Poland and Lithuania)

March 4- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day