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1831

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

On This Day /

Typically the March equinox falls on March 20, marking the vernal point in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumnal point in the Southern Hemisphere.

  • 235 – Maximinus Thrax is proclaimed emperor.
  • 673 – Emperor Tenmu of Japan assumes the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Palace of Kiyomihara in Asuka.
  • 1206 – Michael IV Autoreianos is appointed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
  • 1600 – The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden: five Swedish noblemen are publicly beheaded in the aftermath of the War against Sigismund (1598–1599).
  • 1602 – The Dutch East India Company is established.
  • 1616 – Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment.
  • 1760 – The Great Boston Fire of 1760 destroys 349 buildings.
  • 1815 – After escaping from Elba, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule.
  • 1848 – German revolutions of 1848–49: King Ludwig I of Bavaria abdicates.
  • 1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published.
  • 1854 – The Republican Party of the United States is organized in Ripon, Wisconsin, US.
  • 1861 – An earthquake destroys Mendoza, Argentina.
  • 1883 – The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property is signed.
  • 1888 – The premiere of the very first Romani language operetta is staged in Moscow, Russia.
  • 1890 – Prime Minister of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck is dismissed by Emperor Wilhelm II.
  • 1896 – With the approval of Emperor Guangxu, the Qing dynasty post office is opened, marking the beginning of a postal service in China.
  • 1913 – Sung Chiao-jen, a founder of the Chinese Nationalist Party, is wounded in an assassination attempt and dies 2 days later.
  • 1915 – Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.
  • 1921 – The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a plebiscite mandated by the Versailles Treaty to determine a section of the border between Weimar Germany and Poland.
  • 1922 – The USS Langley is commissioned as the first United States Navy aircraft carrier.
  • 1923 – The Arts Club of Chicago hosts the opening of Pablo Picasso’s first United States showing, entitled Original Drawings by Pablo Picasso, becoming an early proponent of modern art in the United States.
  • 1933 – Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ordered the creation of Dachau concentration camp as Chief of Police of Munich and appointed Theodor Eicke as the camp commandant.
  • 1942 – World War II: General Douglas MacArthur, at Terowie, South Australia, makes his famous speech regarding the fall of the Philippines, in which he says: “I came out of Bataan and I shall return”.
  • 1948 – With a Musicians Union ban lifted, the first telecasts of classical music in the United States, under Eugene Ormandy and Arturo Toscanini, are given on CBS and NBC.
  • 1951 – Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded.
  • 1952 – The US Senate ratifies the Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan.
  • 1956 – Tunisia gains independence from France.
  • 1964 – The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organisation) is established per an agreement signed on June 14, 1962.
  • 1972 – The Troubles: The first Provisional IRA car bombing in Belfast kills seven people and injures 148 others in Northern Ireland.
  • 1985 – Libby Riddles becomes the first woman to win the 1,135-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
  • 1985 – Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research.
  • 1987 – The Food and Drug Administration approves the anti-AIDS drug, AZT.
  • 1988 – Eritrean War of Independence: Having defeated the Nadew Command, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front enters the town of Afabet, victoriously concluding the Battle of Afabet.
  • 1990 – Ferdinand Marcos’s widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering.
  • 1993 – The Troubles: A Provisional IRA bomb kills two children in Warrington, England. It leads to mass protests in both Britain and Ireland.
  • 1995 – The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo carries out a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, killing 13 and wounding over 6,200 people.
  • 1999 – Legoland California, the first Legoland outside of Europe, opens in Carlsbad, California, US.
  • 2000 – Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther once known as H. Rap Brown, is captured after murdering Georgia sheriff’s deputy Ricky Kinchen and critically wounding Deputy Aldranon English.
  • 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: In the early hours of the morning, the United States and three other countries (the UK, Australia and Poland) begin military operations in Iraq.
  • 2006 – Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Déby.
  • 2012 – At least 52 people are killed and more than 250 injured in a wave of terror attacks across ten cities in Iraq.
  • 2014 – Four suspected Taliban members attack the Kabul Serena Hotel, killing at least nine people.
  • 2015 – A Solar eclipse, equinox, and a supermoon all occur on the same day.

Births on March 20

  • 43 BC – Ovid, Roman poet (d. 17)
  • 1253 – Magadu, renamed Wareru, founder of Ramanya Kingdom, renamed Hanthawady Kingdom of Pegu (b. a commoner; d. on a Saturday in January 1307)
  • 1319 – Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke (d. 1348)
  • 1469 – Cecily of York (d. 1507)
  • 1477 – Jerome Emser, German theologian and scholar (d. 1527)
  • 1479 – Ippolito d’Este, Italian cardinal (d. 1520)
  • 1502 – Pierino Belli, Italian soldier and jurist (d. 1575)
  • 1532 – Juan de Ribera, Roman Catholic archbishop (d. 1611)
  • 1612 – Anne Bradstreet, Puritan American poet (d. 1672)
  • 1615 – Dara Shikoh, Indian prince (d. 1659)
  • 1639 – Ivan Mazepa, Ukrainian diplomat, Hetman of Ukraine (d. 1709)
  • 1725 – Abdul Hamid I, Ottoman sultan (d. 1789)
  • 1737 – Rama I, Thai king (d. 1809)
  • 1771 – Heinrich Clauren, German author (d. 1854)
  • 1796 – Edward Gibbon Wakefield, English politician (d. 1862)
  • 1799 – Karl August Nicander, Swedish poet and author (d. 1839)
  • 1800 – Braulio Carrillo Colina, Costa Rican lawyer and politician, President of Costa Rica (d. 1845)
  • 1805 – Thomas Cooper, British poet (d. 1892)
  • 1811 – Napoleon II, French emperor (d. 1832)
  • 1811 – George Caleb Bingham, American painter and politician, State Treasurer of Missouri (d. 1879)
  • 1821 – Ned Buntline, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 1886)
  • 1824 – Theodor von Heuglin, German explorer and ornithologist (d. 1876)
  • 1828 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian poet, playwright, and director (d. 1906)
  • 1831 – Patrick Jennings, Northern Irish-Australian politician, 11th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1897)
  • 1831 – Solomon L. Spink, American lawyer and politician (d. 1881)
  • 1834 – Charles William Eliot, American mathematician and academic (d. 1926)
  • 1836 – Ferris Jacobs, Jr., American general, lawyer, and politician (d. 1886)
  • 1836 – Edward Poynter, English painter, illustrator, and curator (d. 1919)
  • 1840 – Illarion Pryanishnikov, Russian painter (d. 1894)
  • 1851 – Ismail Gasprinski, Ukrainian educator, publisher, and politician (d. 1914)
  • 1856 – John Lavery, Irish painter (d. 1941)
  • 1856 – Frederick Winslow Taylor, American tennis player and engineer (d. 1915)
  • 1870 – Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, German general (d. 1964)
  • 1874 – Börries von Münchhausen, German poet and activist (d. 1945)
  • 1876 – Payne Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1927)
  • 1879 – Maud Menten, Canadian physician and biochemist (d. 1960)
  • 1882 – René Coty, French lawyer and politician, 17th President of France (d. 1962)
  • 1882 – Harold Weber, American golfer (d. 1933)
  • 1884 – Philipp Frank, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1966)
  • 1884 – John Jensen, Australian public servant (d. 1970)
  • 1885 – Vernon Ransford, Australian cricketer (d. 1958)
  • 1888 – Amanda Clement, American baseball player, umpire, and educator (d. 1971)
  • 1890 – Lauritz Melchior, Danish-American tenor and actor (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Amalie Sara Colquhoun, Australian landscape and portrait painter (d. 1974)
  • 1895 – Fredric Wertham, German-American psychologist and author (d. 1981)
  • 1898 – Eduard Wiiralt, Estonian artist (d. 1954)
  • 1900 – Amelia Chopitea Villa, Bolivia’s first female physician (d. 1942)
  • 1903 – Edgar Buchanan, American actor (d. 1979)
  • 1904 – B. F. Skinner, American psychologist and author (d. 1990)
  • 1905 – Jean Galia, French rugby player and boxer (d. 1949)
  • 1906 – Abraham Beame, American accountant and politician, 104th Mayor of New York City (d. 2001)
  • 1906 – Ozzie Nelson, American actor and bandleader (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – Hugh MacLennan, Canadian author and educator (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – Michael Redgrave, English actor and director (d. 1985)
  • 1910 – Erwin Blask, German hammer thrower (d. 1999)
  • 1911 – Alfonso García Robles, Mexican lawyer and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Ralph Hauenstein, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2016)
  • 1913 – Nikolai Stepulov, Russian-Estonian boxer (d. 1968)
  • 1914 – Wendell Corey, American actor and politician (d. 1968)
  • 1915 – Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian judge and politician, 8th President of Austria (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Sviatoslav Richter, Ukrainian pianist and composer (d. 1997)
  • 1915 – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1973)
  • 1916 – Pierre Messmer, French lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Vera Lynn, English singer, songwriter and actress (d. 2020)
  • 1917 – Yigael Yadin, Israeli archaeologist, general, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1984)
  • 1918 – Jack Barry, American game show host and producer, co-founded Barry & Enright Productions (d. 1984)
  • 1918 – Donald Featherstone, English soldier and author (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Marian McPartland, English-American pianist and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Bernd Alois Zimmermann, German composer (d. 1970)
  • 1919 – Gerhard Barkhorn, German fighter ace (d. 1983)
  • 1920 – Pamela Harriman, English-American diplomat, 58th United States Ambassador to France (d. 1997)
  • 1920 – Rosemary Timperley, English author and screenwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1921 – Usmar Ismail, Indonesian filmmaker (d. 1971)
  • 1921 – Dušan Pirjevec, Slovenian historian and philosopher (d. 1977)
  • 1921 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and theorist (d. 1970)
  • 1922 – Larry Elgart, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 2017)
  • 1922 – Ray Goulding, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1990)
  • 1922 – Carl Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
  • 1923 – Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Shaukat Siddiqui, Pakistani journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
  • 1925 – John Ehrlichman, American lawyer, 12th White House Counsel (d. 1999)
  • 1927 – John Joubert, South African-English composer and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1928 – Jerome Biffle, American long jumper and coach (d. 2002)
  • 1928 – James P. Gordon, American physicist and engineer (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Fred Rogers, American television host and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1929 – William Andrew MacKay, Canadian lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Germán Robles, Spanish-Mexican actor and director (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – S. Arasaratnam, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1931 – Hal Linden, American actor, singer, and director
  • 1931 – Rein Raamat, Estonian director and screenwriter
  • 1933 – Lateef Adegbite, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – George Altman, American baseball player
  • 1933 – Ian Walsh, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Willie Brown, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Mayor of San Francisco
  • 1934 – David Malouf, Australian author and playwright
  • 1935 – Ted Bessell, American actor and director (d. 1996)
  • 1935 – Bettye Washington Greene, American chemist (d. 1995)
  • 1936 – Lee “Scratch” Perry, Jamaican singer, songwriter, music producer, and inventor
  • 1936 – Mark Saville, Baron Saville of Newdigate, English lieutenant, lawyer, and judge
  • 1937 – Lois Lowry, American author
  • 1937 – Jerry Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1938 – Sergei Novikov, Russian mathematician and academic
  • 1939 – Gerald Curran, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Don Edwards, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1939 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1939 – Brian Mulroney, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Canada
  • 1940 – Stathis Chaitas, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1940 – Mary Ellen Mark, American photographer and journalist (d. 2015)
  • 1940 – Giampiero Moretti, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded the Momo company (d. 2012)
  • 1941 – Pat Corrales, American baseball player and manager
  • 1941 – Kenji Kimihara, Japanese runner
  • 1943 – Gerard Malanga, American poet and photographer
  • 1943 – Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (d. 2015)
  • 1943 – Paul Junger Witt, American director and producer (d. 2018)
  • 1944 – John Cameron, English composer and conductor
  • 1944 – Camille Cosby, American author, producer, and philanthropist
  • 1944 – Alan Harper, English-Irish archbishop
  • 1945 – Henry Bartholomay, American soldier and pilot (d. 2015)
  • 1945 – Jay Ingram, Canadian television host and author
  • 1945 – Pat Riley, American basketball player and coach
  • 1945 – Tim Yeo, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Health
  • 1946 – Douglas B. Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1946 – Malcolm Simmons, English motorcycle racer (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – John Boswell, American historian, philologist, and academic (d. 1994)
  • 1948 – John de Lancie, American actor
  • 1948 – Bobby Orr, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1948 – Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1949 – Marcia Ball, American blues singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1949 – Richard Dowden, English journalist and educator
  • 1950 – William Hurt, American actor
  • 1950 – Carl Palmer, English drummer, percussionist, and songwriter
  • 1951 – Jimmie Vaughan, American blues-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1952 – Geoff Brabham, Australian race car driver
  • 1952 – David Greenaway, English economist and academic
  • 1953 – Phil Judd, New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist and painter
  • 1954 – Mike Francesa, American radio talk show host and television commentator
  • 1954 – Liana Kanelli, Greek journalist and politician
  • 1954 – Paul Mirabella, American baseball player
  • 1955 – Nina Kiriki Hoffman, American author
  • 1955 – Ian Moss, Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter
  • 1955 – Mariya Takeuchi, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1956 – Catherine Ashton, English politician, Vice-President of the European Commission
  • 1956 – Anne Donahue, American lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Naoto Takenaka, Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director
  • 1957 – Vanessa Bell Calloway, American actress
  • 1957 – David Foster, Australian woodchopper
  • 1957 – Spike Lee, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Theresa Russell, American actress
  • 1957 – Chris Wedge, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor
  • 1958 – Holly Hunter, American actress and producer
  • 1958 – Rickey Jackson, American football player
  • 1958 – Joe Reaiche, Australian rugby player
  • 1959 – Dave Beasant, English footballer and coach
  • 1959 – Mary Roach, American author
  • 1959 – Sting, American wrestler
  • 1959 – Peter Truscott, Baron Truscott, British Labour Party politician and peer
  • 1960 – Norm Magnusson, American painter and sculptor
  • 1960 – Norbert Pohlmann, German computer scientist and academic
  • 1960 – Yuri Shargin, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut
  • 1961 – Ingrid Arndt-Brauer, German politician
  • 1961 – Jesper Olsen, Danish footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Sara Wheeler, English author and journalist
  • 1962 – Stephen Sommers, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Paul Annacone, American tennis player and coach
  • 1963 – Kathy Ireland, American model, actress, and furniture designer
  • 1963 – Yelena Romanova, Russian runner (d. 2007)
  • 1963 – David Thewlis, English-French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer-songwriter
  • 1965 – William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and author
  • 1967 – Xavier Beauvois, French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Mookie Blaylock, American basketball player
  • 1968 – Carlos Almeida, Cape Verdean runner
  • 1968 – A. J. Jacobs, American journalist and author
  • 1968 – Paul Merson, English footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Ultra Naté, American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ, and promoter
  • 1969 – Yvette Cooper, English economist and politician, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
  • 1969 – Fabien Galthie, French rugby player
  • 1970 – Edoardo Ballerini, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1970 – Josephine Medina, Filipino Paralympic table tennis player
  • 1970 – sj Miller, American academic, public speaker, and social justice activist
  • 1970 – Michael Rapaport, American actor, podcast host, and director
  • 1971 – Manny Alexander, Dominican baseball player
  • 1971 – Touré, American journalist and author
  • 1972 – Chilly Gonzales, Canadian-German singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1972 – Alex Kapranos, English-Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1972 – Greg Searle, English rower
  • 1972 – Marco Sejna, German footballer
  • 1972 – Cristel Vahtra, Estonian skier
  • 1973 – Nicky Boje, South African cricketer
  • 1973 – Natalya Khrushcheleva, Russian runner
  • 1973 – Talal Khalifa Aljeri, Kuwaiti businessman
  • 1974 – Carsten Ramelow, German footballer
  • 1975 – Ramin Bahrani, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1975 – Isolde Kostner, Italian skier
  • 1976 – Chester Bennington, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2017)
  • 1978 – Kevin Betsy, English born Seychelles international footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1978 – Brent Sherwin, Australian rugby league player
  • 1979 – Shinnosuke Abe, Japanese baseball player
  • 1979 – Freema Agyeman, English actress
  • 1979 – Keven Mealamu, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1980 – Jamal Crawford, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Robertas Javtokas, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1981 – Ian Murray, Scottish footballer
  • 1981 – Carl Webb, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Terrence Duffin, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1982 – Tomasz Kuszczak, Polish footballer
  • 1982 – José Moreira, Portuguese footballer
  • 1983 – Carolina Padrón, Venezuelan journalist
  • 1983 – Jenni Vartiainen, Finnish singer
  • 1984 – Vikram Banerjee, English cricketer
  • 1984 – Christy Carlson Romano, American actress and singer
  • 1984 – Fernando Torres, Spanish footballer
  • 1985 – Morgan Amalfitano, French footballer
  • 1985 – Ronnie Brewer, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Nicolas Lombaerts, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Dean Geyer, South African-Australian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1986 – Julián Magallanes, Argentinian footballer
  • 1986 – Ruby Rose, Australian actress and model
  • 1986 – Román Torres, Panamanian footballer
  • 1987 – Daniel Maa Boumsong, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1987 – Jô, Brazilian footballer
  • 1987 – Pedro Ken, Brazilian footballer
  • 1987 – Sergei Kostitsyn, Belarusian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Xavier Dolan, Canadian actor and director
  • 1989 – Tamim Iqbal, Bangladeshi Cricketer
  • 1990 – Blake Ferguson, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Marcos Rojo, Argentine footballer
  • 1991 – Mattia Destro, Italian footballer
  • 1991 – Michał Kucharczyk, Polish footballer
  • 1991 – Ethan Lowe, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Sloane Stephens, American tennis player
  • 1995 – Jack Bird, Australian rugby league player

Deaths on March 20

  • 687 – Cuthbert, Northumbrian (English) monk, bishop, and saint (b. 634)
  • 703 – Wulfram, archbishop of Sens
  • 842 – Alfonso II, king of Asturias (Spain) (b. 759)
  • 851 – Ebbo, archbishop of Reims
  • 1181 – Taira no Kiyomori, Japanese general (b. 1118)
  • 1191 – Pope Clement III (b. 1130)
  • 1239 – Hermann von Salza, German knight and diplomat (b. 1179)
  • 1302 – Ralph Walpole, Bishop of Norwich
  • 1336 – Maurice Csák, Hungarian Dominican friar (b. 1270)
  • 1351 – Muhammad bin Tughluq, Sultan of Delhi
  • 1390 – Alexios III Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1338)
  • 1413 – Henry IV of England (b. 1367)
  • 1440 – Sigismund I of Lithuania
  • 1475 – Georges Chastellain, Burgundian chronicler and poet
  • 1549 – Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, English general and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1508)
  • 1568 – Albert, Duke of Prussia (b. 1490)
  • 1619 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1557)
  • 1673 – Augustyn Kordecki, Polish monk (b. 1603)
  • 1688 – Maria of Orange-Nassau, Dutch princess (b. 1642)
  • 1730 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (b. 1692)
  • 1746 – Nicolas de Largillière, French painter and academic (b. 1656)
  • 1780 – Benjamin Truman, English brewer and businessman (b. 1699)
  • 1793 – William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish judge and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (b. 1705)
  • 1835 – Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (b. 1794)
  • 1849 – James Justinian Morier, Turkish-English author and diplomat (b. 1780)
  • 1855 – Joseph Aspdin, English businessman (b. 1788)
  • 1865 – Yamanami Keisuke, Japanese samurai (b. 1833)
  • 1874 – Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish composer and conductor (b. 1810)
  • 1878 – Julius Robert von Mayer, German physician and physicist (b. 1814)
  • 1894 – Lajos Kossuth, Hungarian lawyer, journalist and politician (b. 1802)
  • 1897 – Apollon Maykov, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1821)
  • 1899 – Franz Ritter von Hauer, Austrian geologist and author (b. 1822)
  • 1909 – Friedrich Amelung, Estonian historian and businessman (b. 1842)
  • 1918 – Lewis A. Grant, American general and lawyer (b. 1828)
  • 1925 – George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, English politician, 35th Governor-General of India (b. 1859)
  • 1929 – Ferdinand Foch, French field marshal (b. 1851)
  • 1930 – Arthur F. Andrews, American cyclist (b. 1876)
  • 1931 – Hermann Müller, German journalist and politician, 12th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
  • 1933 – Giuseppe Zangara, Italian-American assassin of Anton Cermak (b. 1900; executed)
  • 1940 – Alfred Ploetz, German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860)
  • 1945 – Dorothy Campbell, Scottish-American golfer (b. 1883)
  • 1946 – Amadeus William Grabau, American-Chinese geologist, paleontologist, and academic (b. 1870)
  • 1947 – Sigurd Wallén, Swedish actor and director (b. 1884)
  • 1952 – Hjalmar Väre, Finnish cyclist (b. 1892)
  • 1958 – Adegoke Adelabu, Nigerian merchant, journalist, and politician (b. 1915)
  • 1964 – Brendan Behan, Irish republican and playwright (b. 1923)
  • 1965 – Daniel Frank, American long jumper (b. 1882)
  • 1966 – Johnny Morrison, American baseball player (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Carl Theodor Dreyer, Danish director and screenwriter (b. 1889)
  • 1969 – Henri Longchambon, French politician (b. 1896)
  • 1971 – Falih Rıfkı Atay, Turkish journalist and politician (b. 1894)
  • 1972 – Marilyn Maxwell, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 1974 – Chet Huntley, American journalist (b. 1911)
  • 1977 – Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, English politician, 9th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1909)
  • 1977 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (b. 1919)
  • 1978 – Jacques Brugnon, French tennis player (b. 1895)
  • 1981 – Gerry Bertier, American football player (b. 1953)
  • 1983 – Ivan Matveyevich Vinogradov, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1891)
  • 1990 – Maurice Cloche, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1907)
  • 1990 – Lev Yashin, Russian footballer (b. 1929)
  • 1992 – Georges Delerue, French composer (b. 1925)
  • 1993 – Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
  • 1994 – Lewis Grizzard, American writer and humorist (b. 1946)
  • 1997 – V. S. Pritchett, English short story writer, essayist, and critic (b. 1900)
  • 1999 – Patrick Heron, British painter (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Gene Eugene, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1961)
  • 2001 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (b. 1949)
  • 2004 – Juliana of the Netherlands (b. 1909)
  • 2004 – Pierre Sévigny, Canadian colonel and politician (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Armand Lohikoski, American-Finnish director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Raynald Fréchette, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1933)
  • 2007 – Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraqi politician, Vice President of Iraq (b. 1938)
  • 2007 – Hawa Yakubu, Ghanaian politician (b. 1948)
  • 2010 – Ai, American poet and academic (b. 1947)
  • 2010 – Girija Prasad Koirala, Indian-Nepalese politician, 30th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1924)
  • 2010 – Stewart Udall, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 37th United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – Johnny Pearson, English pianist, conductor, and composer (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Lincoln Hall, Australian mountaineer and author (b. 1955)
  • 2012 – Noboru Ishiguro, Japanese animator and director (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Polish-Israeli rabbi and author (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – Jim Stynes, Irish-Australian footballer (b. 1966)
  • 2013 – James Herbert, English author (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Zillur Rahman, Bangladeshi lawyer and politician, 19th President of Bangladesh (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Hennie Aucamp, South African poet, author, and academic (b. 1934)
  • 2014 – Hilderaldo Bellini, Brazilian footballer (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Tonie Nathan, American politician (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Khushwant Singh, Indian journalist and author (b. 1915)
  • 2015 – Eva Burrows, Australian 13th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Malcolm Fraser, Australian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – Anker Jørgensen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1922)
  • 2017 – David Rockefeller, American billionaire and philanthropist (b. 1915)
  • 2018 – C. K. Mann, a Ghanaian Highlife musician and producer (b. 1936)
  • 2019 – Mary Warnock, English philosopher & writer (b. 1924)
  • 2020 – Kenny Rogers, American singer (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances on March 20

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alexandra
    • Blessed John of Parma
    • Clement of Ireland
    • Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
    • Herbert of Derwentwater
    • John of Nepomuk
    • Józef Bilczewski
    • María Josefa Sancho de Guerra
    • Martin of Braga
    • Michele Carcano
    • Wulfram
    • March 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest date for the vernal equinox in the Northern hemisphere:
    • Bahá’í Naw-Rúz, started at sunset on March 20. The end of the 19-day sunrise-to-sunset fast. (Bahá’í Faith)
    • Chunfen (China)
    • Earth Equinox Day
    • International Astrology Day
    • New Year (Thelema)
    • Nowruz (Persian, Gilaki, Kurdish, Zoroastrians, and other Iranian people and countries with an Iranian influence)
    • Ostara in the northern hemisphere, Mabon in the southern hemisphere. (Neo-Druidic Wheel of the Year)
    • Shunbun no Hi (Japan)
    • Sun-Earth Day (United States)
    • Vernal Equinox Day/Kōreisai (Japan)
    • World Storytelling Day
  • Earliest day on which Good Friday can fall, while April 23 is the latest; celebrated on Friday before Easter. (Christianity)
  • Great American Meatout (United States)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Tunisia from France in 1956.
  • International Day of Happiness (United Nations)
  • International Francophonie Day (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie), and its related observances:
    • UN French Language Day (United Nations)
  • National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
  • World Sparrow Day

March 20- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 15- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

In the Roman calendar, March 15 was known as the Ides of March.

March 15 in History

  • 474 BC – Roman consul Gnaeus Manlius Vulso celebrates an ovation for concluding the war against Veii and securing a forty years’ truce.
  • 44 BC – Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger and his fellow conspirators, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus, and several other Roman senators, march to the Capitol following the assassination of Julius Caesar, but there is no response to their appeals to the population, who have left the streets in fear. Caesar’s body remains in its place
  • 351 – Constantius II elevates his cousin Gallus to Caesar, and puts him in charge of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire.
  • 493 – Odoacer, the first barbarian King of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, is slain by Theoderic the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, while the two kings were feasting together.
  • 856 – Michael III, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, overthrows the regency of his mother, empress Theodora (wife of Theophilos) with support of the Byzantine nobility.
  • 933 – After a ten-year truce, German King Henry the Fowler defeats a Hungarian army at the Battle of Riade near the Unstrut river.
  • 1147 – Conquest of Santarém: The forces of Afonso I of Portugal capture Santarém.
  • 1311 – Battle of Halmyros: The Catalan Company defeats Walter V, Count of Brienne to take control of the Duchy of Athens, a Crusader state in Greece.
  • 1493 – Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first trip to the Americas.
  • 1564 – Mughal Emperor Akbar abolishes “jizya” (per capita tax).
  • 1672 – Charles II of England issues the Royal Declaration of Indulgence.
  • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Guilford Court House: Near present-day Greensboro, North Carolina, 1,900 British troops under General Charles Cornwallis defeat a mixed American force numbering 4,400 in a Pyrrhic victory.
  • 1783 – In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asks his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy. The plea is successful and the threatened coup d’état never takes place.
  • 1819 – French physicist Augustin Fresnel is adjudged the winner of the Grand Prix of the Académie des Sciences for his “Memoir on the Diffraction of Light”, which verifies the Fresnel integrals, accounts for the limited extent to which light spreads into shadows, and thereby demolishes Newton’s initial objection to the wave theory of light.
  • 1820 – Maine becomes the 23rd U.S. state.
  • 1827 – University of Toronto is founded.
  • 1848 – A revolution breaks out in Hungary. The Habsburg rulers are compelled to meet the demands of the Reform party.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The Red River Campaign: U.S. Navy fleet arrives at Alexandria, Louisiana.
  • 1874 – France and Vietnam sign the Second Treaty of Saigon, further recognizing the full sovereignty of France over Cochinchina.
  • 1875 – Archbishop of New York John McCloskey is named the first cardinal in the United States.
  • 1877 – First ever official cricket test match is played: Australia vs England at the MCG Stadium, in Melbourne, Australia.
  • 1878 – Restoration of the Scottish Catholic hierarchy, broken off back in 1603.
  • 1888 – Start of the Anglo-Tibetan War of 1888.
  • 1895 – Heian Shrine is founded.
  • 1906 – Rolls-Royce Limited is incorporated.
  • 1916 – United States President Woodrow Wilson sends 4,800 United States troops over the U.S.–Mexico border to pursue Pancho Villa.
  • 1917 – Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates the Russian throne ending the 304-year Romanov dynasty.
  • 1921 – Talaat Pasha, former Grand Vizir of the Ottoman Empire and chief architect of the Armenian Genocide is assassinated in Berlin by a 23-year-old Armenian, Soghomon Tehlirian.
  • 1922 – After Egypt gains nominal independence from the United Kingdom, Fuad I becomes King of Egypt.
  • 1926 – The dictator Theodoros Pangalos is elected President of Greece without opposition.
  • 1927 – The first Women’s Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place on The Isis in Oxford.
  • 1931 – SS Viking explodes off Newfoundland, killing 27 of the 147 onboard.
  • 1933 – Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss keeps members of the National Council from convening, starting the Austrofascist dictatorship.
  • 1939 – Germany occupies Czechoslovakia.
  • 1939 – Carpatho-Ukraine declares itself an independent republic, but is annexed by Hungary the next day.
  • 1941 – Philippine Airlines, the flag carrier of the Philippines takes its first flight between Manila (from Nielson Field) to Baguio City with a Beechcraft Model 18 making the airline the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name.
  • 1943 – World War II: Third Battle of Kharkov: The Germans retake the city of Kharkov from the Soviet armies in bitter street fighting.
  • 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces begin an offensive to push Germans from Upper Silesia.
  • 1951 – the Iranian oil industry is nationalized.
  • 1952 – In Cilaos, Réunion, 1870 mm (73 inches) of rain falls in a 24-hour period, setting a new world record (March 15 through March 16).
  • 1961 – At the 1961 Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference, South Africa announces that it will withdraw from the Commonwealth when the South African Constitution of 1961 comes into effect.
  • 1965 – President Lyndon B. Johnson, responding to the Selma crisis, tells U.S. Congress “We shall overcome” while advocating the Voting Rights Act.
  • 1978 – Somalia and Ethiopia signed a truce to end the Ethio-Somali War.
  • 1986 – Collapse of Hotel New World: Thirty-three people die when the Hotel New World in Singapore collapses.
  • 1990 – Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first President of the Soviet Union.
  • 1991 – Cold War: The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany comes into effect, granting full sovereignty to the Federal Republic of Germany.
  • 2008 – Stockpiles of obsolete ammunition explode at an ex-military ammunition depot in the village of Gërdec, Albania, killing 26 people.
  • 2011 – Beginning of the Syrian Civil War.
  • 2019 – Fifty-one people are killed in the Christchurch mosque shootings.
  • 2019 – Beginning of the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.
  • 2019 – Approximately 1.4 million young people in 123 countries go on strike to protest climate change.

Births on March 15

  • 270 – Saint Nicholas, Greek bishop and saint (d. 343)
  • 1097 – Fujiwara no Tadamichi, Japanese noble (d. 1164)
  • 1275 – Margaret of England, Duchess of Brabant (d. 1333)
  • 1407 – Jacob, Margrave of Baden-Baden (d. 1453)
  • 1444 – Francesco Gonzaga, Catholic cardinal (d. 1483)
  • 1493 – Anne de Montmorency, French captain and diplomat (d. 1567)
  • 1513 – Hedwig Jagiellon, Electress of Brandenburg (d. 1573)
  • 1516 – Alqas Mirza, Safavid prince (d. 1550)
  • 1582 – Daniel Featley, English theologian and controversialist (d. 1645)
  • 1584 – Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (d. 1663)
  • 1591 – Alexandre de Rhodes, French missionary and lexicographer (d. 1660)
  • 1611 – Jan Fyt, Flemish painter (d. 1661)
  • 1638 – Shunzhi Emperor of China (d. 1661)
  • 1666 – George Bähr, German architect, designed the Dresden Frauenkirche (d. 1738)
  • 1754 – Archibald Menzies, Scottish surgeon and botanist (d. 1842)
  • 1767 – Andrew Jackson, American general, judge, and politician, 7th President of the United States (d. 1845)
  • 1779 – William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1848)
  • 1790 – Ludwig Immanuel Magnus, German mathematician and academic (d. 1861)
  • 1791 – Charles Knight, English author and publisher (d. 1873)
  • 1809 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts, American-Liberian historian and politician, 1st President of Liberia (d. 1876)
  • 1809 – Karl Josef von Hefele, German bishop and theologian (d. 1893)
  • 1813 – John Snow, English physician and epidemiologist (d. 1858)
  • 1818 – Mariano Álvarez, Filipino general and politician (d. 1924)
  • 1821 – Johann Josef Loschmidt, Austrian physicist and chemist (d. 1895)
  • 1821 – William Milligan, Scottish theologian, author, and educator (d. 1892)
  • 1824 – Jules Chevalier, French priest, founded the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (d. 1907)
  • 1830 – Paul Heyse, German author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1914)
  • 1830 – Élisée Reclus, French geographer and academic (d. 1905)
  • 1831 – Saint Daniele Comboni, Italian missionary and saint (d. 1881)
  • 1835 – John Henry Kagi, American lawyer and activist (d. 1859)
  • 1835 – Eduard Strauss, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1916)
  • 1838 – Karl Davydov, Russian cellist, composer, and conductor (d. 1889)
  • 1851 – John Sebastian Little, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Arkansas (d. 1916)
  • 1851 – William Mitchell Ramsay, Scottish archaeologist and scholar (d. 1939)
  • 1852 – Augusta, Lady Gregory, Anglo-Irish landowner, playwright, and translator (d. 1932)
  • 1854 – Emil von Behring, German physiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1917)
  • 1857 – Christian Michelsen, Norwegian businessman and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Norway (d. 1925)
  • 1858 – Liberty Hyde Bailey, American botanist and academic, co-founded the American Society for Horticultural Science (d. 1954)
  • 1860 – Waldemar Haffkine, Russian-Swiss bacteriologist and microbiologist (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – Johan Halvorsen, Norwegian violinist, composer, and conductor (Oslo Philharmonic) (d. 1935)
  • 1865 – Manuk Abeghian, Armenian author and scholar (d. 1944)
  • 1866 – Matthew Charlton, Australian miner and politician (d. 1948)
  • 1866 – Johan Vaaler, Norwegian inventor, often erroneously identified as the inventor of the Paper clip (d. 1910)
  • 1868 – Grace Chisholm Young, English mathematician (d. 1944)
  • 1869 – Stanisław Wojciechowski, Polish scholar and politician, 2nd President of the Republic of Poland (d. 1953)
  • 1874 – Eugène Fiset, Canadian physician, general, and politician, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 1951)
  • 1874 – Harold L. Ickes, American journalist and politician, 32nd United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1952)
  • 1878 – Reza Shah, Iranian king (d. 1944)
  • 1886 – Wladimir Burliuk, Ukrainian-Greek painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
  • 1887 – Marjorie Merriweather Post, American businesswoman and philanthropist, founded General Foods (d. 1973)
  • 1887 – Lütfi Kırdar, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of Health (d. 1961)
  • 1879 – Benjamin R. Jacobs, American biochemist (d. 1963)
  • 1890 – Boris Delaunay, Russian mathematician and mountaineer (d. 1980)
  • 1892 – James Basevi Ord, Mexican-American colonel (d. 1938)
  • 1897 – Jackson Scholz, American runner (d. 1986)
  • 1900 – Gilberto Freyre, Brazilian sociologist, anthropologist, historian and writer (d. 1987)
  • 1904 – George Brent, Irish-American actor (d. 1979)
  • 1904 – J. Pat O’Malley, English-American actor (d. 1985)
  • 1905 – Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, German lawyer and judge (d. 1944)
  • 1907 – Zarah Leander, Swedish actress and singer (d. 1981)
  • 1909 – Jaroslava Muchová Syllabová, Czech painter (d. 1986)
  • 1912 – Lightnin’ Hopkins, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1982)
  • 1912 – Louis Paul Boon, Flemish journalist and author (d. 1979)
  • 1913 – Macdonald Carey, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1913 – Jack Fairman, English race car driver (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Frank Coghlan, Jr., American actor and pilot (d. 2009)
  • 1916 – Fadil Hoxha, Kosovar commander and politician, 2nd President of Kosovo (d. 2001)
  • 1916 – Harry James, American trumpet player, bandleader, and actor (d. 1983)
  • 1918 – Richard Ellmann, American author and critic (d. 1987)
  • 1918 – Punch Imlach, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 1987)
  • 1919 – Lawrence Tierney, American actor (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – E. Donnall Thomas, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2012)
  • 1921 – Madelyn Pugh, American television writer and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Eddie Calvert, English trumpeter (d. 1978)
  • 1926 – Ben Johnston, American composer and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1926 – Norm Van Brocklin, American football player and coach (d. 1983)
  • 1927 – Christian Marquand, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1927 – Carl Smith, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2010)
  • 1928 – Bob Wilber, American clarinetist and saxophonist (d. 2019)
  • 1930 – Zhores Alferov, Belarusian-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Alan Bean, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – Arif Mardin, Turkish-American record producer (d. 2006)
  • 1933 – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, American lawyer and judge
  • 1933 – Philippe de Broca, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1934 – Richard Layard, Baron Layard, English economist and academic
  • 1934 – Kanshi Ram, Indian politician (d. 2006)
  • 1935 – David Andrews, Irish politician, 21st Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ireland
  • 1935 – Judd Hirsch, American actor
  • 1935 – Jimmy Swaggart, American pastor and television host
  • 1935 – Leonid Yengibarov, Russian-Armenian clown and boxer (d. 1972)
  • 1936 – Howard Greenfield, American songwriter (d. 1986)
  • 1937 – Marcus Raichle, American neurologist and physiologist
  • 1937 – Valentin Rasputin, Russian environmentalist and author (d. 2015)
  • 1938 – Charles Lloyd, American saxophonist and flute player
  • 1939 – Ted Kaufman, American engineer and politician
  • 1939 – Robert Nye, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 2016)
  • 1939 – Julie Tullis, English mountaineer (d. 1986)
  • 1940 – Frank Dobson, English politician, Secretary of State for Health (d. 2019)
  • 1940 – Phil Lesh, American bassist
  • 1941 – Mike Love, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1941 – Carolyn Hansson, Canadian materials engineer
  • 1943 – David Cronenberg, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Lynda La Plante, English actress, screenwriter, and author
  • 1943 – Michael Scott-Joynt, English bishop (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – Sly Stone, American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer
  • 1943 – The Iron Sheik, Iranian-American wrestler and actor
  • 1944 – Chi Cheng, Taiwanese runner and politician
  • 1944 – Jacques Doillon, French director and screenwriter
  • 1944 – Francis Mankiewicz, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1944 – A. K. Faezul Huq, Bangladeshi lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1945 – Mark J. Green, American lawyer and politician
  • 1946 – Bobby Bonds, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)
  • 1946 – John Dempsey, English born Irish international footballer, centre-back and manager
  • 1947 – Ry Cooder, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1947 – Gino Ferrin, German footballer and manager
  • 1947 – Juraj Kukura, Slovak-German actor
  • 1948 – Kate Bornstein, American author and activist
  • 1948 – Sérgio Vieira de Mello, Brazilian diplomat (d. 2003)
  • 1950 – Jørgen Olsen, Danish singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Kurt Koch, Swiss cardinal
  • 1951 – David Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool, English educator and politician
  • 1952 – Howard Devoto, English singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Philip Green, English businessman
  • 1952 – Howard Koh, American physician and politician, 14th United States Assistant Secretary for Health
  • 1953 – Richard Bruton, Irish economist and politician, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
  • 1953 – Heather Graham Pozzessere, American author
  • 1953 – Kumba Ialá, Bissau-Guinean educator and politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (d. 2014)
  • 1954 – Massimo Bubola, Italian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1954 – Isobel Buchanan, Scottish soprano and actress
  • 1954 – Bob Budiansky, American author and illustrator
  • 1954 – Henry Marsh, American runner and businessman, co-founded MonaVie
  • 1954 – Craig Wasson, American actor
  • 1955 – Mohsin Khan, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1955 – Dee Snider, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1956 – Clay Matthews, Jr., American football player and coach
  • 1957 – Joaquim de Almeida, Portuguese-American actor
  • 1957 – Víctor Muñoz, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1957 – David Silverman, American animator, director, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Anne Davies, English television presenter and newsreader
  • 1959 – Harold Baines, American baseball player and coach
  • 1959 – Renny Harlin, Finnish director and producer
  • 1959 – Lisa Holton, American journalist and author
  • 1959 – Ben Okri, Nigerian poet and author
  • 1960 – Mike Pagliarulo, American baseball player and coach
  • 1960 – Phil Walsh, Australian rules footballer and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1961 – Terry Cummings, American basketball player and singer
  • 1961 – Craig Ludwig, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1962 – Terence Trent D’Arby, American singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Jimmy Baio, American actor
  • 1963 – Bret Michaels, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1964 – Davide Pinato, Italian footballer
  • 1964 – Rockwell, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1965 – Sunetra Gupta, Indian epidemiologist, author, and academic
  • 1965 – Robyn Malcolm, New Zealand actress
  • 1967 – Naoko Takeuchi, Japanese manga artist, creator of Sailor Moon
  • 1968 – Kahimi Karie, Japanese singer
  • 1968 – Mark McGrath, American singer-songwriter and television host
  • 1968 – Terje Riis-Johansen, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy
  • 1968 – Sabrina Salerno, Italian singer-songwriter, actress, and producer
  • 1969 – Rona Ambrose, Canadian journalist and politician, former Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
  • 1969 – Gianluca Festa, Italian footballer and coach
  • 1969 – Yutaka Take, Japanese jockey
  • 1970 – Christine Anu, Australian singer
  • 1970 – Naka Drotske, South African rugby player
  • 1970 – Derek Parra, American speed skater and coach
  • 1971 – Penny Lancaster, English model and photographer
  • 1971 – Joanne Wise, English long jumper
  • 1972 – Mark Hoppus, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1972 – Holger Stromberg, German chef
  • 1972 – Mike Tomlin, American football player and coach
  • 1973 – Robin Hunicke, American video game designer and producer
  • 1973 – Masayuki Naruse, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
  • 1974 – Robert Fick, American baseball player
  • 1975 – Eva Longoria, American actress and producer
  • 1975 – Veselin Topalov, Bulgarian chess player
  • 1975 – Darcy Tucker, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – will.i.am, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1976 – Katherine Brooks, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Abhay Deol, Indian actor
  • 1976 – Cara Pifko, Canadian actress
  • 1977 – Joe Hahn, American DJ, producer, and director
  • 1977 – Brian Tee, Japanese-American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Takeru Kobayashi, Japanese competitive eater
  • 1979 – Kyle Mills, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1979 – Kevin Youkilis, American baseball player and scout
  • 1980 – Freddie Bynum, American baseball player
  • 1980 – Eric Grothe, Jr. Australian rugby league player and guitarist
  • 1980 – Claudiney Ramos, Brazilian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1981 – Young Buck, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1981 – Mikael Forssell, German-Finnish footballer
  • 1981 – Veronica Maggio, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Jens Salumäe, Estonian skier
  • 1982 – Tom Budge, Australian actor
  • 1982 – Emily Dunn, American actress and dancer
  • 1982 – Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich, Kenyan runner
  • 1983 – Sean Biggerstaff, Scottish actor
  • 1983 – Umut Bulut, Turkish footballer
  • 1983 – Ben Hilfenhaus, Australian cricketer
  • 1983 – Kostas Kaimakoglou, Greek basketball player
  • 1983 – Golda Marcus, Salvadoran swimmer
  • 1983 – Daryl Murphy, Irish footballer
  • 1983 – Heiko Niidas, Estonian basketball player
  • 1983 – Ricky Sekhon, English actor
  • 1983 – Yo Yo Honey Singh, Indian music producer
  • 1984 – Badradine Belloumou, French-Algerian footballer
  • 1984 – Malin Buska, Swedish actress
  • 1984 – Olivier Jean, Canadian speed skater
  • 1984 – Kostas Vasileiadis, Greek basketball player
  • 1984 – Wilson Aparecido Xavier Júnior, Brazilian footballer
  • 1987 – Eric Decker, American football player
  • 1988 – Éver Guzmán, Mexican footballer
  • 1988 – James Reimer, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Jolo Revilla, Filipino actor and politician
  • 1988 – Alexander Sims, English race car driver
  • 1989 – Sam Baldock, English footballer
  • 1989 – Bryce Gibbs, Australian footballer
  • 1989 – Sandro, Brazilian international footballer, midfielder
  • 1989 – Gil Roberts, American sprinter
  • 1989 – Adrien Silva, Portuguese footballer
  • 1989 – Caitlin Wachs, American actress
  • 1990 – Siobhan Magnus, American singer-songwriter
  • 1991 – Tavon Austin, American footballer
  • 1991 – Kurt Baptiste, Australian rugby league player
  • 1991 – Xavier Henry, American basketball player
  • 1996 – Seonaid McIntosh, Scottish sports shooter
  • 2000 – Kristian Kostov, Russian-Bulgarian singer-songwriter

Deaths on March 15

  • 44 BC – Julius Caesar, Roman general and statesman (b. 100 BC)
  • 220 – Cao Cao, Chinese general, warlord and statesman (b. 155)
  • 493 – Odoacer, the first king of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire (b. 433)
  • 752 – Pope Zachary
  • 963 – Romanos II, Byzantine emperor (b. 938)
  • 990 – Siegfried I (the Older), German nobleman
  • 1086 – Richilde, Countess of Hainaut, Flemish consort and regent (b. c. 1018)
  • 1124 – Ernulf, Bishop of Rochester (b. c. 1040)
  • 1190 – Isabella of Hainault, queen of Philip II of France (b. 1170)
  • 1311 – Walter V, Count of Brienne (b. 1275)
  • 1311 – Thomas III d’Autremencourt, Lord of Salona, Marshal of Achaea
  • 1311 – Albert Pallavicini, Margrave of Bodonitza
  • 1311 – George I Ghisi, Triarch of Euboea, Baron of Chalandritsa, Lord of Tinos, Mykonos, Serifos and Keos
  • 1327 – Albert of Schwarzburg, grand preceptor of the Knights Hospitaller
  • 1346 – Shah Jalal, Sufi saint of Bengal (b. 1271).
  • 1536 – Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha, Ottoman politician, 35th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1493)
  • 1575 – Annibale Padovano, Italian organist and composer (b. 1527)
  • 1644 – Countess Louise Juliana of Nassau (b. 1576)
  • 1657 – David Pardo, Dutch rabbi and scholar (b. 1591)
  • 1673 – Salvator Rosa, Italian painter and poet (b. 1615)
  • 1711 – Eusebio Kino, Italian priest and missionary (b. 1645)
  • 1820 – Clement Mary Hofbauer, Austrian priest and saint (b. 1751)
  • 1832 – Otto Wilhelm Masing, Estonian linguist and clergyman (b. 1763)
  • 1842 – Luigi Cherubini, Italian composer and theorist (b. 1760)
  • 1849 – Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti, Italian cardinal and linguist (b. 1774)
  • 1891 – Joseph Bazalgette, English engineer and academic (b. 1819)
  • 1897 – James Joseph Sylvester, English mathematician and academic (b. 1814)
  • 1898 – Henry Bessemer, English engineer and businessman (b. 1813)
  • 1921 – Talaat Pasha, Ottoman politician, 281st Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1874)
  • 1927 – Hector Rason, English-Australian politician, 7th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1858)
  • 1933 – Gustavo Jiménez, Peruvian colonel and politician, 73rd President of Peru (b. 1886)
  • 1937 – H. P. Lovecraft, American short story writer, editor, and novelist (b. 1890)
  • 1938 – Nikolai Bukharin, Russian journalist, and politician (b. 1888)
  • 1939 – Luis Barceló, Spanish colonel (b. 1896)
  • 1941 – Alexej von Jawlensky, Russian-German painter (b. 1864)
  • 1944 – Otto von Below, Prussian general (b. 1857)
  • 1951 – John S. Paraskevopoulos, Greek-South African astronomer and academic (b. 1889)
  • 1957 – Ernst Nobs, Swiss politician (b. 1886)
  • 1959 – Lester Young, American saxophonist and clarinet player (b. 1909)
  • 1962 – Charles Bartliff, American soccer player (b. 1886)
  • 1962 – Arthur Compton, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
  • 1966 – Abe Saperstein, American basketball player and coach (b. 1902)
  • 1969 – Miles Malleson, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1888)
  • 1969 – Musashiyama Takeshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 33rd Yokozuna (b. 1909)
  • 1970 – Tarjei Vesaas, Norwegian author and poet (b. 1897)
  • 1971 – Jean-Pierre Monseré, Belgian cyclist (b. 1948)
  • 1972 – Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter and educator (b. 1910)
  • 1975 – Aristotle Onassis, Greek-Argentinian businessman (b. 1906)
  • 1977 – Hubert Aquin, Canadian author and activist (b. 1929)
  • 1977 – Antonino Rocca, Italian-American wrestler and referee (b. 1921)
  • 1981 – René Clair, French director and screenwriter (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Coloman Braun-Bogdan, Romanian footballer and manager (b. 1905)
  • 1983 – Rebecca West, English author and critic (b. 1892)
  • 1985 – Radha Krishna Choudhary, Indian historian and author (b. 1921)
  • 1986 – Alexandru Giugaru, Romanian actor (b. 1897)
  • 1987 – Douglas Abbott, Canadian lawyer and politician, 10th Canadian Minister of National Defence (b. 1899)
  • 1988 – Dmitri Polyakov, Ukrainian general and spy (b. 1926)
  • 1989 – Muhammad Jameel Didi, Maldivian poet and politician (b. 1915)
  • 1990 – Farzad Bazoft, Iranian-English journalist (b. 1958)
  • 1990 – Tom Harmon, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1919)
  • 1991 – Bud Freeman, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1906)
  • 1992 – Rahi Masoom Raza, Indian Urdu poet (b.1927)
  • 1997 – Gail Davis, American actress (b. 1925)
  • 1997 – Victor Vasarely, Hungarian-French painter (b. 1906)
  • 1998 – Tim Maia, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
  • 1998 – Benjamin Spock, American pediatrician and author (b. 1903)
  • 1999 – Guy D’Artois, Canadian soldier (b. 1917)
  • 2001 – Gaetano Cozzi, Italian historian and academic (b. 1922)
  • 2001 – Ann Sothern, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
  • 2003 – Thora Hird, English actress (b. 1911)
  • 2003 – Paul Stojanovich, American television producer, created World’s Wildest Police Videos (b. 1956)
  • 2004 – Philippe Lemaire, French actor (b. 1927)
  • 2004 – Bill Pickering, New Zealand-American scientist and engineer (b. 1910)
  • 2004 – John Pople, English-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1925)
  • 2005 – Bob Bellear, Australian engineer and judge (b. 1944)
  • 2005 – Otar Korkia, Georgian basketball player and coach (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Shoji Nishio, Japanese martial artist (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Georgios Rallis, Greek lieutenant and politician, 173rd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Red Storey, Canadian football player and referee (b. 1918)
  • 2007 – Charles Harrelson, American murderer (b. 1938)
  • 2007 – Bowie Kuhn, American lawyer and businessman (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Stuart Rosenberg, American director and producer (b. 1927)
  • 2008 – Mikey Dread, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1954)
  • 2008 – Vytautas Kernagis, Lithuanian singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1951)
  • 2008 – G. David Low, American astronaut and engineer (b. 1956)
  • 2008 – Ken Reardon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Sarla Thakral, First Indian woman to earn a pilot’s license. (b. 1914)
  • 2009 – Ron Silver, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1946)
  • 2011 – Nate Dogg, American rapper (b. 1969)
  • 2011 – Smiley Culture, English singer and DJ (b. 1963)
  • 2012 – Mervyn Davies, Welsh rugby player (b. 1946)
  • 2012 – Eb Gaines, American businessman and diplomat (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Luis Gonzales, Filipino actor (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Bernardino González Ruíz, Panamanian physician and politician, President of Panama (b. 1911)
  • 2012 – Fran Matera, American illustrator (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Dave Philley, American baseball player and manager (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – James Bonk, American chemist and academic (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Booth Gardner, American businessman and politician, 19th Governor of Washington (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Hardrock Gunter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Shannon Larratt, Canadian publisher, founded BMEzine (b. 1973)
  • 2013 – Terry Lightfoot, English clarinet player (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Leverne McDonnell, Australian actress (b. 1963).
  • 2013 – Masamichi Noro, Japanese-French martial artist, founded Kinomichi (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Kallam Anji Reddy, Indian engineer and businessman, founded Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Peter Worsley, English sociologist (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Felipe Zetter, Mexican footballer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Scott Asheton, American drummer (b. 1949).
  • 2014 – David Brenner, American comedian, actor, and author (b. 1936)
  • 2014 – Bo Callaway, American soldier and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Army (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Clarissa Dickson Wright, English chef, author, and television personality (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Everett L. Fullam, American priest and scholar (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Cees Veerman, Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1943)
  • 2015 – Collins Chabane, South African politician (b. 1960)
  • 2015 – Robert Clatworthy, English sculptor and educator (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Narayan Desai, Indian author and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Sally Forrest, American actress and dancer (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Curtis Gans, American political scientist and author (b. 1937)
  • 2015 – Mike Porcaro, American bass player (b. 1955)
  • 2016 – Sylvia Anderson, English voice actress and television and film producer (b. 1927)
  • 2016 – Asa Briggs, English historian and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Daryl Coley, American singer and pastor (b. 1955)
  • 2016 – Seru Rabeni, Fijian rugby player (b. 1978)
  • 2019 – Larry DiTillio, American film and TV series writer (b. 1948)
  • 2020 – Vittorio Gregotti, Italian architect (b. 1927)

Holidays and observances on March 15

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aristobulus of Britannia
    • Clemens Maria Hofbauer
    • Leocritia
    • Longinus
    • Louise de Marillac
    • Raymond of Fitero
    • March 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Day (Belarus)
  • Earliest day on which Birth of Benito Juárez can fall, while March 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday of March. (Mexico)
  • Earliest day on which Palm Sunday can fall, while April 18 is the latest; celebrated on the sixth Sunday of Lent. (Christianity)
  • Hōnen Matsuri (Japan)
  • International Day Against Police Brutality (International)
  • J. J. Roberts’ Birthday (Liberia)
  • National Day, celebrating the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 (Hungary)
  • World Consumer Rights Day (International)
  • World Contact Day
  • World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue and Film (International)
  • World Speech Day
  • Youth Day (Palau)

March 15- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 241 BC – First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates: The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing the First Punic War to an end.
  • 298 – Roman Emperor Maximian concludes his campaign in North Africa and makes a triumphal entry into Carthage.
  • 947 – The Later Han is founded by Liu Zhiyuan. He declares himself emperor.
  • 1607 – Susenyos I defeats the combined armies of Yaqob and Abuna Petros II at the Battle of Gol in Gojjam, making him Emperor of Ethiopia.
  • 1629 – Charles I dissolves the Parliament of England, beginning the eleven-year period known as the Personal Rule.
  • 1735 – An agreement between Nader Shah and Russia is signed near Ganja, Azerbaijan and Russian troops are withdrawn from occupied territories.
  • 1762 – French Huguenot Jean Calas, who had been wrongly convicted of killing his son, dies after being tortured by authorities; the event inspired Voltaire to begin a campaign for religious tolerance and legal reform.
  • 1814 – Emperor Napoleon I is defeated at the Battle of Laon in France.
  • 1830 – The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army is created.
  • 1848 – The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is ratified by the United States Senate, ending the Mexican–American War.
  • 1861 – El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Ségou, destroying the Bamana Empire of Mali.
  • 1873 – The first Azerbaijani play “The Adventures of the Vizier of the Khan of Lenkaran” prepared by Akhundov was performed by Hassan-bey Zardabi and dramatist and Najaf-bey Vezirov.
  • 1876 – The first successful test of a telephone is made by Alexander Graham Bell.
  • 1891 – Almon Strowger patents the Strowger switch, a device which led to the automation of telephone circuit switching.
  • 1906 – The Courrières mine disaster, Europe’s worst ever, kills 1099 miners in northern France.
  • 1909 – By signing the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, Thailand relinquishes its sovereignty over the Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu, which become British protectorates.
  • 1922 – Mahatma Gandhi is arrested in India, tried for sedition, and sentenced to six years in prison, only to be released after nearly two years for an appendicitis operation.
  • 1933 – The Long Beach earthquake affects the Greater Los Angeles Area leaving around 108 people dead.
  • 1944 – Greek Civil War: The Political Committee of National Liberation is established in Greece by the National Liberation Front.
  • 1945 – World War II: The U.S. Army Air Force firebombs Tokyo, and the resulting conflagration kills more than 100,000 people, mostly civilians.
  • 1949 – Mildred Gillars (“Axis Sally”) is convicted of treason.
  • 1952 – Fulgencio Batista leads a successful coup in Cuba.
  • 1959 – Tibetan uprising: Fearing an abduction attempt by China, thousands of Tibetans surround the Dalai Lama’s palace to prevent his removal.
  • 1966 – Military Prime Minister of South Vietnam Nguyễn Cao Kỳ sacked rival General Nguyễn Chánh Thi, precipitating large-scale civil and military dissension in parts of the nation.
  • 1969 – In Memphis, Tennessee, James Earl Ray pleads guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King, Jr. He later unsuccessfully attempts to recant.
  • 1970 – Vietnam War: Captain Ernest Medina is charged by the U.S. military with My Lai war crimes.
  • 1975 – Vietnam War: Ho Chi Minh Campaign: North Vietnamese troops attack Ban Mê Thuột in the South on their way to capturing Saigon in the final push for victory over South Vietnam.
  • 1977 – Astronomers discover the rings of Uranus.
  • 1990 – In Haiti, Prosper Avril is ousted 18 months after seizing power in a coup.
  • 2006 – The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrives at Mars.
  • 2017 – The impeachment of President Park Geun-hye of South Korea in response to a major political scandal is unanimously upheld by the country’s Constitutional Court, ending her presidency.
  • 2019 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX, crashes, leading to all 737 MAX aircraft being grounded worldwide.

Births on March 10

  • 1452 – Ferdinand II, king of Castile and León (d. 1516)
  • 1503 – Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1564)
  • 1536 – Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, English politician, Earl Marshal of the United Kingdom (d. 1572)
  • 1604 – Johann Rudolf Glauber, German-Dutch alchemist and chemist (d. 1670)
  • 1628 – François Girardon, French sculptor (d. 1715)
  • 1628 – Marcello Malpighi, Italian physician and biologist (d. 1694)
  • 1656 – Giacomo Serpotta, Italian Rococo sculptor (d. 1732)
  • 1653 – John Benbow, Royal Navy admiral (d. 1702)
  • 1709 – Georg Wilhelm Steller, German botanist, zoologist, physician, and explorer (d. 1746)
  • 1749 – Lorenzo Da Ponte, Italian-American priest and poet (d. 1838)
  • 1769 – Joseph Williamson, English businessman and philanthropist (d. 1840)
  • 1772 – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel, German poet and critic (d. 1829)
  • 1777 – Louis Hersent, French painter (d. 1860)
  • 1787 – Francisco de Paula Martínez de la Rosa y Berdejo, Spanish playwright and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1862)
  • 1787 – William Etty, English painter and academic (d. 1849)
  • 1788 – Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, German author, poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1857)
  • 1788 – Edward Hodges Baily, English sculptor (d. 1867)
  • 1789 – Manuel de la Peña y Peña, Mexican lawyer and 20th President (1847) (d. 1850)
  • 1795 – Joseph Légaré, Canadian painter and glazier, artist, seigneur and political figure (d. 1855)
  • 1810 – Samuel Ferguson, Irish poet and lawyer (d. 1886)
  • 1844 – Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (d. 1908)
  • 1844 – Marie Euphrosyne Spartali, British Pre-Raphaelite painter (d. 1927)
  • 1845 – Alexander III of Russia (d. 1894)
  • 1846 – Edward Baker Lincoln, American son of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1850)
  • 1849 – Hallie Quinn Brown, African-American educator, writer and activist (d. 1949)
  • 1850 – Spencer Gore, English tennis player and cricketer (d. 1906)
  • 1853 – Thomas Mackenzie, Scottish-New Zealand cartographer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1930)
  • 1867 – Hector Guimard, French-American architect (d. 1942)
  • 1867 – Lillian Wald, American nurse, humanitarian, and author, founded the Henry Street Settlement (d. 1940)
  • 1870 – David Riazanov, Russian theorist and politician (d. 1938)
  • 1873 – Jakob Wassermann, German-Austrian soldier and author (d. 1934)
  • 1876 – Anna Hyatt Huntington, American sculptor (d. 1973)
  • 1877 – Pascual Ortiz Rubio, Mexican diplomat and president (1930-1932) (d. 1963)
  • 1881 – Jessie Boswell, English painter (d. 1956)
  • 1888 – Barry Fitzgerald, Irish actor (d. 1961)
  • 1890 – Albert Ogilvie, Australian politician, 28th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1939)
  • 1892 – Arthur Honegger, French composer and educator (d. 1955)
  • 1892 – Gregory La Cava, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1952)
  • 1896 – Frederick Coulton Waugh, British cartoonist, painter, teacher and author (d. 1973)
  • 1900 – Violet Brown, Jamaican supercentenarian, oldest Jamaican ever (d. 2017)
  • 1900 – Pandelis Pouliopoulos, Greek lawyer and politician (d. 1943)
  • 1901 – Michel Seuphor, Belgian painter (d. 1999)
  • 1903 – Bix Beiderbecke, American cornet player, pianist, and composer (d. 1931)
  • 1903 – Clare Boothe Luce, American playwright, journalist, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Italy (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Edward Bawden, British artist and illustrator (d. 1989)
  • 1914 – Chandler Harper, American golfer (d. 2004)
  • 1914 – K. P. Ratnam, Sri Lankan academic and politician (d. 2010)
  • 1915 – Harry Bertoia, Italian-American sculptor and furniture designer (d. 1978)
  • 1915 – Joža Horvat, Croatian writer (d. 2012)
  • 1916 – Davie Fulton, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 2000)
  • 1917 – David Hare, American Surrealist artist, sculptor, photographer and painter (d. 1992)
  • 1918 – Günther Rall, German general and pilot (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Marion Hutton, American singer and actress (d. 1987)
  • 1920 – Alfred Peet, Dutch-American businessman, founded Peet’s Coffee & Tea (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Boris Vian, French author and playwright (d. 1959)
  • 1922 – Kiyoshi Yamashita, Japanese painter (d. 1971)
  • 1923 – Val Logsdon Fitch, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – Judith Jones, American literary and cookbook editor (d. 2017)
  • 1925 – Bob Lanier, American lawyer, banker, and politician, 58th Mayor of Houston (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Marques Haynes, American basketball player (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Claude Laydu, Belgian-French actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Paul Wunderlich, German painter, sculptor and graphic artist (d. 2010)
  • 1928 – Sara Montiel, Spanish actress (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – James Earl Ray, American criminal; assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. (d. 1998)
  • 1929 – Sam Steiger, American journalist and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – Sándor Iharos, Hungarian runner (d. 1996)
  • 1931 – Georges Dor, Canadian author, playwright, and composer (d. 2001)
  • 1932 – Marcia Falkender, Baroness Falkender, English politician (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Udupi Ramachandra Rao, Indian physicist and engineer (d. 2017)
  • 1933 – Perunchithiranar, Tamil poet (d. 1995)
  • 1933 – Elizabeth Azcona Cranwell, Argentinian poet and translator (d. 2004)
  • 1934 – Gergely Kulcsár, Hungarian javelin thrower and coach
  • 1935 – Graham Farmer, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2019)
  • 1936 – Sepp Blatter, Swiss businessman
  • 1936 – Alfredo Zitarrosa, Uruguayan singer-songwriter and journalist (d. 1989)
  • 1938 – Norman Blake, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1938 – Ieronymos II of Athens, Greek archbishop
  • 1939 – Asghar Ali Engineer, Indian activist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Hugh Johnson, English author and critic
  • 1939 – Irina Press, Ukrainian-Russian hurdler and pentathlete (d. 2004)
  • 1940 – Chuck Norris, American actor, producer, and martial artist
  • 1940 – David Rabe, American playwright and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Peter Berresford Ellis, English historian and author
  • 1944 – Gail North-Saunders, Bahamian historian, archivist, and author who established the Bahamian National Archives
  • 1945 – Katharine Houghton, American actress and playwright
  • 1945 – Madhavrao Scindia, Indian politician, Indian Minister of Railways (d. 2001)
  • 1946 – Gérard Garouste, French contemporary artist
  • 1946 – Mike Hollands, Australian animator and director, founded Act3animation
  • 1946 – Jim Valvano, American basketball player and coach (d. 1993)
  • 1947 – Kim Campbell, Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Canada
  • 1947 – Tom Scholz, American rock musician (Boston), songwriter, inventor, and engineer
  • 1948 – Austin Carr, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1949 – Bill Buxton, Canadian computer scientist and academic
  • 1949 – Barbara Corcoran, American businesswoman and television personality
  • 1950 – Catherine Pugh, American politician, 50th mayor of Baltimore
  • 1952 – Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwean politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (d. 2018)
  • 1953 – Paul Haggis, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Didier Barbelivien, French singer-songwriter
  • 1955 – Toshio Suzuki, Japanese race car driver
  • 1956 – Robert Llewellyn, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Larry Myricks, American long jumper and sprinter
  • 1957 – Osama bin Laden, Saudi Arabian terrorist, founded al-Qaeda (d. 2011)
  • 1958 – Garth Crooks, English footballer forward and sportscaster
  • 1958 – Steve Howe, American baseball player (d. 2006)
  • 1958 – Sharon Stone, American actress and producer
  • 1961 – Laurel Clark, American captain, physician, and astronaut (d. 2003)
  • 1961 – Bobby Petrino, American football player and coach
  • 1962 – Jasmine Guy, American actress, singer, and director
  • 1962 – Seiko Matsuda, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1963 – Jeff Ament, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1963 – Felipe Ramos, Mexican footballer and referee
  • 1963 – Rick Rubin, American record producer, founded Def Jam Recordings
  • 1964 – Neneh Cherry, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1964 – Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
  • 1964 – Jojo Lastimosa, Filipino basketball player and coach
  • 1964 – Nikola Mladenov, Macedonian journalist (d. 2013)
  • 1964 – Toni Polster, Austrian footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Jillian Richardson, Canadian sprinter
  • 1965 – Rod Woodson, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Edie Brickell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1966 – Mike Timlin, American baseball player
  • 1968 – Thio Li-ann, Singaporean lawyer and academic
  • 1968 – Pavel Srníček, Czech footballer and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1971 – Jon Hamm, American actor and director
  • 1972 – Timbaland, American rapper and producer
  • 1973 – Jason Croker, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1973 – Chris Sutton, English footballer
  • 1973 – Mauricio Taricco, Argentinian footballer, full back and assistant manager
  • 1976 – Barbara Schett, Austrian tennis player
  • 1978 – Camille, French singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1978 – Benjamin Burnley, American musician
  • 1981 – Samuel Eto’o, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1981 – Steven Reid, English-Irish footballer
  • 1982 – Kwame Brown, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Étienne Boulay, Canadian football player
  • 1983 – Rafe Spall, English actor
  • 1983 – Janet Mock, American journalist, author, and activist
  • 1983 – Carrie Underwood, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1984 – Ben May, English footballer
  • 1987 – Martellus Bennett, American football player
  • 1987 – Greg Eastwood, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1987 – Māris Štrombergs, Latvian BMX racer
  • 1988 – Josh Hoffman, Australian-New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1988 – Ivan Rakitić, Croatian football player
  • 1992 – Neeskens Kebano, French-born Congolese international footballer
  • 1993 – Jack Butland, English footballer
  • 1995 – DaeSean Hamilton, American football player
  • 1995 – Zach LaVine, American basketball player
  • 1995 – Sergey Mozgov, Russian ice dancer
  • 1997 – Belinda Bencic, Swiss tennis player

Deaths on March 10

  • 483 – Pope Simplicius
  • 933 – Li Renfu, Chinese warlord and governor
  • 948 – Liu Zhiyuan, Shatuo founder of the Later Han dynasty (b. 895)
  • 1039 – Eudes, Duke of Gascony
  • 1222 – Johan Sverkersson, king of Sweden since 1216 (b. 1201)
  • 1289 – Maud de Lacy, Countess of Hertford and Gloucester, English noble (b. 1223)
  • 1291 – Arghun, Mongol ruler in Persia
  • 1315 – Agnes Blannbekin, Austrian mystic (b. c.1244)
  • 1391 – Tvrtko I of Bosnia (b. 1338)
  • 1476 – Richard West, 7th Baron De La Warr (b. 1430)
  • 1510 – Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg, Swiss priest and theologian (b. 1445)
  • 1513 – John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, English commander and politician, Lord High Constable of England (b. 1443)
  • 1527 – Nam Gon, Korean writer and prime minister (b. 1471)
  • 1528 – Balthasar Hübmaier, influential German/Moravian Anabaptist leader (b. 1480)
  • 1572 – William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester (b. c. 1483)
  • 1585 – Rembert Dodoens, Flemish physician and botanist (b. 1517)
  • 1588 – Theodor Zwinger, Swiss physician and scholar (b. 1533)
  • 1670 – Johann Rudolf Glauber, German-Dutch chemist and engineer (b. 1604)
  • 1682 – Jacob van Ruisdael, Dutch painter and etcher (b. 1628)
  • 1724 – Urban Hjärne, Swedish chemist, geologist, and physician (b. 1641)
  • 1776 – Élie Catherine Fréron, French author and critic (b. 1719)
  • 1792 – John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1713)
  • 1823 – George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith, Scottish admiral and politician (b. 1746)
  • 1826 – John Pinkerton, Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, author, numismatist and historian (b. 1758)
  • 1832 – Muzio Clementi, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1752)
  • 1861 – Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet, playwright, and ethnographer (b. 1814)
  • 1872 – Giuseppe Mazzini, Italian journalist and politician (b. 1805)
  • 1898 – Marie-Eugénie de Jésus, French nun and saint, founded the Religious of the Assumption (b. 1817)
  • 1895 – Charles Frederick Worth, English-French fashion designer, founded the House of Worth (b. 1826)
  • 1897 – Savitribai Phule, Indian poet and activist (b. 1831)
  • 1910 – Karl Lueger, Austrian lawyer and politician Mayor of Vienna (b. 1844)
  • 1910 – Carl Reinecke, German pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1824)
  • 1913 – Harriet Tubman, American nurse and activist (b. c.1820)
  • 1925 – Myer Prinstein, Polish-American jumper and lawyer (b. 1878)
  • 1930 – Misuzu Kaneko, Japanese poet and songwriter (b. 1903)
  • 1937 – Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian journalist and author (b. 1884)
  • 1940 – Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian novelist and playwright (b. 1891)
  • 1942 – Wilbur Scoville, American pharmacist and chemist (b. 1865)
  • 1948 – Zelda Fitzgerald, American author, poet, and dancer (b. 1900)
  • 1948 – Jan Masaryk, Czech soldier and politician (b. 1886)
  • 1951 – Kijūrō Shidehara, Japanese lawyer and politician, 44th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1872)
  • 1965 – Archibald Frazer-Nash, English engineer, founded Frazer Nash (b. 1889)
  • 1966 – Frits Zernike, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
  • 1966 – Frank O’Connor, Irish short story writer, novelist, and poet (b. 1903)
  • 1977 – E. Power Biggs, English-American organist and composer (b. 1906)
  • 1982 – Minoru Shirota, Japanese physician and microbiologist, invented Yakult (b. 1899)
  • 1985 – Konstantin Chernenko, Russian soldier and politician, 8th Head of State of The Soviet Union (b. 1911)
  • 1985 – Bob Nieman, American baseball player and scout (b. 1927)
  • 1986 – Ray Milland, Welsh-American actor and director (b. 1905)
  • 1988 – Andy Gibb, Manx-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1958)
  • 1989 – Kermit Beahan, American colonel and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 1990 – Pat McDonald, Australian actress (b. 1921)
  • 1992 – Giorgos Zampetas, Greek bouzouki player and composer (b. 1925)
  • 1995 – Agepê, Brazilian singer/composer (b. 1942)
  • 1996 – Ross Hunter, American film producer (b. 1926)
  • 1997 – LaVern Baker, American singer and actress (b. 1929)
  • 1998 – Lloyd Bridges, American actor and director (b. 1913)
  • 1999 – Oswaldo Guayasamín, Ecuadorian painter and sculptor (b. 1919)
  • 2001 – Massimo Morsello, Italian singer-songwriter (b. 1958)
  • 2004 – Renos Apostolidis, Greek philologist, author, and critic (b. 1924)
  • 2005 – Dave Allen, Irish-English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 2006 – Anna Moffo, American soprano (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – Ernie Ladd, American football player and wrestler (b. 1938)
  • 2010 – Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, Egyptian scholar and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2010 – Corey Haim, Canadian actor (b. 1971)
  • 2011 – Bill Blackbeard, American author and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Bert R. Bulkin, American engineer (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Jean Giraud, French author and illustrator (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – Mykola Plaviuk, Ukrainian politician, President Ukrainian People’s Republic in Exile (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Frank Sherwood Rowland, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Tan Boon Teik, Malaysian-Singaporean lawyer and politician, Attorney-General of Singapore (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Richard Glatzer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1952)
  • 2016 – Ken Adam, German-English production designer and art director (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Roberto Perfumo, Argentinian footballer and sportscaster (b. 1942)
  • 2016 – Jovito Salonga, Filipino lawyer and politician, 14th President of the Senate of the Philippines (b. 1920)
  • 2016 – Anita Brookner, English novelist and art historian (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances  on March 10

  • Christian feast day
    • Attala
    • Harriet Tubman (Lutheran)
    • John Ogilvie
    • Macarius of Jerusalem
    • Marie-Eugénie de Jésus
    • Pope Simplicius
    • Sojourner Truth (Lutheran)
    • March 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Harriet Tubman Day (United States of America)
  • Holocaust Remembrance Day (Bulgaria)
  • National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
  • Tibetan Uprising Day (Tibetan independence movement)

March 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 6- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 12 BCE – The Roman Emperor Augustus is named Pontifex Maximus, incorporating the position into that of the emperor.
  • 632 – The Farewell Sermon (Khutbah, Khutbatul Wada’) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
  • 845 – Execution of the 42 Martyrs of Amorium at Samarra.
  • 961 – Byzantine conquest of Chandax by Nikephoros Phokas, end of the Emirate of Crete.
  • 1204 – The Siege of Château Gaillard ends in a French victory over King John of England, who loses control of Normandy to King Philip II Augustus.
  • 1323 – Treaty of Paris of 1323 is signed.
  • 1454 – Thirteen Years’ War: Delegates of the Prussian Confederation pledge allegiance to King Casimir IV of Poland who agrees to commit his forces in aiding the Confederation’s struggle for independence from the Teutonic Knights.
  • 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Guam.
  • 1665 – The first joint Secretary of the Royal Society, Henry Oldenburg, publishes the first issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the world’s longest-running scientific journal.
  • 1788 – The First Fleet arrives at Norfolk Island in order to found a convict settlement.
  • 1820 – The Missouri Compromise is signed into law by President James Monroe. The compromise allows Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, brings Maine into the Union as a free state, and makes the rest of the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase territory slavery-free.
  • 1834 – York, Upper Canada, is incorporated as Toronto.
  • 1836 – Texas Revolution: Battle of the Alamo: After a thirteen-day siege by an army of 3,000 Mexican troops, the 187 Texas volunteers, including frontiersman Davy Crockett and colonel Jim Bowie, defending the Alamo are killed and the fort is captured.
  • 1857 – The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case.
  • 1869 – Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table to the Russian Chemical Society.
  • 1882 – The Serbian kingdom is re-founded.
  • 1899 – Bayer registers “Aspirin” as a trademark.
  • 1902 – Real Madrid CF is founded.
  • 1912 – Italo-Turkish War: Italian forces become the first to use airships in war, as two dirigibles drop bombs on Turkish troops encamped at Janzur, from an altitude of 6,000 feet.
  • 1921 – Portuguese Communist Party is founded as the Portuguese Section of the Communist International.
  • 1930 – International Unemployment Day demonstrations globally initiated by the Comintern.
  • 1933 – Great Depression: President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares a “bank holiday”, closing all U.S. banks and freezing all financial transactions.
  • 1943 – Norman Rockwell published Freedom from Want in The Saturday Evening Post with a matching essay by Carlos Bulosan as part of the Four Freedoms series.
  • 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, ends with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion, the bulk of the garrison of the town of Grevena, leading to its liberation a fortnight later.
  • 1944 – World War II: Soviet Air Forces bomb an evacuated town of Narva in German-occupied Estonia, destroying the entire historical Swedish-era town.
  • 1945 – World War II: Cologne is captured by American troops. On the same day, Operation Spring Awakening, the last major German offensive of the war, begins.
  • 1946 – Ho Chi Minh signs an agreement with France which recognizes Vietnam as an autonomous state in the Indochinese Federation and the French Union.
  • 1951 – Cold War: The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg begins.
  • 1953 – Georgy Malenkov succeeds Joseph Stalin as Premier of the Soviet Union and First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
  • 1957 – Ghana becomes the first Sub-Saharan country to gain independence from the British.
  • 1964 – Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad officially gives boxing champion Cassius Clay the name Muhammad Ali.
  • 1964 – Constantine II becomes King of Greece.
  • 1965 – Premier Tom Playford of South Australia loses power after 27 years in office.
  • 1967 – Cold War: Joseph Stalin’s daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva defects to the United States.
  • 1968 – Three rebels are executed by Rhodesia, the first executions since UDI, prompting international condemnation.
  • 1970 – An explosion at the Weather Underground safe house in Greenwich Village kills three.
  • 1975 – For the first time the Zapruder film of the assassination of John F. Kennedy is shown in motion to a national TV audience by Robert J. Groden and Dick Gregory.
  • 1975 – Algiers Accord: Iran and Iraq announce a settlement of their border dispute.
  • 1983 – The first United States Football League games are played.
  • 1984 – In the United Kingdom, a walkout at Cortonwood Colliery in Brampton Bierlow signals the start of a strike that lasted almost a year and involved the majority of the country’s miners.
  • 1987 – The British ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes in about 90 seconds, killing 193.
  • 1988 – Three Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers are shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar in Operation Flavius.
  • 1992 – The Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers.
  • 2003 – Air Algérie Flight 6289 crashes at the Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport in Tamanrasset, Algeria, killing 102 out of the 103 people on board.
  • 2008 – A suicide bomber kills 68 people (including first responders) in Baghdad on the same day that a gunman kills eight students in Jerusalem.

Births on March 6

  • 1340 – John of Gaunt (d. 1399)
  • 1405 – John II of Castile (d. 1454)
  • 1459 – Jakob Fugger, German merchant and banker (d. 1525)
  • 1475 – Michelangelo, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1564)
  • 1483 – Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian and politician (d. 1540)
  • 1493 – Juan Luis Vives, Spanish scholar and humanist (d. 1540)
  • 1495 – Luigi Alamanni, Italian poet and diplomat (d. 1556)
  • 1536 – Santi di Tito, Italian painter (d. 1603)
  • 1619 – Cyrano de Bergerac, French author and playwright (d. 1655)
  • 1663 – Francis Atterbury, English bishop and poet (d. 1732)
  • 1706 – George Pocock, English admiral (d. 1792)
  • 1716 – Pehr Kalm, Swedish-Finnish botanist and explorer (d. 1779)
  • 1724 – Henry Laurens, English-American merchant and politician, 5th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1792)
  • 1761 – Antoine-François Andréossy, French general and diplomat (d. 1828)
  • 1779 – Antoine-Henri Jomini, Swiss-French general (d. 1869)
  • 1780 – Lucy Barnes, American writer (d. 1809)
  • 1785 – Karol Kurpiński, Polish composer and conductor (d. 1857)
  • 1787 – Joseph von Fraunhofer, German physicist and astronomer (d. 1826)
  • 1806 – Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English-Italian poet and translator (d. 1861)
  • 1812 – Aaron Lufkin Dennison, American businessman, co-founded the Waltham Watch Company (d. 1895)
  • 1817 – Princess Clémentine of Orléans (d. 1907)
  • 1818 – William Claflin, American businessman and politician, 27th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1905)
  • 1823 – Charles I of Württemberg (d. 1891)
  • 1831 – Philip Sheridan, Irish-American general (d. 1888)
  • 1834 – George du Maurier, French-English author and illustrator (d. 1896)
  • 1841 – Viktor Burenin, Russian author, poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1926)
  • 1849 – Georg Luger, Austrian gun designer, designed the Luger pistol (d. 1923)
  • 1864 – Richard Rushall, British businessman (d. 1953)
  • 1870 – Oscar Straus, Viennese composer and conductor (d. 1954)
  • 1871 – Afonso Costa, Portuguese lawyer and politician, 59th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1937)
  • 1872 – Ben Harney, American pianist and composer (d. 1938)
  • 1879 – Jimmy Hunter, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1962)
  • 1882 – F. Burrall Hoffman, American architect, co-designed Villa Vizcaya (d. 1980)
  • 1882 – Guy Kibbee, American actor and singer (d. 1956)
  • 1884 – Molla Mallory, Norwegian-American tennis player (d. 1959)
  • 1885 – Ring Lardner, American journalist and author (d. 1933)
  • 1886 – Jam Handy, American swimmer and water polo player (d. 1983)
  • 1886 – Nella Walker, American actress and vaudevillian (d. 1971)
  • 1892 – Bert Smith, English international footballer, right half (d. 1969)
  • 1893 – Furry Lewis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – Ella P. Stewart, pioneering Black American pharmacist (d. 1987)
  • 1895 – Albert Tessier, Canadian priest and historian (d. 1976)
  • 1898 – Gus Sonnenberg, American football player and wrestler (d. 1944)
  • 1900 – Gina Cigna, French-Italian soprano and actress (d. 2001)
  • 1900 – Lefty Grove, American baseball player (d. 1975)
  • 1900 – Henri Jeanson, French journalist and author (d. 1970)
  • 1903 – Empress Kōjun of Japan (d. 2000)
  • 1904 – José Antonio Aguirre, Spanish lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Basque Country (d. 1960)
  • 1905 – Bob Wills, American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1975)
  • 1906 – Lou Costello, American actor and comedian (d. 1959)
  • 1909 – Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 1987)
  • 1909 – Stanisław Jerzy Lec, Polish poet and author (d. 1966)
  • 1910 – Ella Logan, Scottish-American singer and actress (d. 1969)
  • 1912 – Mohammed Burhanuddin, Indian spiritual leader, 52nd Da’i al-Mutlaq (d. 2014)
  • 1917 – Donald Davidson, American philosopher and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Will Eisner, American illustrator and publisher (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Frankie Howerd, English comedian (d. 1992)
  • 1918 – Howard McGhee, American trumpeter (d. 1987)
  • 1920 – Lewis Gilbert, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1921 – Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American holocaust survivor and author (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Ed McMahon, American comedian, game show host, and announcer (d. 2009)
  • 1923 – Wes Montgomery, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1968)
  • 1924 – Ottmar Walter, German footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – William H. Webster, American lawyer and jurist, 14th Director of Central Intelligence
  • 1926 – Ann Curtis, American swimmer (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Alan Greenspan, American economist and politician
  • 1926 – Ray O’Connor, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of Western Australia (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Andrzej Wajda, Polish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – William J. Bell, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – Gordon Cooper, American engineer, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2004)
  • 1927 – Gabriel García Márquez, Colombian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Tom Foley, American lawyer and politician, 57th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – David Sheppard, English cricketer and bishop (d. 2005)
  • 1930 – Lorin Maazel, French-American violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Marc Bazin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 49th President of Haiti (d. 2010)
  • 1932 – Bronisław Geremek, Polish historian and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2008)
  • 1933 – Ted Abernathy, American baseball player (d. 2004)
  • 1933 – William Davis, German-English journalist and economist (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Augusto Odone, Italian economist and inventor of Lorenzo’s oil (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Red Simpson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Ron Delany, Irish runner and coach
  • 1935 – Derek Kevan, English footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Bob Akin, American race car driver and journalist (d. 2002)
  • 1936 – Marion Barry, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Mayor of the District of Columbia (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Choummaly Sayasone, Laotian politician, 5th President of Laos
  • 1937 – Ivan Boesky, American businessman
  • 1937 – Valentina Tereshkova, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1938 – Keishu Tanaka, Japanese politician, 17th Japanese Minister of Justice
  • 1939 – Kit Bond, American lawyer and politician, 47th Governor of Missouri
  • 1939 – Adam Osborne, Thai-Indian engineer and businessman, founded the Osborne Computer Corporation (d. 2003)
  • 1940 – Ken Danby, Canadian painter (d. 2007)
  • 1940 – Joanna Miles, French-born American actress
  • 1940 – R. H. Sikes, American golfer
  • 1940 – Willie Stargell, American baseball player and coach (d. 2001)
  • 1940 – Jeff Wooller, English accountant and banker
  • 1941 – Peter Brötzmann, German saxophonist and clarinet player
  • 1941 – Marilyn Strathern, Welsh anthropologist and academic
  • 1942 – Ben Murphy, American actor
  • 1944 – Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (d. 2015)
  • 1944 – Kiri Te Kanawa, New Zealand soprano and actress
  • 1944 – Mary Wilson, American singer
  • 1945 – Angelo Castro, Jr., Filipino actor and journalist (d. 2012)
  • 1946 – David Gilmour, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1946 – Richard Noble, Scottish race car driver and businessman
  • 1947 – Kiki Dee, English singer-songwriter
  • 1947 – Dick Fosbury, American high jumper
  • 1947 – Anna Maria Horsford, American actress
  • 1947 – Rob Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and activist
  • 1947 – Jean Seaton, English historian and academic
  • 1947 – John Stossel, American journalist and author
  • 1948 – Stephen Schwartz, American composer and producer
  • 1949 – Shaukat Aziz, Pakistani economist and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Pakistan
  • 1949 – Martin Buchan, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1950 – Arthur Roche, English archbishop
  • 1951 – Gerrie Knetemann, Dutch cyclist (d. 2004)
  • 1952 – Denis Napthine, Australian politician, 47th Premier of Victoria
  • 1953 – Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepali banker and politician, 34th Prime Minister of Nepal
  • 1953 – Carolyn Porco, American astronomer and academic
  • 1953 – Phil Alvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Jeff Greenwald, American author, photographer, and monologist
  • 1954 – Harald Schumacher, German footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician, 5th President of Burundi (d. 1994)
  • 1955 – Alberta Watson, Canadian actress (d. 2015)
  • 1956 – Peter Roebuck, English cricketer, journalist, and sportcaster (d. 2011)
  • 1956 – Steve Vizard, Australian television host, actor, and producer
  • 1960 – Sleepy Floyd, American basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Alison Nicholas, British golfer
  • 1963 – D. L. Hughley, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Linda Pearson, Scottish sport shooter
  • 1965 – Allan Bateman, Welsh rugby player
  • 1965 – Jim Knight, English politician
  • 1966 – Alan Davies, English comedian, actor and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Julio Bocca, Argentinian ballet dancer and director
  • 1967 – Connie Britton, American actress
  • 1967 – Glenn Greenwald, American journalist and author
  • 1967 – Shuler Hensley, American actor and singer
  • 1968 – Moira Kelly, American actress and director
  • 1971 – Darrick Martin, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Shaquille O’Neal, American basketball player, actor, and rapper
  • 1972 – Jaret Reddick, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1973 – Michael Finley, American basketball player
  • 1973 – Peter Lindgren, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
  • 1973 – Greg Ostertag, American basketball player
  • 1973 – Trent Willmon, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – Guy Garvey, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – Matthew Guy, Australian politician
  • 1974 – Brad Schumacher, American swimmer
  • 1974 – Beanie Sigel, American rapper
  • 1975 – Aracely Arámbula, Mexican actress and singer
  • 1975 – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Canadian pianist and conductor
  • 1976 – Ken Anderson, American wrestler and actor
  • 1977 – Nantie Hayward, South African cricketer
  • 1977 – Giorgos Karagounis, Greek international footballer, midfielder
  • 1977 – Shabani Nonda, DR Congolese footballer
  • 1977 – Marcus Thames, American baseball player and coach
  • 1978 – Sage Rosenfels, American football player
  • 1978 – Chad Wicks, American wrestler
  • 1979 – Clint Barmes, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Érik Bédard, Canadian baseball player
  • 1979 – David Flair, American wrestler
  • 1979 – Tim Howard, American soccer player
  • 1980 – Emílson Cribari, Brazilian footballer
  • 1981 – Ellen Muth, American actress
  • 1983 – Andranik Teymourian, Armenian-Iranian footballer
  • 1984 – Daniël de Ridder, Dutch footballer
  • 1984 – Eskil Pedersen, Norwegian politician
  • 1984 – Chris Tomson, American drummer
  • 1985 – Bakaye Traoré, French-Malian footballer
  • 1986 – Jake Arrieta, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Francisco Cervelli, Venezuelan-Italian baseball player
  • 1986 – Ross Detwiler, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Eli Marienthal, American actor
  • 1986 – Charlie Mulgrew, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – Kevin-Prince Boateng, Ghanaian-German footballer
  • 1987 – José Manuel Flores, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Agnes Carlsson, Swedish singer
  • 1988 – Marina Erakovic, New Zealand tennis player
  • 1988 – Simon Mignolet, Belgian footballer
  • 1989 – Agnieszka Radwańska, Polish tennis player
  • 1990 – Derek Drouin, Canadian athlete
  • 1991 – Lex Luger, American keyboard player and producer
  • 1991 – Emma McDougall, English footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1991 – Tyler Gregory Okonma, American rapper
  • 1993 – Andrés Rentería, Colombian footballer
  • 1994 – Nathan Redmond, English footballer
  • 1994 – Marcus Smart, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Wesley Hoedt, Dutch footballer
  • 1995 – Georgi Kitanov, Bulgarian footballer
  • 1996 – Christian Coleman, American sprinter
  • 1996 – Tyrell Fuimaono, Australian rugby player
  • 1996 – Timo Werner, German footballer

Deaths on March 6

  • 190 – Liu Bian (poisoned by Dong Zhuo) (b. 176)
  • 653 – Li Ke, prince of the Tang Dynasty (b. 619)
  • 766 – Chrodegang, Frankish bishop and saint
  • 903 – Lu Guangqi, Chinese official and chancellor
  • 903 – Su Jian, Chinese official and chancellor
  • 1070 – Ulric I, Margrave of Carniola
  • 1251 – Rose of Viterbo, Italian saint (b. 1235)
  • 1353 – Roger Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Ruthyn
  • 1466 – Alvise Loredan, Venetian admiral and statesman (b. 1393)
  • 1490 – Ivan the Young, Ruler of Tver (b. 1458)
  • 1491 – Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers
  • 1531 – Pedro Arias Dávila, Spanish explorer and diplomat (b. 1440)
  • 1616 – Francis Beaumont, English playwright (b. 1584)
  • 1754 – Henry Pelham, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1694)
  • 1758 – Henry Vane, 1st Earl of Darlington, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Durham (b. 1705)
  • 1764 – Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom (b. 1690)
  • 1796 – Guillaume Thomas François Raynal, French historian and author (b. 1713)
  • 1836 – Deaths at the Battle of the Alamo:
    • James Bonham, American lawyer and soldier (b. 1807)
    • James Bowie, American colonel (b. 1796)
    • Davy Crockett, American soldier and politician (b. 1786)
    • William B. Travis, American lieutenant colonel and lawyer (b. 1809)
  • 1854 – Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, Irish colonel and diplomat, Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (b. 1778)
  • 1866 – William Whewell, English priest, historian, and philosopher (b. 1794)
  • 1867 – Charles Farrar Browne, American-English author and educator (b. 1834)
  • 1888 – Louisa May Alcott, American novelist and poet (b. 1832)
  • 1895 – Camilla Collett, Norwegian novelist and activist (b. 1813)
  • 1899 – Kaʻiulani of Hawaii (b. 1875)
  • 1900 – Gottlieb Daimler, German engineer and businessman, co-founded Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (b. 1834)
  • 1905 – John Henninger Reagan, American surveyor, judge, and politician, 3rd Confederate States of America Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1818)
  • 1905 – Makar Yekmalyan, Armenian composer (b. 1856)
  • 1919 – Oskars Kalpaks, Latvian colonel (b. 1882)
  • 1920 – Ömer Seyfettin, Turkish author and educator (b. 1884)
  • 1932 – John Philip Sousa, American conductor and composer (b. 1854)
  • 1933 – Anton Cermak, Czech-American lawyer and politician, 44th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1873)
  • 1935 – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., American colonel, lawyer, and jurist (b. 1841)
  • 1939 – Ferdinand von Lindemann, German mathematician and academic (b. 1852)
  • 1941 – Francis Aveling, Canadian priest, psychologist, and author (b. 1875)
  • 1941 – Gutzon Borglum, American sculptor and academic, designed Mount Rushmore (b. 1867)
  • 1948 – Ross Lockridge, Jr., American author, poet, and academic (b. 1914)
  • 1948 – Alice Woodby McKane, First Black woman doctor in Savannah, Georgia (b. 1865)
  • 1950 – Albert François Lebrun, French engineer and politician, 15th President of France (b. 1871)
  • 1951 – Ivor Novello, Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1893)
  • 1951 – Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Ukrainian playwright and politician, Prime Minister of Ukraine (b. 1880)
  • 1952 – Jürgen Stroop, German general (b. 1895)
  • 1955 – Mammad Amin Rasulzade, Azerbaijani scholar and politician (b. 1884)
  • 1961 – George Formby, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1904)
  • 1964 – Paul of Greece (b. 1901)
  • 1965 – Margaret Dumont, American actress (b. 1889)
  • 1967 – John Haden Badley, English author and educator, founded the Bedales School (b. 1865)
  • 1967 – Nelson Eddy, American actor and singer (b. 1901)
  • 1967 – Zoltán Kodály, Hungarian composer, linguist, and philosopher (b. 1882)
  • 1970 – William Hopper, American actor (b. 1915)
  • 1973 – Pearl S. Buck, American novelist, essayist, short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
  • 1974 – Ernest Becker, American anthropologist and author (b. 1924)
  • 1976 – Maxie Rosenbloom, American boxer (b. 1903)
  • 1977 – Alvin R. Dyer, American religious leader (b. 1903)
  • 1978 – Dennis Viollet, English-American soccer player and manager (b. 1933)
  • 1981 – George Geary, English cricketer and coach (b. 1893)
  • 1981 – Rambhau Mhalgi, Indian politician and member of the Lok Sabha (b. 9 July 1921)
  • 1982 – Ayn Rand, Russian-American philosopher, author, and playwright (b. 1905)
  • 1984 – Billy Collins, Jr., American boxer (b. 1961)
  • 1984 – Martin Niemöller, German pastor and theologian (b. 1892)
  • 1984 – Homer N. Wallin, American admiral (b. 1893)
  • 1984 – Henry Wilcoxon, Dominican-American actor and producer (b. 1905)
  • 1986 – Georgia O’Keeffe, American painter (b. 1887)
  • 1988 – Mairéad Farrell, Provisional IRA volunteer (b. 1957)
  • 1988 – Daniel McCann, Provisional IRA volunteer (b. 1957)
  • 1988 – Seán Savage, Provisional IRA volunteer (b. 1965)
  • 1994 – Melina Mercouri, Greek actress and politician, 9th Greek Minister of Culture (b. 1920)
  • 1997 – Cheddi Jagan, Guyanese politician, 4th President of Guyana (b. 1918)
  • 1997 – Michael Manley, Jamaican soldier, pilot, and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Jamaica (b. 1924)
  • 1997 – Ursula Torday, English author (b. 1912)
  • 1999 – Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Bahrain king (b. 1933)
  • 2000 – John Colicos, Canadian actor (b. 1928)
  • 2002 – Bryan Fogarty, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1969)
  • 2004 – Hercules, American wrestler (b. 1957)
  • 2004 – Frances Dee, American actress (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Hans Bethe, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
  • 2005 – Danny Gardella, American baseball player and trainer (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Tommy Vance, English radio host (b. 1943)
  • 2005 – Teresa Wright, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 2005 – Gladys Marín, Chilean activist and political figure. (b.1938)
  • 2006 – Anne Braden, American journalist and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Kirby Puckett, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1960)
  • 2007 – Jean Baudrillard, French photographer and theorist (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Ernest Gallo, American businessman, co-founded E & J Gallo Winery (b. 1909)
  • 2008 – Peter Poreku Dery, Ghanaian cardinal (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – Francis Magalona, Filipino rapper, producer, and actor (b. 1964)
  • 2010 – Endurance Idahor, Nigerian footballer (b. 1984)
  • 2010 – Mark Linkous, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1962)
  • 2010 – Betty Millard, American philanthropist and activist (b. 1911)
  • 2012 – Francisco Xavier do Amaral, East Timorese politician, 1st President of East Timor (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Donald M. Payne, American businessman and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Helen Walulik, American baseball player (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Chorão, Brazilian singer-songwriter (Charlie Brown Jr.) (b. 1970)
  • 2013 – Stompin’ Tom Connors, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Alvin Lee, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
  • 2013 – W. Wallace Cleland, American biochemist and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Alemayehu Atomsa, Ethiopian educator and politician (b. 1969)
  • 2014 – Frank Jobe, American soldier and surgeon (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Sheila MacRae, English-American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Martin Nesbitt, American lawyer and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Manlio Sgalambro, Italian philosopher, author, and poet (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Fred Craddock, American minister and academic (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Ram Sundar Das, Indian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Minister of Bihar (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Enrique “Coco” Vicéns, Puerto Rican-American basketball player and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2016 – Nancy Reagan, American actress, 42nd First Lady of the United States (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Sheila Varian, American horse trainer and breeder (b. 1937)
  • 2017 – Robert Osborne, American actor and historian (b. 1932)
  • 2018 – Peter Nicholls, Australian science fiction critic and encyclopedist (b. 1939)

Holidays and observances on March 6

  • Christian feast day:
    • Chrodegang
    • Colette
    • Fridolin
    • Kyneburga, Kyneswide and Tibba
    • Marcian of Tortona
    • William W. Mayo and Charles Frederick Menninger (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Olegarius
    • March 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • European Day of the Righteous, commemorates those who have stood up against crimes against humanity and totalitarism with their own moral responsibility. (Europe)
  • Foundation Day (Norfolk Island), the founding of Norfolk Island in 1788.
  • Independence Day (Ghana), celebrates the independence of Ghana from the UK in 1957.
  • The Day of the Dude, celebrated by the adherents of Dudeism

March 6- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

March 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 363 – Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sasanian Empire, in a campaign which would bring about his own death.
  • 1046 – Nasir Khusraw begins the seven-year Middle Eastern journey which he will later describe in his book Safarnama.
  • 1279 – The Livonian Order is defeated in the Battle of Aizkraukle by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
  • 1496 – King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to John Cabot and his sons, authorising them to explore unknown lands.
  • 1616 – Nicolaus Copernicus’s book On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres is added to the Index of Forbidden Books 73 years after it was first published.
  • 1766 – Antonio de Ulloa, the first Spanish governor of Louisiana, arrives in New Orleans.
  • 1770 – Boston Massacre: Five Americans, including Crispus Attucks, are fatally shot by British troops in an event that would contribute to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War (also known as the American War of Independence) five years later.
  • 1811 – Peninsular War: A French force under the command of Marshal Victor is routed while trying to prevent an Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese army from lifting the Siege of Cádiz in the Battle of Barrosa.
  • 1824 – First Anglo-Burmese War: The British officially declare war on Burma.
  • 1836 – Samuel Colt patents the first production-model revolver, the .34-caliber.
  • 1850 – The Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales is opened.
  • 1860 – Parma, Tuscany, Modena and Romagna vote in referendums to join the Kingdom of Sardinia.
  • 1868 – Mefistofele, an opera by Arrigo Boito, receives its premiere performance at La Scala.
  • 1872 – George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
  • 1906 – Moro Rebellion: United States Army troops bring overwhelming force against the native Moros in the First Battle of Bud Dajo, leaving only six survivors.
  • 1912 – Italo-Turkish War: Italian forces are the first to use airships for military purposes, employing them for reconnaissance behind Turkish lines.
  • 1931 – The British Raj: Gandhi–Irwin Pact is signed.
  • 1933 – Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party receives 43.9% at the Reichstag elections, which allows the Nazis to later pass the Enabling Act and establish a dictatorship.
  • 1936 – First flight of K5054, the first prototype Supermarine Spitfire advanced monoplane fighter aircraft in the United Kingdom.
  • 1940 – Six high-ranking members of Soviet politburo, including Joseph Stalin, sign an order for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs, in what will become known as the Katyn massacre.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces capture Batavia, capital of Dutch East Indies, which is left undefended after the withdrawal of the KNIL garrison and Australian Blackforce battalion to Buitenzorg and Bandung.
  • 1943 – First Flight of the Gloster Meteor, Britain’s first combat jet aircraft.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Red Army begins the Uman–Botoșani Offensive in the western Ukrainian SSR.
  • 1946 – Cold War: Winston Churchill coins the phrase “Iron Curtain” in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri.
  • 1953 – Joseph Stalin, the longest serving leader of the Soviet Union, dies at his Volynskoe dacha in Moscow after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage four days earlier.
  • 1960 – Indonesian President Sukarno dismissed the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR), 1955 democratically elected parliament, and replaced with DPR-GR, the parliament of his own selected members.
  • 1963 – American country music stars Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and their pilot Randy Hughes are killed in a plane crash in Camden, Tennessee.
  • 1965 – March Intifada: A Leftist uprising erupts in Bahrain against British colonial presence.
  • 1966 – BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707 aircraft, breaks apart in mid-air due to clear-air turbulence and crashes into Mount Fuji, Japan, killing all 124 people on board.
  • 1970 – The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations.
  • 1974 – Yom Kippur War: Israeli forces withdraw from the west bank of the Suez Canal.
  • 1978 – The Landsat 3 is launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
  • 1979 – Soviet probes Venera 11, Venera 12 and the German-American solar satellite Helios II all are hit by “off the scale” gamma rays leading to the discovery of soft gamma repeaters.
  • 1981 – The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, is launched by Sinclair Research and would go on to sell over 1​1⁄2 million units around the world.
  • 1982 – Soviet probe Venera 14 lands on Venus.
  • 2003 – In Haifa, 17 Israeli civilians are killed in the Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing.
  • 2012 – Tropical Storm Irina kills over 75 as it passes through Madagascar.

Births on March 5

  • 1133 – Henry II of England (d. 1189)
  • 1224 – Saint Kinga of Poland (d. 1292)
  • 1324 – David II of Scotland (d. 1371)
  • 1326 – Louis I of Hungary (d. 1382)
  • 1340 – Cansignorio della Scala, Lord of Verona (d. 1375)
  • 1451 – William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English Earl (d. 1491)
  • 1512 – Gerardus Mercator, Flemish mathematician, cartographer, and philosopher (d. 1594)
  • 1523 – Rodrigo de Castro Osorio, Spanish cardinal (d. 1600)
  • 1527 – Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg (d. 1603)
  • 1539 – Christoph Pezel, German theologian (d. 1604)
  • 1563 – John Coke, English civil servant and politician (d. 1644)
  • 1575 – William Oughtred, English minister and mathematician (d. 1660)
  • 1585 – John George I, Elector of Saxony (d. 1656)
  • 1585 – Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg (d. 1638)
  • 1637 – Jan van der Heyden, Dutch painter and engineer (d. 1712)
  • 1658 – Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, French explorer and politician, 3rd Colonial Governor of Louisiana (d. 1730)
  • 1693 – Johann Jakob Wettstein, Swiss theologian and scholar (d. 1754)
  • 1696 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian painter (d. 1770)
  • 1703 – Vasily Trediakovsky, Russian poet and playwright (d. 1768)
  • 1713 – Edward Cornwallis, English general and politician, Governor of Gibraltar (d. 1776)
  • 1713 – Frederick Cornwallis, English archbishop (d. 1783)
  • 1723 – Princess Mary of Great Britain (d. 1773)
  • 1733 – Vincenzo Galeotti, Italian-Danish dancer and choreographer (d. 1816)
  • 1739 – Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge, American colonel and physician (d. 1819)
  • 1748 – Jonas Carlsson Dryander, Swedish botanist and biologist (d. 1810)
  • 1748 – William Shield, English violinist and composer (d. 1829)
  • 1750 – Jean-Baptiste-Gaspard d’Ansse de Villoison, French scholar and academic (d. 1805)
  • 1751 – Jan Křtitel Kuchař, Czech organist, composer, and educator (d. 1829)
  • 1774 – Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse, Danish organist and composer (d. 1842)
  • 1779 – Benjamin Gompertz, English mathematician and statistician (d. 1865)
  • 1785 – Carlo Odescalchi, Italian cardinal (d. 1841)
  • 1794 – Jacques Babinet, French physicist, mathematician, and astronomer (d. 1872)
  • 1794 – Robert Cooper Grier, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1870)
  • 1814 – Wilhelm von Giesebrecht, German historian and academic (d. 1889)
  • 1800 – Georg Friedrich Daumer, German poet and philosopher (d. 1875)
  • 1815 – John Wentworth, American journalist and politician, 19th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1888)
  • 1817 – Austen Henry Layard, English archaeologist, academic, and politician, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (d. 1894)
  • 1830 – Étienne-Jules Marey, French physiologist and chronophotographer (d. 1904)
  • 1830 – Charles Wyville Thomson, Scottish historian and zoologist (d. 1882)
  • 1834 – Félix de Blochausen, Luxembourgian politician, 6th Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 1915)
  • 1834 – Marietta Piccolomini, Italian soprano (d. 1899)
  • 1853 – Howard Pyle, American author and illustrator (d. 1911)
  • 1862 – Siegbert Tarrasch, German chess player and theoretician (d. 1934)
  • 1867 – Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 14th Premier of Quebec (d. 1952)
  • 1869 – Michael von Faulhaber, German cardinal (d. 1952)
  • 1870 – Frank Norris, American journalist and author (d. 1902)
  • 1870 – Evgeny Paton, French-Ukrainian engineer (d. 1953)
  • 1871 – Rosa Luxemburg, Polish-Russian economist and philosopher (d. 1919)
  • 1871 – Konstantinos Pallis, Greek general and politician, Minister Governor-General of Macedonia (d. 1941)
  • 1873 – Olav Bjaaland, Norwegian skier and explorer (d. 1961)
  • 1874 – Henry Travers, English-American actor (d. 1965)
  • 1875 – Harry Lawson, Australian politician, 27th Premier of Victoria (d. 1952)
  • 1876 – Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote, English lawyer and politician, 8th Lord Chief Justice of England (d. 1947)
  • 1876 – Elisabeth Moore, American tennis player (d. 1959)
  • 1879 – William Beveridge, Bangladeshi-English economist and academic (d. 1963)
  • 1879 – Andres Larka, Estonian general and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of War (d. 1943)
  • 1880 – Sergei Natanovich Bernstein, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1968)
  • 1882 – Dora Marsden, English author and activist (d. 1960)
  • 1883 – Pauline Sperry, American mathematician (d. 1967)
  • 1885 – Marius Barbeau, Canadian ethnographer and academic (d. 1969)
  • 1886 – Dong Biwu, Chinese judge and politician, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1975)
  • 1886 – Freddie Welsh, Welsh boxer (d. 1927)
  • 1887 – Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian guitarist and composer (d. 1959)
  • 1894 – Henry Daniell, English-American actor (d. 1963)
  • 1898 – Zhou Enlai, Chinese politician, 1st Premier of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1976)
  • 1898 – Misao Okawa, Japanese super-centenarian (d. 2015)
  • 1900 – Lilli Jahn, Jewish German doctor (d. 1944)
  • 1900 – Johanna Langefeld, German guard and supervisor of three Nazi concentration camps (d. 1974)
  • 1901 – Friedrich Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg (d. 1971)
  • 1901 – Julian Przyboś, Polish poet, essayist and translator (d. 1970)
  • 1904 – Karl Rahner, German priest and theologian (d. 1984)
  • 1905 – László Benedek, Hungarian-American director and cinematographer (d. 1992)
  • 1908 – Fritz Fischer, German historian and author (d. 1999)
  • 1908 – Irving Fiske, American author and playwright (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – Rex Harrison, English actor (d. 1990)
  • 1910 – Momofuku Ando, Taiwanese-Japanese businessman, founded Nissin Foods (d. 2007)
  • 1910 – Ennio Flaiano, Italian author, screenwriter, and critic (d. 1972)
  • 1912 – Jack Marshall, New Zealand colonel, lawyer, and politician, 28th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1988)
  • 1915 – Henry Hicks, Canadian academic and politician, 16th Premier of Nova Scotia (d. 1990)
  • 1915 – Laurent Schwartz, French mathematician and academic (d. 2002)
  • 1918 – Milt Schmidt, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2017)
  • 1918 – Red Storey, Canadian football player, referee, and sportscaster (d. 2006)
  • 1918 – James Tobin, American economist and academic (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – José Aboulker, Algerian surgeon and activist (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Virginia Christine, American actress (d. 1996)
  • 1920 – Rachel Gurney, English actress (d. 2001)
  • 1920 – Wang Zengqi, Chinese writer (d. 1997)
  • 1921 – Elmer Valo, American baseball player and coach (d. 1998)
  • 1922 – James Noble, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1922 – Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1975)
  • 1923 – Juan A. Rivero, Puerto Rican biologist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Laurence Tisch, American businessman, co-founded the Loews Corporation (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Roger Marche, French footballer (d. 1997)
  • 1927 – Jack Cassidy, American actor and singer (d. 1976)
  • 1927 – Robert Lindsay, 29th Earl of Crawford, Scottish businessman and politician
  • 1928 – J. Hillis Miller, American academic and critic
  • 1929 – Erik Carlsson, Swedish race car driver (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – J. B. Lenoir, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1967)
  • 1930 – John Ashley, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (d. 2008)
  • 1930 – Del Crandall, American baseball player and manager
  • 1931 – Fred, French author and illustrator (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Barry Tuckwell, Australian horn player and educator (d. 2020)
  • 1932 – Paul Sand, American actor
  • 1933 – Walter Kasper, German cardinal and theologian
  • 1934 – Daniel Kahneman, Israeli-American economist and psychologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1935 – Letizia Battaglia, Italian photographer and journalist
  • 1935 – Philip K. Chapman, Australian-American astronaut and engineer
  • 1936 – Canaan Banana, Zimbabwean minister and politician, 1st President of Zimbabwe (d. 2003)
  • 1936 – Dale Douglass, American golfer
  • 1936 – Dean Stockwell, American actor
  • 1937 – Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerian general and politician, 5th President of Nigeria
  • 1938 – Paul Evans, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1938 – Lynn Margulis, American biologist and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – Fred Williamson, American football player, actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1939 – Samantha Eggar, English actress
  • 1939 – Tony Rundle, Australian politician, 40th Premier of Tasmania
  • 1939 – Benyamin Sueb, Indonesian actor and comedian (d. 1995)
  • 1939 – Peter Woodcock, Canadian serial killer (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Pierre Wynants, Belgian chef
  • 1940 – Tom Butler, English bishop
  • 1940 – Ken Irvine, Australian rugby league player (d. 1990)
  • 1940 – Graham McRae, New Zealand race car driver
  • 1940 – Sepp Piontek, German footballer and manager
  • 1941 – Des Wilson, New Zealand-English businessman and activist
  • 1942 – Felipe González, Spanish lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Spain
  • 1942 – Mike Resnick, American author and editor (d. 2020)
  • 1942 – David Watkins, Welsh rugby player
  • 1943 – Lucio Battisti, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1998)
  • 1944 – Peter Brandes, Danish painter and sculptor
  • 1944 – Roy Gutman, American journalist and author
  • 1945 – Wilf Tranter, English footballer
  • 1946 – Richard Bell, Canadian pianist (d. 2007)
  • 1946 – Guerrino Boatto, Italian illustrator and painter (d. 2018)
  • 1946 – Graham Hawkins, English footballer and manager (d. 2016)
  • 1946 – Murray Head, English actor and singer
  • 1947 – Clodagh Rodgers, Northern Irish singer and actress
  • 1947 – Kent Tekulve, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1948 – Paquirri, Spanish bullfighter (d. 1984)
  • 1948 – Eddy Grant, Guyanese-British singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1948 – Richard Hickox, English conductor and scholar (d. 2008)
  • 1948 – Elaine Paige, English singer and actress
  • 1948 – Jan van Beveren, Dutch footballer and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1949 – Bernard Arnault, French businessman, philanthropist, and art collector
  • 1949 – Franz Josef Jung, German lawyer and politician, German Federal Minister of Defence
  • 1949 – Tom Russell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Rodney Hogg, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1952 – Petar Borota, Serbian footballer and coach (d. 2010)
  • 1952 – Mike Squires, American baseball player and scout
  • 1953 – Katarina Frostenson, Swedish poet and author
  • 1953 – Michael J. Sandel, American philosopher and academic
  • 1953 – Tokyo Sexwale, South African businessman and politician, 1st Premier of Gauteng
  • 1954 – Marsha Warfield, American actress
  • 1954 – João Lourenço, Angolan president
  • 1955 – Penn Jillette, American magician, actor, and author
  • 1956 – Teena Marie, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1956 – Christopher Snowden, English engineer and academic
  • 1957 – Mark E. Smith, English singer, songwriter and musician (d. 2018)
  • 1957 – Ray Suarez, American journalist and author
  • 1958 – Volodymyr Bezsonov, Ukrainian footballer and manager
  • 1958 – Bob Forward, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Andy Gibb, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1988)
  • 1959 – Vazgen Sargsyan, Armenian colonel and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Armenia (d. 1999)
  • 1960 – Paul Drayson, Baron Drayson, English businessman and politician, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology
  • 1963 – Joel Osteen, American pastor, author, and television host
  • 1964 – Bertrand Cantat, French singer-songwriter
  • 1964 – Gerald Vanenburg, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1965 – José Semedo, Portuguese footballer and coach
  • 1966 – Oh Eun-sun, South Korean mountaineer
  • 1966 – Bob Halkidis, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1966 – Michael Irvin, American football player, sportscaster, and actor
  • 1966 – Aasif Mandvi, Indian-American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Zachery Stevens, American singer-songwriter
  • 1968 – Gordon Bajnai, Hungarian businessman and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Hungary
  • 1968 – Theresa Villiers, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1969 – Paul Blackthorne, English actor and producer
  • 1969 – Danny King, English author and playwright
  • 1969 – Moussa Saïb, Algerian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – M.C. Solaar, Afro-French rapper
  • 1970 – Mike Brown, American basketball player and coach
  • 1970 – John Frusciante, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1970 – Yuu Watase, Japanese illustrator
  • 1971 – Greg Berry, English footballer and coach
  • 1971 – Jeffrey Hammonds, American baseball player and scout
  • 1971 – Yuri Lowenthal, American voice actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Filip Meirhaeghe, Belgian cyclist
  • 1971 – Mark Protheroe, Australian rugby league player
  • 1973 – Yannis Anastasiou, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Nelly Arcan, Canadian author (d. 2009)
  • 1973 – Juan Esnáider, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Ryan Franklin, American baseball player
  • 1973 – Nicole Pratt, Australian tennis player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Špela Pretnar, Slovenian skier
  • 1974 – Kevin Connolly, American actor and director
  • 1974 – Jens Jeremies, German footballer
  • 1974 – Eva Mendes, American model and actress
  • 1975 – Luciano Burti, Brazilian race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Sasho Petrovski, Australian footballer
  • 1975 – Chris Silverwood, English cricketer and coach
  • 1976 – Neil Jackson, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1976 – Paul Konerko, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Norm Maxwell, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1977 – Taismary Agüero, Cuban-Italian volleyball player
  • 1978 – Jared Crouch, Australian footballer
  • 1978 – Mike Hessman, American baseball player and coach
  • 1978 – Kimberly McCullough, American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1978 – Carlos Ochoa, Mexican footballer
  • 1979 – Martin Axenrot, Swedish drummer
  • 1979 – Lee Mears, English rugby player
  • 1980 – Shay Carl, American businessman, co-founded Maker Studios
  • 1981 – Barret Jackman, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Paul Martin, American ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Dan Carter, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1982 – Philipp Haastrup, German footballer
  • 1983 – Édgar Dueñas, Mexican footballer
  • 1984 – Branko Cvetković, Serbian basketball player
  • 1984 – Guillaume Hoarau, French footballer
  • 1985 – David Marshall, Scottish footballer
  • 1985 – Brad Mills, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Kenichi Matsuyama, Japanese actor
  • 1986 – Alexandre Barthe, French footballer
  • 1986 – Matty Fryatt, English footballer
  • 1987 – Anna Chakvetadze, Russian tennis player
  • 1987 – Chris Cohen, English footballer
  • 1988 – Liassine Cadamuro-Bentaïba, Algerian footballer
  • 1990 – Danny Drinkwater, English footballer
  • 1990  – Mason Plumlee, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Alex Smithies, English footballer
  • 1991 – Ramiro Funes Mori, Argentinian footballer
  • 1991 – Daniil Trifonov, Russian pianist and composer
  • 1993 – El Hadji Ba, French footballer
  • 1993 – Joshua Coyne, American violinist and composer
  • 1993 – Harry Maguire, English footballer
  • 1994 – Daria Gavrilova, Russian-Australian tennis player
  • 1994 – Kyle Schwarber, American baseball player
  • 1996 – Taylor Hill, American model
  • 1996 – Emmanuel Mudiay, Congolese basketball player
  • 1997 – Milena Venega, Cuban rower
  • 1998 – Bo Bichette, American baseball player
  • 1999 – Madison Beer, American singer, songwriter and producer.
  • 2007 – Roman Griffin Davis, British actor, second youngest Golden Globe recipient.

Deaths on March 5

  • 254 – Pope Lucius I (b. 200)
  • 824 – Suppo I, Frankish nobleman
  • 1239 – Hermann Balk, German knight
  • 1410 – Matthew of Kraków, Polish reformer (b. 1335)
  • 1417 – Manuel III Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1364)
  • 1534 – Antonio da Correggio, Italian painter and educator (b. 1489)
  • 1539 – Nuno da Cunha, Portuguese admiral and politician, Governor of Portuguese India (b. 1487)
  • 1599 – Guido Panciroli, Italian historian and jurist (b. 1523)
  • 1611 – Shimazu Yoshihisa, Japanese daimyō (b. 1533)
  • 1622 – Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma (b. 1569)
  • 1695 – Henry Wharton, English writer and librarian (b. 1664)
  • 1726 – Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull, English politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1655)
  • 1770 – Crispus Attucks, American slave (b. 1723)
  • 1778 – Thomas Arne, English composer and educator (b. 1710)
  • 1815 – Franz Mesmer, German physician and astrologist (b. 1734)
  • 1827 – Pierre-Simon Laplace, French mathematician and astronomer (b. 1749)
  • 1827 – Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist and academic (b. 1745)
  • 1829 – John Adams, English sailor and mutineer (b. 1766)
  • 1849 – David Scott, Scottish historical painter (b. 1806)
  • 1876 – Marie d’Agoult, German-French historian and author (b. 1805)
  • 1893 – Hippolyte Taine, French historian and critic (b. 1828)
  • 1895 – Nikolai Leskov, Russian author, playwright, and journalist (b. 1831)
  • 1895 – Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baronet, English general and scholar (b. 1810)
  • 1907 – Friedrich Blass, German philologist, scholar, and academic (b. 1843)
  • 1925 – Johan Jensen, Danish mathematician and engineer (b. 1859)
  • 1927 – Franz Mertens, Polish-Austrian mathematician and academic (b. 1840)
  • 1929 – David Dunbar Buick, Scottish-American businessman, founded Buick (b. 1854)
  • 1934 – Reşit Galip, Turkish academic and politician, 6th Turkish Minister of National Education (b. 1893)
  • 1935 – Roque Ruaño, Spanish priest and engineer (b. 1877)
  • 1940 – Cai Yuanpei, Chinese philosopher and academic (b. 1868)
  • 1944 – Max Jacob, French poet and author (b. 1876)
  • 1945 – Lena Baker, African American maid and murderer (b. 1900)
  • 1947 – Alfredo Casella, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1883)
  • 1950 – Edgar Lee Masters, American poet, author, and playwright (b. 1868)
  • 1950 – Roman Shukhevych, Ukrainian general and politician (b. 1907)
  • 1953 – Herman J. Mankiewicz, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1897)
  • 1953 – Sergei Prokofiev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1891)
  • 1953 – Joseph Stalin, Soviet dictator and politician of Georgian descent, 2nd leader of the Soviet Union (b. 1878)
  • 1955 – Antanas Merkys, Lithuanian lawyer and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Lithuania (b. 1888)
  • 1963 – Patsy Cline, American singer-songwriter (b. 1932)
  • 1963 – Cowboy Copas, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1913)
  • 1963 – Hawkshaw Hawkins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1921)
  • 1965 – Chen Cheng, Chinese general and politician, 27th Premier of the Republic of China (b. 1897)
  • 1965 – Pepper Martin, American baseball player and manager (b. 1904)
  • 1966 – Anna Akhmatova, Ukrainian-Russian poet, author, and translator (b. 1889)
  • 1967 – Mischa Auer, Russian-American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1967 – Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iranian political scientist and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Iran (b. 1882)
  • 1967 – Georges Vanier, Canadian general and politician, 19th Governor General of Canada (b. 1888)
  • 1971 – Allan Nevins, American journalist and author (b. 1890)
  • 1973 – Robert C. O’Brien, American journalist and author (b. 1918)
  • 1974 – John Samuel Bourque, Canadian colonel and politician (b. 1894)
  • 1974 – Billy De Wolfe, American actor (b. 1907)
  • 1974 – Sol Hurok, Ukrainian-American businessman (b. 1888)
  • 1976 – Otto Tief, Estonian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia (b. 1889)
  • 1977 – Tom Pryce, Welsh race car driver (b. 1949)
  • 1980 – Jay Silverheels, Canadian-American actor (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Yip Harburg, American songwriter and composer (b. 1896)
  • 1982 – John Belushi, American actor (b. 1949)
  • 1984 – Pierre Cochereau, French organist and composer (b. 1924)
  • 1984 – Tito Gobbi, Italian operatic baritone (b. 1913)
  • 1984 – William Powell, American actor (b. 1892)
  • 1988 – Alberto Olmedo, Argentine comedian and actor (b. 1933)
  • 1990 – Gary Merrill, American actor and director (b. 1915)
  • 1995 – Vivian Stanshall, English singer-songwriter and musician (b. 1943)
  • 1996 – Whit Bissell, American character actor (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Samm Sinclair Baker, American writer (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Jean Dréville, French director and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 1999 – Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (b. 1922)
  • 2000 – Lolo Ferrari, French dancer, actress and singer (b. 1963)
  • 2005 – David Sheppard, English cricketer and bishop (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Joseph Weizenbaum, German computer scientist and author (b. 1923)
  • 2010 – Charles B. Pierce, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2010 – Richard Stapley, British actor and writer (b. 1923)
  • 2011 – Manolis Rasoulis, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2012 – Paul Haines, New Zealand-Australian author (b. 1970)
  • 2012 – Philip Madoc, Welsh-English actor (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Robert B. Sherman, American songwriter and screenwriter (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – William O. Wooldridge, American sergeant (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Paul Bearer, American wrestler and manager (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – Hugo Chávez, Venezuelan colonel and politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – Duane Gish, American biochemist and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Geoff Edwards, American actor and game show host (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Ailsa McKay, Scottish economist and academic (b. 1963)
  • 2014 – Leopoldo María Panero, Spanish poet and translator (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Ola L. Mize, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Vlada Divljan, Serbian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1958)
  • 2015 – Edward Egan, American cardinal (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Hassan Al-Turabi, Sudanese activist and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (b. 1941)
  • 2016 – Al Wistert, American football player and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2017 – Kurt Moll, German opera singer (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances on March 5

  • Christian feast day:
    • Ciarán of Saigir
    • John Joseph of the Cross
    • Piran
    • Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea
    • Thietmar of Minden
    • March 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Custom Chief’s Day (Vanuatu)
  • Day of Physical Culture and Sport (Azerbaijan)
  • Learn from Lei Feng Day (China)
  • St Piran’s Day (Cornwall)

March 5 – 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

March 3- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  • 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japan.
  • 1575 – Mughal Emperor Akbar defeats Sultan of Bengal Daud Khan Karrani’s army at the Battle of Tukaroi.
  • 1585 – The Olympic Theatre, designed by Andrea Palladio, is inaugurated in Vicenza.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps begins the Battle of Nassau.
  • 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army is routed at the Battle of Brier Creek near Savannah, Georgia.
  • 1799 – The Russo-Ottoman siege of Corfu ends with the surrender of the French garrison.
  • 1820 – The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise.
  • 1845 – Florida is admitted as the 27th U.S. state.
  • 1849 – The Territory of Minnesota is created.
  • 1857 – Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China.
  • 1859 – The two-day Great Slave Auction, the largest such auction in United States history, concludes.
  • 1861 – Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs.
  • 1865 – Opening of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the founding member of the HSBC Group.
  • 1873 – Censorship in the United States: The U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any “obscene literature and articles of immoral use” through the mail.
  • 1875 – Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen receives its première at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.
  • 1875 – The first ever organized indoor game of ice hockey is played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as recorded in the Montreal Gazette.
  • 1878 – The Russo-Turkish War ends with Bulgaria regaining its independence from the Ottoman Empire according to the Treaty of San Stefano.
  • 1885 – The American Telephone & Telegraph Company is incorporated in New York.
  • 1891 – Shoshone National Forest is established as the first national forest in the US and world.
  • 1910 – Rockefeller Foundation: John D. Rockefeller Jr. announces his retirement from managing his businesses so that he can devote all his time to philanthropy.
  • 1913 – Thousands of women march in the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C.
  • 1918 – Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, agreeing to withdraw from World War I, and conceding German control of the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine. It also conceded Turkish control of Ardahan, Kars and Batumi.
  • 1923 – TIME magazine is published for the first time.
  • 1924 – The 407-year-old Islamic caliphate is abolished, when Caliph Abdülmecid II of the Ottoman Caliphate is deposed. The last remnant of the old regime gives way to the reformed Turkey of Kemal Atatürk.
  • 1924 – The Free State of Fiume is annexed by the Kingdom of Italy.
  • 1931 – The United States adopts The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem.
  • 1938 – Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.
  • 1939 – In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins a hunger strike in protest at the autocratic rule in British India.
  • 1940 – Five people are killed in an arson attack on the offices of the communist newspaper Flamman in Luleå, Sweden.
  • 1942 – World War II: Ten Japanese warplanes raid Broome, Western Australia, killing more than 100 people.
  • 1943 – World War II: In London, 173 people are killed in a crush while trying to enter an air-raid shelter at Bethnal Green tube station.
  • 1944 – The Order of Nakhimov and Order of Ushakov are instituted in USSR as the highest naval awards.
  • 1945 – World War II: American and Filipino troops recapture Manila.
  • 1945 – World War II: The RAF accidentally bombs the Bezuidenhout area of The Hague, Netherlands, killing 511 people.
  • 1951 – Jackie Brenston, with Ike Turner and his band, records “Rocket 88”, often cited as “the first rock and roll record”, at Sam Phillips’s recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • 1953 – A De Havilland Comet (Canadian Pacific Air Lines) crashes in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 11.
  • 1958 – Nuri al-Said becomes Prime Minister of Iraq for the eighth time.
  • 1969 – Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module.
  • 1972 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 crashes as a result of a control malfunction and insufficient training in emergency procedures.
  • 1974 – Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes at Ermenonville near Paris, France killing all 346 aboard.
  • 1980 – The USS Nautilus is decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.
  • 1985 – Arthur Scargill declares that the National Union of Mineworkers’ national executive voted to end the longest-running industrial dispute in Great Britain without any peace deal over pit closures.
  • 1985 – A magnitude 8.3 earthquake strikes the Valparaíso Region of Chile, killing 177 and leaving nearly a million people homeless.
  • 1986 – The Australia Act 1986 commences, causing Australia to become fully independent from the United Kingdom.
  • 1991 – An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.
  • 2005 – James Roszko murders four Royal Canadian Mounted Police constables during a drug bust at his property in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, then commits suicide. This is the deadliest peace-time incident for the RCMP since 1885 and the North-West Rebellion.
  • 2005 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly an airplane non-stop around the world solo without refueling.
  • 2005 – Margaret Wilson is elected as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, beginning a period lasting until August 23, 2006 where all the highest political offices (including Elizabeth II as Head of State), were occupied by women, making New Zealand the first country for this to occur.
  • 2013 – A bomb blast in Karachi, Pakistan, kills at least 45 people and injured 180 others in a predominately Shia Muslim area.

Births on March 3

  • 1455 – John II of Portugal (d. 1495)
  • 1455 – Ascanio Sforza, Catholic cardinal (d. 1505)
  • 1506 – Luís of Portugal, Duke of Beja (d. 1555)
  • 1520 – Matthias Flacius, Croatian theologian and reformer (d. 1575)
  • 1583 – Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, English-Welsh soldier, historian, and diplomat (d. 1648)
  • 1589 – Gisbertus Voetius, Dutch minister, theologian, and academic (d. 1676)
  • 1606 – Edmund Waller, English poet and politician (d. 1687)
  • 1652 – Thomas Otway, English playwright and author (d. 1685)
  • 1678 – Madeleine de Verchères, Canadian rebel leader (d. 1747)
  • 1756 – William Godwin, English journalist and author (d. 1836)
  • 1778 – Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 1841)
  • 1793 – William Macready, English actor and manager (d. 1873)
  • 1800 – Heinrich Georg Bronn, German geologist and paleontologist (d. 1862)
  • 1803 – Thomas Field Gibson, English manufacturer who aided the welfare of the Spitalfields silk weavers (d. 1889)
  • 1805 – Jonas Furrer, Swiss politician (d. 1861)
  • 1816 – William James Blacklock, English-Scottish painter (d. 1858)
  • 1819 – Gustave de Molinari, Dutch-Belgian economist and theorist (d. 1912)
  • 1825 – Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1879)
  • 1831 – George Pullman, American engineer and businessman, founded the Pullman Company (d. 1897)
  • 1839 – Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (d. 1904)
  • 1841 – John Murray, Canadian-Scottish oceanographer and biologist (d. 1914)
  • 1845 – Georg Cantor, Russian-German mathematician and philosopher (d. 1918)
  • 1847 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-American engineer and academic, invented the telephone (d. 1922)
  • 1860 – John Montgomery Ward, American baseball player and manager (d. 1925)
  • 1866 – Fred A. Busse, American lawyer and politician, 39th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1914)
  • 1868 – Émile Chartier, French philosopher and journalist (d. 1951)
  • 1869 – Henry Wood, English conductor (d. 1944)
  • 1871 – Maurice Garin, Italian-French cyclist (d. 1957)
  • 1873 – William Green, American union leader and politician (d. 1952)
  • 1880 – Florence Auer, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1962)
  • 1880 – Yōsuke Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1946)
  • 1882 – Elisabeth Abegg, German anti-Nazi resistance fighter (d. 1974)
  • 1882 – Charles Ponzi, Italian businessman (d. 1949)
  • 1883 – Cyril Burt, English psychologist and geneticist (d. 1971)
  • 1883 – Paul Marais de Beauchamp, French zoologist (d. 1977)
  • 1887 – Lincoln J. Beachey, American pilot (d. 1915)
  • 1891 – Damaskinos of Athens, Greek archbishop (d. 1949)
  • 1893 – Beatrice Wood, American illustrator and potter (d. 1998)
  • 1895 – Ragnar Frisch, Norwegian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
  • 1895 – Matthew Ridgway, American general (d. 1993)
  • 1898 – Emil Artin, Austrian-German mathematician and academic (d. 1962)
  • 1900 – Edna Best, British stage and film actress, appeared on early television in 1938 (d. 1974)
  • 1902 – Ruby Dandridge, African-American film and radio actress (d. 1987)
  • 1901 – Claude Choules, English-Australian soldier (d. 2011)
  • 1903 – Vasily Kozlov, Belarusian general and politician (d. 1967)
  • 1906 – Artur Lundkvist, Swedish poet and critic (d. 1991)
  • 1911 – Jean Harlow, American actress (d. 1937)
  • 1911 – Hugues Lapointe, Canadian lawyer and politician, 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 1982)
  • 1913 – Margaret Bonds, American pianist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1913 – Harold J. Stone, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – Asger Jorn, Danish painter and sculptor (d. 1973)
  • 1916 – Paul Halmos, Hungarian-American mathematician (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Sameera Moussa, Egyptian physicist and academic (d. 1952)
  • 1918 – Arthur Kornberg, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
  • 1920 – Julius Boros, American golfer and accountant (d. 1994)
  • 1920 – James Doohan, Canadian-American actor and soldier (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Ronald Searle, English-French soldier and illustrator (d. 2011)
  • 1921 – Diana Barrymore, American actress (d. 1960)
  • 1922 – Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2002)
  • 1923 – Barney Martin, American police officer and actor (d. 2005)
  • 1923 – Doc Watson, American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Tomiichi Murayama, Japanese soldier and politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Japan
  • 1926 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (d. 1995)
  • 1927 – Pierre Aubert, Swiss lawyer and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1930 – Ion Iliescu, Romanian engineer and politician, 2nd President of Romania
  • 1934 – Peter Brooke, Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, English politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1934 – Jimmy Garrison, American bassist and educator (d. 1976)
  • 1935 – Mal Anderson, Australian tennis player
  • 1935 – Michael Walzer, American philosopher and academic
  • 1935 – Zhelyu Zhelev, Bulgarian philosopher and politician, 2nd President of Bulgaria (d. 2015)
  • 1939 – Larry Burkett, American author and radio host (d. 2003)
  • 1939 – M. L. Jaisimha, Indian cricketer (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Germán Castro Caycedo, Colombian author and journalist
  • 1940 – Perry Ellis, American fashion designer, founded Perry Ellis (d. 1986)
  • 1940 – Jean-Paul Proust, French-Monacan police officer and politician, 21st Minister of State of Monaco (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – Mike Pender, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1945 – George Miller, Australian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1945 – Hattie Winston, American actress
  • 1947 – Clifton Snider, American author, poet, and critic
  • 1947 – Jennifer Warnes, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1948 – Snowy White, English guitarist
  • 1949 – Ron Chernow, American historian, journalist, and author
  • 1949 – Bonnie J. Dunbar, American engineer, academic, and astronaut
  • 1949 – Jesse Jefferson, American baseball player (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Bangladeshi politician
  • 1951 – Andy Murray, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1951 – Heizō Takenaka, Japanese economist and politician
  • 1952 – Rudy Fernandez, Filipino actor and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1953 – Robyn Hitchcock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1953 – Zico, Brazilian footballer and coach
  • 1954 – Keith Fergus, American golfer
  • 1954 – John Lilley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Édouard Lock, Moroccan-Canadian dancer and choreographer
  • 1955 – Darnell Williams, English-American actor and director
  • 1956 – Zbigniew Boniek, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1956 – John Fulton Reid, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1957 – Stephen Budiansky, American historian, journalist, and author
  • 1957 – Thom Hoffman, Dutch actor and photographer
  • 1958 – Miranda Richardson, English actress
  • 1959 – Ira Glass, American radio host and producer
  • 1959 – Duško Vujošević, Montenegrin basketball player and coach
  • 1960 – Neal Heaton, American baseball player and coach
  • 1961 – Mary Page Keller, American actress and producer
  • 1961 – John Matteson, American biographer
  • 1961 – Perry McCarthy, English race car driver
  • 1961 – Fatima Whitbread, English javelin thrower
  • 1962 – Glen E. Friedman, American photographer
  • 1962 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, American heptathlete and long jumper
  • 1962 – Herschel Walker, American football player and mixed martial artist
  • 1963 – Martín Fiz, Spanish runner
  • 1963 – Khaltmaagiin Battulga, 5th President of Mongolia
  • 1964 – Raúl Alcalá, Mexican cyclist
  • 1964 – Laura Harring, Mexican-American model and actress, Miss USA 1985
  • 1964 – Glenn Kulka, Canadian ice hockey player and wrestler
  • 1965 – Dragan Stojković, Serbian footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Tone Lōc, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1966 – Timo Tolkki, Finnish guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1968 – Brian Cox, English keyboard player and physicist
  • 1968 – Brian Leetch, American ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Julie Bowen, American actress
  • 1970 – Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer and coach
  • 1971 – Charlie Brooker, English journalist, producer, and author
  • 1971 – Tyler Florence, American chef and author
  • 1972 – Darren Anderton, English international footballer, midfielder and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Xavier Bettel, Luxembourger lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
  • 1973 – Matthew Marsden, English actor and martial artist
  • 1974 – David Faustino, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Fraser Gehrig, Australian footballer
  • 1976 – Isabel Granada, Filipino-Spanish actress (d. 2017)
  • 1976 – Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Estonian politician, 28th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1976 – Kampamba Mulenga Chilumba, Zambian politician
  • 1977 – Ronan Keating, Irish singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1977 – Stéphane Robidas, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Buddy Valastro, American chef and television host
  • 1978 – Matt Diaz, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Albert Jorquera, Spanish footballer
  • 1980 – Mason Unck, American football player
  • 1981 – David Bailey, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Julius Malema, South African politician
  • 1981 – Emmanuel Pappoe, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1982 – Jessica Biel, American actress, singer, and producer
  • 1982 – Colton Orr, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Tolu Ogunlesi, Nigerian journalist and writer
  • 1982 – Brent Tate, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – Ashley Hansen, Australian footballer
  • 1983 – Sarah Poewe, South African swimmer
  • 1984 – Valerio Bernabò, Italian rugby player
  • 1984 – Santonio Holmes, American football player
  • 1984 – Alexander Semin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Jed Collins, American football player
  • 1986 – Stacie Orrico, American singer-songwriter
  • 1986 – Mehmet Topal, Turkish footballer
  • 1987 – Jesús Padilla, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Shraddha Kapoor, Indian actress, singer, and designer
  • 1988 – Teodora Mirčić, Serbian tennis player
  • 1988 – Michael Morrison, English footballer
  • 1988 – Jan-Arie van der Heijden, Dutch footballer
  • 1988 – Max Waller, English cricketer
  • 1989 – Erwin Mulder, Dutch footballer
  • 1990 – Vladimir Janković, Greek-Serbian basketball player
  • 1991 – Anri Sakaguchi, Japanese actress
  • 1991 – Cho-rong, South Korean singer
  • 1993 – Gabriela Cé, Brazilian tennis player
  • 1993 – Josef Dostál, Czech kayaker
  • 1993 – James Roberts, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Umika Kawashima, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1996 – Cameron Johnson, American basketball player
  • 1997 – Camila Cabello, Cuban-American singer
  • 1998 – Jayson Tatum, American basketball player

Deaths on March 3

  • 532 – Winwaloe, founder of Landévennec Abbey (b. c. 460)
  • 1009 – Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, Umayyad chief minister (b. 983)
  • 1111 – Bohemond I, Italo-Norman nobleman (b. 1058)
  • 1195 – Hugh de Puiset, bishop of Durham (b. c. 1125)
  • 1239 – Vladimir IV Rurikovich, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1187)
  • 1311 – Antony Bek, bishop of Durham
  • 1323 – Andrew Harclay, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English military leader
  • 1383 – Hugh III, Italian nobleman
  • 1459 – Ausiàs March, Catalan knight and poet (b. 1397)
  • 1542 – Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, illegitimate son of Edward IV
  • 1554 – John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1503)
  • 1578 – Sebastiano Venier, doge of Venice (b. 1496)
  • 1578 – Michael Kantakouzenos Şeytanoğlu, Ottoman Greek magnate
  • 1588 – Henry XI, duke of Legnica (b. 1539)
  • 1592 – Michael Coxcie, Flemish painter (b. 1499)
  • 1605 – Clement VIII, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1536)
  • 1611 – William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus, Scottish nobleman (b. 1552)
  • 1616 – Matthias de l’Obel, Flemish physician and botanist (b. 1538)
  • 1700 – Chhatrapati Rajaram, 3rd Chhatrapati of Maratha Empire (b. 1670)
  • 1703 – Robert Hooke, English architect and philosopher (b. 1635)
  • 1706 – Johann Pachelbel, German organist and composer (b. 1653)
  • 1744 – Jean Barbeyrac, French scholar and jurist (b. 1674)
  • 1765 – William Stukeley, English archaeologist and historian (b. 1687)
  • 1768 – Nicola Porpora, Italian composer and educator (b. 1686)
  • 1792 – Robert Adam, Scottish-English architect and politician, designed the Culzean Castle (b. 1728)
  • 1850 – Oliver Cowdery, American religious leader (b. 1806)
  • 1894 – Ned Williamson, American baseball player (b. 1857)
  • 1901 – George Gilman, American businessman, founded The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (b. 1826)
  • 1905 – Antonio Annetto Caruana, Maltese archaeologist and author (b. 1830)
  • 1927 – Mikhail Artsybashev, Ukrainian author and playwright (b. 1878)
  • 1927 – J. G. Parry-Thomas, Welsh race car driver and engineer (b. 1884)
  • 1929 – Katharine Wright, American educator (b. 1874)
  • 1932 – Eugen d’Albert, Scottish-German pianist and composer (b. 1864)
  • 1943 – George Thompson, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1877)
  • 1959 – Lou Costello, American actor and comedian (b. 1906)
  • 1961 – Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-American pianist (b. 1887)
  • 1966 – Joseph Fields, American playwright, director, and producer (b. 1895)
  • 1966 – William Frawley, American actor and vaudevillian (b. 1887)
  • 1966 – Alice Pearce, American actress (b. 1917)
  • 1981 – Rebecca Lancefield, American microbiologist and researcher (b. 1895)
  • 1982 – Firaq Gorakhpuri, Indian poet and critic (b. 1896)
  • 1982 – Georges Perec, French author and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 1983 – Hergé, Belgian author and illustrator (b. 1907)
  • 1987 – Danny Kaye, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
  • 1988 – Henryk Szeryng, Polish-Mexican violinist and composer (b. 1918)
  • 1988 – Sewall Wright, American biologist and geneticist (b. 1889)
  • 1990 – Charlotte Moore Sitterly, American astronomer (b. 1898)
  • 1991 – Arthur Murray, American dancer and educator (b. 1895)
  • 1991 – William Penney, Baron Penney, Gibraltar-born English mathematician, physicist, and academic (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – Mel Bradford, American author and critic (b. 1934)
  • 1993 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-American mob boss (b. 1910)
  • 1993 – Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist and composer (b. 1903)
  • 1993 – Albert Sabin, Polish-American physician and virologist (b. 1906)
  • 1994 – John Edward Williams, American author and academic (b. 1922)
  • 1995 – Howard W. Hunter, American religious leader, 14th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1907)
  • 1996 – Marguerite Duras, French author and director (b. 1914)
  • 1996 – John Krol, American cardinal (b. 1910)
  • 1998 – Fred W. Friendly, American journalist and broadcaster (b. 1915)
  • 1999 – Gerhard Herzberg, German-Canadian chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
  • 1999 – Lee Philips, American actor and director (b. 1927)
  • 2000 – Toni Ortelli, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1904)
  • 2001 – Louis Edmonds, American actor (b. 1923)
  • 2001 – Eugene Sledge, American soldier, author, and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2002 – G. M. C. Balayogi, Indian lawyer and politician, 12th Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b. 1951)
  • 2003 – Horst Buchholz, German actor (b. 1933)
  • 2003 – Luis Marden, American linguist, photographer, and explorer (b. 1913)
  • 2003 – Goffredo Petrassi, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1904)
  • 2005 – Max Fisher, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet and songwriter (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Else Fisher, Australian-Swedish dancer, choreographer, and director (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – William Herskovic, Hungarian-American humanitarian (b. 1914)
  • 2007 – Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (b. 1920)
  • 2008 – Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian tenor and actor (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Norman Smith, English drummer and producer (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Gilbert Parent, Canadian educator and politician, 33rd Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (b. 1935)
  • 2010 – Keith Alexander, English footballer and manager (b. 1956)
  • 2010 – Michael Foot, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Employment (b. 1913)
  • 2011 – May Cutler, Canadian journalist, author, and politician (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Ronnie Montrose, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Alex Webster, American football player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Luis Cubilla, Uruguayan footballer and manager (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Bobby Rogers, American singer-songwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – James Strong, Qantas CEO from 1993 to 2001 (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Robert Ashley, American soldier and composer (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Sherwin B. Nuland, American surgeon, author, and educator (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – William R. Pogue, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Ernest Braun, Austrian-English physicist and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – M. Stanton Evans, American journalist and author (b. 1934)
  • 2016 – Hayabusa, Japanese wrestler (b. 1968)
  • 2016 – Berta Cáceres, Honduran environmentalist (b. 1973)
  • 2016 – Martin Crowe, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1962)
  • 2016 – Thanat Khoman, Thai politician and diplomat, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1914)
  • 2016 – Sarah Tait, Australian Olympic rower (b. 1983)
  • 2017 – René Préval, Haitian politician (b. 1943)
  • 2018 – Roger Bannister, English middle-distance athlete, first man to run a four-minute mile (b. 1929)
  • 2018 – Mal Bryce, Australian politician (b. 1943)
  • 2018 – Vanessa Goodwin, Australian politician (b. 1969)
  • 2018 – David Ogden Stiers, American actor, voice actor and musician (b. 1942)
  • 2019 – Peter Hurford OBE, British organist and composer (b. 1930)
  • 2020 – Charles J. Urstadt, American real estate executive and investor (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances on March 3

  • Christian feast day:
    • Anselm, Duke of Friuli
    • Arthelais
    • Cunigunde of Luxembourg
    • Katharine Drexel
    • John and Charles Wesley (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Marinus and Asterius of Caesarea
    • Winwaloe
    • March 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Hinamatsuri or “Girl’s Day” (Japan)
  • Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA)
  • Liberation Day (Bulgaria)
  • Martyrs’ Day (Malawi)
  • Mother’s Day (Georgia)
  • Sportsmen’s Day (Egypt)
  • Teacher’s Day (Lebanon)
  • World Hearing Day
  • World Wildlife Day

March 3- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor
  • 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II
  • 1336 – Four thousand defenders of Pilenai commit mass suicide rather than be taken captive by the Teutonic Knights.
  • 1797 – Colonel William Tate and his force of 1000–1500 soldiers surrender after the Last invasion of Britain.
  • 1831 – Battle of Olszynka Grochowska, part of Polish November Uprising against Russian Empire.
  • 1836 – Samuel Colt is granted a United States patent for the Colt revolver.
  • 1843 – Lord George Paulet occupies the Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great Britain in the Paulet Affair (1843).
  • 1848 – Provisional government in revolutionary France, by Louis Blanc’s motion, guarantees workers’ rights.
  • 1856 – A Peace conference opens in Paris after the Crimean War.
  • 1866 – Miners in Calaveras County, California, discover what is now called the Calaveras Skull – human remains that supposedly indicated that man, mastodons, and elephants had co-existed.
  • 1870 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in the U.S. Congress.
  • 1875 – Guangxu Emperor of Qing dynasty China begins his reign, under Empress Dowager Cixi’s regency.
  • 1901 – J. P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation.
  • 1912 – Marie-Adélaïde, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
  • 1916 – World War I: The Germans capture Fort Douaumont during the Battle of Verdun.
  • 1918 – German occupation of Estonia during World War I: Pernau, Reval, and Pskov are captured.
  • 1919 – Oregon places a one cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.
  • 1921 – Tbilisi, capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, is occupied by Bolshevist Russia.
  • 1928 – Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, D.C. becomes the first holder of a broadcast license for television from the Federal Radio Commission.
  • 1932 – Adolf Hitler obtains German citizenship by naturalization, which allows him to run in the 1932 election for Reichspräsident.
  • 1933 – The USS Ranger is launched. It is the first US Navy ship to be designed from the start of construction as an aircraft carrier.
  • 1939 – The first of 2​1⁄2 million Anderson air raid shelters appeared in North London.
  • 1941 – February strike: In the occupied Amsterdam, a general strike is declared in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazis.
  • 1947 – The formal abolition of Prussia is proclaimed by the Allied Control Council. The Prussian government had already been abolished by the Preußenschlag of 1932.
  • 1948 – Cold War: The Communist Party takes control of government in Czechoslovakia and the period of the Third Republic ends.
  • 1951 – The first Pan American Games were officially opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina by President Juan Perón.
  • 1954 – Gamal Abdel Nasser is made premier of Egypt.
  • 1956 – Cold War: In his speech On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences, Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union denounces the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin.
  • 1964 – North Korean Prime Minister Kim Il-sung calls for the removal of feudalistic land ownership aimed at turning all cooperative farms into state-run ones.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: One hundred thirty-five unarmed citizens of Hà My village in South Vietnam’s Qu?ng Nam Province are killed and buried en masse by South Korean troops in what would come to be known as the Hà My massacre.
  • 1980 – The government of Suriname is overthrown by a military coup led by Dési Bouterse.
  • 1986 – People Power Revolution: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the Philippines’ first woman president.
  • 1987 – Southern Methodist University’s football program is the first college football program to be banned from competition by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions.
  • 1991 – Gulf War: An Iraqi scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.
  • 1991 – Cold War: The Warsaw Pact is abolished.
  • 1992 – Khojaly massacre: About 613 civilians are killed by Armenian armed forces during the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
  • 1994 – Mosque of Abraham massacre: In the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, Baruch Goldstein opens fire with an automatic rifle, killing 29 Palestinian worshippers and injuring 125 more before being subdued and beaten to death by survivors.
  • 1997 – Yi Han-yong, a North Korean defector, was murdered by unidentified assailants in Bundang, South Korea.
  • 2009 – Soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny at their headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulting in 74 deaths, including 57 army officials.
  • 2009 – Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crashed during landing at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, primarily due to a faulty radio altimeter, resulting in the death of nine passengers and crew including all three pilots.
  • 2015 – At least 310 people are killed in avalanches in northeastern Afghanistan.
  • 2016 – Three people are killed and fourteen others injured in a series of shootings in the small Kansas cities of Newton and Hesston.

Births on February 25

  • 1259 – Infanta Branca of Portugal, daughter of King Afonso III of Portugal and Urraca of Castile (d. 1321)
  • 1337 – Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg (d. 1383)
  • 1475 – Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, last male member of the House of York (d. 1499)
  • 1540 – Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton, English aristocrat and courtier (d. 1614)
  • 1543 – Sharaf Khan Bidlisi, Emir of Bitlis (d. 1603)
  • 1591 – Friedrich Spee, German poet and author (d. 1635)
  • 1643 – Ahmed II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1695)
  • 1663 – Peter Anthony Motteux, French-English author, playwright and translator (d. 1718)
  • 1670 – Maria Margarethe Kirch, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1720)
  • 1682 – Giovanni Battista Morgagni, Italian anatomist and pathologist (d. 1771)
  • 1707 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright and composer (d. 1793)
  • 1714 – René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, French lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of France (d. 1792)
  • 1728 – John Wood, the Younger, English architect, designed the Royal Crescent (d. 1782)
  • 1752 – John Graves Simcoe, English-Canadian general and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (d. 1806)
  • 1755 – François René Mallarmé, French lawyer and politician (d. 1835)
  • 1778 – José de San Martín, Argentinian general and politician, 1st President of Peru (d. 1850)
  • 1806 – Emma Catherine Embury, American author and poet (d. 1863)
  • 1809 – John Hart, English-Australian politician, 10th Premier of South Australia (d. 1873)
  • 1812 – Carl Christian Hall, Danish lawyer and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Denmark (d. 1888)
  • 1816 – Giovanni Morelli, Italian historian and critic (d. 1891)
  • 1833 – John St. John, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Kansas (d. 1916)
  • 1841 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French painter and sculptor (d. 1919)
  • 1842 – Karl May, German author, poet, and playwright (d. 1912)
  • 1845 – George Reid, Scottish-Australian lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1918)
  • 1855 – Cesário Verde, Portuguese poet and author (d. 1886)
  • 1856 – Karl Gotthard Lamprecht, German historian and academic (d. 1915)
  • 1856 – Mathias Zdarsky, Czech-Austrian skier, painter, and sculptor (d. 1940)
  • 1857 – Robert Bond, Canadian politician; first Prime Minister of Newfoundland (d. 1927)
  • 1860 – William Ashley, English historian and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1865 – Andranik, Armenian general (d. 1927)
  • 1866 – Benedetto Croce, Italian philosopher and politician (d. 1952)
  • 1869 – Phoebus Levene, Russian-American biochemist and physician (d. 1940)
  • 1873 – Enrico Caruso, Italian-American tenor; the most popular operatic tenor of the early 20th century and the first great recording star. (d. 1921)
  • 1877 – Erich von Hornbostel, Austrian musicologist and scholar (d. 1935)
  • 1881 – William Z. Foster, American union leader and politician (d. 1961)
  • 1881 – Alexei Rykov, Russian politician, Premier of Russia (d. 1938)
  • 1883 – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (d. 1981)
  • 1885 – Princess Alice of Battenberg, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (d. 1969)
  • 1888 – John Foster Dulles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 52nd United States Secretary of State (d. 1959)
  • 1890 – Myra Hess, English pianist and educator (d. 1965)
  • 1894 – Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master (d. 1969)
  • 1898 – William Astbury, physicist and molecular biologist (d. 1961)
  • 1901 – Vince Gair, Australian politician, 27th Premier of Queensland (d. 1980)
  • 1901 – Zeppo Marx, American comedian (the youngest of the Marx Brothers) and theatrical agent (d. 1979)
  • 1903 – King Clancy, Canadian ice hockey player, referee, and coach; rated one of the 100 greatest NHL players (d. 1986)
  • 1905 – Perry Miller, American historian, author, and academic (d. 1963)
  • 1906 – Mary Coyle Chase, American journalist and playwright; author of Harvey (d. 1981)
  • 1907 – Sabahattin Ali, Turkish journalist, author, and poet (d. 1948)
  • 1908 – Mary Locke Petermann, cellular biochemist (d. 1975)
  • 1908 – Frank G. Slaughter, American physician and author (d. 2001)
  • 1910 – Millicent Fenwick, American journalist and politician (d. 1992)
  • 1913 – Jim Backus, American actor and screenwriter; the voice of Mr. Magoo (d. 1989)
  • 1913 – Gert Fröbe, German actor; title role in Goldfinger (d. 1988)
  • 1917 – Anthony Burgess, English author, playwright, and critic (d. 1993)
  • 1918 – Bobby Riggs, American tennis player; winner of three major titles, 1939–1941 (d. 1995)
  • 1919 – Monte Irvin, American baseball player and executive (d. 2016)
  • 1920 – Philip Habib, American academic and diplomat, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (d. 1992)
  • 1921 – Pierre Laporte, Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec (d. 1970)
  • 1921 – Andy Pafko, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Molly Reilly, Canadian aviator (d. 1980)
  • 1924 – Hugh Huxley, English-American biologist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Shehu Shagari, former President of Nigeria (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Lisa Kirk, American actress and singer (d. 1990)
  • 1926 – Masatoshi Gündüz Ikeda, Japanese-Turkish mathematician and academic; noted for contributions to algebraic number theory (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Ralph Stanley, American bluegrass singer and banjo player; member of International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Paul Elvstrøm, Danish yachtsman; winner of four Olympic gold medals, 1948–1960 (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., prominent African-American civil rights advocate, author, and federal court judge (d. 1998)
  • 1928 – Larry Gelbart, American author and screenwriter; creator and producer of M*A*S*H TV series (d. 2009)
  • 1928 – Richard G. Stern, American author and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Tony Brooks, English racing driver; six Formula One victories, second in 1959 World Championship
  • 1932 – Faron Young, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist; member of Country Music Hall of Fame (d. 1996)
  • 1934 – Tony Lema, American golfer; winner of the 1964 Open Championship (d. 1966)
  • 1935 – Oktay Sinanoglu, Turkish physical chemist and molecular biophysicist; two-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Tom Courtenay, award-winning English actor
  • 1937 – Bob Schieffer, American political author, journalist and TV interviewer
  • 1938 – Herb Elliott, Australian 1500 metres runner; 1960 Olympic champion and world record holder
  • 1938 – Farokh Engineer, Indian international cricketer; successful as batsman and wicketkeeper
  • 1940 – Ron Santo, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – David Puttnam, English film producer and academic
  • 1943 – George Harrison, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and film producer; lead guitarist of The Beatles (d. 2001)
  • 1944 – François Cevert, French racing driver (d. 1973)
  • 1946 – Jean Todt, French racing driver and team manager; FIA President, 2009–2021
  • 1947 – Lee Evans, American sprinter and athletics coach; two gold medals and world 400m record at 1968 Olympics
  • 1949 – Amin Maalouf, Lebanese-French journalist and author
  • 1950 – Francisco Fernández Ochoa, Spanish skier; 1972 Olympic slalom champion (d. 2006)
  • 1950 – Neil Jordan, Irish film director, screenwriter and author
  • 1950 – Néstor Kirchner, Argentinian politician; 51st President of Argentina, 2003–2007 (d. 2010)
  • 1951 – Don Quarrie, Jamaican sprinter and coach; four Olympic medals and two world records
  • 1952 – Joey Dunlop, Northern Irish motorcycle road racing champion; holds record for most wins (26) at the Isle of Man TT (d. 2000)
  • 1953 – José María Aznar, Spanish politician; Prime Minister of Spain, 1996–2004
  • 1958 – Kurt Rambis, American basketball player and coach; four-time NBA Finals champion
  • 1962 – Birgit Fischer, German kayaker; winner of eight Olympic gold medals
  • 1963 – Paul O’Neill, American baseball player and sportscaster; five-time World Series champion
  • 1967 – Ed Balls, British politician; Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • 1968 – Oumou Sangaré, Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician
  • 1971 – Sean Astin, American actor, director and producer
  • 1974 – Dominic Raab, British politician; First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
  • 1981 – Park Ji-sung, South Korean footballer; the most successful Asian player with 19 career trophies
  • 1982 – Flavia Pennetta, Italian tennis player; winner of the 2015 US Open
  • 1988 – Tom Marshall, British photo colouriser and artist
  • 1999 – Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italian international footballer; youngest goalkeeper to play for Italy

Deaths on February 25

  • 806 – Tarasios, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 891 – Fujiwara no Mototsune, Japanese regent (b. 836)
  • 944 – Lin Ding, Chinese official and chancellor
  • 1246 – Dafydd ap Llywelyn, Welsh king (b. 1212)
  • 1321 – Beatrice d’Avesnes, consort of Henry VI, Count of Luxembourg
  • 1495 – Sultan Cem, Ottoman politician (b. 1459)
  • 1522 – William Lily, English scholar and educator (b. 1468)
  • 1536 – Berchtold Haller, German-Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1492)
  • 1536 – Jacob Hutter, founder of the Hutterites
  • 1547 – Vittoria Colonna, marchioness of Pescara (b. 1490)
  • 1558 – Eleanor of Austria (b. 1498)
  • 1600 – Sebastian de Aparicio, Spanish colonial industrialist and saint (b. 1502)
  • 1601 – Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1566)
  • 1634 – Albrecht von Wallenstein, Austrian general and politician (b. 1583)
  • 1655 – Daniel Heinsius, Flemish poet and scholar (b. 1580)
  • 1682 – Alessandro Stradella, Italian composer (b. 1639)
  • 1710 – Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, French soldier and explorer (b. 1639)
  • 1713 – Frederick I of Prussia (b. 1657)
  • 1723 – Christopher Wren, English architect, designed St Paul’s Cathedral (b. 1632)
  • 1756 – Eliza Haywood, English actress and poet (b. 1693)
  • 1796 – Samuel Seabury, American bishop (b. 1729)
  • 1798 – Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini, French poet and diplomat (b. 1716)
  • 1805 – Thomas Pownall, English politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1722)
  • 1819 – Francisco Manoel de Nascimento, Portuguese-French poet and educator (b. 1734)
  • 1822 – William Pinkney, American politician and diplomat, 7th United States Attorney General (b. 1764)
  • 1831 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German author and playwright (b. 1752)
  • 1841 – Philip Pendleton Barbour, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 12th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1783)
  • 1850 – Daoguang Emperor of China (b. 1782)
  • 1852 – Thomas Moore, Irish poet and lyricist (b. 1779)
  • 1865 – Otto Ludwig, German author, playwright, and critic (b. 1813)
  • 1870 – Henrik Hertz, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1797)
  • 1875 – Thomas Reynolds, English-Australian politician, 5th Premier of South Australia (b. 1818)
  • 1877 – Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepalese ruler (b. 1816)
  • 1878 – Townsend Harris, American merchant, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Japan (b. 1804)
  • 1888 – Josif Pancic, Serbian botanist and academic (b. 1814)
  • 1899 – Paul Reuter, German-English journalist and businessman, founded Reuters (b. 1816)
  • 1906 – Anton Arensky, Russian pianist and composer (b. 1861)
  • 1910 – Worthington Whittredge, American painter and educator (b. 1820)
  • 1911 – Friedrich Spielhagen, German author, theorist, and translator (b. 1829)
  • 1912 – William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. 1852)
  • 1914 – John Tenniel, English illustrator (b. 1820)
  • 1915 – Charles Edwin Bessey, American botanist, author, and academic (b. 1845)
  • 1916 – David Bowman, Australian politician (b. 1860)
  • 1920 – Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy, French archaeologist and engineer (b. 1844)
  • 1922 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (b. 1869)
  • 1928 – William O’Brien, Irish journalist and politician (b. 1852)
  • 1934 – Elizabeth Gertrude Britton, American botanist and academic (b. 1857)
  • 1934 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (b. 1873)
  • 1945 – Mário de Andrade, Brazilian author, poet, and photographer (b. 1893)
  • 1950 – George Minot, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1885)
  • 1953 – Sergei Winogradsky, Ukrainian-Russian microbiologist and ecologist (b. 1856)
  • 1957 – Mark Aldanov, Russian author and critic (b. 1888)
  • 1957 – Bugs Moran, American mob boss (b. 1893)
  • 1963 – Melville J. Herskovits, American anthropologist and academic (b. 1895)
  • 1964 – Alexander Archipenko, Ukrainian sculptor and illustrator (b. 1887)
  • 1964 – Hinrich Lohse, German politician (b. 1896)
  • 1964 – Grace Metalious, American author (b. 1924)
  • 1970 – Mark Rothko, Latvian-American painter and academic (b. 1903)
  • 1971 – Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1884)
  • 1972 – Gottfried Fuchs, German-Canadian Olympic soccer player (b. 1889)
  • 1975 – Elijah Muhammad, American religious leader (b. 1897)
  • 1978 – Daniel James, Jr., American general and pilot (b. 1920)
  • 1980 – Robert Hayden, American poet and academic (b. 1913)
  • 1983 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (b. 1911)
  • 1996 – Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-American physician and author (b. 1940)
  • 1997 – Andrei Sinyavsky, Russian journalist and publisher (b. 1925)
  • 1998 – W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (b. 1914)
  • 1999 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – A. R. Ammons, American poet and critic (b. 1926)
  • 2001 – Donald Bradman, Australian international cricketer; holder of world record batting average (b. 1908)
  • 2005 – Peter Benenson, English lawyer, founded Amnesty International (b. 1921)
  • 2010 – Ihsan Dogramaci, Turkish pediatrician and academic (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Louisiana Red, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Harve Bennett, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Eugenie Clark, American biologist and academic; noted ichthyologist (b. 1922)
  • 2020 – Dmitry Yazov, last Marshal of the Soviet Union (b. 1924)

Holidays and observance on February 25

Christian feast day

Further information: February 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Æthelberht of Kent
  • Blessed Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás
  • Gerland of Agrigento
  • John Roberts, writer and missionary
  • Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani
  • Saint Walpurga (she was canonised on 1 May and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 30 April)

February 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

February 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /

For superstitious reasons, when the Romans began to intercalate to bring their calendar into line with the solar year, they chose not to place their extra month of Mercedonius after February but within it. February 24 — known in the Roman calendar as “the sixth day before the Kalends of March” — was replaced by the first day of this month since it followed Terminalia, the festival of the Roman god of boundaries. After the end of Mercedonius, the rest of the days of February were observed and the new year began with the first day of March. The overlaid religious festivals of February were so complicated that Julius Caesar opted not to change it at all during his 46 bc calendar reform. The extra day of his system’s leap years was located in the same place as the old intercalary month but he opted to ignore it as a date. Instead, the sixth day before the Kalends of March was simply said to last for 48 hours and all the other days continued to bear their original names. (The Roman practice of inclusive counting initially caused the priests in charge of the calendar to add the extra hours every three years instead of every four and Augustus was obliged to omit them for a span of decades until the system was back to where it should have been.) When the extra hours finally began to be reckoned as two separate days instead of a doubled sixth (“bissextile”) one, the leap day was still taken to be the one following hard on the February 23 Terminalia. Although February 29 has been popularly understood as the leap day of leap years since the beginning of sequential reckoning of the days of months in the late Middle Ages, in Britain and most other countries, no formal replacement of February 24 as the leap day of the Julian and Gregorian calendars has occurred. The exceptions include Sweden and Finland, who enacted legislation to move the day to February 29. This custom still has some effect around the world, for example with respect to name days in Hungary.

February 24 in History

  • 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
  • 1303 – Battle of Roslin, of the First War of Scottish Independence.
  • 1386 – King Charles III of Naples and Hungary is assassinated at Buda.
  • 1525 – A Spanish-Austrian army defeats a French army at the Battle of Pavia.
  • 1538 – Treaty of Nagyvárad between Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and King John Zápolya of Hungary and Croatia.
  • 1582 – With the papal bull Inter gravissimas, Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar.
  • 1607 – L’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an opera, receives its première performance.
  • 1711 – The London première of Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage.
  • 1739 – Battle of Karnal: The army of Iranian ruler Nader Shah defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor of India, Muhammad Shah.
  • 1803 – In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the principle of judicial review.
  • 1809 – London’s Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving owner Richard Brinsley Sheridan destitute.
  • 1821 – Final stage of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain with Plan of Iguala.
  • 1822 – The first Swaminarayan temple in the world, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad, is inaugurated.
  • 1826 – The signing of the Treaty of Yandabo marks the end of the First Anglo-Burmese War.
  • 1831 – The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act, is proclaimed. The Choctaws in Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West.
  • 1848 – King Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne.
  • 1854 – A Penny Red with perforations was the first perforated postage stamp to be officially issued for distribution.
  • 1863 – Arizona is organized as a United States territory.
  • 1868 – Andrew Johnson becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives. He is later acquitted in the Senate.
  • 1875 – The SS Gothenburg hits the Great Barrier Reef and sinks off the Australian east coast, killing approximately 100, including a number of high-profile civil servants and dignitaries.
  • 1881 – China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty.
  • 1895 – Revolution breaks out in Baire, a town near Santiago de Cuba, beginning the Cuban War of Independence, that ends with the Spanish–American War in 1898.
  • 1916 – The Governor-General of Korea establishes a clinic called Jahyewon in Sorokdo to segregate Hansen’s disease patients.
  • 1917 – World War I: The U.S. ambassador Walter Hines Page to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
  • 1918 – Estonian Declaration of Independence.
  • 1920 – Nancy Astor becomes the first woman to speak in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom following her election as a Member of Parliament (MP) three months earlier.
  • 1920 – The Nazi Party (NSDAP) was founded by Adolf Hitler in the Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich, Germany
  • 1942 – The Battle of Los Angeles: A false alarm led to an anti-aircraft barrage that lasted into the early hours of February 25.
  • 1942 – An order-in-council passed under the Defence of Canada Regulations of the War Measures Act gives the Canadian federal government the power to intern all “persons of Japanese racial origin”.
  • 1944 – Merrill’s Marauders: The Marauders begin their 1,000-mile journey through Japanese-occupied Burma.
  • 1945 – Egyptian Premier Ahmad Mahir Pasha is killed in Parliament after reading a decree.
  • 1946 – Colonel Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as Peronism, is elected to his first term as President of Argentina.
  • 1949 – The Armistice Agreements are signed, to formally end the hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Hué.
  • 1971 – The All India Forward Bloc holds an emergency central committee meeting after its chairman, Hemantha Kumar Bose, is killed three days earlier. P.K. Mookiah Thevar is appointed as the new chairman.
  • 1976 – The current constitution of Cuba is formally proclaimed.
  • 1978 – The Yuba County Five disappear in California. Four of their bodies are found four months later.
  • 1980 – The United States Olympic hockey team completes its Miracle on Ice by defeating Finland 4–2 to win the gold medal.
  • 1981 – The 6.7 Ms Gulf of Corinth earthquake affected Central Greece with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). Twenty-two people were killed, 400 were injured, and damage totaled $812 million.
  • 1983 – A special commission of the United States Congress condemns the Japanese American internment during World War II.
  • 1984 – Tyrone Mitchell perpetrates the 49th Street Elementary School shooting in Los Angeles, killing two children and injuring 12 more.
  • 1989 – United Airlines Flight 811, bound for New Zealand from Honolulu, rips open during flight, blowing nine passengers out of the business-class section.
  • 1991 – Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabian border and enter Iraq, thus beginning the ground phase of the war.
  • 1996 – Two civilian airplanes operated by the Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue are shot down in international waters by the Cuban Air Force.
  • 1999 – China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509, a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft, crashes on approach to Wenzhou Longwan International Airport in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. All 61 people on board are killed.
  • 2004 – The 6.3 Mw Al Hoceima earthquake strikes northern Morocco with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). At least 628 people are killed, 926 are injured, and up to 15,000 are displaced.
  • 2006 – Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares Proclamation 1017 placing the country in a state of emergency in attempt to subdue a possible military coup.
  • 2007 – Japan launches its fourth spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea.
  • 2008 – Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba and the Council of Ministers after 32 years. He remains as head of the Communist Party for another three years.
  • 2015 – A Metrolink train derails in Oxnard, California following a collision with a truck, leaving more than 30 injured.
  • 2016 – Tara Air Flight 193, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, crashed, with 23 fatalities, in Solighopte, Myagdi District, Dhaulagiri Zone, while en route from Pokhara Airport to Jomsom Airport.

Births on February 24

  • 1103 – Emperor Toba of Japan (d. 1156)
  • 1304 – Ibn Battuta, Moroccan jurist
  • 1413 – Louis, Duke of Savoy (d. 1465)
  • 1463 – Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Italian philosopher (d. 1494)
  • 1494 – Johan Friis, Danish statesman (d. 1570)
  • 1500 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1558)
  • 1536 – Pope Clement VIII (d. 1605)
  • 1545 – John of Austria (d. 1578)
  • 1553 – Cherubino Alberti, Italian engraver and painter (d. 1615)
  • 1557 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1619)
  • 1593 – Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, English soldier and courtier (d. 1625)
  • 1595 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (d. 1640)
  • 1604 – Arcangela Tarabotti, Venetian nun and feminist (d. 1652)
  • 1619 – Charles Le Brun, French painter and theorist (d. 1690)
  • 1622 – Johannes Clauberg, German theologian and philosopher (d. 1665)
  • 1709 – Jacques de Vaucanson, French engineer (d. 1782)
  • 1721 – John McKinly, Irish-American physician and politician, 1st Governor of Delaware (d. 1796)
  • 1723 – John Burgoyne, English general and politician (d. 1792)
  • 1736 – Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1806)
  • 1743 – Joseph Banks, English botanist and explorer (d. 1820)
  • 1762 – Charles Frederick Horn, German-English composer and educator (d. 1830)
  • 1767 – Rama II of Siam (d. 1824)
  • 1774 – Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (d. 1850)
  • 1786 – Martin W. Bates, American lawyer and politician (d. 1869)
  • 1786 – Wilhelm Grimm, German anthropologist, author, and academic (d. 1859)
  • 1788 – Johan Christian Dahl, Norwegian-German painter (d. 1857)
  • 1827 – Lydia Becker, English-French activist (d. 1890)
  • 1831 – Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1899)
  • 1835 – Julius Vogel, English-New Zealand journalist and politician, 8th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1899)
  • 1836 – Winslow Homer, American painter and illustrator (d. 1910)
  • 1837 – Rosalía de Castro, Spanish poet (d. 1885)
  • 1842 – Arrigo Boito, Italian journalist, author, and composer (d. 1918)
  • 1848 – Andrew Inglis Clark, Australian engineer, lawyer, and politician (d. 1907)
  • 1852 – George Moore, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1933)
  • 1868 – Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild, French financier and polo player (d. 1949)
  • 1869 – Zara DuPont, American suffragist (d. 1946)
  • 1874 – Honus Wagner, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1955)
  • 1877 – Rudolph Ganz, Swiss pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1972)
  • 1877 – Ettie Rout, Australian-New Zealand educator and activist (d. 1936)
  • 1885 – Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (d. 1966)
  • 1885 – Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Polish author, poet, and painter (d. 1939)
  • 1890 – Marjorie Main, American actress (d. 1975)
  • 1896 – Richard Thorpe, American director and screenwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1898 – Kurt Tank, German pilot and engineer (d. 1983)
  • 1900 – Irmgard Bartenieff, German-American dancer and physical therapist, leading pioneer of dance therapy (d. 1981)
  • 1903 – Vladimir Bartol, Italian-Slovene author and playwright (d. 1967)
  • 1908 – Telford Taylor, American general, lawyer, and historian (d. 1998)
  • 1909 – August Derleth, American anthologist and author (d. 1971)
  • 1914 – Ralph Erskine, English-Swedish architect, designed The Ark and Byker Wall (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – Weldon Kees, American author, poet, painter, and pianist (d. 1955)
  • 1915 – Jim Ferrier, Australian golfer (d. 1986)
  • 1919 – John Carl Warnecke, American architect (d. 2010)
  • 1921 – Abe Vigoda, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1922 – Richard Hamilton, English painter and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Steven Hill, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1924 – Hal Herring, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Erik Nielsen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – Bud Day, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Emmanuelle Riva, French actress (d. 2017)
  • 1929 – Kintaro Ohki, South Korean wrestler (d. 2006)
  • 1930 – Barbara Lawrence, American model and actress (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Dominic Chianese, American actor and singer
  • 1931 – Brian Close, English cricketer and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Michel Legrand, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Zell Miller, American sergeant and politician, 79th Governor of Georgia (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1933 – Judah Folkman, American physician and biologist (d. 2008)
  • 1933 – Ali Mazrui, Kenyan-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – David “Fathead” Newman, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2009)
  • 1934 – Bettino Craxi, Italian lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2000)
  • 1934 – Johnny Hills, English footballer, full-back
  • 1934 – Renata Scotto, Italian soprano
  • 1935 – Ryhor Baradulin, Belarusian poet, essayist, and translator (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Guillermo O’Donnell, Argentine political scientist (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – James Farentino, American actor (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Phil Knight, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Nike, Inc.
  • 1939 – Jamal Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi physicist and cosmologist (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Pete Duel, American actor (d. 1971)
  • 1940 – Jimmy Ellis, American boxer (d. 2014)
  • 1940 – Denis Law, Scottish footballer and sportscaster
  • 1941 – Joanie Sommers, American singer and actress
  • 1942 – Colin Bond, Australian race car driver
  • 1942 – Paul Jones, English singer, harmonica player, and actor
  • 1942 – Joe Lieberman, American lawyer and politician
  • 1942 – Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Indian philosopher, theorist, and academic
  • 1943 – Kent Haruf, American novelist (d. 2014)
  • 1943 – Gigi Meroni, Italian footballer (d. 1967)
  • 1943 – Pablo Milanés, Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1943 – Terry Semel, American businessman
  • 1944 – Nicky Hopkins, English keyboard player (d. 1994)
  • 1944 – Ivica Račan, Croatian lawyer and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (d. 2007)
  • 1945 – Barry Bostwick, American actor and singer
  • 1946 – Grigory Margulis, Russian mathematician and academic
  • 1947 – Mike Fratello, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1947 – Rupert Holmes, English-American singer-songwriter and playwright
  • 1947 – Edward James Olmos, American actor and director
  • 1948 – Jayalalithaa, Indian actress and politician, 16th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (d. 2016)
  • 1948 – Walter Smith, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Tim Staffell, English singer and guitarist
  • 1948 – Dennis Waterman, English actor
  • 1950 – Steve McCurry, American photographer and journalist
  • 1951 – David Ford, Northern Irish social worker and politician
  • 1951 – Derek Randall, English cricketer
  • 1951 – Debra Jo Rupp, American actress
  • 1951 – Helen Shaver, Canadian actress and director
  • 1951 – Laimdota Straujuma, Latvian economist and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Latvia
  • 1953 – Anatoli Kozhemyakin, Soviet footballer (d. 1974)
  • 1954 – Plastic Bertrand, Belgian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1954 – Judith Ortiz Cofer, Puerto Rican American award-winning author (d. 2016)
  • 1954 – Aurora Levins Morales, Puerto Rican Jewish writer and activist
  • 1954 – Sid Meier, Canadian-American game designer and programmer, created the Civilization series
  • 1954 – Mike Pickering, English DJ and saxophonist
  • 1955 – Steve Jobs, American businessman, co-founded Apple Inc. and Pixar (d. 2011)
  • 1955 – Eddie Johnson, American basketball player
  • 1955 – Alain Prost, French race car driver
  • 1956 – Judith Butler, American philosopher, theorist, and author
  • 1956 – Eddie Murray, American baseball player and coach
  • 1956 – Paula Zahn, American journalist and producer
  • 1958 – Sammy Kershaw, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1958 – Mark Moses, American actor
  • 1959 – Beth Broderick, American actress and director
  • 1959 – Mike Whitney, Australian cricketer and television host
  • 1963 – Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
  • 1963 – Mike Vernon, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1963 – Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gujarati family, most versatile filmmaker of Hindi cinema.
  • 1964 – Russell Ingall, British-Australian race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Paul Gruber, American football player
  • 1965 – Jane Swift, American businesswoman and politician, Governor of Massachusetts
  • 1966 – Billy Zane, American actor and producer
  • 1967 – Brian Schmidt, Australian astrophysicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1968 – Mitch Hedberg, American comedian and actor (d. 2005)
  • 1969 – Kim Seung-woo, South Korean actor
  • 1970 – Jeff Garcia, American football player and coach
  • 1970 – Neil Sullivan, English born Scottish international footballer, goalkeeper and coach
  • 1970 – Jonathan Ward, American actor
  • 1971 – Josh Bernstein, American anthropologist, explorer, and author
  • 1971 – Pedro de la Rosa, Spanish race car driver
  • 1971 – Brian Savage, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1972 – Teodor Currentzis, Greek conductor and composer
  • 1972 – Manon Rhéaume, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1973 – Stubby Clapp, Canadian baseball player and coach
  • 1973 – Chris Fehn, American drummer
  • 1973 – Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey player and pilot
  • 1974 – Chad Hugo, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1974 – Mike Lowell, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Bonnie Somerville, American actress
  • 1975 – Ashley MacIsaac, Canadian singer-songwriter and fiddler
  • 1976 – Crista Flanagan, American actress and screenwriter
  • 1976 – Zach Johnson, American golfer
  • 1976 – Bradley McGee, Australian cyclist and coach
  • 1976 – Matt Skiba, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Marco Campos, Brazilian Formula 3000 race car driver (d. 1995)
  • 1977 – Jason Akermanis, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1977 – Bronson Arroyo, American baseball player and singer
  • 1977 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., American boxer
  • 1978 – Gary, South Korean rapper and producer
  • 1978 – Shinya, Japanese drummer and songwriter
  • 1978 – John Nolan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1978 – DeWayne Wise, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Leon Constantine, English footballer
  • 1980 – Shinsuke Nakamura, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
  • 1981 – Felipe Baloy, Panamanian footballer
  • 1981 – Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
  • 1981 – Mauro Rosales, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Mohammad Sami, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1982 – Nick Blackburn, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Emanuel Villa, Argentinian footballer
  • 1982 – Klára Koukalová, Czech tennis player
  • 1982 – Fala Chen, Chinese actress and singer
  • 1984 – Corey Graves, American wrestler and sportscaster
  • 1985 – Nakash Aziz, Indian playback singer and music composer
  • 1987 – Kim Kyu-jong, South Korean singer, dancer, and actor
  • 1988 – Mathieu Baudry, French footballer
  • 1989 – Trace Cyrus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1991 – Madison Hubbell, American ice dancer
  • 1991 – Semih Kaya, Turkish footballer
  • 1996 – Royce Freeman, American football player

Deaths on February 24

  • 616 – Æthelberht of Kent (b. 560)
  • 951 – Liu Yun, Chinese governor (jiedushi)
  • 1018 – Borrell, bishop of Vic
  • 1114 – Thomas, archbishop of York
  • 1386 – Charles III of Naples (b. 1345)
  • 1496 – Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1445)
  • 1525 – Jacques de La Palice, French nobleman and military officer (b. 1470)
  • 1525 – Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet, French soldier (b. c. 1488)
  • 1525 – Richard de la Pole, last Yorkist claimant to the English throne (b. 1480)
  • 1563 – Francis, Duke of Guise (b. 1519)
  • 1580 – Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, English nobleman (b. 1511)
  • 1588 – Johann Weyer, Dutch physician and occultist (b. 1515)
  • 1666 – Nicholas Lanier, English composer and painter (b. 1588)
  • 1685 – Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland (b. 1629)
  • 1704 – Marc-Antoine Charpentier, French composer (b. 1643)
  • 1714 – Edmund Andros, English courtier and politician, 4th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1637)
  • 1721 – John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1648)
  • 1732 – Francis Charteris, Scottish soldier (b. 1675)
  • 1777 – Joseph I of Portugal (b. 1714)
  • 1785 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican lawyer and politician (b. 1746)
  • 1799 – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, German physicist and academic (b. 1742)
  • 1810 – Henry Cavendish, French-English physicist and chemist (b. 1731)
  • 1812 – Étienne-Louis Malus, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1775)
  • 1815 – Robert Fulton, American engineer (b. 1765)
  • 1825 – Thomas Bowdler, English physician and philanthropist (b. 1754)
  • 1856 – Nikolai Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1792)
  • 1876 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts, American-Liberian politician, 1st President of Liberia (b. 1809)
  • 1879 – Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 11th Yokozuna (b. 1825)
  • 1910 – Osman Hamdi Bey, Greek archaeologist and painter (b. 1842)
  • 1914 – Joshua Chamberlain, American general and politician, 32nd Governor of Maine (b. 1828)
  • 1925 – Hjalmar Branting, Swedish journalist and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Sweden, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1860)
  • 1927 – Edward Marshall Hall, English lawyer and politician (b. 1858)
  • 1929 – André Messager, French pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1853)
  • 1930 – Hermann von Ihering, German-Brazilian zoologist (b. 1850)
  • 1953 – Robert La Follette Jr., American politician, senator of Wisconsin (b. 1895)
  • 1953 – Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (b. 1875)
  • 1967 – Mir Osman Ali Khan, Last Nizam of Hyderabad State (b. 1886)
  • 1970 – Conrad Nagel, American actor (b. 1897)
  • 1974 – Margaret Leech, American historian and author (b. 1895)
  • 1975 – Hans Bellmer, German artist (b. 1902)
  • 1975 – Nikolai Bulganin, Russian marshal and politician, 6th Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1895)
  • 1978 – Alma Thomas, American painter and educator (b.1891)
  • 1982 – Virginia Bruce, American actress (b. 1910)
  • 1986 – Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian Bharatnatyam dancer (b. 1904)
  • 1986 – Tommy Douglas, Scottish-Canadian minister and politician, 7th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Tony Conigliaro, American baseball player (b. 1945)
  • 1990 – Malcolm Forbes, American sergeant and publisher (b. 1917)
  • 1990 – Sandro Pertini, Italian journalist and politician, 7th President of Italy (b. 1896)
  • 1990 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1927)
  • 1991 – John Daly, American journalist and game show host (b. 1914)
  • 1991 – George Gobel, American actor (b. 1919)
  • 1991 – Webb Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Danny Gallivan, Canadian sportscaster (b. 1917)
  • 1993 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (b. 1941)
  • 1994 – Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (b. 1906)
  • 1994 – Dinah Shore, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
  • 1998 – Antonio Prohías, Cuban-American cartoonist (b. 1921)
  • 1998 – Henny Youngman, English-American comedian and violinist (b. 1906)
  • 1999 – Andre Dubus, American short story writer, essayist, and memoirist (b. 1936)
  • 2001 – Theodore Marier, American composer and educator, founded the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – Claude Shannon, American mathematician, cryptographer, and engineer (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Leo Ornstein, Ukrainian-American pianist and composer (b. 1893)
  • 2004 – John Randolph, American actor (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Coşkun Kırca, Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Octavia E. Butler, American author and educator (b. 1947)
  • 2006 – Don Knotts, American actor and comedian (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – John Martin, Canadian broadcaster, co-founded MuchMusic (b. 1947)
  • 2006 – Dennis Weaver, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1924)
  • 2007 – Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (b. 1906)
  • 2007 – Damien Nash, American football player (b. 1982)
  • 2008 – Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2010 – Dawn Brancheau, senior animal trainer at SeaWorld (b. 1969)
  • 2011 – Anant Pai, Indian author and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Agnes Allen, American baseball player and therapist (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Oliver Wrong, English nephrologist and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Virgil Johnson, American singer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Franny Beecher, American guitarist (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Alexis Hunter, New Zealand-English painter and photographer (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Carlos Páez Vilaró, Uruguayan painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Harold Ramis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Mefodiy, Ukrainian metropolitan (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Rakhat Aliyev, Kazakh politician and diplomat (b. 1962)
  • 2016 – Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (b. 1943)
  • 2016 – Nabil Maleh, Syrian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – George C. Nichopoulos, American soldier and physician (b. 1927)
  • 2018 – Sridevi, Indian actress (b. 1963)
  • 2020 – Katherine Johnson, American physicist and mathematician (b. 1918)

Holidays and observances on February 24

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Ascensión Nicol y Goñi
    • Lindel Tsen and Paul Sasaki (Anglican Church of Canada)
    • Modest (bishop of Trier)
    • Sergius of Cappadocia
    • February 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Dragobete (Romania)
  • Engineer’s Day (Iran)
  • Flag Day in Mexico
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Estonia from the Russian Empire in 1918; the Soviet period is considered to have been an illegal annexation.
  • National Artist Day (Thailand)

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