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9

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

On This Day /
  • 708 – Pope Constantine succeeds Pope Sisinnius as the 88th pope.
  • 717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy.
  • 919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII.
  • 1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government.
  • 1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland).
  • 1409 – The Council of Pisa opens.
  • 1555 – The city of Valencia is founded in present-day Venezuela.
  • 1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London.
  • 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia.
  • 1655 – Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.
  • 1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a “Definitive Treaty of Peace” between France and the United Kingdom.
  • 1807 – The Slave Trade Act becomes law, abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire.
  • 1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world.
  • 1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.
  • 1821 – Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar).
  • 1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union.
  • 1894 – Coxey’s Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C.
  • 1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers.
  • 1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811.
  • 1918 – The Belarusian People’s Republic is established.
  • 1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic.
  • 1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape.
  • 1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact.
  • 1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111.
  • 1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
  • 1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia.
  • 1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” on obscenity grounds.
  • 1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members.
  • 1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
  • 1969 – During their honeymoon, John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold their first Bed-In for Peace at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel (until March 31).
  • 1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos.
  • 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by a mentally ill nephew.
  • 1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch.
  • 1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
  • 1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world’s first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham.
  • 1996 – The European Union’s Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
  • 2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
  • 2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested.

Births on March 25

  • 1252 – Conradin, Duke of Swabia (d. 1268)
  • 1259 – Andronikos II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1332)
  • 1297 – Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1341)
  • 1297 – Arnošt of Pardubice, Polish archbishop (d. 1364)
  • 1345 – Blanche of Lancaster (d. 1369)
  • 1347 – Catherine of Siena, Italian philosopher, theologian, and saint (d. 1380)
  • 1404 – John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, English military leader (d. 1444)
  • 1414 – Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford, English noble (d. 1455)
  • 1434 – Eustochia Smeralda Calafato, Italian saint (d. 1485)
  • 1453 – Giuliano de’ Medici (d. 1478)
  • 1479 – Vasili III of Russia (d. 1533)
  • 1491 – Marie d’Albret, Countess of Rethel (d. 1549)
  • 1510 – Guillaume Postel, French linguist (d. 1581)
  • 1538 – Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1612)
  • 1541 – Francesco I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1587)
  • 1545 – John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (d. 1622)
  • 1546 – Giacomo Castelvetro, Italian writer (d. 1616)
  • 1593 – Jean de Brébeuf, French-Canadian missionary and saint (d. 1649)
  • 1611 – Evliya Çelebi, Ottoman Turk traveller and writer (d. 1682)
  • 1636 – Henric Piccardt, Dutch lawyer (d. 1712)
  • 1643 – Louis Moréri, French priest and scholar (d. 1680)
  • 1661 – Paul de Rapin, French soldier and historian (d. 1725)
  • 1699 – Johann Adolph Hasse, German singer and composer (d. 1783)
  • 1741 – Jean-Antoine Houdon, French sculptor and educator (d. 1828)
  • 1745 – John Barry, American naval officer and father of the American navy (d. 1803)
  • 1767 – Joachim Murat, French general (d. 1815)
  • 1782 – Caroline Bonaparte, French daughter of Carlo Buonaparte (d. 1839)
  • 1800 – Ernst Heinrich Karl von Dechen, German geologist and academic (d. 1889)
  • 1808 – José de Espronceda, Spanish poet and author (d. 1842)
  • 1824 – Clinton L. Merriam, American banker and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1840 – Myles Keogh, Irish-American colonel (d. 1876)
  • 1863 – Simon Flexner, American physician and academic (d. 1946)
  • 1867 – Gutzon Borglum, American sculptor, designed Mount Rushmore (d. 1941)
  • 1867 – Arturo Toscanini, Italian-American cellist and conductor (d. 1957)
  • 1868 – Bill Lockwood, English cricketer (d. 1932)
  • 1871 – Louis Perrée, French fencer (d. 1924)
  • 1872 – Horatio Nelson Jackson, American race car driver and physician (d. 1955)
  • 1873 – Rudolf Rocker, German-American author and activist (d. 1958)
  • 1874 – Selim Sırrı Tarcan, Turkish educator and politician (d. 1957)
  • 1876 – Irving Baxter, American jumper and pole vaulter (d. 1957)
  • 1877 – Walter Little, Canadian politician (d. 1961)
  • 1878 – František Janda-Suk, Czech discus thrower and shot putter (d. 1955)
  • 1879 – Amedee Reyburn, American swimmer and water polo player (d. 1920)
  • 1881 – Béla Bartók, Hungarian pianist and composer (d. 1945)
  • 1881 – Patrick Henry Bruce, American painter and educator (d. 1936)
  • 1881 – Mary Webb, English author and poet (d. 1927)
  • 1893 – Johannes Villemson, Estonian runner (d. 1971)
  • 1895 – Siegfried Handloser, German general and physician (d. 1954)
  • 1885 – Jimmy Seed, English international footballer, inside forward and manager (d. 1966)
  • 1897 – Leslie Averill, New Zealand doctor and soldier (d. 1981)
  • 1899 – François Rozet, French-Canadian actor (d. 1994)
  • 1901 – Ed Begley, American actor (d. 1970)
  • 1903 – Binnie Barnes, English-American actress (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (d. 2001)
  • 1903 – Nahum Norbert Glatzer, Ukrainian-American theologian and scholar (d. 1990)
  • 1904 – Pete Johnson, American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist (d. 1967)
  • 1905 – Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, German colonel (d. 1944)
  • 1906 – Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – A. J. P. Taylor, English historian and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1910 – Magda Olivero, Italian soprano (d. 2014)
  • 1910 – Benzion Netanyahu, Polish-Israeli historian and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1912 – Melita Norwood, English civil servant and spy (d. 2005)
  • 1912 – Jean Vilar, French actor and director (d. 1971)
  • 1913 – Reo Stakis, Cypriot-Scottish businessman, founded Stakis Hotels (d. 2001)
  • 1914 – Norman Borlaug, American agronomist and humanitarian, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Dorothy Squires, Welsh singer (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – S. M. Pandit, Indian painter and educator (d. 1993)
  • 1918 – Howard Cosell, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Paul Scott, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1978)
  • 1920 – Patrick Troughton, English actor (d. 1987)
  • 1920 – Usha Mehta, Gandhian and freedom fighter of India (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Nancy Kelly, American actress (d. 1995)
  • 1921 – Simone Signoret, French actress (d. 1985)
  • 1922 – Eileen Ford, American businesswoman, co-founded Ford Models (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Bonnie Guitar, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Roberts Blossom, American actor (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Machiko Kyō, Japanese actress (d. 2019)
  • 1925 – Flannery O’Connor, American short story writer and novelist (d. 1964)
  • 1925 – Anthony Quinton, Baron Quinton, English physician and philosopher (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Kishori Sinha, Indian politician, social activist and advocate (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Riz Ortolani, Italian composer and conductor (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – László Papp, Hungarian boxer (d. 2003)
  • 1926 – Jaime Sabines, Mexican poet and politician (d. 1999)
  • 1926 – Gene Shalit, American journalist and critic
  • 1927 – P. Shanmugam, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Puducherry (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Jim Lovell, American captain, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1928 – Gunnar Nielsen, Danish runner and typographer (d. 1985)
  • 1928 – Hans Steinbrenner, German sculptor (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Cecil Taylor, American pianist and composer (d. 2018)
  • 1930 – David Burge, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (d. 1982)
  • 1930 – Rudy Minarcin, American baseball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Humphrey Burton, English radio and television host
  • 1932 – Penelope Gilliatt, English novelist, short story writer, and critic (d. 1993)
  • 1932 – Wes Santee, American runner (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Johnny Burnette, American singer-songwriter (d. 1964)
  • 1934 – Bernard King, Australian actor and chef (d. 2002)
  • 1934 – Karlheinz Schreiber, German-Canadian businessman
  • 1934 – Gloria Steinem, American feminist activist, co-founded the Women’s Media Center
  • 1935 – Gabriel Elorde, Filipino boxer (d. 1985)
  • 1936 – Carl Kaufmann, American-German sprinter (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Tom Monaghan, American businessman, founded Domino’s Pizza
  • 1938 – Hoyt Axton, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1999)
  • 1938 – Daniel Buren, French sculptor and painter
  • 1938 – Fritz d’Orey, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1939 – Toni Cade Bambara, American author, academic, and activist (d. 1995)
  • 1939 – D. C. Fontana, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2019)
  • 1941 – Gudmund Hernes, Norwegian sociologist and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research
  • 1942 – Aretha Franklin, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Richard O’Brien, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1942 – Kim Woodburn, English television host
  • 1943 – Paul Michael Glaser, American actor and director
  • 1945 – Leila Diniz, Brazilian actress (d. 1972)
  • 1946 – Cliff Balsom, English footballer
  • 1946 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and author (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Stephen Hunter, American author and critic
  • 1946 – Maurice Krafft, French volcanologist (d. 1991)
  • 1947 – Richard Cork, English historian and critic
  • 1947 – Elton John, English singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor
  • 1948 – Bonnie Bedelia, American actress
  • 1948 – Michael Stanley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1949 – Ronnie Flanagan, Northern Irish Chief Constable (Royal Irish Constabulary, Police Service of Northern Ireland)
  • 1949 – Sue Klebold, American activist
  • 1950 – Chuck Greenberg, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (d. 1995)
  • 1950 – Ronnie McDowell, American singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – David Paquette, American-New Zealander pianist
  • 1951 – Jumbo Tsuruta, Japanese wrestler (d. 2000)
  • 1952 – Stephen Dorrell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health
  • 1952 – Antanas Mockus, Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician, Mayor of Bogotá
  • 1953 – Robert Fox, English producer and manager
  • 1953 – Vesna Pusić, Croatian sociologist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia
  • 1953 – Haroon Rasheed, Pakistani cricketer and coach
  • 1954 – Thom Loverro, American journalist and author
  • 1955 – Daniel Boulud, French chef and author
  • 1955 – Lee Mazzilli, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1957 – Christina Boxer, English runner and journalist
  • 1957 – Jonathan Michie, English economist and academic
  • 1957 – Aleksandr Puchkov, Russian hurdler
  • 1957 – Jim Uhls, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1958 – Lorna Brown, Canadian artist, curator, and writer
  • 1958 – Susie Bright, American journalist, author, and critic
  • 1958 – Sisy Chen, Taiwanese journalist and politician
  • 1958 – María Caridad Colón, Cuban javelin thrower and shot putter
  • 1958 – John Ensign, American physician and politician
  • 1958 – Ray Tanner, American baseball player and coach
  • 1958 – Åsa Torstensson, Swedish politician, 3rd Swedish Minister for Infrastructure
  • 1960 – Steve Norman, English saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1960 – Peter O’Brien, Australian actor
  • 1960 – Brenda Strong, American actress
  • 1961 – Mark Brooks, American golfer
  • 1962 – Marcia Cross, American actress
  • 1962 – David Nuttall, English lawyer and politician
  • 1963 – Karen Bruce, English dancer and choreographer
  • 1963 – Velle Kadalipp, Estonian architect
  • 1963 – Andrew O’Connor, British actor, comedian, magician, television presenter and executive producer
  • 1964 – René Meulensteen, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1964 – Ken Wregget, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1964 – Norm Duke, American bowler
  • 1965 – Avery Johnson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1965 – Stefka Kostadinova, Bulgarian high jumper
  • 1965 – Sarah Jessica Parker, American actress, producer, and designer
  • 1966 – Tom Glavine, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Humberto Gonzalez, Mexican boxer
  • 1966 – Jeff Healey, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
  • 1966 – Anton Rogan, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1967 – Matthew Barney, American sculptor and photographer
  • 1967 – Doug Stanhope, American comedian and actor
  • 1967 – Debi Thomas, American figure skater and physician
  • 1969 – George Chlitsios, Greek conductor and composer
  • 1969 – Dale Davis, American basketball player
  • 1969 – Cathy Dennis, English singer-songwriter, record producer and actress
  • 1969 – Jeffrey Walker, English singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1970 – Magnus Larsson, Swedish golfer
  • 1971 – Stacy Dragila, American pole vaulter and coach
  • 1971 – Cammi Granato, American ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Sheryl Swoopes, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Giniel de Villiers, South African race car driver
  • 1972 – Phil O’Donnell, Scottish footballer (d. 2007)
  • 1973 – Michaela Dorfmeister, Austrian skier
  • 1973 – Anders Fridén, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1973 – Bob Sura, American basketball player
  • 1974 – Serge Betsen, Cameroonian-French rugby player
  • 1974 – Lark Voorhies, American actress and singer
  • 1975 – Ladislav Benýšek, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Melanie Blatt, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1975 – Erika Heynatz, Papua New Guinean-Australian model and actress
  • 1976 – Francie Bellew, Irish footballer
  • 1976 – Lars Figura, German sprinter
  • 1976 – Wladimir Klitschko, Ukrainian boxer
  • 1976 – Rima Wakarua, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
  • 1977 – Natalie Clein, English cellist and educator
  • 1977 – Andrew Lindsay, Scottish rower
  • 1978 – Gennaro Delvecchio, Italian footballer
  • 1979 – Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, French sprinter
  • 1980 – Kathrine Sørland, Norwegian fashion model and television presenter
  • 1982 – Danica Patrick, American race car driver
  • 1982 – Álvaro Saborío, Costa Rican footballer
  • 1982 – Jenny Slate, American comedian, actress and author
  • 1983 – Mickaël Hanany, French high jumper
  • 1984 – Katharine McPhee, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1984 – Liam Messam, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1985 – Carmen Rasmusen, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1985 – Diana Rennik, Estonian figure skater
  • 1986 – Marco Belinelli, Italian basketball player
  • 1986 – Megan Gibson, American softball player
  • 1986 – Kyle Lowry, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Mickey Paea, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Jacob Bagersted, Danish handball player
  • 1987 – Victor Obinna, Nigerian footballer
  • 1987 – Nobunari Oda, Japanese figure skater
  • 1988 – Big Sean, American rapper, singer and songwriter
  • 1988 – Mitchell Watt, Australian long jumper
  • 1988 – Arthur Zeiler, German rugby player
  • 1989 – Aly Michalka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1989 – Scott Sinclair, English footballer
  • 1990 – Mehmet Ekici, Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Alexander Esswein, German footballer
  • 1991 – Scott Malone, English footballer, left-back
  • 1993 – Jacob Gagan, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Sam Johnstone, English footballer
  • 1994 – Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier

Deaths on March 25

  • 908 – Li Kening, Chinese general
  • 940 – Taira no Masakado, Japanese samurai
  • 990 – Nicodemus of Mammola, Italian monk and saint
  • 1005 – Kenneth III, king of Scotland
  • 1051 – Hugh IV, French nobleman
  • 1189 – Frederick, duke of Bohemia
  • 1223 – Alfonso II, king of Portugal (b. 1185)
  • 1351 – Kō no Moronao, Japanese samurai
  • 1351 – Kō no Moroyasu, Japanese samurai
  • 1392 – Hosokawa Yoriyuki, Japanese samurai
  • 1458 – Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, Spanish poet and politician (b. 1398)
  • 1558 – Marcos de Niza, French friar and explorer (b. 1495)
  • 1603 – Ikoma Chikamasa, Japanese daimyō (b. 1526)
  • 1609 – Olaus Martini, Swedish archbishop (b. 1557)
  • 1609 – Isabelle de Limeuil, French noble (b. 1535)
  • 1620 – Johannes Nucius, German composer and theorist (b. 1556)
  • 1625 – Giambattista Marino, Italian poet and author (b. 1569)
  • 1658 – Herman IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg, German nobleman (b. 1607)
  • 1677 – Wenceslaus Hollar, Czech-English painter and etcher (b. 1607)
  • 1701 – Jean Regnault de Segrais, French poet and novelist (b. 1624)
  • 1712 – Nehemiah Grew, English anatomist and physiologist (b. 1641)
  • 1732 – Lucy Filippini, Italian teacher and saint (b. 1672)
  • 1736 – Nicholas Hawksmoor, English architect, designed Easton Neston and Christ Church (b. 1661)
  • 1738 – Turlough O’Carolan, Irish harp player and composer (b. 1670)
  • 1801 – Novalis, German poet and author (b. 1772)
  • 1818 – Caspar Wessel, Norwegian-Danish mathematician and cartographer (b. 1745)
  • 1857 – William Colgate, English-American businessman and philanthropist, founded Colgate-Palmolive (b. 1783)
  • 1860 – James Braid, Scottish-English surgeon (b. 1795)
  • 1869 – Edward Bates, American politician and lawyer (b. 1793)
  • 1873 – Wilhelm Marstrand, Danish painter and illustrator (b. 1810)
  • 1907 – Ernst von Bergmann, Latvian-German surgeon and academic (b. 1836)
  • 1908 – Durham Stevens, American diplomat (b. 1851)
  • 1914 – Frédéric Mistral, French lexicographer and poet, 1904 Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830)
  • 1917 – Elizabeth Storrs Mead, American academic (b. 1832)
  • 1918 – Claude Debussy, French composer (b. 1862)
  • 1918 – Peter Martin, Australian footballer and soldier (b. 1875)
  • 1927 – Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas, Palestinian Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (b. 1843)
  • 1931 – Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Indian journalist and politician (b. 1890)
  • 1931 – Ida B. Wells, American journalist and activist (b. 1862)
  • 1932 – Harriet Backer, Norwegian painter (b.1845)
  • 1942 – William Carr, American rower (b. 1876)
  • 1951 – Eddie Collins, American baseball player and manager (b. 1887)
  • 1956 – Lou Moore, American race car driver (b. 1904)
  • 1956 – Robert Newton, English actor (b. 1905)
  • 1957 – Max Ophüls, German-American director and screenwriter (b. 1902)
  • 1958 – Tom Brown, American trombonist (b. 1888)
  • 1964 – Charles Benjamin Howard, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1885)
  • 1965 – Viola Liuzzo, American civil rights activist (b. 1925)
  • 1969 – Billy Cotton, English singer, drummer, and bandleader (b. 1899)
  • 1969 – Max Eastman, American poet and activist (b. 1883)
  • 1973 – Jakob Sildnik, Estonian photographer and director (b. 1883)
  • 1973 – Edward Steichen, Luxembourgian-American photographer, painter, and curator (b. 1879)
  • 1975 – Juan Gaudino, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1893)
  • 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian king (b. 1906)
  • 1975 – Deiva Zivarattinam, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1894)
  • 1976 – Josef Albers, German-American painter and educator (b. 1888)
  • 1976 – Benjamin Miessner, American radio engineer and inventor (b. 1890)
  • 1979 – Robert Madgwick, Australian colonel and academic (b. 1905)
  • 1979 – Akinoumi Setsuo, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 37th Yokozuna (b. 1914)
  • 1980 – Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist and psychologist (b. 1901)
  • 1980 – Walter Susskind, Czech-English conductor and educator (b. 1913)
  • 1982 – Goodman Ace, American comedian and writer (b. 1899)
  • 1983 – Bob Waterfield, American football player and coach (b. 1920)
  • 1986 – Gloria Blondell, American actress (b. 1910)
  • 1987 – A. W. Mailvaganam, Sri Lankan physicist and academic (b. 1906)
  • 1988 – Robert Joffrey, American dancer, choreographer, and director, co-founded the Joffrey Ballet (b. 1930)
  • 1991 – Marcel Lefebvre, French-Swiss archbishop (b. 1905)
  • 1992 – Nancy Walker, American actress, singer, and director (b. 1922)
  • 1994 – Angelines Fernández, Spanish-Mexican actress (b. 1922)
  • 1994 – Bernard Kangro, Estonian poet and journalist (b. 1910)
  • 1994 – Max Petitpierre, Swiss jurist and politician (b. 1899)
  • 1995 – James Samuel Coleman, American sociologist and academic (b. 1926)
  • 1995 – John Hugenholtz, Dutch engineer (b. 1914)
  • 1996 – John Snagge, English journalist (b. 1904)
  • 1998 – Max Green, Australian lawyer (b. 1952)
  • 1998 – Steven Schiff, American lawyer and politician (b. 1947)
  • 1999 – Cal Ripken, Sr., American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1936)
  • 2000 – Helen Martin, American actress (b. 1909)
  • 2001 – Brian Trubshaw, English cricketer and pilot (b. 1924)
  • 2002 – Kenneth Wolstenholme, English journalist and sportscaster (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Paul Henning, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1911)
  • 2006 – Bob Carlos Clarke, Irish photographer (b. 1950)
  • 2006 – Rocío Dúrcal, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Richard Fleischer, American film director (b. 1916)
  • 2006 – Buck Owens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Andranik Margaryan, Armenian engineer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Armenia (b. 1951)
  • 2008 – Ben Carnevale, American basketball player and coach (b. 1915)
  • 2008 – Thierry Gilardi, French journalist and sportscaster (b. 1958)
  • 2008 – Abby Mann, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1927)
  • 2008 – Herb Peterson, American businessman, created the McMuffin (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Johnny Blanchard, American baseball player (b. 1933)
  • 2009 – Kosuke Koyama, Japanese-American theologian and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2009 – Dan Seals, American musician (b. 1948)
  • 2009 – Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, Turkish politician and member of the Parliament of Turkey (b. 1954)
  • 2012 – Priscilla Buckley, American journalist and author (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Hal E. Chester, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – John Crosfield, English businessman, founded Crosfield Electronics (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Edd Gould, English animator and voice actor, founded Eddsworld (b. 1988)
  • 2012 – Antonio Tabucchi, Italian author and academic (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Léonce Bernard, Canadian politician, 26th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Ben Goldfaden, American basketball player and educator (b. 1913)
  • 2013 – Anthony Lewis, American journalist and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Jean Pickering, English runner and long jumper (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Jean-Marc Roberts, French author and screenwriter (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – John F. Wiley, American lieutenant, football player, and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Lorna Arnold, English historian and author (b. 1915)
  • 2014 – Hank Lauricella, American football player and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Jon Lord, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1956)
  • 2014 – Sonny Ruberto, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Jonathan Schell, American journalist and author (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Ralph Wilson, American businessman, founded the Buffalo Bills (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – George Fischbeck, American journalist and educator (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – Shannon Bolin, American actress and singer (b. 1917)
  • 2017 – Cuthbert Sebastian, St. Kitts and Nevis politician (b. 1921)
  • 2018 – Zell Miller, American author and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2019 – Scott Walker, American-born British singer-songwriter (b. 1943)[9]

Holidays and observances on March 25

  • Anniversary of the Arengo and the Feast of the Militants (San Marino)
  • Christian feast days:
    • Ælfwold II of Sherborne
    • Barontius and Desiderius
    • Blessed Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas
    • Omelyan Kovch (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
    • Dismas, the “Good Thief”
    • Humbert of Maroilles
    • Quirinus of Tegernsee
    • March 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Cultural Workers Day (Russia)
  • Earliest day on which Seward’s Day can fall, while March 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Monday in March. (Alaska)
  • Empress Menen’s Birthday (Rastafari)
  • EU Talent Day (European Union)
  • Feast of the Annunciation (Christianity), and its related observances (if March 25 falls in Holy Week or Easter Week the feast is moved to the Monday after the 2nd Sunday of Easter):
    • Historic start of the new year (Lady Day) in England, Wales, Ireland, and the future United States until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752. (The year 1751 began on 25 March; the year 1752 began on 1 January.) It is one of the four Quarter days in Ireland and England.
    • International Day of the Unborn Child (international)
    • Mother’s Day (Slovenia)
    • Vårfrudagen or Våffeldagen, “Waffle Day” (Sweden, Norway & Denmark)
  • Freedom Day (Belarus)
  • International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (international)
  • International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members (United Nations General Assembly)
  • Maryland Day (Maryland, United States)
  • Medal of Honor Day (United States)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the start of Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, in 1821. (Greece)
  • NZ Army Day
  • Struggle for Human Rights Day (Slovakia)
  • Tolkien Reading Day

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /

March 24th is the 365th and last day of the year in many European implementations of the Julian calendar.

March 24 in History

  • 1199 – King Richard I of England is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting in France, leading to his death on April 6.
  • 1387 – English victory over a Franco-Castilian-Flemish fleet in the Battle of Margate off the coast of Margate.
  • 1401 – Turco-Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus.
  • 1603 – James VI of Scotland is proclaimed King James I of England and Ireland, upon the death of Elizabeth I.
  • 1603 – Tokugawa Ieyasu is granted the title of shōgun from Emperor Go-Yōzei, and establishes the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo, Japan.
  • 1663 – The Province of Carolina is granted by charter to eight Lords Proprietor in reward for their assistance in restoring Charles II of England to the throne.
  • 1720 – Count Frederick of Hesse-Kassel is elected King of Sweden by the Riksdag of the Estates, after his consort Ulrika Eleonora abdicated the throne on 29 February
  • 1721 – Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated six concertos to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt, now commonly called the Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051.
  • 1731 – Naturalization of Hieronimus de Salis Parliamentary Act is passed.
  • 1765 – Great Britain passes the Quartering Act, which requires the Thirteen Colonies to house British troops.
  • 1794 – In Kraków, Tadeusz Kościuszko announces a general uprising against Imperial Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia, and assumes the powers of the Commander in Chief of all of the Polish forces.
  • 1829 – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829, allowing Catholics to serve in Parliament.
  • 1832 – In Hiram, Ohio, a group of men beat and tar and feather Mormon leader Joseph Smith.
  • 1854 – President José Gregorio Monagas abolishes slavery in Venezuela.
  • 1860 – Sakuradamon Incident: Assassination of Japanese Chief Minister (Tairō) Ii Naosuke.
  • 1869 – The last of Titokowaru’s forces surrendered to the New Zealand government, ending his uprising.
  • 1878 – The British frigate HMS Eurydice sinks, killing more than 300.
  • 1882 – Robert Koch announces the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis.
  • 1885 – Sino-French War: Chinese victory in the Battle of Bang Bo on the Tonkin–Guangxi border.
  • 1900 – Mayor of New York City Robert Anderson Van Wyck breaks ground for a new underground “Rapid Transit Railroad” that would link Manhattan and Brooklyn.
  • 1907 – The first issue of the Georgian Bolshevik newspaper Dro is published.
  • 1921 – The 1921 Women’s Olympiad begins in Monte Carlo, first international women’s sports event.
  • 1927 – Nanking Incident: Foreign warships bombard Nanjing, China, in defense of the foreign citizens within the city.
  • 1934 – United States Congress passes the Tydings–McDuffie Act, allowing the Philippines to become a self-governing commonwealth.
  • 1944 – Ardeatine massacre: German troops murder 335 Italian civilians in Rome.
  • 1944 – World War II: In an event later dramatized in the movie The Great Escape, 76 Allied prisoners of war begin breaking out of the German camp Stalag Luft III.
  • 1946 – A British Cabinet Mission arrives in India to discuss and plan for the transfer of power from the British Raj to Indian leadership.
  • 1958 – Rock ‘n’ roll teen idol Elvis Presley is drafted in the U.S. Army.
  • 1961 – Quebec Board of the French Language is established.
  • 1965 – Images from the Ranger 9 lunar probe are broadcast live on network television.
  • 1973 – Kenyan athlete Kip Keino defeats Jim Ryun at the first-ever professional track meet in Los Angeles.
  • 1976 – In Argentina, the armed forces overthrow the constitutional government of President Isabel Perón and start a 7-year dictatorial period self-styled the National Reorganization Process.
  • 1977 – Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister of India, the first Prime Minister not to belong to Indian National Congress.
  • 1980 – El Salvadorian Archbishop Óscar Romero is assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador.
  • 1986 – The Loscoe gas explosion leads to new UK laws on landfill gas migration and gas protection on landfill sites.
  • 1989 – In Prince William Sound in Alaska, the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (38,000 m3) of crude oil after running aground.
  • 1993 – Discovery of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9.
  • 1998 – Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden, aged 11 and 13 respectively, fire upon teachers and students at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas; five people are killed and ten are wounded.
  • 1998 – A tornado sweeps through Dantan in India, killing 250 people and injuring 3,000 others.
  • 1998 – First computer-assisted Bone Segment Navigation, performed at the University of Regensburg, Germany
  • 1999 – Kosovo war: NATO began attacks on Yugoslavia without United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approval, marking the first time NATO has attacked a sovereign country.
  • 1999 – A lorry carrying margarine and flour catches fire inside the Mont Blanc Tunnel. The resulting inferno kills 38 people.
  • 2003 – The Arab League votes 21–1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of U.S. and British soldiers from Iraq.
  • 2008 – Bhutan officially becomes a democracy, with its first ever general election.
  • 2015 – Germanwings Flight 9525 crashes in the French Alps in an apparent pilot mass murder-suicide, killing all 150 people on board.

Births on March 24

  • 1103 – Yue Fei, Chinese military general (d. 1142)
  • 1441 – Ernest, Elector of Saxony, German ruler of Saxony (d. 1486)
  • 1494 – Georgius Agricola, German mineralogist and scholar (d. 1555)
  • 1577 – Francis, Duke of Pomerania-Stettin, Bishop of Cammin (d. 1620)
  • 1607 – Michiel de Ruyter, Dutch admiral (d. 1667)
  • 1628 – Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1685)
  • 1657 – Arai Hakuseki, Japanese academic and politician (d. 1725)
  • 1693 – John Harrison, English carpenter and clock-maker, invented the Marine chronometer (d. 1776)
  • 1725 – Samuel Ashe, American lawyer and politician, 9th Governor of North Carolina (d. 1813)
  • 1725 – Thomas Cushing, American lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1788)
  • 1755 – Rufus King, American lawyer and politician, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (d. 1827)
  • 1762 – Marcos Portugal, Portuguese organist and composer (d. 1830)
  • 1775 – Muthuswami Dikshitar, Indian poet and composer (d. 1835)
  • 1782 – Orest Kiprensky, Russian-Italian painter (d. 1836)
  • 1796 – Zulma Carraud, French author (d. 1889)
  • 1796 – John Corry Wilson Daly, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1878)
  • 1803 – Egerton Ryerson, Canadian minister, educator, and politician (d. 1882)
  • 1808 – Maria Malibran, Spanish-French soprano (d. 1836)
  • 1809 – Mariano José de Larra, Spanish journalist and author (d. 1837)
  • 1809 – Joseph Liouville, French mathematician and academic (d. 1882)
  • 1816 – Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos, Roman Catholic archbishop and Mexican politician who served as regent during the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1864) (d. 1891)
  • 1820 – Edmond Becquerel, French physicist and academic (d. 1891)
  • 1820 – Fanny Crosby, American poet and composer (d. 1915)
  • 1823 – Thomas Spencer Baynes, English philosopher and critic (d. 1887)
  • 1826 – Matilda Joslyn Gage, American activist and author (d. 1898)
  • 1828 – Horace Gray, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1902)
  • 1829 – George Francis Train, American businessman (d. 1904)
  • 1829 – Ignacio Zaragoza, Mexican general (d. 1862)
  • 1830 – Robert Hamerling, Austrian poet and playwright (d. 1889)
  • 1834 – William Morris, English textile designer, poet, and author (d. 1896)
  • 1834 – John Wesley Powell, American soldier, geologist, and explorer (d. 1902)
  • 1835 – Joseph Stefan, Austrian physicist, mathematician, and poet (d. 1893)
  • 1848 – Honoré Beaugrand, Canadian journalist and politician, 18th Mayor of Montreal (d. 1906)
  • 1850 – Silas Hocking, English minister and author (d. 1935)
  • 1854 – Henry Lefroy, Australian politician, 11th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1930)
  • 1855 – Andrew W. Mellon, American banker, financier, and diplomat, 49th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1937)
  • 1855 – Olive Schreiner, South African author and activist (d. 1920)
  • 1862 – Frank Weston Benson, American painter and educator (d. 1951)
  • 1869 – Émile Fabre, French author and playwright (d. 1955)
  • 1871 – Alec Hurley, English music hall singer (d. 1913)
  • 1874 – Luigi Einaudi, Italian economist and politician, 2nd President of the Italian Republic (d. 1961)
  • 1874 – Harry Houdini, Hungarian-Jewish American magician and actor (d. 1926)
  • 1875 – William Burns, Canadian lacrosse player (d. 1953)
  • 1879 – Neyzen Tevfik, Turkish philosopher, poet, and composer (d. 1953)
  • 1882 – Marcel Lalu, French gymnast (d. 1951)
  • 1882 – George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway, English politician, 5th Governor-General of New Zealand (d. 1943)
  • 1883 – Dorothy Campbell, Scottish-American golfer (d. 1945)
  • 1884 – Peter Debye, Dutch-American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1966)
  • 1884 – Chika Kuroda, Japanese chemist (d. 1968)
  • 1884 – Eugène Tisserant, French cardinal (d. 1972)
  • 1885 – Charles Daniels, American swimmer (d. 1973)
  • 1885 – Dimitrie Cuclin, Romanian violinist and composer (d. 1978)
  • 1886 – Edward Weston, American photographer (d. 1958)
  • 1886 – Robert Mallet-Stevens, French architect and designer (d. 1945)
  • 1887 – Roscoe Arbuckle, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1933)
  • 1888 – Viktor Kingissepp, Estonian politician (d. 1922)
  • 1889 – Albert Hill, English-Canadian runner (d. 1969)
  • 1890 – Agnes Macphail, Canadian educator and politician (d. 1954)
  • 1891 – Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov, Russian physicist and academic (d. 1951)
  • 1892 – Marston Morse, American mathematician and academic (d. 1977)
  • 1893 – Walter Baade, German astronomer and author (d. 1960)
  • 1893 – George Sisler, American baseball player and scout (d. 1973)
  • 1897 – Wilhelm Reich, Austrian-American psychotherapist and academic (d. 1957)
  • 1901 – Ub Iwerks, American animator, director, and producer, co-created Mickey Mouse (d. 1971)
  • 1902 – Thomas E. Dewey, American lawyer and politician, 47th Governor of New York (d. 1971)
  • 1903 – Adolf Butenandt, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
  • 1903 – Malcolm Muggeridge, English journalist, author, and scholar (d. 1990)
  • 1905 – Pura Santillan-Castrence, Filipino author and diplomat (d. 2007)
  • 1907 – Paul Sauvé, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Quebec (d. 1960)
  • 1909 – Clyde Barrow, American criminal (d. 1934)
  • 1909 – Richard Wurmbrand, Romanian Pastor and Evangelist (d. 2001)
  • 1910 – Richard Conte, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1975)
  • 1911 – Joseph Barbera, American animator, director, and producer, co-founded Hanna-Barbera (d. 2006)
  • 1912 – Dorothy Height, African-American educator and activist (d. 2010)
  • 1915 – Eugène Martin, French racing driver (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Donald Hamilton, Swedish-American soldier and author (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Harry B. Whittington, English palaeontologist and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1917 – John Kendrew, English biochemist and crystallographer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)
  • 1919 – Lawrence Ferlinghetti, American poet and publisher, co-founded City Lights Bookstore
  • 1919 – Robert Heilbroner, American economist and historian (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Gene Nelson, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1920 – Mary Stolz, American author (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Vasily Smyslov, Russian chess player (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Onna White, Canadian dancer and choreographer (d. 2005)
  • 1923 – Murray Hamilton, American actor (d. 1986)
  • 1923 – Michael Legat, English author and publisher (d. 2011)
  • 1924 – Norman Fell, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1925 – Puig Aubert, German-French rugby league player and coach (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – Desmond Connell, Irish cardinal (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Dario Fo, Italian playwright, actor, director, and composer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – William Porter, American hurdler (d. 2000)
  • 1927 – John Woodland Hastings, American biochemist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Martin Walser, German author and playwright
  • 1928 – Byron Janis, American pianist and composer
  • 1929 – Pat Renella, Italian-American actor (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – David Dacko, Central African politician, 1st President of the Central African Republic (d. 2003)
  • 1930 – Steve McQueen, American actor and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1931 – Hanno Drechsler, German educator and politician, Mayor of Marburg (d. 2003)
  • 1933 – Stephen De Staebler, American sculptor and educator (d. 2011)
  • 1933 – Lee Mendelson, American television producer (d. 2019)
  • 1936 – Don Covay, American singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1936 – Alex Olmedo, Peruvian-American tennis player
  • 1937 – Billy Stewart, American singer and pianist (d. 1970)
  • 1938 – David Irving, English historian and author
  • 1940 – Bob Mackie, American fashion designer
  • 1941 – Michael Masser, American songwriter, composer and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1944 – R. Lee Ermey, American sergeant and actor (d. 2018)
  • 1944 – Vojislav Koštunica, Serbian academic and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Serbia
  • 1945 – Robert T. Bakker, American paleontologist and academic
  • 1945 – Curtis Hanson, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1945 – Patrick Malahide, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1946 – Klaus Dinger, German guitarist and songwriter (d. 2008)
  • 1946 – Kitty O’Neil, American stuntwoman (d. 2018)
  • 1947 – Dennis Erickson, American football player and coach
  • 1947 – Christine Gregoire, American lawyer and politician, 22nd Governor of Washington
  • 1947 – Mick Jones, English footballer and coach
  • 1947 – Alan Sugar, English businessman
  • 1948 – Javier Diez Canseco, Peruvian sociologist and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1948 – Jerzy Kukuczka, Polish mountaineer (d. 1989)
  • 1948 – Lee Oskar, Jewish-Danish musician
  • 1949 – Tabitha King, American author and poet
  • 1949 – Ruud Krol, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1949 – Steve Lang, Canadian bass player (April Wine) (d. 2017)
  • 1949 – Nick Lowe, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1949 – Ali Akbar Salehi, Iranian academic and politician, 36th Foreign Affairs Minister of Iran
  • 1949 – Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
  • 1950 – Gary Wichard, American football player and agent (d. 2011)
  • 1951 – Peter Boyle, Scottish-Australian footballer and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1951 – Pat Bradley, American golfer
  • 1951 – Tommy Hilfiger, American fashion designer, founded the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation
  • 1951 – Dougie Thomson, Scottish bass player
  • 1951 – Anna Włodarczyk, Polish long jumper and coach
  • 1952 – Greg McCrary, American football player (d. 2013)
  • 1953 – Anita L. Allen, African-American lawyer, philosopher, and academic
  • 1953 – Louie Anderson, American actor and comedian
  • 1955 – Doug Jarvis, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1955 – Pat Price, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1956 – Steve Ballmer, American businessman
  • 1956 – Bill Wray, American cartoonist and painter
  • 1957 – Pierre Harvey, Canadian cyclist and skier
  • 1957 – Pat Jarvis, Australian rugby league player
  • 1958 – Mike Woodson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1959 – Emmit King, American sprinter
  • 1959 – Renaldo Nehemiah, American hurdler and football player
  • 1959 – Derek Statham, English footballer
  • 1960 – Jan Berglin, Swedish cartoonist
  • 1960 – Barry Horowitz, American wrestler
  • 1960 – Kelly Le Brock, English-American actress and model
  • 1960 – Nena, German singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1960 – Scott Pruett, American race car driver
  • 1960 – Annabella Sciorra, American actress
  • 1961 – Dean Jones, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1961 – Yanis Varoufakis, Greek economist and politician, Greek Minister of Finance
  • 1962 – Angèle Dubeau, Canadian violinist
  • 1962 – Star Jones, African-American lawyer, journalist, and talk show host
  • 1962 – Irina Meszynski, German discus thrower
  • 1963 – Raimond van der Gouw, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1963 – Vadym Tyshchenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 2015)
  • 1963 – Torsten Voss, German decathlete and bobsledder
  • 1965 – The Undertaker, American wrestler and actor
  • 1966 – Floyd Heard, American sprinter and coach
  • 1967 – Diann Roffe, American skier
  • 1968 – Minarti Timur, Indonesian badminton player
  • 1969 – Stephan Eberharter, Austrian skier
  • 1970 – Lara Flynn Boyle, American actress
  • 1970 – Sharon Corr, Irish singer-songwriter and violinist
  • 1970 – Judith Draxler, Austrian swimmer
  • 1970 – Erica Kennedy, African-American journalist and author (d. 2012)
  • 1970 – Mike Vanderjagt, Canadian-American football player
  • 1971 – Tig Notaro, American comedian and actor
  • 1972 – Christophe Dugarry, French footballer
  • 1972 – Steve Karsay, American baseball player and coach
  • 1973 – Jacek Bąk, Polish footballer
  • 1973 – Philippe Boucher, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1973 – Steve Corica, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1973 – Jure Ivanušič, Slovenian actor, concert pianist and chansonnier
  • 1973 – Mette Jacobsen, Danish swimmer
  • 1973 – Glen Jakovich, Australian footballer
  • 1973 – Jim Parsons, American actor
  • 1974 – Alyson Hannigan, American actress
  • 1974 – Sergey Klyugin, Russian high jumper
  • 1974 – Tado, Filipino comedian and activist (d. 2014)
  • 1975 – Thomas Johansson, Swedish-Monacan tennis player
  • 1976 – Aaron Brooks, American football player
  • 1976 – Aliou Cissé, Senegalese footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Athanasios Kostoulas, Greek footballer
  • 1976 – Peyton Manning, American football player and entrepreneur
  • 1977 – Jessica Chastain, American actress
  • 1977 – Maxim Kuznetsov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Darren Lockyer, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1978 – Michael Braun, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1978 – Tomáš Ujfaluši, Czech footballer and manager
  • 1978 – José Valverde, Dominican baseball player
  • 1979 – Lake Bell, Jewish-American actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1979 – Norris Hopper, American baseball player
  • 1979 – Periklis Iakovakis, Greek hurdler
  • 1979 – Graeme Swann, English cricketer
  • 1980 – Tassos Venetis, Greek footballer
  • 1981 – Mike Adams, American football player
  • 1981 – Ron Hainsey, American ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Dirk Hayhurst, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Mark Looms, Dutch footballer
  • 1981 – Gary Paffett, English racing driver
  • 1982 – Corey Hart, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Jack Swagger, American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
  • 1982 – Epico Colon, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
  • 1982 – Jimmy Hempte, Belgian footballer
  • 1982 – Dustin McGowan, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Luca Ceccarelli, Italian footballer
  • 1983 – Riccardo Musetti, Italian footballer
  • 1983 – Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – T.J. Ford, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Benoît Assou-Ekotto, French born Cameroonian international footballer, left-back
  • 1984 – Chris Bosh, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Adrian D’Souza, Indian field hockey player
  • 1984 – Lucy Wangui Kabuu, Kenyan runner
  • 1984 – Park Bom, South Korean singer
  • 1984 – Philipp Petzschner, German tennis player
  • 1985 – Lana, American wrestler and manager
  • 1985 – Haruka Ayase, Japanese actress and singer
  • 1987 – Ramires, Brazilian footballer
  • 1987 – Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladeshi cricketer
  • 1987 – Billy Jones, English footballer
  • 1987 – Yuma Asami, Japanese actress and singer
  • 1988 – Aiga Grabuste, Latvian heptathlete
  • 1988 – Ryan Higgins, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1988 – Matías Martínez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Kardo Ploomipuu, Estonian swimmer
  • 1988 – Matt Todd, New Zealand rugby union player
  • 1990 – Starlin Castro, American baseball player
  • 1990 – Aljur Abrenica, Filipino actor
  • 1990 – Keisha Castle-Hughes, Australian-New Zealand actress
  • 1990 – Lacey Evans, American wrestler
  • 1991 – Nick Browne, English cricketer
  • 1991 – Dalila Jakupovic, Slovenian tennis player
  • 1995 – Enzo Fernandez, French-Spanish footballer

Deaths on March 24

  • 809 – Harun al-Rashid, Arab caliph (b. 763)
  • 832 – Wulfred, archbishop of Canterbury
  • 1284 – Hugh III of Cyprus (b. 1235)
  • 1296 – Odon de Pins, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller
  • 1381 – Catherine of Vadstena, Swedish saint (b. 1332)
  • 1394 – Constance of Castile, claimant to the throne of Castile
  • 1396 – Walter Hilton, English mystic and saint (b. 1340)
  • 1399 – Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk (b.c. 1320)
  • 1443 – James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas (b. 1371)
  • 1455 – Pope Nicholas V (b. 1397)
  • 1499 – Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire, English nobleman (b. 1470)
  • 1563 – Hosokawa Harumoto, Japanese daimyō (b. 1514)
  • 1575 – Joseph ben Ephraim Karo, Spanish-Portuguese rabbi and author (b. 1488)
  • 1603 – Elizabeth I of England (b. 1533)
  • 1653 – Samuel Scheidt, German organist and composer (b. 1587)
  • 1684 – Pieter de Hooch, Dutch painter (b. 1629)
  • 1684 – Elizabeth Ridgeway, English woman convicted of poisoning her husband
  • 1773 – Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, English politician, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard (b. 1694)
  • 1776 – John Harrison, English carpenter and clockmaker, invented the Marine chronometer (b. 1693)
  • 1824 – Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux, French lawyer (b. 1753)
  • 1838 – Abraham Hume, English floriculturist and Tory politician (b. 1748/49)
  • 1869 – Antoine-Henri Jomini, French-Russian general (b. 1779)
  • 1881 – Achille Ernest Oscar Joseph Delesse, French geologist and mineralogist (b. 1817)
  • 1882 – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet and educator (b. 1807)
  • 1887 – Ivan Kramskoi, Russian painter and critic (b. 1837)
  • 1888 – Vsevolod Garshin, Russian author (b. 1855)
  • 1905 – Jules Verne, French novelist, poet, and playwright (b. 1828)
  • 1909 – John Millington Synge, Irish playwright and poet (b. 1871)
  • 1915 – Margaret Lindsay Huggins, Anglo-Irish astronomer (b. 1848)
  • 1915 – Karol Olszewski, Polish chemist, mathematician, and physicist (b. 1846)
  • 1916 – Enrique Granados, Spanish pianist and composer (b. 1867)
  • 1926 – Phan Châu Trinh, Vietnamese activist (b. 1872)
  • 1940 – Édouard Branly, French physicist and academic (b. 1844)
  • 1944 – Orde Wingate, Indian-English general (b. 1903)
  • 1946 – Alexander Alekhine, Russian chess player (b. 1892)
  • 1946 – Carl Schuhmann, German gymnast, shot putter, and jumper (b. 1869)
  • 1948 – Sigrid Hjertén, Swedish painter and illustrator (b. 1885)
  • 1950 – James Rudolph Garfield, American lawyer and politician, 23rd United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1865)
  • 1951 – Lorna Hodgkinson, Australian educator and educational psychologist (b. 1887)
  • 1953 – Mary of Teck (b. 1867)
  • 1962 – Jean Goldkette, French-American pianist and bandleader (b. 1899)
  • 1962 – Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist and explorer (b. 1884)
  • 1968 – Alice Guy-Blaché, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1873)
  • 1971 – Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect, designed the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel and Aarhus City Hall (b. 1902)
  • 1971 – Arthur Metcalfe, Australian public servant (b. 1895)
  • 1976 – Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, English field marshal (b. 1887)
  • 1978 – Park Mok-wol, influential Korean poet and academic (b. 1916)
  • 1980 – Óscar Romero, Salvadoran archbishop (b. 1917)
  • 1984 – Sam Jaffe, American actor (b. 1891)
  • 1985 – Raoul Ubac, French painter, sculptor, photographer and engraver (b. 1910)
  • 1988 – Turhan Feyzioğlu, Turkish academic and politician, 27th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1922)
  • 1990 – Ray Goulding, American comedian and radio host (b. 1922)
  • 1991 – John Kerr, Australian lawyer and politician, 18th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1914)
  • 1993 – Albert Arlen, Australian pianist, composer, actor, and playwright (b. 1905)
  • 1993 – John Hersey, American journalist and author (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Joseph Needham, English historian and academic (b. 1900)
  • 1999 – Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, German politician (b. 1902)
  • 1999 – Birdie Tebbetts, American baseball player and manager (b. 1912)
  • 2001 – Muriel Young, English television host and producer (b. 1928)
  • 2002 – César Milstein, Argentinian-English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1927)
  • 2002 – Bob Said, American race car driver and bobsledder (b. 1932)
  • 2003 – Hans Hermann Groër, Austrian cardinal (b. 1919)
  • 2006 – Rudra Rajasingham, Sri Lankan police officer and diplomat (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Shripad Narayan Pendse, Indian Marathi novelist (b. 1913)
  • 2008 – Chalmers Alford, American guitarist (b. 1955)
  • 2008 – Neil Aspinall, Welsh-English record producer and manager (b. 1941)
  • 2008 – Rafael Azcona, Spanish author and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2008 – Richard Widmark, American actor (b. 1914)
  • 2009 – George Kell, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1922)
  • 2009 – Hans Klenk, German racing driver (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Gábor Ocskay, Hungarian ice hockey player (b. 1975)
  • 2010 – Robert Culp, American actor (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Jim Marshall, American photographer (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Paul Callaghan, New Zealand physicist and academic (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Nick Noble, American singer-songwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Barbara Anderson, New Zealand author (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Inge Lønning, Norwegian theologian, academic, and politician (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Gury Marchuk, Russian physicist, mathematician, and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Paolo Ponzo, Italian footballer (b. 1972)
  • 2013 – Mohamed Yousri Salama, Egyptian dentist and politician (b. 1974)
  • 2013 – Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 8th Baron Thurlow, English diplomat (b. 1912)
  • 2014 – Oleksandr Muzychko, Ukrainian activist (b. 1962)
  • 2014 – John Rowe Townsend, English author and scholar (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – David A. Trampier, American illustrator (b. 1954)
  • 2015 – Yehuda Avner, English-Israeli diplomat (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – notable deaths of the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash:
    • Oleg Bryjak, Kazakhstani-German opera singer (b. 1960)
    • Maria Radner, German opera singer (b. 1981)
  • 2016 – Johan Cruyff, Dutch footballer (b. 1947)
  • 2016 – Garry Shandling, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1949)
  • 2018 – Lys Assia, Swiss singer and First Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest (b. 1924)
  • 2019 – Joseph Pilato, American film and voice actor (b.1949)
  • 2020 – Albert Uderzo, French comic book artist (b. 1927)

Holidays and observances on March 24

  • Christian feast day:
    • Catherine of Vadstena
    • Hildelith of Barking
    • Mac Cairthinn of Clogher
    • Óscar Romero (Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheranism)
    • Paul Couturier (Church of England)
    • Walter Hilton (Church of England)
    • March 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice (Argentina)
  • National Tree Planting Day (Uganda)
  • Student Day (Scientology)
  • World Tuberculosis Day (International)

March 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

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

March 21 in History

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

Births on March 21

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

Deaths on March 21

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

Holidays and observances on March 21

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

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

On This Day

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

On This Day /

March 16 in History

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

Births on March 16

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

Deaths on March 16

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

Holidays and observances on March 16

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

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

On This Day

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

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

Births on March 13

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

Deaths on March 13

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

Holidays and observances on March 13

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

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

On This Day

March 11- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 222 – Alexander Severus becomes emperor of Rome, replacing his cousin, 18-year-old Elagabalus. The bodies of the assassinated emperor and his mother, Julia Soaemias, are dragged through the streets of the city and thrown into the Tiber.
  • 1387 – Battle of Castagnaro: English condottiero Sir John Hawkwood leads Padova to victory in a factional clash with Verona.
  • 1641 – Guaraní forces living in the Jesuit reductions defeat bandeirantes loyal to the Portuguese Empire at the Battle of Mbororé in present-day Panambí, Argentina.
  • 1649 – The Frondeurs and the French sign the Peace of Rueil.
  • 1702 – The Daily Courant, England’s first national daily newspaper, is published for the first time.
  • 1708 – Queen Anne withholds Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill, the last time a British monarch vetoes legislation.
  • 1784 – The signing of the Treaty of Mangalore brings the Second Anglo-Mysore War to an end.
  • 1811 – During André Masséna’s retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras, a division led by French Marshal Michel Ney fights off a combined Anglo-Portuguese force to give Masséna time to escape.
  • 1824 – The United States Department of War creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  • 1845 – Flagstaff War: Unhappy with translational differences regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, chiefs Hone Heke, Kawiti and Māori tribe members chop down the British flagpole for a fourth time and drive settlers out of Kororareka, New Zealand.
  • 1848 – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin become the first Prime Ministers of the Province of Canada to be democratically elected under a system of responsible government.
  • 1851 – The first performance of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi takes place in Venice.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: The Constitution of the Confederate States of America is adopted.
  • 1864 – The Great Sheffield Flood kills 238 people in Sheffield, England.
  • 1872 – Construction of the Seven Sisters Colliery, South Wales, begins; located on one of the richest coal sources in Britain.
  • 1879 – Shō Tai formally abdicated his position of King of Ryūkyū, under orders from Tokyo, ending the Ryukyu Kingdom.
  • 1888 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400.
  • 1917 – World War I: Mesopotamian campaign: Baghdad falls to Anglo-Indian forces commanded by General Stanley Maude.
  • 1927 – In New York City, Samuel Roxy Rothafel opens the Roxy Theatre.
  • 1931 – Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO, is introduced in the Soviet Union.
  • 1941 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act into law, allowing American-built war supplies to be shipped to the Allies on loan.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy attempts a large-scale kamikaze attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet anchored at Ulithi atoll in Operation Tan No. 2.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Empire of Vietnam, a short-lived Japanese puppet state, is established with Bảo Đại as its ruler.
  • 1946 – Rudolf Höss, the first commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, is captured by British troops.
  • 1975 – Vietnam War: North Vietnamese and Viet Cong guerrilla forces establish control over Buôn Ma Thuột commune from the South Vietnamese army.
  • 1977 – The 1977 Hanafi Siege: More than 130 hostages held in Washington, D.C., by Hanafi Muslims are set free after ambassadors from three Islamic nations join negotiations.
  • 1978 – Coastal Road massacre: At least 37 are killed and more than 70 are wounded when Fatah hijack an Israeli bus, prompting Israel’s Operation Litani.
  • 1981 – Hundreds of students protest in the University of Pristina in Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia, to give their province more political rights. The protests then became a nationwide movement.
  • 1983 – Pakistan successfully conducts a cold test of a nuclear weapon.
  • 1983 – Bob Hawke is appointed Prime Minister of Australia.
  • 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev is elected to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union making Gorbachev the USSR’s de facto, and last, head of state.
  • 1990 – Lithuania declares itself independent from the Soviet Union.
  • 1990 – Patricio Aylwin is sworn in as the first democratically elected President of Chile since 1970.
  • 1993 – Janet Reno is confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in the next day, becoming the first female Attorney General of the United States.
  • 1999 – Infosys becomes the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
  • 2004 – Madrid train bombings: Simultaneous explosions on rush-hour trains in Madrid, Spain, killing 192 people.
  • 2006 – Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as first female president of Chile.
  • 2007 – Georgia claims Russian helicopters attacked the Kodori Valley in Abkhazia, an accusation that Russia categorically denies later.
  • 2009 – Winnenden school shooting: Sixteen are killed and 11 are injured before recent-graduate Tim Kretschmer shoots and kills himself, leading to tightened weapons restrictions in Germany.
  • 2010 – Economist and businessman Sebastián Piñera is sworn in as President of Chile, while three earthquakes, the strongest measuring magnitude 6.9 and all centered next to Pichilemu, capital of Cardenal Caro province, hit central Chile during the ceremony.
  • 2011 – An earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude strikes 130 km (81 mi) east of Sendai, Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people. This event also triggered the second largest nuclear accident in history, and one of only two events to be classified as a Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
  • 2012 – A U.S. soldier kills 16 civilians in the Panjwayi District of Afghanistan near Kandahar.
  • 2016 – At least 21 people are killed by flooding and mudslides in and around São Paulo, Brazil, following heavy rain.
  • 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) declares a pandemic due to the COVID-19 virus.

Births on March 11

  • 1279 – Mary of Woodstock, daughter of Edward I of England (d. c.1332)
  • 1503 – George Harper, English politician (d. 1558)
  • 1530 – Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (d. 1573)
  • 1544 – Torquato Tasso, Italian poet and educator (d. 1595)
  • 1634 – Nicholas Gassaway, English colonial military and political leader (d. 1691)
  • 1738 – Benjamin Tupper, American general (d. 1792)
  • 1745 – Bodawpaya, Burmese king (d. 1819)
  • 1785 – John McLean, American jurist and politician, 6th United States Postmaster General (d. 1861)
  • 1787 – Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (d. 1852)
  • 1806 – Louis Boulanger, French Romantic painter, lithographer and illustrator (d. 1867)
  • 1811 – Urbain Le Verrier, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1877)
  • 1815 – Anna Bochkoltz, German operatic soprano, voice teacher and composer (d. 1879)
  • 1818 – Marius Petipa, French-Russian dancer and choreographer (d. 1910)
  • 1819 – Henry Tate, English businessman and philanthropist, founded Tate & Lyle (d. 1899)
  • 1822 – Joseph Louis François Bertrand, French mathematician, economist, and academic (d. 1900)
  • 1854 – Jane Meade Welch, American journalist and lecturer (d. 1931)
  • 1863 – Andrew Stoddart, English cricketer and rugby player (d. 1915)
  • 1870 – Louis Bachelier, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1946)
  • 1872 – Kathleen Clarice Groom, Australian-English author and screenwriter (d. 1954)
  • 1873 – David Horsley, English-American film producer, co-founded Universal Studios (d. 1933)
  • 1876 – Carl Ruggles, American pianist and composer (d. 1971)
  • 1878 – Umegatani Tōtarō II, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1927)
  • 1880 – Harry H. Laughlin, American eugenicist and sociologist (d. 1943)
  • 1884 – Lewi Pethrus, Swedish minister and hymn-writer (d. 1974)
  • 1884 – Ömer Seyfettin, Turkish soldier, author, and educator (d. 1920)
  • 1885 – Malcolm Campbell, English race car driver and journalist (d. 1948)
  • 1887 – Raoul Walsh, American actor and director (d. 1980)
  • 1887 – Kâzım Orbay, Turkish general and politician (d. 1964)
  • 1890 – Vannevar Bush, American engineer and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Wanda Gág, American author and illustrator (d. 1946)
  • 1895 – Shemp Howard, American actor (d. 1955)
  • 1896 – Olivério Pinto, Brazilian zoologist and physician (d. 1981)
  • 1897 – Henry Cowell, American pianist and composer (d. 1965)
  • 1898 – Dorothy Gish, American actress (d. 1968)
  • 1899 – James H. Douglas, Jr., American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (d. 1988)
  • 1899 – Frederick IX of Denmark (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – Hanna Bergas, German teacher who contributed to the rescue of Jewish children during WWII (d. 1987)
  • 1903 – Ronald Syme, New Zealand historian and scholar (d. 1989)
  • 1903 – Lawrence Welk, American accordion player and bandleader (d. 1992)
  • 1907 – Jessie Matthews, English actress, singer, and dancer (d. 1981)
  • 1908 – Matti Sippala, Finnish javelin thrower (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – Robert Havemann, German chemist and academic (d. 1982)
  • 1911 – Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Egyptian-Scottish general and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, German colonel and pilot (d. 1944)
  • 1915 – Vijay Hazare, Indian cricketer (d. 2004)
  • 1915 – J. C. R. Licklider, American computer scientist and psychologist (d. 1990)
  • 1916 – Ezra Jack Keats, American author and illustrator (d. 1983)
  • 1916 – Harold Wilson, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Nicolaas Bloembergen, Dutch-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Frank Harary, American mathematician and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1921 – Jeff Stollmeyer, Trinidadian cricketer (d. 1989)
  • 1921 – Astor Piazzolla, Argentine tango composer and bandoneon player (d. 1992)
  • 1922 – Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek economist and philosopher (d. 1997)
  • 1922 – José Luis López Vázquez, Spanish actor and director (d. 2009)
  • 1922 – Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia (d. 1976)
  • 1923 – Louise Brough, American tennis player (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Margaret Oakley Dayhoff, American biochemist and academic (d. 1983)
  • 1925 – İlhan Selçuk, Turkish lawyer, journalist, and author (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Ralph Abernathy, American minister and activist (d. 1990)
  • 1927 – Joachim Fuchsberger, German actor and television host (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Col Geelan, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1996)
  • 1927 – Freda Meissner-Blau, Austrian activist and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Robert Mosbacher, American sailor, businessman, and politician, 25th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Josep Maria Subirachs, Spanish sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
  • 1928 – Albert Salmi, American actor (d. 1990)
  • 1929 – Timothy Carey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
  • 1929 – Jackie McGlew, South African cricketer (d. 1998)
  • 1930 – David Gentleman, English illustrator and engraver
  • 1930 – Claude Jutra, Canadian actor, director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
  • 1931 – Janosch, Polish-German author and illustrator
  • 1931 – Marisa Del Frate, Italian actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Rupert Murdoch, Australian-American businessman and media magnate
  • 1932 – Leroy Jenkins, American violinist and composer (Revolutionary Ensemble) (d. 2007)
  • 1932 – Nigel Lawson, English journalist and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • 1934 – Sam Donaldson, American journalist
  • 1936 – Hollis Frampton, American director, screenwriter, and photographer (d. 1984)
  • 1936 – Antonin Scalia, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Joseph Brooks, American director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (d. 2011)
  • 1939 – Lorraine Hunt, American lawyer and politician, 32nd Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
  • 1939 – Orlando Quevedo, Filipino cardinal
  • 1940 – Alberto Cortez, Argentinian-Spanish singer-songwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1942 – Marcus Borg, American scholar, theologian and author (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Joel Steiger, American director, producer and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Arturo Merzario, Italian race car driver
  • 1945 – Dock Ellis, American baseball player and coach (d. 2008)
  • 1945 – Harvey Mandel, American guitarist
  • 1946 – Mark Metcalf, American actor and producer
  • 1947 – Geoff Hunt, Australian squash player
  • 1947 – Tristan Murail, French composer and educator
  • 1948 – Roy Barnes, American lawyer and politician, 80th Governor of Georgia
  • 1949 – Griselda Pollock, South African-English historian and academic
  • 1950 – Sam Kekovich, Australian footballer and sportscaster
  • 1950 – Bobby McFerrin, American singer-songwriter, producer, and conductor
  • 1950 – Jerry Zucker, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1951 – Andres Metspalu, Estonian geneticist and academic
  • 1951 – Dominique Sanda, French model and actress
  • 1952 – Douglas Adams, English author and playwright (d. 2001)
  • 1953 – László Bölöni, Romanian-Hungarian footballer and manager
  • 1953 – Derek Daly, Irish-American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1953 – Jimmy Iovine, American record producer and businessman, co-founded Interscope Records and Beats Electronics
  • 1953 – Bernie LaBarge, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – David Newman, American composer and conductor
  • 1954 – Gale Norton, American lawyer and politician, 48th United States Secretary of the Interior
  • 1955 – Leslie Cliff, Canadian swimmer
  • 1955 – Nina Hagen, German singer and actress
  • 1955 – D. J. MacHale, American author, director, and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Willie Banks, American triple jumper
  • 1956 – Curtis Brown, American colonel, pilot and astronaut
  • 1956 – Helen Rollason, English journalist and sportscaster (d. 1999)
  • 1957 – The Lady Chablis, American drag queen performer (d. 2016)
  • 1958 – Ian Horrocks, English computer scientist and academic
  • 1958 – Tetsurō Oda, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1958 – James Pinkerton, American journalist and author
  • 1958 – Anissa Jones, American child actress (d. 1976)
  • 1958 – Flemming Rose, Danish journalist and author
  • 1959 – Manuel Negrete Arias, Mexican footballer and coach
  • 1959 – Nina Hartley, American pornographic actress/director, sex educator, sex-positive feminist, and author
  • 1959 – Margus Oopkaup, Estonian actor
  • 1959 – Dejan Stojanović, Serbian-American journalist and poet
  • 1960 – Christophe Gans, French director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Junichi Sato, Japanese animator and director
  • 1960 – Warwick Taylor, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1961 – Elias Koteas, Canadian actor
  • 1961 – Bruce Watson, Canadian-Scottish guitarist
  • 1962 – Mary Gauthier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Matt Mead, American lawyer and politician, 32nd Governor of Wyoming
  • 1963 – Gary Barnett, English footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Alex Kingston, English actress
  • 1963 – David LaChapelle, American photographer and director
  • 1964 – Peter Berg, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
  • 1964 – Vinnie Paul, American drummer, songwriter and producer (d. 2018)
  • 1964 – Shane Richie, English actor and singer
  • 1965 – Nigel Adkins, English footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Jesse Jackson, Jr., American lawyer and politician
  • 1965 – Wallace Langham, American actor
  • 1965 – Jenny Packham, English fashion designer
  • 1965 – Allan Vainola, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1966 – Robbie Brookside, English wrestler and trainer
  • 1966 – John Thompson III, American basketball player and coach
  • 1966 – Ilias Zouros, Greek basketball player and coach
  • 1967 – John Barrowman, Scottish-American actor and singer
  • 1967 – Brad Carson, American lawyer and politician, United States Under Secretary of the Army
  • 1967 – Renzo Gracie, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and trainer
  • 1967 – Cynthia Klitbo, Mexican actress
  • 1968 – Stéphane Bédard, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1968 – Simone Buchanan, Australian actress
  • 1968 – Lisa Loeb, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress
  • 1969 – Terrence Howard, American actor and producer
  • 1969 – Soraya, Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1970 – Andre Nickatina, American rapper and producer
  • 1971 – Johnny Knoxville, American actor, stuntman, and producer
  • 1971 – Martin Ručinský, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1972 – Paolo Ponzo, Italian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1973 – Martin Hiden, Austrian footballer and coach
  • 1974 – Bobby Abreu, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1975 – João Barbosa, Portuguese racing driver
  • 1975 – Shawn Springs, American football player
  • 1976 – Thomas Gravesen, Danish footballer
  • 1976 – Kotomitsuki Keiji, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1977 – Becky Hammon, American-Russian basketball player and coach
  • 1978 – Scott Calderwood, English-Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1978 – Didier Drogba, Ivorian footballer
  • 1978 – Albert Luque, Spanish footballer
  • 1979 – Elton Brand, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Fred Jones, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Benji Madden, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Joel Madden, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1979 – Keren Peles, Israeli singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1979 – Kirk Reynoldson, Australian rugby league player
  • 1980 – Paul Scharner, Austrian footballer
  • 1980 – Dan Uggla, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Heidi Cortez, American businesswoman and author
  • 1981 – Luke Johnson, English drummer and songwriter
  • 1981 – LeToya Luckett, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1982 – Brian Anderson, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Thora Birch, American actress
  • 1982 – Hasan Raza, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1983 – Lucy DeVito, American actress
  • 1985 – Paul Bissonnette, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Daniel Vázquez Evuy, Equatoguinean footballer
  • 1985 – Cassandra Fairbanks, American journalist and activist
  • 1985 – Luis Hernández, Mexican figure skater
  • 1985 – Stelios Malezas, Greek footballer
  • 1985 – Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1985 – Derek Schouman, American football player
  • 1985 – Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Hakuhō Shō, Mongolian sumo wrestler, the 69th Yokozuna
  • 1986 – Dario Cologna, Swiss skier
  • 1986 – Mariko Shinoda, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1987 – Marc-André Gragnani, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Tanel Kangert, Estonian cyclist
  • 1987 – Ngonidzashe Makusha, Zimbabwean sprinter and long jumper
  • 1987 – Colin Munro, South African-New Zealand cricketer
  • 1988 – Fábio Coentrão, Portuguese footballer
  • 1988 – Cecil Lolo, South African footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1988 – Katsuhiko Nakajima, Japanese wrestler
  • 1989 – Anton Yelchin, Russian-born American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1990 – Ayumi Morita, Japanese tennis player
  • 1991 – Kamohelo Mokotjo, South African footballer
  • 1992 – Austin Swift, American actor
  • 1992 – KZ Tandingan, Filipina singer and rapper
  • 1993 – Jodie Comer, British actress
  • 1993 – Anthony Davis, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Andrew Robertson, Scottish footballer

Deaths on March 11

  • 222 – Elagabalus, Roman emperor (b. 203)
  • 452 – Tai Wu Di, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 408)
  • 638 – Sophronius of Jerusalem (b. 560)
  • 857 – Eulogius of Córdoba, Spanish martyr and saint (b. 819)
  • 1198 – Marie of France, Countess of Champagne (b. 1145)
  • 1296 – John le Romeyn, Archbishop of York
  • 1353 – Theognostus, metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow
  • 1486 – Albrecht III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1414)
  • 1514 – Donato Bramante, Italian architect, designed the San Pietro in Montorio (b. 1444)
  • 1575 – Matthias Flacius, Croatian theologian and reformer (b. 1520)
  • 1602 – Emilio de’ Cavalieri, Italian organist and composer (b. 1550)
  • 1607 – Giovanni Maria Nanino, Italian composer and educator (b. 1543)
  • 1646 – Stanisław Koniecpolski, Polish soldier and statesman (b. c. 1592)
  • 1665 – Clemente Tabone, Maltese landowner and militia member (b. c. 1575)
  • 1722 – John Toland, Irish philosopher and theorist (b. 1670)
  • 1759 – John Forbes, Scottish general (b. 1710)
  • 1820 – Benjamin West, American-English painter and academic (b. 1738)
  • 1851 – Marie Louise Coidavid, Queen of Haiti (b. 1778)
  • 1851 – George McDuffie, American lawyer and politician, 55th Governor of South Carolina (b. 1790)
  • 1854 – Willard Richards, American journalist and religious leader (b. 1804)
  • 1863 – Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet, English general (b. 1803)
  • 1869 – Vladimir Odoyevsky, Russian philosopher and critic (b. 1803)
  • 1870 – Moshoeshoe I of Lesotho (b. 1786)
  • 1874 – Charles Sumner, American lawyer and politician (b. 1811)
  • 1898 – William Rosecrans, American general and politician (b. 1819)
  • 1898 – Tigran Chukhajian, Armenian composer and conductor (b. 1837)
  • 1907 – Jean Casimir-Perier, French lawyer and politician, 6th President of France (b. 1847)
  • 1908 – Edmondo De Amicis, Italian journalist and author (b. 1846)
  • 1908 – Benjamin Waugh, American minister and activist (b. 1839)
  • 1915 – Thomas Alexander Browne, English-Australian author (b. 1826)
  • 1920 – Julio Garavito Armero, Colombian astronomer, mathematician, and engineer (b. 1865)
  • 1927 – Xenophon Stratigos, Greek general and politician, Greek Minister of Transport (b. 1869)
  • 1931 – F. W. Murnau, German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1888)
  • 1937 – Joseph S. Cullinan, American businessman, co-founded Texaco (b. 1860)
  • 1944 – Hendrik Willem van Loon, Dutch-American journalist and historian (b. 1882)
  • 1944 – Edgar Zilsel, Austrian historian and philosopher of science, linked to the Vienna Circle (b. 1891)
  • 1949 – Anastasios Charalambis, Greek general and politician, 109th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1862)
  • 1949 – Henri Giraud, French general and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1952 – Pierre Renoir, French actor and director (b. 1885)
  • 1955 – Alexander Fleming, Scottish biologist, pharmacologist, and botanist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
  • 1955 – Oscar F. Mayer, German-American businessman, founded Oscar Mayer (b. 1859)
  • 1957 – Richard E. Byrd, American admiral and explorer (b. 1888)
  • 1958 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish businessman, founded The Lego Group (b. 1891)
  • 1959 – Lester Dent, American author (b. 1904)
  • 1960 – Roy Chapman Andrews, American paleontologist and explorer (b. 1884)
  • 1965 – Harry Altham, English cricketer, historian and coach (b. 1888)
  • 1967 – Geraldine Farrar, American soprano and actress (b. 1882)
  • 1968 – Haşim İşcan, Turkish educator and politician, 18th Mayor of İstanbul (b. 1898)
  • 1969 – John Daly, Irish runner (b. 1880)
  • 1969 – John Wyndham, English soldier and author (b. 1903)
  • 1970 – Erle Stanley Gardner, American lawyer and author (b. 1889)
  • 1971 – Philo Farnsworth, American inventor (b. 1906)
  • 1971 – Whitney Young, American activist (b. 1921)
  • 1977 – Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist and paleontologist (b. 1893)
  • 1978 – Claude François, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (b. 1939)
  • 1980 – Chandra Bhanu Gupta, Indian politician, 4th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (b. 1902)
  • 1982 – Edmund Cooper, English poet and author (b. 1926)
  • 1982 – Horace Gregory, American poet, translator, and academic (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Will Glickman, American playwright (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Kostas Roukounas, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1903)
  • 1986 – Sonny Terry, American singer and harmonica player (b. 1911)
  • 1989 – James Kee, American lawyer and politician (b. 1917)
  • 1989 – John J. McCloy, American lawyer and banker (b. 1895)
  • 1992 – Richard Brooks, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1995 – Myfanwy Talog, Welsh actress and singer (b. 1945)
  • 1996 – Vince Edwards, American actor and director (b. 1928)
  • 1999 – Herbert Jasper, Canadian psychologist, anatomist, and neurologist (b. 1906)
  • 1999 – Camille Laurin, Canadian psychiatrist and politician (b. 1922)
  • 2002 – James Tobin, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Bernie Geoffrion, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2006 – Slobodan Milošević, Serbian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (b. 1941)
  • 2007 – Betty Hutton, American actress and singer (b. 1921)
  • 2008 – Nils Taube, Estonian-English businessman (b. 1928)
  • 2009 – Charles Lewis, Jr., American businessman, co-founded Tapout Clothing (b. 1963)
  • 2010 – John Hill, Canadian-American wrestler (b. 1941)
  • 2010 – Merlin Olsen, American football player and actor (b. 1940)
  • 2010 – T. Somasekaram, Sri Lankan geographer and politician, 37th Surveyor General of Sri Lanka (b. 1934)
  • 2010 – Hans van Mierlo, Dutch journalist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1931)
  • 2011 – Gary Wichard, American football player and agent (b. 1950)
  • 2012 – Henry Adefope, Nigerian physician and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Nigeria (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Sid Couchey, American author and illustrator (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – James B. Morehead, American colonel and pilot (b. 1916)
  • 2012 – Gösta Schwarck, German-Danish pianist and composer (b. 1915)
  • 2013 – Erica Andrews, Mexican-American drag queen performer (b. 1969)
  • 2013 – Martin Adolf Bormann, German priest and theologian (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Doug Christie, Canadian lawyer and activist (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Simón Alberto Consalvi, Venezuelan journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Venezuela (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Florian Siwicki, Polish general and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Dean Bailey, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1967)
  • 2014 – Joel Brinkley, American journalist and academic (b. 1952)
  • 2015 – Walter Burkert, German philologist and scholar (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Jimmy Greenspoon, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Gerald Hurst, American chemist and academic (b. 1937)
  • 2016 – Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper and educator (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Keith Emerson, English musician and composer. (b. 1944)
  • 2016 – Doreen Massey, English geographer and academic (b. 1944)
  • 2018 – Mary Rosenblum, American science fiction and mystery author (b. 1952)

Holidays and observances on March 11

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alberta of Agen
    • Áurea of San Millán
    • Benedict of Milan
    • Constantine
    • Eulogius of Córdoba
    • Blessed John Righi
    • Óengus of Tallaght
    • Sophronius of Jerusalem
    • Vindicianus
  • Day of Restoration of Independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 (Lithuania)
  • Johnny Appleseed Day (United States)
  • Moshoeshoe Day (Lesotho)

March 11- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on March 9

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

Deaths on March 9

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

Holidays and observances on March 9

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

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

On This Day

March 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 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

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On This Day