March 23 is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 283 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events



1174 - Jocelin, abbot of Melrose, is elected bishop of Glasgow

1568 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. Again Catherine de' Medici and Charles IX of France make substantial concessions to the Huguenots.

1708 - James Francis Edward Stuart lands at the Firth of Forth.

1775 - American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his famous speech -"give me liberty or give me death" at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia.

1801 - Tsar Paul I of Russia is struck with a sword, then strangled, and finally trampled to death in his bedroom at St. Michael's Castle.

1806 - After traveling through the Louisiana Purchase and reaching the Pacific Ocean, explorers Lewis and Clark and their "Corps of Discovery" begin their arduous journey home.

1821 - Battle and fall of city of Kalamata, Greek War of Independence.

1848 - The ship John Wickliffe arrives at Port Chalmers carrying the first Scottish settlers for Dunedin, New Zealand. Otago province is founded.

1857 - Elisha Otis's first elevator is installed at 488 Broadway New York City.

1868 - The University of California is founded in Oakland, California when the Organic Act is signed into law.

1889 - Land run: President Benjamin Harrison opens Oklahoma to white settlement starting on April 22.

1889 - The free Woolwich Ferry officially opens in east London.

1889 - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was established by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Qadian India.

1896 - The Raines Law is passed by the New York State Legislature, restricting Sunday sale of alcohol to hotels

1903 - The Wright Brothers apply for a patent on their invention of one of the first successful airplanes.

1908 - American diplomat Durham Stevens is attacked by Korean assassins Jeon Myeong-un and Jang In-hwan, leading to his death in hospital two days later

1909 - Theodore Roosevelt leaves New York for a post-presidency safari in Africa. The trip is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society.

1919 - In Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini founds his Fascist political movement.

1931 - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev embrace the gallows during the Indian struggle for independence. Their request to be shot by a firing squad is refused.

1933 - The Reichstag passes the Enabling act of 1933, making Adolf Hitler dictator of Germany.

1935 - Signing of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

1940 - The Lahore Resolution (Qarardad-e-Pakistan or the then Qarardad-e-Lahore) is put forward at the Annual General Convention of the All India Muslim League.

1942 - World War II: In the Indian Ocean, Japanese forces capture the Andaman Islands.

1956 - Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic in the world. (Republic Day in Pakistan)

1962 - NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, was launched as a showcase for Dwight D. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace initiative.

1965 - NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States' first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young).

1978 - The first UNIFIL troops arrived in Lebanon for peacekeeping mission along the Blue Line.

1980 - Archbishop Óscar Romero of El Salvador gives his famous speech appealing to men of the El Salvadoran armed forces to stop killing the Salvadorans.

1982 - Guatemala's government, headed by Fernando Romeo Lucas García is overthrown in a military coup by right-wing General Efraín Ríos Montt.

1983 - Strategic Defense Initiative: President Ronald Reagan makes his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles.

1989 - Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce cold fusion at the University of Utah.

1994 - At an election rally in Tijuana, Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio is assassinated by Mario Aburto Martínez.

1994 - Aeroflot Flight 593 crashes in Siberia when the pilot's fifteen-year old son accidentally disengages the autopilot, killing 75.

1994 - A United States Air Force (USAF) F-16 aircraft collides with a USAF C-130 at Pope Air Force Base and then crashes, killing a group of 24 United States Army soldiers on the ground later to become known as the Green Ramp Disaster

1996 - Taiwan holds its first direct elections and chooses Lee Teng-hui as President.

1997 - The pilot episode of the successful Midsomer Murders series with John Nettles airs for the first time, attracting 13.5 million viewers

1999 - Gunmen assassinate Paraguay's Vice President Luis María Argańa.

2001 - The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji.

2003 - In Nasiriyah, Iraq, 11 soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company as well as 18 U.S. Marines are killed during the first major conflict of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2003 - The Australian cricket team defeats India in the cricket World cup to win their second successive Cricket World Cup.

2004 - Andhra Pradesh Federation of Trade Unions holds its first conference in Hyderabad, India.

2005 - The United States 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, refuses to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.

2005 - A major explosion at the Texas City Refinery kills 15 workers.

2006 - Federal Reserve discontinues publishing M3 money supply.

2007 - Burnley Tunnel catastrophe occurs in Melbourne Australia.

2007 - Iranian Navy seize Royal Navy personnel in Iraqi waters.


Births



1429 - Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI of England (d. 1482)

1638 - Frederik Ruysch, Dutch physician and anatomist (d. 1731)

1645 - William Kidd, Pirate Legend From Scotland (d. 1701)

1699 - John Bartram, American botanist (d. 1777)

1723 - Agha Mohammad Khan Ghajar, King of Iran (d. 1771)

1732 - Marie Adélaďde of France, daughter of Louis XV (d. 1800)

1749 - Pierre Simon de Laplace, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1827)

1754 - Baron Jurij Vega, Slovenian mathematician, physicist, and artillery officer (d. 1802)

1769 - William Smith, English geologist and cartographer (d. 1839)

1769 - Augustin Daniel Belliard, French general (d. 1832)

1823 - Schuyler Colfax, Vice President of the United States (d. 1885)

1826 - Léon Minkus, German/Czech composer and violinist (d. 1917)

1831 - Eduard Schlagintweit, German writer (d. 1866)

1834 - Julius Reubke, German composer (d. 1858)

1858 - Ludwig Quidde, German pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1941)

1868 - Dietrich Eckart, early supporter of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party and member of Thule Society (d. 1923)

1878 - Franz Schreker, Austrian composer (d. 1934)

1880 - Heikki Ritavuori, Finnish politician (d. 1922)

1881 - Roger Martin du Gard, French writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1958)

1881 - Hermann Staudinger, German chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1965)

1882 - Emmy Noether, German mathematician (d. 1935)

1887 - Juan Gris, Spanish artist (d. 1927)

1887 - Josef Čapek, Czech writer (d. 1945)

1887 - Prince Felix Yussupov, Russian assassin of Rasputin (d. 1967)

1893 - Cedric Gibbons, American art director (d. 1960)

1899 - Dora Gerson, German actress and singer (d. 1943)

1900 - Erich Fromm, German-born psychoanalyst (d. 1980)

1904 - H. Beam Piper, American science fiction author (d. 1964)

1905 - Lale Andersen, German singer and cabaretist (d. 1972)

1905 - Joan Crawford, American actress (d. 1977)

1907 - Daniel Bovet, Swiss-born scientist, Nobel laureate (d. 1992)

1910 - Akira Kurosawa, Japanese film director (d. 1998)

1912 - Wernher von Braun, German-born physicist and engineer (d. 1977)

1915 - Vasily Zaitsev, Soviet World War II hero (d. 1991)

1919 - Carl Graffunder, mid-century modernist architect

1920 - Neal Smith, former United States Congressman

1921 - Donald Campbell, British car and motorboat racer (d. 1967)

1922 - Marty Allen, American comedian and actor

1922 - Ugo Tognazzi, Italian actor, director and screenwriter (d. 1990)

1924 - Bette Nesmith Graham, American inventor (d. 1980)

1925 - David Watkin, English cinematographer

1929 - Sir Roger Bannister, English runner

1931 - Yevgenij Grishin, Russian speed skater (d. 2005)

1931 - Viktor Korchnoi, Russian chess player

1932 - Don Marshall, Canadian ice hockey player

1933 - Philip Zimbardo, American psychologist, known for the Stanford prison experiment

1934 - Ludvig Faddeev, Russian mathematician

1934 - Fernand Gignac, Canadian singer and actor (d. 2006)

1934 - Mark Rydell, American film and television director

1937 - Craig Breedlove, American land speed record holder

1937 - Robert Gallo, American physician

1938 - Maynard Jackson, first black mayor of Atlanta (d. 2003)

1939 - Pepe Lienhard, Swiss band leader and entertainer

1941 - Jim Trelease, American educator and children's literature author

1942 - Walter Rodney, Guyanese historian and political figure (d. 1980)

1943 - Lee May, former Major League Baseball player

1943 - Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, Finnish writer (d. 2001)

1944 - Michael Nyman, British minimalist composer

1944 - Tony McPhee, English singer and guitarist (The Groundhogs)

1945 - Franco Battiato, Italian singer, songwriter and filmmaker

1948 - David Olney, American musician

1949 - Ric Ocasek, American musician (The Cars)

1950 - Anthony De Longis, American actor

1950 - Corinne Clery, French actress

1951 - Ron Jaworski, American football player and analyst

1952 - Kim Stanley Robinson, American author

1953 - Bo Diaz, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1990)

1953 - Chaka Khan, American singer

1954 - Geno Auriemma, American basketball coach

1955 - Moses Malone, American basketball player

1955 - Petrea Burchard, American actress

1956 - José Manuel Barroso, Portuguese politician, president of the European Commission

1957 - Amanda Plummer, American actress

1957 - Robbie James, Welsh footballer (d. 1998)

1958 - El Duce, American singer and drummer (The Mentors) (d. 1997)

1959 - Epic Soundtracks, English musician (Swell Maps, Crime and the City Solution, These Immortal Souls) (d. 1997)

1960 - Nicol Stephen, Deputy First Minister of Scotland

1961 - Helmi Johannes, Indonesian television newscaster

1962 - Steve Redgrave, British rower, 5 Olympic Gold Medals

1964 - Hope Davis, American actress

1964 - John Pinette, American comedian

1965 - Richard Grieco, American actor and singer

1965 - Marti Pellow, Scottish singer

1965 - Gary Whitehead, American poet

1967 - David Ford, Canadian kayaker

1968 - Damon Albarn, English musician (Blur and Gorillaz)

1968 - Mitch Cullin, American novelist

1968 - Fernando Hierro, Spanish footballer

1968 - Michael Atherton, English cricketer

1971 - Yasmeen Ghauri, Canadian supermodel

1971 - Karen McDougal, American model

1971 - Gail Porter, British television presenter

1971 - Alexander Selivanov, Russian ice hockey player

1971 - Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Japanese professional wrestler

1972 - Joe Calzaghe, Welsh boxer

1972 - Judith Godrčche, French actress and author

1973 - Jerzy Dudek, Polish footballer

1973 - Wim Eyckmans, Belgian racing driver

1973 - Jason Kidd, American basketball player

1975 - Alydar, American racehorse (d. 1990)

1976 - Jeremy Newberry, American football player

1976 - Michelle Monaghan, American actress

1976 - Joel Peralta, Dominican baseball player

1976 - Keri Russell, American actress

1976 - Ricardo Zonta, Brazilian racing car driver

1977 - Jean Carlos Gamarra, Peruvian taekwondo practitioner

1978 - Walter Samuel, Argentine footballer

1978 - Nicholle Tom, American actress

1978 - Perez Hilton, famous blogger

1979 - Mark Buehrle, American baseball player

1979 - Emraan Hashmi, Indian actor

1979 - Misty Hyman, American swimmer

1979 - Donncha O'Callaghan, Irish International rugby player

1980 - Russell Howard, British Comedian

1981 - Luciana Carro, Canadian actress

1981 - Erin Crocker, American NASCAR driver

1981 - Tony Peńa, Jr., Dominican baseball player

1983 - Jerome Thomas, English footballer

1985 - Maurice Jones-Drew, American football player

1986 - Steven Strait, American Actor

1990 - Princess Eugenie of York

1999 - Prince Beltran of Bulgaria


Deaths



1103 - Eudes I, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1058)

1361 - Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster (b. c.1310)

1369 - King Pedro of Castile (b. 1334)

1548 - Itagaki Nobukata, retainer of Takeda Shingen

1555 - Pope Julius III (b. 1487)

1559 - Emperor Gelawdewos of Ethiopia (killed in battle) (b. 1521/1522)

1596 - Henry Unton, English diplomat

1606 - Justus Lipsius, Flemish humanist (b. 1547)

1618 - James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Abercorn, Scottish politician

1653 - Johan van Galen, Dutch naval officer (b. 1604)

1680 - Nicolas Fouquet, French statesman (b. 1615)

1742 - Jean-Baptiste Dubos, French writer (b. 1670)

1747 - Claude Alexandre de Bonneval, French soldier (b. 1675)

1748 - Johann Gottfried Walther, German music theorist, organist, and composer (b. 1684)

1754 - Johann Jakob Wettstein, Swiss theologian (b. 1693)

1783 - Charles Caroll, American lawyer and delegate to the Continental Congress (b. 1723)

1801 - Tsar Paul of Russia (b. 1754)

1842 - Stendhal, French writer (b. 1783)

1914 - Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayčs (Saint Rebecca) Lebanese saint (b. 1832)

1927 - Paul César Helleu, French artist (b. 1859)

1931 - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru Sukhdev Indian freedom fighters

1935 - Florence Moore, American actress (b. 1886)

1947 - Archduchess Luise of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (b. 1870)

1955 - Artur da Silva Bernardes, President of Brazil (b. 1875)

1960 - Franklin Pierce Adams, American newspaper columnist (b. 1881)

1964 - Peter Lorre, Hungarian-born actor (b. 1904)

1965 - Mae Murray, American actress (b. 1889)

1968 - Edwin O'Connor, American novelist and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (b. 1918)

1970 - Del Lord, Canadian director (b. 1894)

1972 - Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish fashion designer (b. 1895)

1979 - Ted Anderson, English footballer (b. 1911)

1982 - Barney Clark, first artificial heart recipient (b. 1921)

1985 - Richard Beeching, chairman of British Railways (b. 1913)

1985 - Peter Charanis, Greek-American scholar and professor (b. 1908)

1990 - John Dexter, English stage and film director

1991 - Parkash Singh, Indian soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross (b. 1913)

1992 - Friedrich Hayek, Austrian economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1899)

1994 - Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mexican politician (b. 1950)

1994 - Giulietta Masina, Italian actress (b. 1921)

1994 - Donald_Swann, British composer, musician and entertainer (b. 1923)

1995 - Alan Barton, English musician (Black Lace, Smokie) (b. 1953)

1995 - Davie Cooper, Scottish footballer (b. 1956)

1998 - Gerald Stano, American serial killer (b. 1951)

1999 - Luis María Argańa, Paraguayan politician (b. ?)

2001 - Rowland Evans, American journalist (b. 1921)

2002 - Eileen Farrell, American soprano (b. 1920)

2002 - Ben Hollioake, English cricketer (b. 1977)

2003 - Fritz Spiegl, Austrian-born journalist (b. 1926)

2004 - Rupert Hamer, Australian politician (b. 1916)

2006 - David B. Bleak, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1932)

2006 - Desmond Doss, American soldier and first conscientious objector Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1919)

2006 - Cindy Walker, American singer, songwriter and dancer (b. 1918)

2007 - Paul J. Cohen, American mathematician, Fields Medal winner (b. 1934)

2007 - Eric Medlen, American NHRA drag racer (b. 1973)




Holidays and Observances



Roman Empire - The fifth and final day of Quinquatria, held in honor of Minerva.

Roman Empire - Tubilustrium was held in honor of Mars.

Ancient Latvia - Lieldienas held in honor of Mara and other pagan goddesses.

Pakistan - National Day (Republic Day).

Hungary, Poland - Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship.

Easter Sunday (2008).

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March 24 is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 282 days remaining until the end of the year.

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

Events



1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus.

1603 - James VI of Scotland also becomes James I King of England.

1731 - An Act to naturalize Hieronimus De Salis Esquire, passed.

1765 - American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain passes the Quartering Act that requires the 13 American colonies to house British troops.

1832 - In Hiram, Ohio a group of men beat, tar and feather Mormon leader Joseph Smith, Jr..

1837 - Canada gives African men the right to vote.

1868 - Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is formed.

1878 - The British frigate HMS Eurydice sinks, killing more than 300.

1882 - Robert Koch announces the discovery of the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis (mycobacterium tuberculosis).

1900 - New York City Mayor Robert Anderson Van Wyck breaks ground for a new underground "Rapid Transit Railroad" that would link Manhattan and Brooklyn.

1923 - Greece becomes a republic.

1934 - U.S. Congress passes Tydings-McDuffie Act.

1944 - German troops kill 335 Italian civilians in the Ardeatine Massacre in Rome.

1944 - In an event later dramatized in the movie The Great Escape, 76 prisoners begin breaking out of Stalag Luft III.

1959 - The Party of the African Federation (PFA) is launched by Léopold Sédar Senghor and Modibo Keita.

1965 - NASA spacecraft Ranger 9, equipped to convert its signals into a form suitable for showing on domestic television, brings images of the Moon into ordinary homes before crash-landing.

1972 - The United Kingdom imposes "Direct Rule" over Northern Ireland.

1973 - Kenyan track runner Kip Keino defeats Jim Ryun at the first-ever professional track meet in Los Angeles, sanctioned by the International Track Association.

1976 - Argentina's military forces depose president Isabel Perón and start the National Reorganization Process.

1980 - Archbishop Óscar Romero is killed by right-wing terrorists while celebrating Mass in San Salvador.

1989 - Exxon Valdez oil spill: In Alaska's Prince William Sound the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (42,000 mł) of petroleum after running aground.

1998 - Jonesboro massacre: Two students, ages 11 and 13, fire upon teachers and students at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas; five people are dead and ten are wounded.

1998 - Tornado sweeps through Dantan in India killing 250 people and injuring 3000 others.

1999 - Kosovo War: NATO commences air bombardment against Yugoslavia, marking the first time NATO has attacked a sovereign country.

1999 - Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire: 39 people died when a Belgian transport truck carrying flour and margarine caught fire in Mont Blanc Tunnel.

2000 - The S&P 500 reaches an all-time high of 1527.46.

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.

2006 - Long-term protests in Belarus are broken by police.

2006 - Pope Benedict XVI adds 15 men to the College of Cardinals, in the first consistory of his Pontificate.

2007 - The Australian Labor Party is reinstated after the NSW state elections.


Births



1494 - Georg Agricola, German scientist (d. 1555)

1607 - Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter, Dutch admiral (d. 1667)

1628 - Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, queen of Denmark and Norway (d. 1685)

1657 - Arai Hakuseki, Japanese writer and politician (d. 1725)

1693 - John Harrison, British clockmaker (d. 1776)

1725 - Samuel Ashe, Governor of North Carolina (d. 1813)

1725 - Thomas Cushing, American Continental Congressman and acting Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1788)

1782 - Orest Kiprensky, Russian painter (d. 1836)

1796 - John Corry Wilson Daly, Canadian politician (d. 1878)

1809 - Mariano José de Larra, Spanish journalist and writer (d. 1837)

1809 - Joseph Liouville, French mathematician (d. 1882)

1820 - A. E. Becquerel, French physicist (d. 1891)

1820 - Fanny Crosby, American hymnist (d. 1915)

1828 - Horace Gray, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1902)

1829 - George Francis Train, American businessman (d. 1904)

1829 - Ignacio Zaragoza, Mexican general (d. 1862)

1830 - Robert Hamerling, Austrian poet (d. 1889)

1834 - William Morris, English writer and designer (d. 1896)

1834 - John Wesley Powell, American explorer and environmentalist (d. 1902)

1835 - Jožef Stefan, Slovenian physicist (d. 1893)

1848 - Honoré Beaugrand, Quebec journalist and newspaper publisher (La Patrie) (d. 1906)

1850 - Silas Hocking, British novelist and preacher (d. 1935)

1855 - Andrew Mellon, American financier (d. 1937)

1855 - Olive Schreiner, South African writer (d. 1920)

1874 - Harry Houdini, (Weisz Erik), Hungarian-born magician (d. 1926)

1884 - Peter Debye, Dutch chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1966)

1886 - Athenagoras I, Greek Patriarch of Constantinople (d. 1972)

1886 - Edward Weston, American photographer (d. 1958)

1887 - Roscoe Arbuckle, American actor (d. 1933)

1888 - Viktor Kingissepp, Estonian Bolshevik politician (d. 1922)

1889 - Albert Hill, British athlete (d. 1969)

1891 - Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov, Soviet physicist (d. 1951)

1893 - George Sisler, American baseball player (d. 1973)

1893 - Walter Baade, German astronomer (d. 1960)

1897 - Wilhelm Reich, Austrian-born psychotherapist (d. 1957)

1901 - Ub Iwerks, American cartoonist (d. 1971)

1902 - Thomas Dewey, American politician (d. 1971)

1903 - Adolf Butenandt, German chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1995)

1903 - Malcolm Muggeridge, British author and scholar (d. 1990)

1906 - Klavdiya Shulzhenko, Soviet singer (d. 1984)

1907 - Paul Sauvé, Quebec politician (d. 1960)

1909 - Clyde Barrow, American crime figure (d. 1934)

1910 - Richard Conte, American actor (d. 1975)

1911 - Joseph Barbera, American cartoonist (d. 2006)

1915 - Gorgeous George, American professional wrestler (d. 1963)

1916 - Donald Hamilton, Swedish-American novelist (d. 2006)

1917 - John Kendrew, British molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1997)

1917 - Constantine Andreou, Greek-Brazilian artist (d. 2007)

1919 - Lawrence Ferlinghetti, American author and publisher

1919 - Robert Heilbroner, American economist (d. 2005)

1920 - Gene Nelson, American actor (d. 1996)

1921 - Vasily Smyslov, Russian chess player

1922 - Onna White, Canadian choreographer (d. 2005)

1923 - Murray Hamilton, American actor (d. 1986)

1924 - Norman Fell, American actor (d. 1998)

1925 - Puig Aubert, French rugby league footballer (d. 1994)

1926 - Dario Fo, Italian writer, Nobel laureate

1927 - Martin Walser, German author

1928 - Byron Janis, American pianist

1930 - David Dacko, 1st President of the Central African Republic (d. 2003)

1930 - Agustín González, Spanish actor (d. 2005)

1930 - Steve McQueen, American actor (d. 1980)

1934 - William Smith, American actor

1935 - Peter Bichsel, Swiss writer

1936 - David Suzuki, Canadian scientist and environmentalist

1937 - Billy Stewart, American singer (d. 1970)

1938 - Holger Czukay, German musician (Can)

1938 - David Irving, British historian

1940 - Bob Mackie, American fashion designer

1940 - Don Jardine, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 2006)

1944 - R. Lee Ermey, American actor

1944 - Vojislav Koštunica, Serbian Prime Minister

1945 - Robert T. Bakker, American paleontologist

1945 - Curtis Hanson, American film director

1946 - Klaus Dinger, German musician (Neu!, Kraftwerk)

1947 - Meiko Kaji, Japanese singer and actress

1947 - Alan Sugar, English businessman

1949 - Nick Lowe, British musician

1951 - Pat Bradley, American golfer

1951 - Tommy Hilfiger, American fashion designer

1951 - Dougie Thomson, British bassist (Supertramp)

1953 - Louie Anderson, American comedian

1954 - Robert Carradine, American actor

1954 - Donna Pescow, American actress

1955 - Doug Jarvis, Canadian ice hockey player

1957 - Pierre Harvey, Quebec cyclist and cross-country skier

1958 - Mike Woodson, American basketball player and head coach

1960 - Kelly LeBrock, American actress

1960 - Barry Horowitz, American professional wrestler

1960 - Nena, German singer

1960 - Scott Pruett, American race car driver

1961 - Dean Jones, Australian cricketer

1962 - Star Jones Reynolds, American television personality

1962 - Angčle Dubeau, Quebec violinist

1964 - Annabella Sciorra, American actress

1965 - The Undertaker, American professional wrestler

1965 - Gurmit Singh, Singaporean actor

1969 - Houston, American pornographic actress

1970 - Lara Flynn Boyle, American actress

1970 - Sharon Corr, Irish musician (The Corrs)

1970 - Judith Draxler, Austrian swimmer

1972 - Steve Karsay, American baseball player

1973 - Jacek Bąk, Polish footballer

1973 - Steve Corica, Australian soccer player

1974 - Chad Butler, American drummer (Switchfoot)

1974 - Alyson Hannigan, American actress

1975 - Thomas Johansson, Swedish tennis player

1976 - Aaron Brooks, American football player

1976 - Peyton Manning, American football player

1976 - Aliou Cissé, Senegalese footballer

1976 - Athanasios Kostoulas, Greek footballer

1977 - Darren Lockyer, Australian rugby league footballer

1977 - Corneille, Canadian-Rwandan singer

1978 - Michael Braun, Australian Football League player (West Coast Eagles)

1979 - Graeme Swann, English cricketer

1979 - Periklis Iakovakis, Greek athlete

1980 - Tassos Venetis, Greek footballer

1981 - Ron Hainsey, American hockey player

1982 - Dustin McGowan, American baseball player

1982 - Corey Hart, American baseball player

1982 - Nivea Hamilton, American R&B singer.

1983 - T.J. Ford, American basketball player

1984 - Chris Bosh, American basketball player

1985 - Haruka Ayase, Japanese actress and model

1986 - Kohei Hirate, Japanese racing driver

1986 - Anthony McMahon, English footballer

1988 - Ryan Higgins, Zimbabwean cricketer

1990 - Keisha Castle-Hughes, Australian-born New Zealand actress


Deaths



809 - Harun al-Rashid, Abbasid caliph (b. 763)

1284 - King Hugh III of Cyprus

1361 - Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, English soldier and diplomat

1381 - Catherine of Sweden, Swedish saint

1396 - Walter Hilton, English mystic

1455 - Pope Nicholas V (b. 1397)

1558 - Anna of Egmond, Countess of Egmond and Buren (b. 1533)

1563 - Hosokawa Harumoto, Japanese military leader (b. 1514)

1575 - Yosef Karo, Spanish-born rabbi (b. 1488)

1603 - Queen Elizabeth I of England (b. 1533)

1653 - Samuel Scheidt, German composer (b. 1587)

1773 - Philip Dormer Stanhope, English statesman (b. 1694)

1776 - John Harrison, English clockmaker (b. 1693)

1869 - Antoine-Henri Jomini, French general (b. 1779)

1881 - Joseph Delesse, French geologist (b. 1817)

1882 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American author (b. 1807)

1887 - Ivan Kramskoi, Russian painter and art critic (b. 1837)

1888 - Vsevolod Garshin, Russian author (b. 1855)

1905 - Jules Verne, French author (b. 1828)

1909 - John Millington Synge, Irish playwright (b. 1871)

1915 - Karol Olszewski, Polish scientist (b. 1846)

1916 - Enrique Granados, Spanish composer (b. 1867)

1921 - Larry McLean, Canadian baseball player (b. 1881)

1944 - Orde Wingate, British soldier (b. 1903)

1946 - Alexander Alekhine, Russian chess player (b. 1892)

1948 - Sigrid Hjertén, Swedish modernist painter (b. 1885)

1950 - James Rudolph Garfield, American politician (b. 1865)

1953 - Mary of Teck, queen consort to George V of the United Kingdom (b. 1867)

1962 - Jean Goldkette, Greek-born musician (b. 1899)

1962 - Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist and explorer (b. 1884)

1968 - Alice Guy-Blaché, American film director (b. 1873)

1976 - Bernard Montgomery, British field marshal (b. 1887)

1980 - Óscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador (b. 1917)

1984 - Sam Jaffe, American actor (b. 1891)

1990 - Ray Goulding, American comedian (b. 1922)

1990 - An Wang, Chinese-born computer innovator (b. 1920)

1991 - Sir John Kerr, 18th Governor General of Australia (b. 1914)

1993 - John Hersey, American author (b. 1914)

1997 - Martin Caidin, American writer noted for his focus on aviation (b. 1927)

1997 - Harold Melvin, American singer (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes) (b. 1939)

1999 - Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, German women's leader (b. 1902)

1999 - Birdie Tebbetts, American baseball player and manager (b. 1912)

2001 - Muriel Young, English TV entertainer (b. 1928)

2002 - César Milstein, Argentine scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1927)

2003 - Hans Hermann Groër, Austrian Catholic archbishop (b. 1919)

2006 - Lynne Perrie, English actress (b. 1931)


Holidays and Observances



Ancient Latvia - Kazimiras Diena observed.

World Tuberculosis Day.

Labor Day Melbourne, Australia

Saint Macartan

Saint Simeon (d. 1475)

Saint Catharine of Sweden (d. 1381)

Day of Memory for Truth and Justice in Argentina

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March 25 is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 281 days remaining until the end of the year.

March 25, Lady Day, was New Years' Day in many European implementations of the Julian calendar, preceding by exactly nine months Christmas Day.

Events



1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6.

1306 - Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scotland.

1409 - The Council of Pisa opens.

1584 - Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to exploit Virginia.

1634 - The first settlers arrive in Maryland.

1655 - Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christian Huygens.

1655 - Protestants take control of Maryland at the Battle of the Severn.

1802 - The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and 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, became the first passenger carrying railway in the world.

1811 - Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for his publication of the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.

1821 - (Julian Calendar) Greeks revolt against the Ottoman Empire, beginning the Greek War of Independence.

1865 - American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces capture Fort Stedman from the Union in a bloody battle.

1894 - Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington D.C..

1903 - Racing Club de Avellaneda, one of the big five of Argentina, was founded.

1908 - Clube Atletico Mineiro, Founded in Belo Horizonte,Brazil.

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 was established.

1931 - The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape.

1939 - Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli becomes Pope Pius XII.

1941 - Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact.

1947 - An explosion in a coalmine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111.

1949 - The extensive deportation campaign known as March deportation was conducted in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to force collectivisation by way of terror. The Soviet authorities deported more than 92,000 people from Baltics to remote areas of the Soviet Union.

1955 - United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" as obscene.

1957 - The European Economic Community is established (West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg).

1958 - Canada's Avro Arrow makes its first flight.

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.

1969 - During their honeymoon, John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold their first Bed-In for Peace in the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel (until March 31).

1971 - Bangladesh Liberation War: Beginning of Operation Searchlight of Pakistan Army against East Pakistani civilians.

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 was the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.

1990 - In the Bronx, New York City, a fire at an illegal social club called "Happy Land" kills 87 people.

1992 - Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev returns to Earth after a 10-month stay aboard the Mir space station.

1996 - An 81-day-long standoff between the anti-government group Montana Freemen and law enforcement near Jordan, Montana, begins.

1996 - The Labour Party is founded in Turkey.

1996 - The EU's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (BSE).

2006 - The Capitol Hill massacre occurs in Seattle, Washington. A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood; it is one of the largest crime scenes the city has ever had.

2006 - Protesters demanding a re-election in Belarus following the rigged Belarusian presidential election, 2006 clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin was among several protesters arrested.


Births



1252 - Conradin, Duke of Swabia (d. 1268)

1259 - Andronikos II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1332)

1297 - Andronicus III Palaeologus, Byzantine emperor (d. 1341)

1297 - Arnost of Pardubice, Archbishop of Prague (d. 1364)

1345 - Blanche of Lancaster, wife of John of Gaunt (d. 1369)

1347 - Catherine of Siena, Italian saint (d. 1380)

1404 (baptism) - John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, English military leader (d. 1444)

1479 - Vasili III, Grand Prince of Moscow (d. 1533)

1539 - Christopher Clavius, German mathematician (d. 1612)

1541 - Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1587)

1593 - Jean de Brébeuf, French Jesuit missionary (d. 1649)

1643 - Louis Moréri, French encylopedist (d. 1680)

1661 - Paul de Rapin, French historian (d. 1725)

1699 - Johann Adolph Hasse, German composer (d. 1783)

1767 - Joachim Murat, King of Naples (d. 1815)

1782 - Caroline Bonaparte, Queen of Naples (d. 1839)

1800 - Heinrich von Dechsen, German geologist (d. 1889)

1824 - Clinton L. Merriam, American politician (d. 1900)

1840 - Myles Keogh, U.S. Soldier in U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment & Irish Soldier of Fortune (d. 1876)

1863 - Simon Flexner, American pathologist (d. 1946)

1867 - Arturo Toscanini, Italian conductor, (d. 1957)

1868 - William Lockwood, English cricketer (d. 1932)

1873 - Rudolf Rocker, German anarchist (d. 1958)

1877 - Walter Little, Canadian politician (d. 1961)

1881 - Béla Bartók, Hungarian composer (d. 1945)

1881 - Mary Gladys Webb, English writer (d. 1927)

1884 - Georges Imbert, Alsatian chemist (d. 1950)

1886 - Athenagoras, Patriarch of Constantinople (d. 1972)

1892 - Andy Clyde, American actor (d. 1967)

1895 - Siegfried Handloser, German physician (d. 1954)

1897 - John Laurie, Scottish actor (d. 1980)

1899 - Burt Munro, New Zealand motorcycle racer (d. 1978)

1901 - Ed Begley, American actor (d. 1970)

1903 - Nahum Norbert Glatzer, Jewish-American scholar (d. 1990)

1903 - Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (d. 2001)

1906 - A.J.P. Taylor, British historian (d. 1990)

1906 - Jean Sablon, French singer (d. 1994)

1908 - Helmut Käutner, German actor and director (d. 1980)

1908 - David Lean, English film director (d. 1991)

1910 - Magda Olivero, Italian soprano

1911 - Jack Ruby, killer of Lee Harvey Oswald (d. 1967)

1912 - Jean Vilar, French stage and film actor (d. 1971)

1913 - Sir Reo Stakis, Anglo-Cypriot hotel magnate, head of Stakis Hotels (d. 2001)

1914 - Norman Borlaug, American agricultural scientist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize

1918 - Howard Cosell, American sports reporter (d. 1995)

1920 - Patrick Troughton, English actor (d. 1987)

1920 - Arthur Wint, Jamaican runner (d. 1992)

1921 - Nancy Kelly, American actress (d. 1995)

1921 - Simone Signoret, French actress (d. 1985)

1921 - Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Queen of Yugoslavia (d. 1993)

1922 - Eileen Ford, American model agency executive

1923 - Bonnie Guitar, American singer

1925 - Flannery O'Connor, American author (d. 1964)

1926 - László Papp, Hungarian boxer (d. 2003)

1926 - Jaime Sabines, Mexican poet (d. 1999)

1928 - Jim Lovell, American astronaut

1929 - Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (d. 2003)

1931 - Paul Motian, American jazz drummer and composer

1932 - Gene Shalit, American film critic

1934 - Johnny Burnette, American singer (d. 1964)

1934 - Gloria Steinem, American feminist and publisher

1935 - Flash Elorde, Filipino boxer

1938 - Hoyt Axton, American actor and country music singer-songwriter (d. 1999)

1938 - Fritz d'Orey, Brazilian racing driver

1939 - Toni Cade Bambara, American author (d. 1995)

1940 - Anita Bryant, American singer

1941 - Gudmund Hernes, Norwegian politician

1942 - Aretha Franklin, American singer

1942 - Richard O'Brien, English actor and writer, host of The Crystal Maze

1942 - Kim Woodburn, English television personality

1943 - Paul Michael Glaser, American actor

1946 - Cliff Balsam, English footballer

1946 - Maurice Krafft, French vulcanologist (d. 1991)

1946 - Gerard John Schaefer, American serial killer (d. 1995)

1947 - Elton John, English singer and songwriter

1948 - Bonnie Bedelia, American actress

1948 - Lynn Faulds Wood, Scottish television presenter

1950 - Chuck Greenberg, American musician (Shadowfax) (d. 1995)

1952 - Antanas Mockus, Colombian mathematician

1954 - Elli Stai, Greek journalist and TV presenter

1954 - Thom Loverro, American sportswriter

1955 - Daniel Boulud, French chef and restaurateur

1955 - Lee Mazzilli, American baseball player

1956 - Matthew Garber, English actor (d. 1977)

1958 - Ray Tanner, American college baseball coach

1958 - Sisy Chen, Taiwanese politician and television commentator

1958 - Ĺsa Torstensson, Swedish politician

1960 - Idy Chan Yuk-Lin, Hong Kong actress

1960 - Steve Norman, British saxophonist (Spandau Ballet)

1960 - Peter O'Brien, Australian actor

1960 - Haywood Nelson, American actor

1960 - Brenda Strong, American actress

1961 - Fred Goss, American actor, comedian, and writer

1962 - Marcia Cross, American actress

1964 - Ken Wregget, Canadian ice hockey player

1964 - Alex Solis, Panamanian jockey

1965 - Sarah Jessica Parker, American actress

1965 - Avery Johnson, American basketball player and coach

1965 - Stefka Kostadinova, Bulgarian high jumper

1966 - Tom Glavine, American baseball player

1966 - Jeff Healey, Canadian guitarist (d. 2008)

1966 - Tatjana Patitz, German supermodel

1966 - Anton Rogan, Irish footballer

1967 - Matthew Barney, American media artist

1967 - Debi Thomas, American figure skater

1967 - Doug Stanhope, American Comedian

1969 - Dale Davis, American basketball player

1969 - Cathy Dennis, English singer, songwriter, and actress

1970 - Kari Matchett, Canadian actress

1971 - Cammi Granato, American ice hockey player

1973 - Anthony Barness, English footballer

1973 - Anders Fridén, Swedish singer (In Flames)

1974 - Lark Voorhies, American actress

1975 - Ladislav Benysek, Czech ice hockey player

1975 - Melanie Blatt, British singer (All Saints)

1976 - Francis Bellew, Irish Gaelic footballer

1976 - Cha Tae-hyun, South Korean actor

1976 - Juvenile, American rapper

1976 - Wladimir Klitschko, Ukrainian boxer

1976 - Gigi Leung, Hong Kong singer/actress

1978 - Baek Ji Young, South Korean singer

1979 - Lee Pace, American actor

1979 - Natasha Yi, American supermodel

1979 - Gorilla Zoe, rapper

1980 - Carrie Lam, Hong Kong actress

1982 - Danica Patrick, American race car driver

1982 - Sean Faris, American actor and model

1982 - Sergey Yakovlev, russian musical artist and painter

1982 - Álvaro Saborío, Costa Rican footballer

1984 - Katharine McPhee, American Idol contestant

1987 - Jason Castro, American Idol contestant

1987 - Nobunari Oda, Japanese figure skater

1989 - Alyson Michalka, American actress/singer


Deaths



752 - Pope-elect Stephen (died before taking office)

1223 - Afonso II of Portugal (b. 1185)

1345 - Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, English politician (b. 1281)

1458 - Marqués de Santillana, Spanish poet (b. 1398)

1558 - Marcos de Niza, French Franciscan explorer

1561 - Conrad Lycosthenes, humanist and encyclopedist (b. 1518)

1603 - Ikoma Chikamasa, Japanese warlord (b. 1526)

1609 - Olaus Martini, Swedish Archbishop of Uppsala (b. 1557)

1620 - Johannes Nucius, German composer

1625 - Giambattista Marini, Italian poet (b. 1569)

1712 - Nehemiah Grew, English naturalist (b. 1641)

1736 - Nicholas Hawksmoor, British architect

1738 - Turlough O'Carolan, Irish harper and composer (b. 1670)

1751 - Frederick I of Sweden (b. 1676)

1801 - Novalis, German poet (b. 1772)

1818 - Caspar Wessel, Danish mathematician (b. 1745)

1860 - James Braid, Scottish surgeon (b. 1795)

1908 - Durham Stevens, American diplomat (b. 1851)

1914 - Frédéric Mistral, French poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830)

1917 - Elizabeth Storrs Mead, American educator (b. 1832)

1917 - Spyros Samaras, Greek composer of the Olympic Anthem (b. 1861)

1918 - Claude Debussy, French composer (b. 1862)

1951 - Eddie Collins, baseball player (b. 1887)

1957 - Max Ophüls, German-born director and writer (b. 1902)

1958 - Tom Brown, American musician (b. 1888)

1967 - Renato Cellini, Italian conductor (b.c.1913)

1969 - Max Eastman, American writer (b. 1883)

1969 - Billy Cotton, British bandleader & entertainer (b. 1889)

1975 - King Faisal of Saudi Arabia (b. 1906)

1975 - Juan Gaudino, Argentine racing driver (b. 1893)

1980 - Roland Barthes, French literary critic and writer (b. 1915)

1980 - Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist (b. 1901)

1980 - Walter Susskind, Czech conductor (b. 1913)

1980 - James Wright, American poet (b. 1927)

1988 - Robert Joffrey, American dancer, teacher, and choreographer (b. 1930)

1991 - Marcel Lefebvre, French Catholic prelate (b. 1905)

1992 - Nancy Walker, American actress (b. 1922)

1994 - Max Petitpierre, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1899)

1995 - James Coleman, American sociologist (b. 1926)

1995 - Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player (b. 1948)

1995 - John Hugenholtz, Dutch race track designer (b. 1914)

1996 - John Snagge, British radio personality (b. 1904)

1998 - Max Green, Australian lawyer (b. 1952)

1999 - Cal Ripken, Sr., American baseball manager (b. 1936)

2000 - Helen Martin, American actress (b. 1909)

2002 - Kenneth Wolstenholme, English football commentator (b. 1920)

2005 - Paul Henning, American TV/film producer and writer (b. 1911)

2006 - Rocío Dúrcal, Spanish singer and actress (b. 1944)

2006 - Richard Fleischer, American film director (b. 1916)

2006 - Buck Owens, American singer and television personality (b. 1929)

2007 - Andranik Margaryan, 14th Prime Minister of Armenia (b. 1951)


Holidays and Observances



In Christianity, March 25 is typically celebrated as the day of the Annunciation so long as it does not fall on a Sunday or during Holy Week or Easter Week.

Hilaria, day of resurrection of Attis, a Phrygian deity

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.)

As the day falls close to the vernal equinox, similar to the way Christmas falls near the December solstice, both days are regarded as one of the Quarter Days to Christians in the British Isles.

Maryland Day;

Greek Independence Day;

Freedom Day in Belarus;

Mother's Day in Slovenia.

One of the four Irish Quarter days in the Irish calendar.

Saint Dysmas, the 'Good Thief'

Saint Humbert

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March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 280 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events



1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.

1199 - Richard the Lionheart is fatally wounded by a crossbow bolt during a siege in France, he dies eleven days later. The marksman, a French noble named Pierre Basile, is executed.

1484 - William Caxton printed his translation of Aesop's Fables.

1552 - Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh Guru.

1636 - Utrecht University is founded in The Netherlands.

1808 - Charles IV of Spain abdicates in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII.

1812 - An earthquake destroys Caracas, Venezuela.

1839 - The first Henley Royal Regatta is held.

1881 - Thessaly is freed and becomes part of Greece again.

1913 - Balkan War: Bulgarian forces take Adrianople.

1917 - World War I: First Battle of Gaza - British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance.

1934 - Driving test introduced in the United Kingdom.

1942 - World War II: In Poland, Auschwitz receives its first female prisoners.

1945 - World War II: In Iwo Jima, US forces declare Iwo Jima "secure."

1953 - Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine.

1958 - The United States Army launches Explorer 3.

1958 - The African Regroupment Party (PRA) is launched at a meeting in Paris.

1965 - A truck loses control down Moosic Street, Scranton, Pennsylvania, killing the driver. This accident later inspired the 1974 Harry Chapin song, "30,000 Pounds of Bananas."

1967 - Ten thousand people gather for the Central Park Be-In.

1971 - East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form People's Republic of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Liberation War begins.

1975 - The Biological Weapons Convention enters into force.

1976 - Queen Elizabeth II sent out the first royal email, from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment.

1977 - Focus on the Family is founded by Dr. James Dobson

1979 - Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in Washington, DC.

1982 - A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, DC.

1995 - The Schengen Treaty goes into effect.

1996 - The International Monetary Fund approves a $10.2 billion loan for Russia.

1997 - Thirty-nine bodies found in the Heaven's Gate cult suicides.

1998 - Oued Bouaicha massacre in Algeria; 52 people killed with axes and knives, 32 of them babies under the age of 2.

1999 - The "Melissa worm" infects Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems around the world.

1999 - A jury in Michigan finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man.

2005 - The Taiwanese government calls on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei, in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China. Around 200,000 to 300,000 attend the walk.

2006 - In Scotland, the prohibition of smoking in all substantially enclosed public places comes into force.

2006 - The military junta ruling Myanmar officially named Naypyidaw, a new city in Mandalay Division, as the new capital. Yangon had formerly been the nation's capital.


Births



1516 - Conrad Gessner, Swiss naturalist (d. 1565)

1554 - Charles of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne, French military leader (d. 1611)

1698 - Václav Prokop Diviš, Czech theologian and natural scientist (d. 1765)

1749 - William Blount, American Statesman (d. 1800)

1753 - Benjamin Thompson, American physicist and inventor (d. 1814)

1773 - Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigation expert (d. 1838)

1794 - Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (d. 1872)

1859 - Alfred Edward Housman, English poet (d. 1936)

1859 - Adolf Hurwitz, German mathematician (d. 1919)

1868 - King Fuad I of Egypt (d. 1936)

1874 - Robert Frost, American poet (d. 1963)

1875 - Max Abraham, German physicist (d. 1922)

1875 - Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea (d. 1965)

1876 - Prince William of Wied, sovereign Prince of Albania (d. 1945)

1879 - Othmar Ammann, Swiss-born bridge engineer (d. 1965)

1882 - Hermann Obrecht, member of the Swiss Federal Council (d. 1940)

1884 - Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist (d. 1969)

1886 - Hugh Mulzac, America military officer (d. 1971)

1894 - Viorica Ursuleac, Romanian soprano (d. 1985)

1896 - Rudolf Dassler, Founder of PUMA AG (d. 1974)

1898 - Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (d. 1979)

1888 - Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse (d. 1948)

1893 - Palmiro Togliatti, Italian communist leader (d. 1964)

1904 - Joseph Campbell, American author (d. 1987)

1904 - Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, screenwriter and film director (d. 1986)

1904 - Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2004)

1905 - Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1997)

1906 - Rafael Mendez, Mexican trumpetist (d. 1981)

1908 - Franz Stangl, German commandant of Nazi concentration camps (d. 1971)

1911 - Bernard Katz, German-born biophysicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2003)

1911 - Tennessee Williams, American dramatist (d. 1983)

1911 - T. Hee, American animator (d. 1988)

1913 - Paul Erdős, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1996)

1914 - Toru Kumon, Japanese educator (d. 1995)

1914 - William Westmoreland, U.S. general (d. 2005)

1916 - Christian B. Anfinsen, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1995)

1916 - Bill Edrich, English cricketer (d. 1986)

1916 - Sterling Hayden, American actor (d. 1986)

1917 - Rufus Thomas, American musician (d. 2001)

1919 - Roger Leger, Quebec ice hockey player (d. 1965)

1919 - Strother Martin, American actor (d. 1980)

1922 - Oscar Sala, Italian-born physicist

1923 - Gert Bastian, German politician (d. 1992)

1923 - Bob Elliott, American comedian

1925 - Pierre Boulez, French composer and conductor

1925 - James Moody, American jazz musician, composer, and actor

1930 - Gregory Corso, American poet (d. 2001)

1930 - Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice

1931 - Leonard Nimoy, American actor and director

1934 - Alan Arkin, American actor

1935 - Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestine National Authority

1937 - Wayne Embry, American basketball player

1938 - Anthony James Leggett, American physicist, Nobel laureate

1940 - James Caan, American actor

1940 - Nancy Pelosi, American politician and 60th Speaker of the House

1941 - Richard Dawkins, British evolutionary biologist

1941 - Yvon Marcoux, Quebec politician

1942 - Erica Jong, American author

1943 - Bob Woodward, American journalist

1944 - Diana Ross, American singer (Supremes)

1945 - Mikhail Voronin, Soviet gymnast (d. 2004)

1946 - Johnny Crawford, American actor

1946 - Alain Madelin, French politician

1947 - Dar Robinson, American stuntman (d. 1986)

1948 - Richard Tandy, British keyboardist (Electric Light Orchestra)

1948 - Steven Tyler, American singer (Aerosmith)

1949 - Vicki Lawrence, American actress and singer

1949 - Patrick Süskind, German writer

1950 - Teddy Pendergrass, American singer

1950 - Martin Short, Canadian comedian

1950 - Ernest Thomas, American actor

1950 - Alan Silvestri, American film score composer

1951 - Carl Wieman, American physicist, Nobel laureate

1952 - Didier Pironi, French Formula One driver (d. 1987)

1953 - Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor

1953 - Lincoln Chafee, American Senator from Rhode Island

1953 - Youssouf Togoďmi, Chadian rebel (d. 2002)

1954 - Kazuhiko Inoue, Japanese seiyu (voice actor)

1954 - Curtis Sliwa, American founder of the Guardian Angels

1955 - Danny Arndt, Canadian ice hockey player

1956 - Charly McClain, American singer

1957 - Leeza Gibbons, American television host

1957 - Paul Morley, English music journalist and musician

1958 - Chris Codiroli, American baseballer

1958 - Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (d. 1986)

1959 - Chris Hansen, American reporter and correspondent

1960 - Marcus Allen, American football player

1960 - Jennifer Grey, American actress

1961 - William Hague, British politician

1962 - John Stockton, American basketball player

1962 - Paul de Leeuw, Dutch television host

1963 - Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese writer

1963 - Amparo Larrańaga, Spanish actress

1963 - Roch Voisine, Canadian singer and songwriter

1964 - Martin Donnelly, Irish racecar driver

1964 - Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish ice hockey player

1966 - Nick Wirth, British engineer

1966 - Michael Imperioli, actor on The Sopranos

1968 - Kenny Chesney, American singer

1968 - James Iha, American musician (The Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle)

1968 - Laurent Brochard, French cyclist

1971 - Behzad Ghorbani, Iranian zoologist and sociobiologist

1972 - Jon Reep, American comedian and actor

1973 - Heather Goldenhersh, American actress

1973 - Lawrence E. Page, American search engine pioneer

1973 - T.R. Knight, American actor

1973 - Matt Burke, Australian Rugby Union player


1974 - Mike Peca, Canadian ice hockey player

1976 - Joachim Alcine, Haitian-born Quebec boxer

1976 - Amy Smart, American actress

1976 - Natalia Livingston, American Soap actress

1976 - Nurgül Yeşilçay, Turkish actress

1976 - Ufuk Talay, Australian soccer player

1977 - Kevin Davies, English footballer

1977 - Sylvain Grenier, Canadian professional wrestler

1978 - Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player

1979 - Hiromi Uehara, Japanese jazz pianist

1979 - Pierre Wome, Cameroonian footballer

1981 - Baruch Dego, Israeli football player

1981 - Jay Sean, British Asian R&B singer

1981 - Josh Wilson, American baseball player

1982 - Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer

1983 - David Bennett, Canadian powerlifter and steamfitter

1983 - Michael Brendli, American professional wrestler

1984 - Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean crickaeter

1984 - Stéphanie Lapointe, Canadian artist and singer, 2004 Star Académie winner

1984 - Sara Jean Underwood, American model

1985 - Keira Knightley, English actress

1985 - Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricket captain

1985 - Jonathan Groff, American stage actor

1987 - Yui, Japanese musician

1991 - Brittney Wilson, Canadian actress


Deaths



304 - Saint Emmanuel, Christian martyr killed under Diocletian

922 - Al-Hallaj, Persian Sufi teacher and writer

1130 - King Sigurd I of Norway (b. ca. 1090)

1212 - King Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)

1517 - Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer

1535 - Georg Tannstetter, Austrian scientist (b. 1482)

1546 - Thomas Elyot, English diplomat

1566 - Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish composer (b. 1510)

1649 - John Winthrop, second governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

1679 - Johannes Schefferus, Alsatian-born humanist (b. 1621)

1697 - Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician and murderer (executed) (b. 1640)

1726 - Sir John Vanbrugh, English dramatist (b. 1664)

1772 - Charles Pinot Duclos, French writer (b. 1704)

1776 - Samuel Ward, American politician (b. 1725)

1780 - Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (b. 1713)

1793 - John Mudge, English physician (b. 1721)

1797 - James Hutton, Scottish geologist (b. 1726)

1814 - Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, namesake of the guillotine (b. 1738)

1827 - Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer (b. 1770)

1858 - John Addison Thomas, American soldier (b. 1811)

1881 - Roman Sanguszko, Polish aristocrat (b. 1800)

1892 - Walt Whitman, American poet (b. 1819)

1902 - Cecil Rhodes, English explorer (b. 1853)

1905 - Maurice Barrymore, actor; patriarch of the Barrymore family (b. 1849)

1910 - Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (b. 1864)

1910 - An Jung-geun, Japanese assassin of Ito Hirobumi (executed) (b. 1879)

1920 - William Chester Minor, American surgeon and contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary (b. 1834)

1923 - Sarah Bernhardt, French actress (b. 1844)

1926 - Konstantin Fehrenbach, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1852)

1929 - Katharine Lee Bates, American poet (b. 1859)

1933 - Eddie Lang, American musician (b. 1902)

1940 - Spiridon Louis, Greek runner, winner of the first modern Olympics marathon (b. 1873)

1942 - Jimmy Burke, American baseball player (b. 1874)

1945 - David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1863)

1951 - James F. Hinkle, American politician, sixth Governor of New Mexico (d. 1864)

1957 - Édouard Herriot, French politician (b. 1872)

1958 - Phil Mead, English cricketer (b. 1887)

1959 - Raymond Chandler, American-born novelist (b. 1888)

1969 - John Kennedy Toole, American author (b. 1937)

1973 - Noel Coward, English composer and playwright (b. 1899)

1973 - Johnny Drake, American football player (b. 1916)

1973 - Don Messer, Canadian fiddler (b. 1909)

1973 - George Sisler, American baseball player (b. 1893)

1976 - Josef Albers, German artist (b. 1888)

1976 - Lin Yutang, Chinese writer (b. 1895)

1978 - Wilfred Pickles, English actor and broadcaster (b. 1904)

1983 - Anthony Blunt, British art historian and spy (b. 1907)

1984 - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (b. 1922)

1987 - Eugen Jochum, German conductor (b. 1902)

1990 - Halston, American fashion designer (b. 1932)

1992 - Barbara Frum, Canadian journalist (b. 1937)

1995 - Eazy-E, American rapper (b. 1963)

1996 - Edmund Muskie, American politician (b. 1914)

1996 - David Packard, American engineer and businessman (b. 1912)

1997 - Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader (b. 1931)

2000 - Alex Comfort, American author (b. 1920)

2002 - Randy Castillo, American drummer (Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe) (b. 1950)

2003 - Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator (b. 1927)

2004 - Jan Berry, American musician (Jan and Dean) (b. 1941)

2004 - Jan Sterling, American actress (b. 1921)

2005 - James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1912)

2005 - Gérard Filion, Quebec businessman and journalist (b. 1909)

2005 - Paul Hester, Australian drummer (Split Enz and Crowded House) (b. 1959)

2005 - Marius Russo, American baseball player (b. 1914)

2006 - Anil Biswas, Indian politician (b. 1944)

2006 - Paul Dana, American race car driver (b. 1975)

2006 - Nikki Sudden, British singer/songwriter (b. 1956)


Holidays and Observances



Independence Day - Bangladesh

Zoroastrianism - Prophet Zoroaster's Birthday.

Prince Kuhio Day in Hawaii

Saint Emmanuel (died 304)

Saint Ludger

Saint Larissa

Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church: Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

Orthodox Christian liturgical calendar - Synaxis of St. Gabriel the Archangel

BIRTH OF SEHRISH NIDA ON MARCH 26 1986

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