Events

Pre-1600

673 __NOTOC__ Year 673 ( DCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 673 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...

– Emperor

Tenmu was the 40th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Tenmu's r ...

of Japan assumes the

Chrysanthemum Throne The is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions ...

at the Palace of Kiyomihara in Asuka. *

1206 Year 1206 ( MCCVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * January 31 – Battle of Rusion: The Bulgarian forces (some 7,000 men), und ...

– Michael IV Autoreianos is appointed

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople ( Istanbul), New Rome and ''primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...

. *

1600 __NOTOC__ In the Gregorian calendar, it was the last century leap year until the year 2000. Events January–June * January 1 – Scotland adopts January 1 as New Year's Day instead of March 25. * January ** Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of ...

– The

Linköping Bloodbath The Linköping Bloodbath ( sv, Linköpings blodbad) on 20 March 1600 was the public execution by beheading of five Swedish nobles in the aftermath of the War against Sigismund (1598–1599), which resulted in the ''de facto'' deposition of the ...

takes place on

Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...

Linköping Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Chu ...

, Sweden: five Swedish noblemen are publicly beheaded in the aftermath of the

War against Sigismund The war against Sigismund ( sv, Kriget mot Sigismund) was a war between Duke Charles, later known as King Charles IX of Sweden, and Sigismund, who was at the time the King of both Sweden and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (that is, the ...

(1598–1599).

1601–1900

1602 Events January–June * January 3 – Battle of Kinsale: The English defeat Irish rebels and their Spanish allies. (The battle happens on this date according to the Gregorian calendar used by the Irish and Spanish but on Thursday, 24 De ...

– The

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock c ...

is established. *

1616 Events January–June * January ** Six-year-old António Vieira arrives from Portugal, with his parents, in Bahia (present-day Salvador) in Colonial Brazil, where he will become a diplomat, noted author, leading figure of the Church, an ...

– Sir

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellio ...

is freed from the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sepa ...

after 13 years of imprisonment. *

1760 Events January–March * January 9 – Battle of Barari Ghat: Afghan forces defeat the Marathas. * January 22 – Seven Years' War – Battle of Wandiwash, India: British general Sir Eyre Coote is victorious over the ...

– The Great Boston Fire of 1760 destroys 349 buildings. *

1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Pr ...

– After escaping from

Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano Nation ...

, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his "

Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restorati ...

" rule. *

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the poli ...

–

German revolutions of 1848–49 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...

Ludwig I of Bavaria en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...

abdicates. *

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come t ...

–

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel '' Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the ha ...

's ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

'' is published. *

1854 Events January–March * January 4 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the ''Samarang''. * January 6 – The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is perhaps born. * January 9 – The Te ...

– The

Republican Party of the United States The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska ...

is organized in

Ripon, Wisconsin Ripon is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,733 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Ripon. Ripon is home to the Little White Schoolhouse, the commonly recognized birthplace of ...

, US. *

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam- ...

– An

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

destroys Mendoza,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

. *

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Janua ...

– The

Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, signed in Paris, France, on 20 March 1883, was one of the first intellectual property treaties. It established a Union for the protection of industrial property. The convention is ...

is signed. *

1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the most digits (13). The next year that also has 13 digits is the year 2388. The record will be surpassed as late ...

– The premiere of the very first Romani language operetta is staged in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

. *

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship '' ...

– Chancellor of the German Empire

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of ...

is dismissed by

Emperor Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism ( Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Vikto ...

. *

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

– With the approval of

Emperor Guangxu The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, w ...

, the Qing dynasty post office is opened, marking the beginning of a postal service in China.

1901–present

1913 Events January * January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not venture for the rest of the ...

–

Sung Chiao-jen Song Jiaoren (, ; Given name at birth: Liàn 鍊; Courtesy name: Dùnchū 鈍初) (5 April 1882 – 22 March 1913) was a Chinese republican revolutionary, political leader and a founder of the Kuomintang (KMT). Song Jiaoren led the KMT to elec ...

, a founder of the

Chinese Nationalist Party The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

, is wounded in an assassination attempt and dies 2 days later. *

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

–

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theor ...

publishes his

general theory of relativity General relativity, also known as the general theory of relativity and Einstein's theory of gravity, is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915 and is the current description of gravitation in modern physics. ...

. *

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil. ** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' breaks ...

– The

Upper Silesia plebiscite The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a plebiscite mandated by the Versailles Treaty and carried out on 20 March 1921 to determine ownership of the province of Upper Silesia between Weimar Germany and Poland. The region was ethnically mixed with bo ...

was a

plebiscite A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of ...

mandated by the

Versailles Treaty The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 19 ...

to determine a section of the border between

Weimar Germany The German Reich, commonly referred to as the Weimar Republic,, was a historical period of Germany from 9 November 1918 to 23 March 1933, during which it was a Constitutional republic, constitutional federal republic for the first time in his ...

and

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

. *

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...

– The is commissioned as the first

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

aircraft carrier. *

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, ...

– The

Arts Club of Chicago Arts Club of Chicago is a private club and public exhibition space located in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States, a block east of the Magnificent Mile, that exhibits international contempora ...

hosts the opening of

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, he is ...

's first United States showing, entitled ''Original Drawings by Pablo Picasso'', becoming an early proponent of

modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradi ...

in the United States. *

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos (general), Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Kingdom of Hejaz, Hejaz. ** Bảo Đại, Crown Prince Nguyễn P ...

–

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

initiates a

purge In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another organization, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group underta ...

of communist elements within the

National Revolutionary Army The National Revolutionary Army (NRA; ), sometimes shortened to Revolutionary Army () before 1928, and as National Army () after 1928, was the military arm of the Kuomintang (KMT, or the Chinese Nationalist Party) from 1925 until 1947 in Chin ...

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong ...

. *

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

–

Reichsführer-SS (, ) was a special title and rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 for the commander of the (SS). ''Reichsführer-SS'' was a title from 1925 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1945 it was the highest rank of the SS. The longest-servi ...

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

ordered the creation of

Dachau concentration camp Dachau () was the first concentration camp built by Nazi Germany, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents which consisted of: communists, social democrats, and other dissidents. It is ...

Chief of Police Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the b ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

and appointed

Theodor Eicke Theodor Eicke (17 October 1892 – 26 February 1943) was a senior SS functionary and Waffen SS divisional commander during the Nazi era. He was one of the key figures in the development of Nazi concentration camps. Eicke served as the sec ...

as the camp commandant. *

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

–

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

Douglas MacArthur, at

Terowie, South Australia Terowie (formerly Gottliebs Well and Shebbear) is a small town in the Mid North region of South Australia located north of the state capital of Adelaide. It is located in the Regional Council of Goyder. Terowie retains a number of authentic and ...

, makes his famous speech regarding the

fall of the Philippines Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...

, in which he says: "I came out of

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the ...

and I shall return". *

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

– With a Musicians Union ban lifted, the first telecasts of classical music in the United States, under

Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association with ...

and

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

, are given on CBS and

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

. *

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

–

Fujiyoshida is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,782 in 19,806 households and a population density of 400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Fujiyoshida lies at the north ...

, a city located in

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the n ...

, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of

Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island ...

is founded. *

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh ...

– The US Senate ratifies the Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan. *

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...

–

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

gains independence from France. *

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

– The

precursor Precursor or Precursors may refer to: *Precursor (religion), a forerunner, predecessor ** The Precursor, John the Baptist Science and technology * Precursor (bird), a hypothesized genus of fossil birds that was composed of fossilized parts of un ...

of the

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (120 ...

, ESRO (

European Space Research Organisation The European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) was an international organisation founded by 10 European nations with the intention of jointly pursuing scientific research in space. It was founded in 1964. As an organisation ESRO was based on a ...

) is established per an agreement signed on

June 14 Events Pre-1600 *1158 – The city of Munich is founded by Henry the Lion on the banks of the river Isar. *1216 – First Barons' War: Prince Louis of France takes the city of Winchester, abandoned by John, King of England, and soon ...

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wo ...

. *

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 ** Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

– A United Arab airlines (now

Egyptair Egyptair (Egyptian Arabic: , ') is the state-owned flag carrier of Egypt. The airline is headquartered at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to 81 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, ...

)

Ilyushin Il-18 The Ilyushin Il-18 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-18; NATO reporting name: Coot) is a large turboprop airliner that first flew in 1957 and became one of the best known and most durable Soviet aircraft of its era. The Il-18 was one of the wor ...

crashes at

Aswan international Airport Aswan International Airport , also known as Daraw Airport, is a domestic airport (despite its name) located 16 km southwest of Aswan, Egypt. It was built in 1956 and upgraded in 1992 and 1999 by the Egyptian government. Airlines and desti ...

, killing 100 people. *

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

–

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

: The first

Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reunif ...

car bombing A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roughly divided ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingd ...

kills seven people and injures 148 others in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. North ...

. *

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

–

Libby Riddles Libby Riddles (born April 1, 1956) is an American dog musher, and the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Riddles was born in Madison, Wisconsin, to Willard and Mary Riddles, and moved to Alaska (from Minnesota; she had been livi ...

becomes the first woman to win the 1,135-mile

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod, is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome, entirely within the US state of Alaska. Mushers and a team of between 12 a ...

. * 1985 – Canadian

paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neur ...

athlete and

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...

Rick Hansen Richard Marvin Hansen (born August 26, 1957) is a Canadian track and field athlete (Paralympic Games), activist, and philanthropist for people with disabilities. Following a pickup truck crash at the age of 15, Hansen sustained a spinal cord ...

begins his

circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circumnavigation of the Earth was the Magel ...

of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of

spinal cord The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the spin ...

injury medical research. *

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airpor ...

– The

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

approves the anti- AIDS drug,

AZT Zidovudine (ZDV), also known as azidothymidine (AZT), is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. It is generally recommended for use in combination with other antiretrovirals. It may be used to prevent mother-to-child ...

. * 1988 –

Eritrean War of Independence The Eritrean War of Independence was a war for independence which Eritrean independence fighters waged against successive Ethiopian governments from 1 September 1961 to 24 May 1991. Eritrea was an Italian colony from the 1880s until the d ...

: Having defeated the Nadew Command, the

Eritrean People's Liberation Front The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), colloquially known as Shabia, was an armed Marxist–Leninist organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. It emerged in 1970 as a far-left to left-wing nationalist group ...

enters the town of

Afabet Afabet ( ti, ኣፍዓበት) is a town in northern Eritrea. Overview Afabet is the capital of the Afabet district. It is the site of the Battle of Afabet, which took place during the Eritrean War of Independence. The city is still surrounded ...

, victoriously concluding the

Battle of Afabet The Battle of Afabet was fought from 17 March through 20 March 1988 in and around the town of Afabet, as part of the Eritrean War of Independence. Background The Nadew Command was one of four commands, or army corps, of the Ethiopian Second R ...

. *

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

–

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martia ...

's widow,

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the Dictators ...

, goes on trial for

bribery Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Co ...

embezzlement Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

, and

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and ...

. *

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

–

: A Provisional IRA bomb kills two children in

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The populati ...

, England. It leads to mass protests in both Britain and Ireland. *

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake strike ...

– The Japanese cult

Aum Shinrikyo , formerly , is a Japanese doomsday cult founded by Shoko Asahara in 1987. It carried out the deadly Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995 and was found to have been responsible for the Matsumoto sarin attack the previous year. The group says ...

carries out a

sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway The was an act of domestic terrorism perpetrated on 20 March 1995, in Tokyo, Japan, by members of the cult movement Aum Shinrikyo. In five coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released sarin on three lines of the Tokyo Metro (then ''Teito Rapid ...

, killing 13 and wounding over 6,200 people. *

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school s ...

–

Legoland California Legoland California Resort is a theme park, miniature park, and aquarium located in Carlsbad, California, based on the Lego toy brand. Opening on March 20, 1999, it was the third Legoland park to open and the first outside of Europe. The park ...

, the first

Legoland Legoland (, trademark in uppercase as LEGOLAND) is a chain of family theme parks focusing on the construction toy system Lego. They are not fully owned by The Lego Group itself; rather, they are owned and operated by the British theme park c ...

outside of Europe, opens in

Carlsbad, California Carlsbad is a coastal city in the North County region of San Diego County, California, United States. The city is south of downtown Los Angeles and north of downtown San Diego. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 114,746. ...

, US. *

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

–

Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin Jamil Abdullah al-Amin (born Hubert Gerold Brown; October 4, 1943), formerly known as H. Rap Brown, is a civil rights activist, black separatist, and convicted murderer who was the fifth chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ...

, a former

Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...

once known as

H. Rap Brown Jamil Abdullah al-Amin (born Hubert Gerold Brown; October 4, 1943), formerly known as H. Rap Brown, is a civil rights activist, black separatist, and convicted murderer who was the fifth chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ...

, is captured after murdering

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

sheriff's deputy Ricky Kinchen and critically wounding Deputy Aldranon English. *

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, disintegrated during reentry into Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an 2002– ...

–

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

: The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland begin an

invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

. * 2006 – Over 150

Chadian soldier french: Armée nationale tchadienne , image = , alt = , caption = , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 = , motto ...

s are killed in eastern

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Repub ...

by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow

Chadian president This is a list of heads of state of Chad since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day. A total of six people have served as head of state of Chad (not counting two Interim Heads of State). Additionally, one pers ...

Idriss Déby Idriss Déby Itno ' (18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the president of Chad from 1990 until his death in 2021. Déby was a member of the Bidayat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. A high-ra ...

. *

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

–

Eyjafjallajökull Eyjafjallajökull (; ), sometimes referred to by the numeronym E15, is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of . The vo ...

in Iceland begins eruptions that would last for three months, heavily disrupting air travel in Europe. *

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

– At least 52 people are killed and more than 250 injured in a wave of terror attacks across ten cities in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. *

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

– Four suspected

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pas ...

members attack the

Kabul Serena Hotel Kabul Serena Hotel is a luxury hotel in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan. Originally built in 1945, the Kabul hotel was restored and expanded by AKDN and named as Kabul Serena Hotel. It was inaugurated by President Karzai and the Aga Khan in 2005. ...

, killing at least nine people. *

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

– A

Solar eclipse A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six mo ...

equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears zenith, directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" ...

, and a

supermoon A supermoon is a full moon or a new moon that nearly coincides with perigee—the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptic orbit—resulting in a slightly larger-than-usual apparent size of the lunar disk as viewed from Earth. ...

all occur on the same day. * 2015 – Syrian civil war: The

Siege of Kobanî The siege of Kobanî was launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on 13 September 2014, in order to capture the Kobanî Canton and its main city of Kobanî (also known as Kobanê or Ayn al-Arab) in northern Syria, in the ''de facto ...

is broken by the

People's Protection Units The People's Defense Units (YPG), (YPG) ; ar, وحدات حماية الشعب, Waḥdāt Ḥimāyat aš-Šaʽb) also called People's Protection Units, is a mainly- Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democ ...

(YPG) and

Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the governm ...

(FSA), marking a turning point in the

Rojava–Islamist conflict The Rojava–Islamist conflict, a major theater in the Syrian civil war, started after fighting erupted between the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Islamist rebel factions in the city of Ras al-Ayn. Kurdish forces launched a cam ...

Births

Pre-1600

43 BC __NOTOC__ Year 43 BC was either a common year starting on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday or a leap year starting on Sunday or Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar (the sources differ, see leap year error for further inf ...

–

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the ...

, Roman poet (d. 17) *

1253 Year 1253 ( MCCLIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * January 18 – King Henry I (the Fat) dies and is succeeded by his son Hugh II, w ...

– Magadu, renamed

Wareru Wareru ( mnw, ဝါရေဝ်ရောဝ်, my, ဝါရီရူး, ; also known as Wagaru; 20 March 1253 – 14 January 1307) was the founder of the Martaban Kingdom, located in present-day Myanmar (Burma). By using both diplomatic a ...

, founder of Ramanya Kingdom, renamed Hanthawady Kingdom of Pegu (b. a commoner; d. on a Saturday in January 1307) *

1319 Year 1319 ( MCCCXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * May 8 – Upon the death of his maternal grandfather, King Haakon V, three-year-old ...

–

Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke Laurence de Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke (20 March 131920 August 1348) was a Norman English nobleman and held the titles 1st Earl of Pembroke (4th creation), Baron Abergavenny and Baron Hastings under Edward II of England and Edward III of En ...

(d. 1348) *

1469 Year 1469 ( MCDLXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 4 – Battle of Qarabagh: Uzun Hasan decisively defeats the Timurids ...

–

Cecily of York Cecily of York (20 March 1469 – 24 August 1507), was the third daughter of King Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville. Shortly after the death of her father and the usurpation of the throne by her uncle King Richard I ...

(d. 1507) *

1477 Year 1477 ( MCDLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 5 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold of Burgundy is again defeated ...

–

Jerome Emser Jerome (or Hieronymus) Emser (March 20, 1477 – November 8, 1527), German theologian and antagonist of Luther, was born of a good family at Ulm. He studied Greek at Tübingen and jurisprudence at Basel, and after acting for three years as c ...

, German theologian and scholar (d. 1527) *

1479 Year 1479 (Roman numerals, MCDLXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). Events January–December * January 20 – Ferdinand II of Aragon, Ferdinand II ascends the th ...

–

Ippolito d'Este Ippolito (I) d'Este ( hu, Estei Hippolit; 20 March 1479 – 3 September 1520) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, and Archbishop of Esztergom. He was a member of the ducal House of Este of Ferrara, and was usually referred to as the Ca ...

, Italian cardinal (d. 1520) *

1502 Year 1502 ( MDII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 1 – Portuguese explorers, led by Gonçalo Coelho, sail into Guanabara B ...

–

Pierino Belli Pierino Belli (20 March 1502, in Alba (CN), Alba – 31 December 1575, in Turin) was an Italian soldier and jurist. Belli served the Holy Roman Empire as the commander of Imperial forces in Piedmont. In 1560, Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, nam ...

, Italian soldier and jurist (d. 1575) *

1532 Year 1532 ( MDXXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 22 – São Vicente is established as the first permanent Portuguese settlem ...

–

Juan de Ribera Juan de Ribera (Seville, Spain, 20 March 1532 – Valencia, 6 January 1611) was an influential figure in 16th and 17th century Spain. Ribera held appointments as Archbishop and Viceroy of Valencia, Latin Patriarchate of Antioch, Commander i ...

, Roman Catholic archbishop (d. 1611)

1601–1900

1612 Events January–June * January 6 – Axel Oxenstierna becomes Lord High Chancellor of Sweden. He persuades the Riksdag of the Estates to grant the Swedish nobility the right and privilege to hold all higher offices of governme ...

–

Anne Bradstreet Anne Bradstreet (née Dudley; March 8, 1612 – September 16, 1672) was the most prominent of early English poets of North America and first writer in England's North American colonies to be published. She is the first Puritan figure in ...

, Puritan American poet (d. 1672) *

1615 Events January–June * January 1 – The New Netherland Company is granted a three-year monopoly in North American trade, between the 40th and 45th parallels. * February – Sir Thomas Roe sets out to become the first ...

–

Dara Shikoh Dara Shikoh ( fa, ), also known as Dara Shukoh, (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659) was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Dara was designated with the title ''Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba'' ("Prince of High Rank" ...

, Indian prince (d. 1659) *

1639 Events January–March * January 14 – Connecticut's first constitution, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. * January 19 – Hämeenlinna ( sv, Tavastehus) is granted privileges, after it separates from the Vanaja parish ...

–

Ivan Mazepa Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa (also spelled Mazeppa; uk, Іван Степанович Мазепа, pl, Jan Mazepa Kołodyński; ) was a Ukrainian military, political, and civic leader who served as the Hetman of Zaporizhian Host in 1687–1708. ...

, Ukrainian diplomat,

Hetman of Ukraine Hetman of Ukraine ( uk, Гетьман України) is a former historic government office and political institution of Ukraine that is equivalent to a head of state or a monarch. Brief history As a head of state the position was establi ...

(d. 1709) *

1680 Events January–March * January 2 – King Amangkurat II of Mataram (located on the island of Java, part of modern-day Indonesia), invites Trunajaya, who had led a failed rebellion against him until his surrender on December ...

–

Emanuele d'Astorga Emanuele Gioacchino Cesare Rincon, baron of Astorga (20 March 16801757, by one report) was an Italian composer known mainly for his ''Stabat Mater''. Biography He was born on 20 March 1680Hans Volkmann, ''Emanuele d'Astorga'', Leipzig 1911, p. ...

, Italian composer (d. 1736) *

1725 Events January–March * January 15 – James Macrae, a former captain of a freighter for the British East India Company, is hired by the Company to administer the Madras Presidency (at the time, the "Presidency of Fort St. Ge ...

–

Abdul Hamid I Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid I ( ota, عبد الحميد اول, ''`Abdü’l-Ḥamīd-i evvel''; tr, Birinci Abdülhamid; 20 March 1725 – 7 April 1789) was the 27th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning over the Ottoman Empire from 1774 t ...

, Ottoman sultan (d. 1789) *

1737 Events January–March * January 5 – Spain and the Holy Roman Empire sign instruments of cession at Pontremoli in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in Italy, with the Empire receiving control of Tuscany and the Grand Duchy of Parma an ...

–

Rama I Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj (, 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), personal name Thongduang (), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Th ...

, Thai king (d. 1809) *

1771 Events January– March * January 5 – The Great Kalmyk (Torghut) Migration is led by Ubashi Khan, from the east bank of the Lower Volga River back to the homeland of Dzungaria, at this time under Qing Dynasty rule. * January 9 ...

–

Heinrich Clauren Carl Gottlieb Samuel Heun (20 March 1771 – 2 August 1854), better known by his pen name Heinrich Clauren, was a German author. Biography Born on 20 March 1771 in Doberlug, Lower Lusatia. Heun went into the Prussian civil service, and wrote i ...

, German author (d. 1854) *

1796 Events January–March * January 16 – The first Dutch (and general) elections are held for the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. (The next Dutch general elections are held in 1888.) * February 1 – The capital ...

–

Edward Gibbon Wakefield Edward Gibbon Wakefield (20 March 179616 May 1862) is considered a key figure in the establishment of the colonies of South Australia and New Zealand (where he later served as a member of parliament). He also had significant interests in Britis ...

, English politician (d. 1862) *

1799 Events January–June * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * Januar ...

–

Karl August Nicander Karl August Nicander (20 March 1799 — 7 February 1839) was a Swedish lyric poet.Biography
(Swedish)

, Swedish poet and author (d. 1839) *

1800 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 18), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 12 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 16), ...

–

Braulio Carrillo Colina Braulio Evaristo Carrillo Colina (March 20, 1800, Cartago, Costa Rica – May 15, 1845) was the Head of State of Costa Rica (the title as it was known before the reform of 1848) during two periods: the first between 1835 and 1837, and the de ...

, Costa Rican lawyer and politician,

President of Costa Rica The president of the Republic of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The president is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two vice presidents a ...

(d. 1845) *

1805 After thirteen years the First French Empire abolished the French Republican Calendar in favour of the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 11 – The Michigan Territory is created. * February 7 – King Anouvong become ...

– Thomas Cooper, British poet (d. 1892) *

1811 Events January–March * January 8 – An unsuccessful slave revolt is led by Charles Deslondes, in St. Charles and St. James Parishes, Louisiana. * January 17 – Mexican War of Independence – Battle of Calderón B ...

–

Napoleon II , house = Bonaparte , father = Napoleon I, Emperor of the French , mother = Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma , birth_date = , birth_place = Tuileries Palace, Paris, French Empire ...

, French emperor (d. 1832) * 1811 –

George Caleb Bingham George Caleb Bingham (March 20, 1811 – July 7, 1879) was an American artist, soldier and politician known in his lifetime as "the Missouri Artist". Initially a Whig, he was elected as a delegate to the Missouri legislature before the American C ...

, American painter and politician,

State Treasurer of Missouri State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * '' State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * '' Our ...

(d. 1879) *

1821 Events January–March * January 21 – Peter I Island in the Antarctic is first sighted, by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. * January 28 – Alexander Island, the largest in Antarctica, is first discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von B ...

–

Ned Buntline Edward Zane Carroll Judson Sr. (March 20, 1821 – July 16, 1886), known by his pseudonym Ned Buntline, was an American publisher, journalist, and writer. Early life and military service Judson was born on March 20, 1821, in Harpersfield, New ...

, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 1886) *

1824 May 7: The almost completely deaf Beethoven premieres his Ninth Symphony Events January–March * January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of the Royal Society, with only one vote against ...

–

Theodor von Heuglin Martin Theodor von Heuglin (20 March 1824, Hirschlanden, Württemberg5 November 1876), was a German explorer and ornithologist. Biography Heuglin was born in Hirschlanden (now part of Ditzingen) in Württemberg. His father was a Protestant ...

, German explorer and ornithologist (d. 1876) *

1828 Events January–March * January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France. * January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organized. * January 22 – Arthu ...

–

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...

, Norwegian poet, playwright, and director (d. 1906) *

1831 Events January–March * January 1 – William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing '' The Liberator'', an anti-slavery newspaper, in Boston, Massachusetts. * January 10 – Japanese department store, Takashimaya in Kyoto esta ...

–

Patrick Jennings Sir Patrick Alfred Jennings, (20 March 183111 July 1897) was an Irish-Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales. Early life Jennings was born at Newry, Ireland, the son of Francis Jennings, a well-known merchant in that town. He ...

, Northern Irish-Australian politician, 11th

Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_ ...

(d. 1897) * 1831 –

Solomon L. Spink Solomon Lewis Spink (March 20, 1831 – September 22, 1881) was an American lawyer who served as a delegate for the Dakota Territory in the United States House of Representatives. Solomon was born in Whitehall, Washington County, New York, and w ...

, American lawyer and politician (d. 1881) *

1834 Events January–March * January – The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad is chartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. * January 1 – Zollverein (Germany): Customs charges are abolished at borders within its member states. * January ...

–

Charles William Eliot Charles William Eliot (March 20, 1834 – August 22, 1926) was an American academic who was president of Harvard University from 1869 to 1909the longest term of any Harvard president. A member of the prominent Eliot family of Boston, he transfor ...

, American mathematician and academic (d. 1926) *

1836 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. * January 5 – Davy Crockett arrives in Texas. * January 12 ** , with Charles Darwin on board, re ...

–

Ferris Jacobs, Jr. Ferris Jacobs Jr. (March 20, 1836 – August 30, 1886) was an American officer and politician; he was a United States representative from New York. Biography Jacobs was born in Delhi, Delaware County, New York, and attended Delaware Academy ...

, American general, lawyer, and politician (d. 1886) * 1836 –

Edward Poynter Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet (20 March 183626 July 1919) was an English painter, designer, and draughtsman, who served as President of the Royal Academy. Life Poynter was the son of architect Ambrose Poynter. He was born in Paris, ...

, English painter, illustrator, and curator (d. 1919) *

1840 Events January–March * January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded. * January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom. * Jan ...

–

Illarion Pryanishnikov Illarion Mikhailovich Pryanishnikov (russian: Илларио́н Миха́йлович Пря́нишников; – ) was a Russian painter, one of the founders of the Peredvizhniki artistic cooperative, which broke away from the rigors ...

, Russian painter (d. 1894) *

1843 Events January–March * January ** Serial publication of Charles Dickens's novel '' Martin Chuzzlewit'' begins in London; in the July chapters, he lands his hero in the United States. ** Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" ...

–

Ambrosio Flores Ambrosio Flores (March 20, 1843 – June 24, 1912) was a Filipino general in the Philippine Revolution and the first governor of the province of Rizal. Biography Ambrosio Flores was born on March 20, 1843, in the Philippine capital Manila. H ...

, Filipino politician (d. 1912) *

1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-day Columbia College, receives its charter from the Missouri General Assembly. ...

–

Ismail Gasprinski Ismail bey Gasprinsky (also written as Gaspirali and Gasprinski: crh, İsmail Gaspıralı, russian: Исмаи́л Гаспри́нский ''Ismail Gasprinskii''; – ) was a Crimean Tatar intellectual, educator, publisher and Pan-Turkist pol ...

, Ukrainian educator, publisher, and politician (d. 1914) *

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voy ...

–

John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was a Northern Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, baptised at St Patrick's Church, Belfast a ...

, Irish painter (d. 1941) * 1856 –

Frederick Winslow Taylor Frederick Winslow Taylor (March 20, 1856 – March 21, 1915) was an American mechanical engineer. He was widely known for his methods to improve industrial efficiency. He was one of the first management consultants. In 1909, Taylor summed up h ...

, American tennis player and engineer (d. 1915) *

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the B ...

–

Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (20 March 1870 – 9 March 1964), also called the Lion of Africa (german: Löwe von Afrika), was a general in the Imperial German Army and the commander of its forces in the German East Africa campaign. For four yea ...

, German general (d. 1964) *

1874 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War &n ...

–

Börries von Münchhausen Börries Albrecht Conon August Heinrich Freiherr von Münchhausen (20 March 1874 – 16 March 1945) was a German poet and Nazi activist. Biography He was born in Hildesheim, the eldest child of Kammerherr Börries von Münchhausen and his ...

, German poet and activist (d. 1945) *

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League, National League of Professional Ba ...

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Payne Whitney William Payne Whitney (March 20, 1876 – May 25, 1927) was an American businessman and member of the influential Whitney family. He inherited a fortune and enlarged it through business dealings, then devoted much of his money and efforts to ...

, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1927) *

1879 Events January–March * January 1 – The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. * January 11 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins. * Janu ...

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Maud Menten Maud Leonora Menten (March 20, 1879 – July 17, 1960) was a Canadian physician and chemist. As a bio-medical and medical researcher, she made significant contributions to enzyme kinetics and histochemistry and invented a procedure that rema ...

, Canadian physician and biochemist (d. 1960) * 1882 –

René Coty Jules Gustave René Coty (; 20 March 188222 November 1962) was President of France from 1954 to 1959. He was the second and last president of the Fourth French Republic. Early life and politics René Coty was born in Le Havre and studied at t ...

, French lawyer and politician, 17th

President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...

(d. 1962) * 1882 – Harold Weber, American golfer (d. 1933) *

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's '' Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price att ...

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Philipp Frank Philipp Frank (March 20, 1884 – July 21, 1966) was a physicist, mathematician and philosopher of the early-to-mid 20th century. He was a logical positivist, and a member of the Vienna Circle. He was influenced by Mach and was one of the Machist ...

, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1966) * 1884 –

John Jensen John Jensen (born 3 May 1965), nicknamed Faxe (), is a Danish football manager and former player. A former midfielder, his playing career lasted almost two entire decades, including a stint with Arsenal in England and three stints with Brønd ...

, Australian public servant (d. 1970) *

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 &ndash ...

–

Vernon Ransford Vernon Seymour Ransford (20 March 1885 – 19 March 1958) was an Australian cricketer who played in 20 Test matches between 1907 and 1912. Ransford was a smooth and stylish left-handed batsman who could score with ease all round the wicket or d ...

, Australian cricketer (d. 1958) *

– Amanda Clement, American baseball player, umpire, and educator (d. 1971) *

–

Lauritz Melchior Lauritz Melchior (20 March 1890 – 18 March 1973) was a Danish-American opera singer. He was the preeminent Wagnerian tenor of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s and has come to be considered the quintessence of his voice type. Late in his career, Me ...

, Danish-American tenor and actor (d. 1973) *

1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

– Amalie Sara Colquhoun, Australian landscape and portrait painter (d. 1974) *

1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...

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Fredric Wertham Fredric Wertham (; born Friedrich Ignatz Wertheimer, March 20, 1895 – November 18, 1981) was a German-American psychiatrist and author. Wertham had an early reputation as a progressive psychiatrist who treated poor black patients at his Lafargue ...

, German-American psychologist and author (d. 1981) *

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

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Eduard Wiiralt Eduard Wiiralt (20 March 1898 – 8 January 1954) was a well-known Estonian graphic artist. In art history, Wiiralt is considered as the most remarkable master of Estonian graphic art in the first half of his century; the most well-known of his ...

, Estonian artist (d. 1954) *

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), ...

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Amelia Chopitea Villa María Amelia Chopitea Villa (20 March 1900 – 1942) was Bolivia's first female physician and writer. She was born in a time when the Bolivian society was very patriarchal. Early life and education Chopitea Villa was born in Colquechac ...

, Bolivia's first female physician (d. 1942)

1901–present

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...

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Edgar Buchanan William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the ''Petticoat Junction'', ''Green Acres'', and ''The ...

, American actor (d. 1979) *

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

–

B. F. Skinner Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher. He was a professor of psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974. ...

, American psychologist and author (d. 1990) *

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony is ...

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Jean Galia Jean Galia (born 20 March 1905 in Ille-sur-Têt, Pyrénées-Orientales, died 17 January 1949 in Toulouse) was a French rugby union and rugby league footballer and champion boxer. He is credited with establishing the sport of rugby league in Fra ...

, French rugby player and boxer (d. 1949) *

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, a ...

–

Abraham Beame Abraham David Beame (March 20, 1906February 10, 2001) was the 104th mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977. As mayor, he presided over the city during its fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, when the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy. ...

, American accountant and politician, 104th

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public proper ...

(d. 2001) * 1906 –

Ozzie Nelson Oswald George Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975) was an American actor, director, producer, screenwriter, musician, composer, conductor and bandleader. He originated and starred in ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'', a radio and tel ...

, American actor and bandleader (d. 1975) *1907 – Hugh MacLennan, Canadian author and educator (d. 1990) *1908 – Michael Redgrave, English actor and director (d. 1985) *1909 – Elisabeth Geleerd, Dutch-American psychoanalyst (d. 1969) *1910 – Erwin Blask, German hammer thrower (d. 1999) *1911 – Alfonso García Robles, Mexican lawyer and diplomat, Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991) *1912 – Ralph Hauenstein, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2016) *

– Nikolai Stepulov, Russian-Estonian boxer (d. 1968) *1914 – Wendell Corey, American actor and politician (d. 1968) *1915 – Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian judge and politician, 8th President of Austria (d. 2000) * 1915 – Sviatoslav Richter, Ukrainian pianist and composer (d. 1997) * 1915 – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1973) *

– Pierre Messmer, French lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007) *1917 – Vera Lynn, English singer, songwriter and actress (d. 2020) * 1917 – Yigael Yadin, Israeli archaeologist, general, and politician, Deputy leaders of Israel, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1984) *1918 – Jack Barry (game show host), Jack Barry, American game show host and producer, co-founded Barry & Enright Productions (d. 1984) * 1918 – Donald Featherstone (wargamer), Donald Featherstone, English soldier and author (d. 2013) * 1918 – Marian McPartland, English-American pianist and composer (d. 2013) * 1918 – Bernd Alois Zimmermann, German composer (d. 1970) *1919 – Gerhard Barkhorn, Germany, German fighter ace (d. 1983) *1920 – Pamela Harriman, English-American diplomat, 58th United States Ambassador to France (d. 1997) * 1920 – Rosemary Timperley, English author and screenwriter (d. 1988) *

– Usmar Ismail, Indonesian filmmaker (d. 1971) * 1921 – Dušan Pirjevec, Slovenian historian and philosopher (d. 1977) * 1921 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and theorist (d. 1970) *

– Larry Elgart, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 2017) * 1922 – Ray Goulding, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1990) * 1922 – Carl Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2020) *

– Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (d. 2013) * 1923 – Shaukat Siddiqui, Pakistani journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006) *1925 – John Ehrlichman, American lawyer, 12th White House Counsel (d. 1999) *1927 – John Joubert (composer), John Joubert, South African-English composer and academic (d. 2019) *1928 – Jerome Biffle, American long jumper and coach (d. 2002) * 1928 – James P. Gordon, American physicist and engineer (d. 2013) * 1928 – Fred Rogers, American television host and producer (d. 2003) *1929 – William Andrew MacKay, Canadian lawyer and judge (d. 2013) * 1929 – Germán Robles, Spanish-Mexican actor and director (d. 2015) *1930 – S. Arasaratnam, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (d. 1998) *1931 – Dinos Christianopoulos, Greek poet (d. 2020) * 1931 – Hal Linden, American actor, singer, and director * 1931 – Rein Raamat, Estonian director and screenwriter *

– Lateef Adegbite, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 2012) * 1933 – George Altman, American baseball player * 1933 – Ian Walsh (rugby league), Ian Walsh, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 2013) *1934 – Willie Brown (politician), Willie Brown, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Mayor of San Francisco * 1934 – David Malouf, Australian author and playwright *1935 – Ted Bessell, American actor and director (d. 1996) * 1935 – Bettye Washington Greene, American chemist (d. 1995) *1936 – Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jamaican singer, songwriter, music producer, and inventor (d. 2021) * 1936 – Mark Saville, Baron Saville of Newdigate, English lieutenant, lawyer, and judge *1937 – Lois Lowry, American author * 1937 – Jerry Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2008) *1938 – Sergei Novikov (mathematician), Sergei Novikov, Russian mathematician and academic, winner of the Fields Medal *1939 – Gerald Curran, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013) * 1939 – Don Edwards (cowboy singer), Don Edwards, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2022) * 1939 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (d. 2014) * 1939 – Brian Mulroney, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Canada *1940 – Stathis Chaitas, Greek footballer and manager * 1940 – Mary Ellen Mark, American photographer and journalist (d. 2015) * 1940 – Giampiero Moretti, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded the Momo (company), Momo company (d. 2012) *1941 – Pat Corrales, American baseball player and manager * 1941 – Kenji Kimihara, Japanese runner *1943 – Gerard Malanga, American poet and photographer * 1943 – Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (d. 2015) * 1943 – Paul Junger Witt, American director and producer (d. 2018) *1944 – John Cameron (musician), John Cameron, English composer and conductor * 1944 – Camille Cosby, American author, producer, and philanthropist * 1944 – Alan Harper (bishop), Alan Harper, English-Irish archbishop *1945 – Henry Bartholomay, American soldier and pilot (d. 2015) * 1945 – Jay Ingram, Canadian television host and author * 1945 – Pat Riley, American basketball player and coach * 1945 – Tim Yeo, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Health *1946 – Douglas B. Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1946 – Malcolm Simmons, English motorcycle racer (d. 2014) *1947 – John Boswell, American historian, philologist, and academic (d. 1994) *

– John de Lancie, American actor * 1948 – Bobby Orr, Canadian ice hockey player and coach * 1948 – Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011) *1949 – Marcia Ball, American blues singer-songwriter and pianist * 1949 – Richard Dowden, English journalist and educator *1950 – William Hurt, American actor (d. 2022) * 1950 – Carl Palmer, English drummer, percussionist, and songwriter *

– Jimmie Vaughan, American blues-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist *

– Geoff Brabham, Australian race car driver * 1952 – David Greenaway (economist), David Greenaway, English economist and academic *1953 – Phil Judd, New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist and painter *1954 – Mike Francesa, American radio talk show host and television commentator * 1954 – Liana Kanelli, Greek journalist and politician * 1954 – Paul Mirabella, American baseball player *1955 – Nina Kiriki Hoffman, American author * 1955 – Ian Moss, Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter * 1955 – Mariya Takeuchi, Japanese singer-songwriter *

– Catherine Ashton, English politician, Vice-President of the European Commission * 1956 – Anne Donahue, American lawyer and politician * 1956 – Naoto Takenaka, Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director *1957 – Vanessa Bell Calloway, American actress * 1957 – David Foster (woodchopper), David Foster, Australian woodchopper * 1957 – Spike Lee, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter * 1957 – Theresa Russell, American actress * 1957 – Chris Wedge, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor *1958 – Holly Hunter, American actress and producer * 1958 – Rickey Jackson, American football player * 1958 – Joe Reaiche, Australian rugby player *1959 – Dave Beasant, English footballer and coach * 1959 – Mary Roach, American author * 1959 – Sting (wrestler), Sting, American wrestler * 1959 – Peter Truscott, Baron Truscott, British Labour Party politician and peer *1960 – Norm Magnusson, American painter and sculptor * 1960 – Norbert Pohlmann, German computer scientist and academic * 1960 – Yuri Shargin, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut *1961 – Ingrid Arndt-Brauer, German politician * 1961 – Jesper Olsen, Danish footballer and manager * 1961 – Sara Wheeler, English author and journalist *

– Stephen Sommers, American director, producer, and screenwriter *1963 – Paul Annacone, American tennis player and coach * 1963 – Kathy Ireland, American model, actress, and furniture designer * 1963 – Yelena Romanova, Russian runner (d. 2007) * 1963 – David Thewlis, English-French actor, director, and screenwriter *

– Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer-songwriter *1965 – William Dalrymple (historian), William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and author *1967 – Xavier Beauvois, French actor, director, and screenwriter * 1967 – Mookie Blaylock, American basketball player *1968 – Carlos Almeida (athlete), Carlos Almeida, Cape Verdean runner * 1968 – A. J. Jacobs, American journalist and author * 1968 – Paul Merson, English footballer and manager * 1968 – Ultra Naté, American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ, and promoter * 1968 – Ken Ono, Japanese-American mathematician *

– Yvette Cooper, English economist and politician, former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions * 1969 – Fabien Galthie, French rugby player *1970 – Edoardo Ballerini, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter * 1970 – Josephine Medina, Filipino Paralympic table tennis player (d. 2021) * 1970 – sj Miller, American academic, public speaker, and social justice activist * 1970 – Michael Rapaport, American actor, podcast host, and director *1971 – Manny Alexander, Dominican baseball player * 1971 – Touré (journalist), Touré, American journalist and author *

– Chilly Gonzales, Canadian-German singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer * 1972 – Alex Kapranos, English-Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer * 1972 – Greg Searle, English rower * 1972 – Marco Sejna, German footballer * 1972 – Cristel Vahtra, Estonian skier *1973 – Nicky Boje, South African cricketer * 1973 – Natalya Khrushcheleva, Russian runner * 1973 – Talal Khalifa Aljeri, Kuwaiti businessman *1974 – Carsten Ramelow, German footballer *1975 – Ramin Bahrani, American director, producer, and screenwriter * 1975 – Isolde Kostner, Italian skier *1976 – Chester Bennington, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2017) *1978 – Kevin Betsy, English-born Seychelles international footballer and manager * 1978 – Brent Sherwin, Australian rugby league player *1979 – Shinnosuke Abe, Japanese baseball player * 1979 – Freema Agyeman, English actress * 1979 – Keven Mealamu, New Zealand rugby player *1980 – Jamal Crawford, American basketball player * 1980 – Robertas Javtokas, Lithuanian basketball player *1981 – Ian Murray (footballer), Ian Murray, Scottish footballer * 1981 – Carl Webb, Australian rugby league player *1982 – Terrence Duffin, Zimbabwean cricketer * 1982 – Tomasz Kuszczak, Polish footballer * 1982 – José Moreira, Portuguese footballer *1983 – Carolina Padrón, Venezuelan journalist * 1983 – Jenni Vartiainen, Finnish singer *1984 – Vikram Banerjee, English cricketer * 1984 – Christy Carlson Romano, American actress and singer * 1984 – Fernando Torres, Spanish footballer *

– Morgan Amalfitano, French footballer * 1985 – Ronnie Brewer, American basketball player * 1985 – Nicolas Lombaerts, Belgian footballer *1986 – Dean Geyer, South African-Australian singer-songwriter and actor * 1986 – Julián Magallanes, Argentinian footballer * 1986 – Ruby Rose, Australian actress and model * 1986 – Román Torres, Panamanian footballer *

– Daniel Maa Boumsong, Cameroonian footballer * 1987 – Jô, Brazilian footballer * 1987 – Pedro Ken, Brazilian footballer * 1987 – Sergei Kostitsyn, Belarusian ice hockey player *1989 – Xavier Dolan, Canadian actor and director * 1989 – Tamim Iqbal, Bangladeshi Cricketer *

– Blake Ferguson (rugby league), Blake Ferguson, Australian rugby league player * 1990 – Marcos Rojo, Argentine footballer *1991 – Mattia Destro, Italian footballer * 1991 – Michał Kucharczyk, Polish footballer * 1991 – Ethan Lowe, Australian rugby league player *

– Sloane Stephens, American tennis player *

– Jack Bird, Australian rugby league player *

– Kei (singer), Kei, South Korean singer

Deaths

Pre-1600

* 687 – Cuthbert, Northumbrian (English) monk, bishop, and saint (b. 634) * 703 – Wulfram of Sens, Wulfram, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens, archbishop of Sens * 842 – Alfonso II of Asturias, Alfonso II, king of Kingdom of Asturias, Asturias (Spain) (b. 759) * 851 – Ebbo, archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Reims *1181 – Taira no Kiyomori, Japanese general (b. 1118) *1191 – Pope Clement III (b. 1130) *1239 – Hermann von Salza, German knight and diplomat (b. 1179) *1302 – Ralph Walpole, Bishop of Norwich *1336 – Maurice Csák, Hungarian Dominican friar (b. 1270) *1351 – Muhammad bin Tughluq, Sultan of Delhi *1390 – Alexios III of Trebizond, Alexios III Megas Komnenos, Empire of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1338) *1413 – Henry IV of England (b. 1367) *1440 – Sigismund I of Lithuania *1475 – Georges Chastellain, Burgundian chronicler and poet *1549 – Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, English general and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1508) *1568 – Albert, Duke of Prussia (b. 1490)

1601–1900

*1619 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1557) *1673 – Augustyn Kordecki, Polish monk (b. 1603) *1688 – Maria of Orange-Nassau (1642–1688), Maria of Orange-Nassau, Dutch princess (b. 1642) *1730 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (b. 1692) *1746 – Nicolas de Largillière, French painter and academic (b. 1656) *1780 – Benjamin Truman, English brewer and businessman (b. 1699) *1793 – William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish judge and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (b. 1705) *1835 – Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (b. 1794) *1849 – James Justinian Morier, Turkish-English author and diplomat (b. 1780) *1855 – Joseph Aspdin, English businessman (b. 1788) *1865 – Yamanami Keisuke, Japanese samurai (b. 1833) *

– Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish composer and conductor (b. 1810) *1878 – Julius Robert von Mayer, German physician and physicist (b. 1814) *

– Lajos Kossuth, Hungarian lawyer, journalist and politician (b. 1802) *1897 – Apollon Maykov, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1821) *1899 – Franz Ritter von Hauer, Austrian geologist and author (b. 1822)

1901–present

*1909 – Friedrich Amelung, Estonian historian and businessman (b. 1842) *1918 – Lewis A. Grant, American general and lawyer (b. 1828) *1925 – George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, English politician, 35th Governor-General of India (b. 1859) *1929 – Ferdinand Foch, French field marshal (b. 1851) *1930 – Arthur F. Andrews, American cyclist (b. 1876) *1931 – Hermann Müller (politician), Hermann Müller, German journalist and politician, 12th Chancellor of Germany (German Reich), Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876) *

– Giuseppe Zangara, Italian-American assassin of Anton Cermak (b. 1900; executed) *1940 – Alfred Ploetz, German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860) *1945 – Dorothy Campbell, Scottish-American golfer (b. 1883) * 1945 – Maria Lacerda de Moura, Brazilian teacher and anarcha-feminist (b. 1887) *1946 – Amadeus William Grabau, American-Chinese geologist, paleontologist, and academic (b. 1870) *1947 – Sigurd Wallén, Swedish actor and director (b. 1884) *

– Hjalmar Väre, Finnish cyclist (b. 1892) *1958 – Adegoke Adelabu, Nigerian merchant, journalist, and politician (b. 1915) *

– Brendan Behan, Irish republican and playwright (b. 1923) *1965 – Daniel Frank (athlete), Daniel Frank, American long jumper (b. 1882) *1966 – Demetrios Galanis, Greek artist (b. 1879) * 1966 – Johnny Morrison (baseball), Johnny Morrison, American baseball player (b. 1895) *1968 – Carl Theodor Dreyer, Danish director and screenwriter (b. 1889) *

– Henri Longchambon, French politician (b. 1896) *1971 – Falih Rıfkı Atay, Turkish journalist and politician (b. 1894) *

– Marilyn Maxwell, American actress (b. 1921) *1974 – Chet Huntley, American journalist (b. 1911) *1977 – Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, English politician, 9th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1909) *1977 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Makuuchi#Yokozuna, Yokozuna (b. 1919) *1978 – Jacques Brugnon, French tennis player (b. 1895) *1981 – Gerry Bertier, American football player (b. 1953) *1983 – Ivan Matveyevich Vinogradov, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1891) *

– Maurice Cloche, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1907) * 1990 – Lev Yashin, Russian footballer (b. 1929) *1992 – Georges Delerue, French composer (b. 1925) *

– Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911) *1994 – Lewis Grizzard, American writer and humorist (b. 1946) *1997 – V. S. Pritchett, English short story writer, essayist, and critic (b. 1900) *

– Patrick Heron, British painter (b. 1920) *

– Gene Eugene, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1961) *2001 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (b. 1949) *2004 – Juliana of the Netherlands (b. 1909) * 2004 – Pierre Sévigny (politician), Pierre Sévigny, Canadian colonel and politician (b. 1917) *2005 – Armand Lohikoski, American-Finnish director and screenwriter (b. 1912) *2007 – Raynald Fréchette, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1933) * 2007 – Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraqi politician, Vice President of Iraq (b. 1938) * 2007 – Hawa Yakubu, Ghanaian politician (b. 1948) *

– Ai (poet), Ai, American poet and academic (b. 1947) * 2010 – Girija Prasad Koirala, Indian-Nepalese politician, 30th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1924) * 2010 – Stewart Udall, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 37th United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1920) *2011 – Johnny Pearson, English pianist, conductor, and composer (b. 1925) *

– Lincoln Hall (climber), Lincoln Hall, Australian mountaineer and author (b. 1955) * 2012 – Noboru Ishiguro, Japanese animator and director (b. 1938) * 2012 – Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Polish-Israeli rabbi and author (b. 1910) * 2012 – Jim Stynes, Irish-Australian footballer (b. 1966) *2013 – James Herbert, English author (b. 1943) * 2013 – George Lowe (mountaineer), George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1924) * 2013 – Zillur Rahman, Bangladeshi lawyer and politician, 19th List of Presidents of Bangladesh, President of Bangladesh (b. 1929) *

– Hennie Aucamp, South African poet, author, and academic (b. 1934) * 2014 – Hilderaldo Bellini, Brazilian footballer (b. 1930) * 2014 – Tonie Nathan, American politician (b. 1923) * 2014 – Khushwant Singh, Indian journalist and author (b. 1915) *

– Eva Burrows, Australian 13th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1929) * 2015 – Malcolm Fraser, Australian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1930) *2016 – Anker Jørgensen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1922) *2017 – David Rockefeller, American billionaire and philanthropist (b. 1915) *2018 – C. K. Mann, a Ghanaian Highlife musician and producer (b. 1936) *2019 – Mary Warnock, English philosopher and writer (b. 1924) *2020 – Kenny Rogers, American singer (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances

*Christian feast day: **Alexandra of Rome, Alexandra **Blessed John of Parma **Clement of Ireland **Cuthbert of Lindisfarne **Herbert of Derwentwater **John of Nepomuk **Józef Bilczewski **María Josefa Sancho de Guerra **Martin of Braga **Michele Carcano **Wulfram of Sens, Wulfram **March 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *Earliest date for the Equinox#Vernal equinox commemorations, vernal equinox in the Northern hemisphere: **Baháʼí Naw-Rúz, started at sunset on March 20. The end of the Nineteen Day Fast, 19-day sunrise-to-sunset fast. (Baháʼí Faith) **Chunfen (China) **Earth Day#History of the Equinox Earth Day (March 20), Earth Equinox Day **International Astrology Day **Thelema#Holidays, New Year (Thelema) **Nowruz (Persian people, Persian, Gilaki people, Gilaki, Kurdish people, Kurdish, Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrians, and other Iranian people and countries with an Iranian influence) **Ostara in the northern hemisphere, Wheel of the Year#Autumnal equinox (Mabon), Mabon in the southern hemisphere. (Neo-paganism, Neo-Druidic Wheel of the Year) **Vernal Equinox Day, Shunbun no Hi (Japan) **Sun-Earth Day (United States) **Vernal Equinox Day/Kōreisai (Japan) **World Storytelling Day *Earliest day on which Good Friday can fall, while April 23 is the latest; celebrated on Friday before Easter. (Christianity) *Farm Animal Rights Movement#Great American Meatout, Great American Meatout (United States) *Independence Day (Tunisia), Independence Day, celebrates the independence of

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

from France in 1956. *International Day of Happiness (United Nations) *International Francophonie Day (''Organisation internationale de la Francophonie''), and its related observances: **UN French Language Day (United Nations) *AIDS.gov#External links, National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States) *World Sparrow Day

References

External links

BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on March 20
{{months Days of the year March