March This Day in History, Historic Events
What Historic March Events Occurred on Your Birthday?
Our “March This Day in History” section contains historical March events categorized by month and day. See what happened on your birthday, or any day of the year. Find out what happened on this day in March.
Major Historical March Events:
March 1 Historical Events
The U.S. Supreme Court convenes for the first time. (1790)
Yellowstone becomes the U.S.’s first national park. (1872)
A consortium of six companies completed work on the Hoover Dam. (1936)
U.S. launches Explorer I, its first satellite. (1958)
President John F. Kennedy issues an executive order creating the U.S. Peace Corps. (1961)
Late Night with David Letterman premieres on NBC. (1982)
March 2 Historical Events
Texas declared its independence from Mexico. (1836)
The friendly folks in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania celebrate the very first Ground Hog Day. (1887)
The movie King Kong premieres. (1933)
Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 100 points in a basketball game. (1962)
March 3 Historical Events
Congress establishes the U.S. Mint. (1791)
The U.S. Congress authorizes $30,000 to study the feasibility of using camels for military purposes. (1855)
George Dewey becomes the first Admiral of the U.S. Navy. (1899)
A Congressional resolution makes the “Star Spangled Banner” the official U.S. anthem. (1931)
President Calvin Coolidge dedicates Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. (1933)
The Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Fayetteville, NC. (1997)
March 4 Historical Events
The Constitution of the United States of America goes into effect. (1789)
Claydon Sunny creates the song “Happy Birthday to You”. (1924)
Mrs. Charles Fahning of Buffalo N.Y. is the first woman to bowl a perfect 300 game. (1930)
John Lennon proclaims “We (Beatles) are more popular than Jesus.” (1966)
March 5 Historical Events
The Boston Massacre occurred. (1770)
Samuel Colt manufactures the first pistol, the 34-caliber “Texas”. (1836)
C.H. Gould patents the Stapler in England. (1868)
Martha Stewart is convicted of Obstructing Justice, a felony. (2004)
March 6 Historical Events
The battle of the Alamo ends as Mexican forces overwhelm and kill all defenders. (1836)
Felix Hoffmann at German Bayer company patents aspirin. (1899)
James Wright invented Silly putty in 1943. Seven years later, marketing consultant Peter Hogson marketed it as a toy with great success. (1950)
Boxing great Cassius Clay converts to Islam and changes his name to Muhammad Ali. (1964)
Well-known and loved Walter Cronkite signs off as anchorman of the CBS Evening News. (1981)
March 7 Historical Events
Baseball determines that nine innings constitutes a full game, not nine runs. (1857)
Alexander Graham Bell patents the Telephone. (1876)
The Monopoly board game is invented. (1933)
Charlie Sheen is fired from the CBS comedy sitcom “Two and a Half Men”. (2011)
March 8 Historical Events
King Henry III is officially recognized as the Supreme Head of the Church of England by the Convocation of Canterbury. (1531)
The New Your Stock Exchange is founded. (1817)
The first stock car race is run at Daytona Beach. (1936)
President Ronald Reagan calls the USSR an “Evil Empire”. (1983)
Baseball great Joe DiMaggio dies. (1999)
March 9 Historical Events
Kissing is banned in Naples, Italy, and punishable by death. (1562)
Ironclad ships the Monitor and the Merrimack battle in the Civil War. (1862)
Mattel debuts Barbie dolls at the International American Toy Fair in New York City. See Barbie Doll Day (1959)
The first Ford Mustang rolls off the assembly line. (1964)
March 10 Historical Events
The U.S. government issues paper money for the first time. (1862)
Alexander Graham Bell places the world’s first telephone call, to his assistant in the next room. (1876)
March Brings Spring to the Northern Hemisphere
March 11 Historical Events
Mt. Etna in Sicily erupts in its largest eruption ever, killing over 15,000 people. (1669)
The Blizzard of 1888, the most famous storm in American history begins. (1888)
The ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry are launched into space. (1997)
Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. (1997)
March 12 Historical Events
Coca Cola is sold in bottles for the first time in a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi. (1894)
Girl Scouts of USA were founded by Juliette Low of Savannah, GA. (1912)
Baseball great Joe DiMaggio agrees to a new contract with the NY Yankees and gets a $6,250 raise. My, how times have changed! (1942)
The song “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and Pharaohs is released as a single. Karaoke anyone!? (1965)
March 13 Historical Events
Harvard University is named after clergyman John Harvard. (1939)
The Senate begins the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. (1868)
Greenwood patented earmuffs, originally called the “Champion Ear Protector”. See Ear Muff Day (1887)
Work on the Boulder Dam is completed. (1936)
Disney releases the movie “The Love Bug”. (1969)
Encyclopedia Britannica announces it will no longer produce a printed version of its encyclopedia. (2012)
March 14 Historical Events
Eli Whitney patents the Cotton Gin. (1794)
German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin receives a U.S. patent for a “navigable balloon”. (1899)
George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak Company, commits suicide rather than facing the ravages of cancer. (1932)
March 15 Historical Events
“The Ides of March” Julius Caesar is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus. (44 B.C.)
Inventor Jesse W. Reno receives a patent for the world’s first escalator. (1892)
TGI Friday’s opens their first restaurant, in NYC. (1965)
After filing for bankruptcy, Toys R Us announces it will close all of its toy stores. (2018)
March 16 Historical Events
Professor Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fuel rocket. (1926)
General Motors produces their 100 millionth automobile, an Oldsmobile Tornonado. (1968)
March 17 Historical Events
On this day everyone is a little bit Irish- It’s Saint Patrick’s Day!
First Saint Patrick’s Day parade in NYC. (1762)
The rubber band was invented by Stephen Perry in London. Can you imagine life without them!?! (1845)
Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel. (1969)
March 18 Historical Events
The U.S. government approves the first pensions for government service. (1818)
Shick introduces the first electric shaver to the marketplace (1931).
Soviet Union cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to take a space walk. (1965)
March 19 Historical Events
First International Women’s Day, over 1 million men and women attend rallies around the world. (1911)
Congress approves Daylight Savings Time. (1918)
March 20 Historical Events
Harriet Beacher Stowe publishes the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. (1852)
The U.S. Navy commissions the first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley. (1922)
“Colonel” Harlan Sanders creates the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in in North Corbin, KY. It proves to be “finger-lickin’ good!” (1930)
General Douglas McArthur escapes Japanese-occupied Philippines, vowing “I shall return!” (1941)
March This Day in History - Everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick's Day
March 21 Historical Events
Persia is formally renamed Iran. (1935)
The infamous Alcatraz prison is closed. (1963)
Twitter is created. Social media will never be the same. (2006)
March 22 Historical Events
The first patent for a laser is issued to Arthur Schlow and Charles Townes. (1960)
The Beatle’s first album “Please, Please Me” is released in England. (1963)
March 23 Historical Events
Patrick Henry declares “Give me liberty, or give me death!” (1775)
Elisha Otis installs the first elevator at 488 Broadway in New York City. (1857)
March 24 Historical Events
German scientist Robert Koch announces he has discovered the bacillus that causes Tuberculosis. (1882)
Elvis Presley joins the U.S. Army. (1958)
The Kennedy half dollar is put into circulation. (1964)
The supertanker Exxon Valdez runs aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and ruptures, spilling millions of gallons of oil. (1989)
March 25 Historical Events
The First Easter celebration is held. (31)
RCA manufactures the first color television. (1954)
The European Economic Community (ECC) is established by the Treaty of Rome. (1957)
The Concorde jet makes its maiden supersonic flight. (1970)
March 26 Historical Events
Greek Astrologer and mathematician Ptolemy begins his observations of the heavens. (127)
It’s a sad day in the music world. Ludwig von Beethoven dies in Vienna, Austria. (1827)
The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York. (1830)
The Eastman Dry Plate and Chemical Company manufactures the first motion picture film. (1885)
U.S. Marines raise the American flag at Iwo Jima. (1945)
March 27 Historical Events
Abraham Gesner receives a patent for kerosene. (1855)
Fingerprints are used as evidence in a murder trial for the first time. (1909)
The biggest earthquake ever recorded strikes Anchorage, Alaska. It measured 8.3 on the Richter scale. (1964)
March 28 Historical Events
Nathaniel Briggs patents the washing machine. (1797)
The first ambulance goes into service. (1866)
The city of Madrid falls to the forces of Francisco Franco, ending the Spanish Civil War. (1939)
The AFL’s NY Titans become the NY Jets. (1963)
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident occurs in Middletown, Pa. (1979)
March 29 Historical Events
At age 24, Ludwig von Beethoven debuts as a pianist in Venice (1795)
Ice jams stop the flow of water over Niagara Falls. (1848)
The Knights of Columbus is founded. (1882)
Coca Cola is invented. (1886)
March 30 Historical Events
First recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet. (240 B.C.)
Ether is used as an anesthesia for the first time by Doctor Crawford Long in Georgia. See Doctor’s Day. (1842)
A pencil with an attached eraser is patented by Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia, PA. (1858)
The United States buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. (1867)
The 15th Amendment goes into effect, giving black men the right to vote. (1870)
Jeopardy debuts on television. (1964)
The International Olympic Committee announces the postponement of the 2020 summer games until 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. (2020)
March 31 Historical Events
Wabash, Indiana claims to be the first town to be illuminated 100% by electricity. (1880)
The Eiffel Tower opens in Paris, France. (1889)
Daylight Savings Time goes into effect for the first time in the U.S. (1918)
March This Day in History - Additional Resources
Famous Birthdays Who else was born on your Birthday? Find out now!
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