- Mar 2 Herman Schaepman 'the Doctor', Dutch poet, Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and politician, born in Tubbergen, Netherlands (d. 1903)
- Mar 4 Josip Jurčič, Slovene writer (10th Brother), born in Muljava, Austrian Empire (d. 1881)
- Mar 7 Anthony Comstock, American anti-vice crusader/philatelist, born in New Canaan, Connecticut (d. 1915)
- Mar 10 Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (Spanish Dancer), born in Pamplona, Spain (d. 1908)
- Mar 14 Umberto I of Italy, King of Italy (1878-1900), born in Turin, Italy (d. 1900)
- Mar 18 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer (Scheherazade), born in Tikhvin (d. 1908) (OS 6 Mar)
- Mar 19 Minna Canth, Finnish playwright (The Pastor's Family) and social activist, born in Tampere, Finland (d. 1897)
- Mar 23 Eugène Gigout, French organist (St Augustin de Paris, 1863-1925), and composer (10 pièces pour orgue), born in Nancy, France (d. 1925)
- Mar 27 Adolphus Washington Greely, American Arctic explorer and recipient of the Medal of Honor, born in Newburyport, Massachusetts (d. 1935)
- Mar 30 Paul Verlaine, French lyric poet (Sagesse; Clair de lune; Hombres), born in Metz, France (d. 1896)
- Mar 31 Andrew Lang, Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and anthropologist (Andrew Lang's Fairy Books), born in Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland (d. 1912)