On This Day

What Happened in March 1928

Historical Events


Music releaseMusic Recording

Mar 1 Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra record "Ol' Man River" for Victor Records featuring Bing Crosby

Singer and Actor Bing Crosby
Singer and Actor
Bing Crosby
  • Mar 4 "Bunion Run" race from LA to NYC begins; It is won by Andy Payne
  • Mar 5 Karl Zuckmayer's "Der Hauptmann von Köpenick" premieres in Berlin
  • Mar 10 Christine Collins' son, Walter Collins, disappears in Los Angeles
  • Mar 12 In California, the St. Francis Dam fails, killing over 600 people
  • Mar 13 Rudolph Friml's musical "Three Musketeers" premieres in NYC

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Mar 15 Benito Mussolini modifies Italy electoral system (abolishes right to choose)

Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini
Italian Dictator
Benito Mussolini
  • Mar 19 "Amos & Andy" debuts on radio (NBC Blue Network-WMAQ Chicago)
  • Mar 22 Noel Coward's musical "This Year of Grace" premieres in London
  • Mar 27 KGB-AM in San Diego CA begins radio transmissions
  • Mar 27 US Ladies' Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson
  • Mar 27 US Men's Figure Skating championship won by Roger Turner
  • Mar 29 Yeshiva College (now University) chartered (NYC)
  • Mar 30 87th Grand National: Mr. William Dutton aboard 100/1 long-shot Tipperary Tim wins as all of the 41 other starters fall during the race

Famous Birthdays

  • Mar 1 Seymour Papert, South African mathematician, born in Pretoria (d. 2016)
  • Mar 1 Jacques Rivette, French New Wave film director, born in Rouen, Haute-Normandie (d. 2016)
  • Mar 2 Father John Romanides, Greek priest and professor (d. 2001)
  • Mar 3 Gudrun Pausewang, Eastern Bohemia, German writer
  • Mar 4 Alan Sillitoe, English writer (Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner), born in Nottingham (d. 2010)
  • Mar 4 Samuel Adler, composer
  • Mar 6 Ronald Stevenson, composer
  • Mar 8 Frank Michael Beyer, composer
  • Mar 8 Judy Johnson, singer (Your Show of Shows), born in Norfolk, Virginia
  • Mar 9 Keely Smith [Dorothy Keely], American jazz and popular music singer (Mrs Louie Prima), born in Norfolk, Virginia (d. 2017)
  • Mar 9 Gerald Bull, Canadian long range artillery designer and engineer, born in North Bay, Ontario (d. 1990)
  • Mar 10 Arthur Milton, cricketer (England opening batsman late 50's)
  • Mar 10 James Earl Ray, American assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., born in Alton, Illinois (d. 1998)
  • Mar 10 Sara Montiel, Spanish actress and singer (The Last Torch Song, The Violet Seller), born in Campo de Criptana, Ciudad Real, Spain (d. 2013)
  • Mar 11 Albert Salmi, American character actor (Caddyshack, Daniel Boone, 79 Park Avenue), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1990)
  • Mar 11 Peter Roger Hunt, director (Dr No), born in London, England

Person of interestEdward Albee

Mar 12 Edward Albee, American playwright (Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?), born in Virginia (d. 2016)

Playwright Edward Albee
Playwright
Edward Albee
  • Mar 12 Roland Moyle, British deputy chairman (Police Complaints Authority)
  • Mar 12 Thérèse Lavoie-Roux, Quebec politician and senator
  • Mar 12 Aldemaro Romero, Venezuelan musician (d. 2007)

Person of interestFrank Borman

Mar 14 Frank Borman, American astronaut (Gemini 7, Apollo 8) and CEO of Eastern Air Lines (1975-86), born in Gary, Indiana

Astronaut Frank Borman
Astronaut
Frank Borman
  • Mar 15 Nicolas Flagello, composer
  • Mar 16 Christa Ludwig, soprano (Vienna State Opera), born in Berlin, Germany
  • Mar 16 Ramon Barce, Spanish composer, born in Madrid (d. 2008)
  • Mar 17 Edino Krieger, composer
  • Mar 17 William John McKeag, Canadian politician (d. 2007)
  • Mar 18 Fidel V Ramos, pres (Phillipines)
  • Mar 18 Julia Mullock, Princess of Korea
  • Mar 18 Miguel Poblet, Spanish cyclist
  • Mar 19 Clive Van Ryneveld, cricketer (South African all-rounder 1951-58)
  • Mar 19 Patrick McGoohan, American-born Irish actor, writer, and director (The Prisoner, Secret Agent/ Danger Man), born in Queens, New York (d. 2009)
  • Mar 19 Hans Küng, Swiss theologian
  • Mar 19 Alam Thomas "Tom" Paley, American folk musician (New Lost City Ramblers), born in NYC, New York (d. 2017)
  • Mar 20 Anthony Blond, British publisher (The Publishing Game, Book Book), born in Sale, Cheshire (d. 2008)

Person of interestFred Rogers

Mar 20 Fred Rogers, American children's TV host (Mr Rogers' Neighborhood), born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania (d. 2003)

TV Host Fred Rogers
TV Host
Fred Rogers
  • Mar 20 Jerome Cousins Biffle, long jumper (Olympic gold 1952), born in Denver, Colorado
  • Mar 21 Evelyn Ruth Anderson, composer
  • Mar 21 James W Kinnear, CEO (Texaco), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Mar 21 Peter Hacks, German playwright (Tie Windloch)
  • Mar 22 Betty Callaway, figure skating trainer (coached Torvill and Dean) , born in Reading, England (d. 2011)
  • Mar 22 Bill Archer, American politician (Rep-R-TX, 1971-2001), born in Houston, Texas
  • Mar 22 DC Ingman, CEO (British Waterways Board)
  • Mar 22 Dmitri Antonovitch Volkogonov, soldier/historian
  • Mar 22 Ed Macauley, American Basketball Hall of Fame center (7-time NBA All Star), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2011)
  • Mar 22 Carrie Donovan, American fashion editor (d. 2001)
  • Mar 22 E.D. Hirsch. American social commentator, born in Memphis, Tennessee
  • Mar 23 11th duke of Beaufort, English large landowner/multi-millionaire
  • Mar 23 Alfred Morris, British MP
  • Mar 24 Byron "Yanks" Janis, McKeesport Pa, pianist (NBC Symphony Orchestra)
  • Mar 24 Vanessa Brown [Smylla Brind], Austrian-born American actress (My Favorite Husband), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1999)
  • Mar 25 James A Lovell Jr, American astronaut (Gemini 7, 12, Apollo 8, 13), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Mar 25 Hilton Kramer, American art critic, born in Gloucester, Massachusetts (d. 2012)
  • Mar 26 Carole Carr [Carless], British singer and actress (Down Among the Z Men), born in London, England (d. 1997)
  • Mar 26 G. Harry Stine, American science fiction writer (d. 1997)
  • Mar 27 Douglas Applegate, American politician, U.S. House of Representative from Ohio, born in Steubenville, Ohio
  • Mar 28 Jose Luis de Delas, Spanish composer, born in Barcelona
  • Mar 28 Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor (Carter), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2017)
  • Mar 28 Alexander Grothendieck, German-French mathematician, born in Berlin (d. 2014)
  • Mar 29 Vaclav Felix, composer, born in Prague (d. 2008)
  • Mar 29 Vincent Gigante, Italian-American mafioso, born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2005)
  • Mar 30 John Heddle Nash, English operatic singer, born in London (d. 1994)
  • Mar 30 Diether de la Motte, composer
  • Mar 30 Richard Trant, British general
  • Mar 30 Tom Sharpe, English historian/author (Riotous Assembly, Want), (d. 2013)

Person of interestGordie Howe

Mar 31 Gordie Howe, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (23-time NHL All Star), born in Floral, Saskatchewan (d. 2016)

Ice Hockey Legend Gordie Howe
Ice Hockey Legend
Gordie Howe

Famous Weddings


LoveWedding of Interest

Mar 6 Industrialist Oskar Schindler (19) weds Emilie Schindler (20) in Svitavy, Czech Republic

Industrialist Oskar Schindler
Industrialist
Oskar Schindler

Famous Deaths

  • Mar 1 Herbert Brewer, English composer, dies at 62
  • Mar 1 Jacob Adolf Hägg, Swedish composer, dies at 77
  • Mar 3 Jan [Jean] T Toorop, Dutch graphic artist (3 Brides), dies at 69
  • Mar 3 James Foulis, Scottish golfer (US Open 1896), dies at 56
  • Mar 7 Robert Abbe, American surgeon and radiologist, dies at 76
  • Mar 18 Paul van Ostaijen, Flemish writer (Outlawed), dies at 32
  • Mar 27 Leslie Stuart, composer, dies at 64
  • Mar 28 Giuseppe Ferrata, composer, dies at 63
  • Mar 31 Gustave Ador, president of Austria (1919), dies at 82
  • Mar 31 Medardo Rosso, Italian sculptor (portraits), dies at 69

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