Historical Events
- Mar 1 British government nationalises and takes control of the Bank of England, after 252 years
- Mar 1 Panama accepts its new constitution
- Mar 2 Dutch troops land on East Bali
Election of Interest
Mar 2 Ho Chi Minh elected President of North Vietnam
Historic Event
Mar 5 Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri, popularizes the term and draws attention to the division of Europe
Academy Awards
Mar 7 18th Academy Awards: "The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland & Joan Crawford win
Bikini Atoll is Evacuated
Mar 7 Bikini Atoll islanders are evacuated by the US government to make way for a nuclear testing site
Sports History
Mar 9 Ted Williams is offered $500,000 to play in Mexican Baseball League, he refuses
Film Premiere
Mar 14 American film noir classic "Gilda", starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, and directed by Charles Vidor, premieres in New York City
Agreement of Interest
Mar 15 British Prime Minister Clement Attlee agrees with India's right to independence
- Mar 16 "Would-Be Gentleman" closes at Booth Theater NYC after 77 performances
- Mar 19 French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique & Reunion become overseas "departments" of France
- Mar 19 Nikolai Mikhailovich Schwernik succeeds Kalinin as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
- Mar 21 Kenny Washington signs with Rams, 1st black NFLer since 1933
- Mar 21 UN set up temporary HQ at Hunter (now Lehman) College (Bronx)
- Mar 22 1st US rocket to leave the Earth's atmosphere (50 miles up)
- Mar 22 Britain signs treaty granting independence to Jordan
- Mar 23 8th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats North Carolina, 43-40; Cowboys' back-to-back titles and center Bob Kurland MOP for 2nd straight year
Music Premiere
Mar 25 1st performance of Igor Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto", by Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, at Carnegie Hall, New York City
- Mar 28 Cold War: The United States State Department releases the Acheson-Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.
- Mar 29 1st Test Cricket between Australia & NZ
- Mar 29 Australian cricket bowlers Bill O'Reilly (5/14) and Ernie Toshack (4/12) rout NZ for 42 in one-off Test in Wellington; Test debuts of greats Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller & Don Tallon
Music Premiere
Mar 30 Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer's musical "St Louis Woman", starring Pearl Bailey and featuring the Nicholas Brothers, opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC; runs for 113 performances
Golden Globes
Mar 30 3rd Golden Globes: "The Lost Weekend" and its star Ray Milland, & Ingrid Bergman win
Famous Birthdays
- Mar 1 Lana Wood [Svetlana Gurdin], (Diamonds are Forever), born in Santa Rosa, California
- Mar 1 Tony Ashton, British musician (Ashton, Gardner & Dyke), born in Blackburn, England (d. 2001)
- Mar 1 Gerry Boulet, French Canadian singer (d. 1990)
- Mar 1 Jan Kodeš, Czech tennis player (French Open 1970-71, Wimbledon 1973), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia
- Mar 1 Elvin Bethea, American Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end (8 × Pro Bowl; 5 × All-Pro; Houston Oilers), born in Trenton, New Jersey
- Mar 2 Brian J. Donnelly, American politician (Rep-D-MA, 1979-93), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- Mar 3 James C Adamson, Lt Col USA/astronaut (STS 28, STS 43), born in Warsaw, New York
- Mar 3 John Virgo, British snooker player
- Mar 4 Haile Gerima, Ethiopian film director (Ashes & Embers), born in Gondor, Ethiopia
- Mar 4 Harvey Goldsmith, English impresario (Live Aid, Prince's Trust), born in Edgeware, England
- Mar 4 Michael Ashcroft, English entrepreneur (Hawley-ADT)
- Mar 4 Ralph Kirshbaum, American cellist (RNCM Manchester International Festival), born in Denton, Texas
- Mar 4 Red Stripe [David Gittins], British actor and songer (The Flying Pickets - "Only You"; Poets of the Machine), born in England
- Mar 5 Michael Warren, American actor (Hill Street Blues - "Ofc. Bobby Hill"), born in South Bend, Indiana
- Mar 5 Murray Head, British singer (Jesus Vhrist Superstar; "One Night in Bangkok"), born in London
- Mar 5 Rocky Bleier, Wisc, NFL running back (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Mar 5 Richard Bell, Canadian musician (Full Tilt Boogie Band), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2007)
David Gilmour
Mar 6 David Gilmour, British rock guitarist, and vocalist (Pink Floyd, 1968-2014 - "Comfortably Numb"), born in Cambridge, England
- Mar 6 Martin Kove, American actor (Victor-Cagney & Lacey), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Mar 6 Patrick Pierre Roger Baudry, Cameroon, astronaut (STS 18)
- Mar 6 Tony Klatka, rocker (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
- Mar 6 Richard Noble, Scottish businessman (land speed record 1983-97), born in Edinburgh
- Mar 7 Matthew Fisher, English rock keyboardist (Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade Of Pale"), born in London, England
- Mar 7 Peter Wolf [Blankenfield], American rock singer (J. Geils Band - "Centerfold"; "Freeze Frame"), born in the Bronx, New York City
- Mar 8 Mohammad Nazir, Pakistani cricket spin bowler (14 Tests, best 7/99 1969), born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan
- Mar 8 Randy Meisner, American rock bassist and vocalist (Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band; Linda Ronstadt; Eagles, 1971-77- "Take It To The Limit"), born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska
- Mar 8 Jean Pagé, Canadian sports journalist (host: 'La Soirée du hockey' and '110%'), born in Chicoutimi, Quebec (d. 2019)
- Mar 9 Gherman Semyonovich Arzamazov, Russian cosmonaut (backup TM-6), born in Shubino, Russia
- Mar 9 Jim Cregan, English rock musician, born in Yeovil, Somerset
- Mar 10 Curley Culp, American Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (6 × Pro Bowl; First-team All-Pro 1975; NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1975; Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers), born in Yuma, Arizona (d. 2021)
- Mar 10 Gaylord Birch, American drummer (Reconstruction, Honey Dripper), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1996)
- Mar 10 Hiroshi Fushida, Japanese racing driver
- Mar 10 Mike Hollands, Australian animator
- Mar 11 Brigitte Fossey, French actress (Man Who Died Twice), born in Tourcoing France
Liza Minnelli
Mar 12 Liza Minnelli, American singer and actress (Sterile Cuckoo, Cabaret), born in Hollywood, California
- Mar 12 Frank Welker, American voice actor (Scooby-Doo, Curious George), born in Denver, Colorado
- Mar 12 Peter Whalley, British television writer and author
- Mar 13 Yonatan Netanyahu, Israeli soldier who died leading rescue operation Entebbe in Uganda, born in NYC, New York (d. 1976)
- Mar 13 Yann Arthus-Bertrand, French director and environmentalist, born in Paris, France
- Mar 14 Jasper Carrott, English comedian (Jane & the Lost City, Detectives)
- Mar 14 Steve Kanaly, American actor (Fleshburn, Ray Krebbs-Dallas), born in Burbank, California
- Mar 14 Wes Unseld, American Basketball Hall of Fame center and coach (NBA C'ship, Finals MVP 1978; NBA MVP 1969; 5 x NBA All-Star; Washington Bullets), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 2020)
- Mar 15 Bobby Bonds, American MLB baseball outfielder, 1968-81, 3x All-Star, 3x Golden Glove (San Francisco Giants, 1968-74 and 7 other teams), father of Barry Bonds, born in Riverside, California (d. 2003)
- Mar 15 David Wall, British ballet dancer (Royal Ballet, 1966-84), and director (Royal Academy of Dancing, 1985-91), born in Chiswick, London (d. 2013)
- Mar 15 Howard Scott, American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (War, 1969-94 - "Cisco Kid"; "Why Can’t We Be Friends?"), born in San Pedro, California
- Mar 15 Masaharu Satō, Japanese seiyū
- Mar 15 David Moores, British football executive (Chairman Liverpool FC 1991-2007; Honorary Life President), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2022)
- Mar 16 Hubert Soudant, Dutch conductor
- Mar 17 Harold Brown, American rock drummer (War, 1969-94 - "Summer": "Low Rider"), born in Long Beach, California
- Mar 17 Michael Peter Finnissey, English composer, born in London, England
- Mar 18 Michael Reagan, talk show host, and son of Ronald and Nancy Reagan
- Mar 18 Michel Leclère, French racing driver
- Mar 19 Bigas Luna, director/writer (Anguish)
- Mar 19 Mohammad Ilyas, cricketer (Pakistani batsman in ten Tests 1964-69)
- Mar 19 Paul Atkinson, British rock guitarist (The Zombies - "She's Not There"; "Time Of The Season"), and record company executive, born in Cuffley, Hertfordshire (d. 2004)
- Mar 19 Ruth Pointer, American singer-songwriter (Pointer Sisters - "I'm So Excited"), born in Oakland, California
- Mar 20 Ranger Doug [Green], American Western swing music, singer, guitarist, and yodeler (Riders in the Sky - Cowboy Way), born in Great Lakes, Illinois
- Mar 20 Barry “Frosty” Smith, American rock, country and blues touring and session drummer (Lee Michaels; Roky Erikson; Doug Sahm), born in Bellingham, Washington (d. 2017)
- Mar 21 Ray Dorset, British rock guitarist, and singer-songwriter (Mungo Jerry - "In The Summertime"), born in Ashford, England
- Mar 21 Timothy Dalton, Welsh actor (James Bond), born in Colwyn Bay, Wales
- Mar 22 Don Chaney, NBA player (Houston Rockets)/coach (Detroit Pistons)
- Mar 22 Laraine Ashton, fashion models' agent (London)
- Mar 22 Rudy Rucker, American sci-fi author (Wetware) and one of the founders of cyberpunk, born in Louisville, Kentucky
- Mar 22 Serge [Ruud Schaap], Dutch singer and guitarist (Saskia & Serge), born in Den Helder, Netherlands
- Mar 22 José Luiz Carbone, Brazilian soccer midfielder (6 caps; São Paulo, Internacional, Botafogo) and coach (Fluminense, Guarani), born in São Paulo, Brazil (d. 2020)
- Mar 23 Alan Bleasdale, English author, playwright and scriptwriter (Are You Lonesome Tonight), born in Liverpool
- Mar 24 Lee Oskar [Levitin], Danish rock and soul harmonica player (War - "Why Can't We Be Friends?"; "Low Rider"), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mar 24 Klaus Dinger, German musician (Kraftwerk; Neu!), born in Scherfede, Germany (d. 2008)
- Mar 24 Kitty O'Neil, American stuntwoman (The Bionic Woman) & racer (female land speed record), born in Corpus Christi, Texas (d. 2018)
- Mar 25 Bonnie Bedelia [Culkin], American actress (Die Hard, Heart Like a Wheel), born in NYC, New York
- Mar 25 Maurice Krafft, French vulcanologist who pioneered filming volcanic eruptions, born in Mulhouse, France (d. 1991)
- Mar 25 Gerard John Schaefer, American serial killer (d. 1995)
- Mar 25 Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and a leader of the Trotskyist movement in France, born in Toulouse, France (d. 2010)
- Mar 26 Johnny Crawford, American actor (The Mickey Mouse Club; The Rifleman - "Mark"), singer ("Sandy"), and bandleader (JCO), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2021)
- Mar 27 Bill Sudakis, American baseball player, born in Joliet, Illinois
- Mar 27 Carl Weintraub, American actor (Harry-Executive Suite)
- Mar 27 Olaf Malolepski, German musician (Die Flippers), born in Madgeburg, Germany
- Mar 27 Andy Bown, British rock keyboard player (Peter Frampton; Status Quo., born in Beckenham, England
- Mar 28 Richard Sussman, American jazz musician and composer
- Mar 28 Alejandro Toledo, 63rd President of Peru (2001-06), born in Cabana, Peru
- Mar 28 Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist and astronaut, born in Almelo Netherlands, (d. 2014)
- Mar 29 Bruce Weber, American fashion photographer and director (Broken Noses), born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
- Mar 29 Ronald Farrow, radio producer and priest (d. 1995)
- Mar 29 Billy Thorpe, Australian musician (Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs), born in Manchester (d. 2007)
- Mar 31 Aftab Gul, Pakistani cricket batsman (6 Tests @ 22.75), born in Gujar Khan, Punjab
- Mar 31 Al Nichol, American rock guitarist and keyboard player (Turtles - "Elenore"), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Mar 31 Gabe Kaplan, American comedian and actor (Welcome Back Kotter), born in Brooklyn, New York
Famous Weddings
Ernest Hemingway
Mar 14 American author and journalist "The Old Man and the Sea" Ernest Hemingway marries Mary Welsh
Famous Deaths
- Mar 2 Fidél Pálffy, Hungarian National socialist (leading supporter of Nazism in Hungary), dies at 50
- Mar 2 George E. Stewart, American army officer and Medal of Honor recipient, dies at 73
- Mar 4 Bror von Blixen-Finecke, Danish big-game hunter (b. 1886)
- Mar 8 Frederick Lanchester, English Engineer who built the first British petrol automobile (1896), dies at 77
- Mar 12 Philip Merivale, British actor (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Nothing But Trouble), dies from a heart ailment at 59
- Mar 13 Abraham Bredius, Dutch art historian (Rembrandt), dies at 90
- Mar 13 Thomas Frederick Dunhill, composer, dies at 69
- Mar 13 Werner von Blomberg, German minister of Reichswehr, dies at 67
- Mar 13 Karl Haushofer, German soldier and geographer, dies at 76
- Mar 16 Marius HLW "Max" Blokzijl, Dutch Nazi propagandist, executed at 61
- Mar 17 Dai Li, Chinese spymaster (b. 1897)
- Mar 19 Amir Hamzah, Indonesian poet (Buah Rindu), dies at 35
- Mar 22 Clemens A. von Galen, Dutch bishop of Munster and anti fascist, dies at 68
- Mar 23 Gilbert N. Lewis, American Chemist (theory of covalent bonding), dies at 70
- Mar 24 Alexander Alekhine, Russian-French chess player (world champion 1927-35, 37-46), dies choking on meat at 53
- Mar 24 Gustaf Heintze, Swedish composer, dies at 66
- Mar 26 Alexandru Zirra, Romanian composer, dies at 62
- Mar 28 Chick Fullis, baseball player (b. 1904)
- Mar 30 John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, British soldier, Field Marshal during WW II, dies at 59