What Happened on March 12
Important Events
- 538 Witiges, King of the Ostrogoths, ends his siege of Rome, retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of victorious Byzantine General Belisarius
- 1455 First record of Johannes Gutenberg's Bible, letter dated this day by Enea Silvio Piccolomini refers to the bible printed a year before
Mar 12 in Film & TV
- 1973 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In last airs on NBC-TV
Mar 12 in Music
- 1832 The ballet La Sylphide first premieres at the Opéra de Paris.
Did You Know?
Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time in a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi
On March 12, 1894
Famous Birthdays
John Abbott
(1821 - 1893)Jack Kerouac
(1922 - 1969)Edward Albee
(1928 - 2016)Liza Minnelli
74 Years OldMitt Romney
73 Years OldDarryl Strawberry
58 Years Old
Would You Believe?
Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain
On March 12, 1881
Famous Weddings
- 1969 Paul McCartney marries Linda Louise Eastman in London
- 1970 Actor Phil Hartman (21) weds first wife Gretchen Lewis
- 1992 Actress Annette Bening (33) weds actor Warren Beatty (54)
Articles, Photos and Quiz
Wave of Doubt over Britannia
The composer who put "Rule, Britannia!" to music was born on this day, but the original words are not quite what they bellow out at the Last Night of the Proms.
March 12, 1710Coca-Cola Sold in Bottles
A glass bottle called a Hutchinson used by a store's owner, Joseph A. Biedenharn to bottle Coca-Cola in 1894
March 12, 1894Weekly Quiz for March 9 -15
Who was murdered on the Ides of March in 44 BC? Which scientific theory is Albert Einstein most famous for? In what decade did the Barbie doll debut in NYC?
March in History
Mr. Watson come here, I want you
Alexander Graham Bell spoke only briefly by phone to his assistant on this day in 1876, but it proved to be a pioneering moment in telecoms history.
March 10, 1876Read All About It! UK's First Daily Newspaper
There were to be no ‘shock, horror’ stories in the UK’s first daily newspaper published on this day. Readers were asked to judge reported events for themselves.
March 11, 1702Sportsman Who Became Larger Than Life
Nothing suggested that Daniel Lambert, born on this day, would evolve from an athletic youngster to the mountain of a man that he became.
March 13, 1770Boy Wonder Conquers Theatreland
Parliament was adjourned on this day so that MPs could grab their seats for a performance by Master Betty – the theatrical wonder of the age.
March 14, 1805