- 1079 Omar ibn Ibrahim al-Chajjam completes Jalali-calendar
- 1323 Treaty of Paris - Flemish relinquish claims over the County of Zeeland
- 1447 Tommaso Parentucelli succeeds Pope Eugene IV as Nicolas V
- 1454 Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of the Prussian Confederation pledge allegiance to Casimir IV of Poland, and the Polish king agrees to help in their struggle for independence from the Teutonic Knights.
- 1479 Treaty of Alcaçovas: Portugal gives the Canary Islands to Castile in exchange for claims in West Africa
Historic Discovery
1521 Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan discovers Guam
Ferdinand Magellan
- 1579 Veluwe joins Union of Utrecht
- 1590 Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Nassau captures heavily protected city of Breda using a small assault force hidden in a peat barge
- 1628 Emperor Ferdinand II delegates Restitutie-edict
- 1646 Joseph Jenkes receives the 1st patent in North America for making scythes from the General Court of Massachusetts
- 1665 Philosophical Transactions of Royal Society starts publishing
- 1714 Treaty of Rastatt signed by Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and France ending War of Spanish Succession
- 1728 Spain & Britain sign (1st) Convention of Pardo
- 1775 1st Negro Mason in north America initiated, Boston
- 1788 The First Fleet arrives at Norfolk Island to found a convict settlement
Event of Interest
1799 Napoleon Bonaparte captures city of Jaffa, Palestine, after a 5 day siege, defeating the Ottoman Empire
Napoléon Bonaparte
Event of Interest
1831 Edgar Allan Poe removed from West Point military academy
Edgar Allan Poe
Battle of Interest
1836 Battle of the Alamo: After 13 days of fighting 1,500-3,000 Mexican soldiers overwhelm the Texan defenders, killing 182-257 Texans including William Travis, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett
Music Premiere
1853 Giuseppe Verdi's Opera "La Traviata" premieres in Venice
Giuseppe Verdi
- 1855 Gustave Flaubert writes goodbye to Louise Colet
Event of Interest
1857 Dred Scott Decision: US Supreme Court rules Africans cannot be US citizens
Dred Scott
Event of Interest
1865 US President Abraham Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Ball
Abraham Lincoln
- 1867 29th Grand National: Harry Lamplugh aboard Cortolvin IRE wins
Event of Interest
1869 Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table of the elements to the Russian Chemical Society
Dmitri Mendeleev
- 1882 Monarch Milan Obrenovic of Serbia crowns himself king
- 1886 1st US alternating current power plant starts, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
- 1886 1st US nurses' magazine, The Nightingale, 1st appears, NYC
- 1889 German firm Bayer patents the medicine aspirin
- 1895 England beats Australia to win one of the best cricket series ever, 3-2
- 1895 J T Brown hits the fastest 50 in test cricket (28 mins) England v Australia
- 1896 1st auto in Detroit, Charles B King rides his "Horseless Carriage"
- 1899 "Aspirin" (acetylsalicylic acid) patented by Felix Hoffmann at German company Bayer
- 1900 After a meeting in Indianapolis, USA, a group forms the Social Democratic Party and nominates Eugene Debs as its candidate for President in the forthcoming election (becomes the Socialist Party in 1901)
Event of Interest
1901 In Bremen an assassin attempts to kill Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
Wilhelm II
- 1902 Permanent US Census office created by legislation passed by Congress
- 1904 The Japanese fleet bombards Vladivostok, the major Russian port on the Pacific
- 1906 Cubs sign 3rd baseman Harry Steinfeldt to complete Tinker-Evers-Chance
- 1906 Heavy storm bursts dike, flooding Vlissingen, Netherlands
- 1906 Nora Blatch is 1st woman elected to American Society of Civil Engineers
Event of Interest
1909 Gerhart Hauptmann's "Griselda" premieres in Vienna
Gerhart Hauptmann
- 1915 Greek King Constantine I fires premier Venizelos
- 1918 US naval boat "Cyclops" disappears in Bermuda Triangle
- 1919 NHL Championship: Montreal Canadiens beat Ottawa Senators, 3 games to 1 with 1 tie
- 1921 Police in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, issue an edict requiring Women to wear skirts at least 4 inches below the knee
- 1921 The Natal Indian Congress is resuscitated and reorganised at a meeting in Durban, with Ismail Gora as President
Contract of Interest
- 1922 GB Shaw's "Back to Methusaleh III/IV" premieres in NYC
- 1923 Cards announce their players will wear numbers on their uniforms
- 1924 British Labour government cuts military budget
- 1925 Belgium annexes Eupen, Malmö dy & Sankt Vith
- 1926 China asks for a seat on the Security council
- 1929 Turkey & Bulgaria sign friendship treaty
Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 1933 Maxwell Anderson's "Both your Houses" premieres in NYC
- 1933 Poland occupies free city Danzig (Gdansk)
- 1934 Sidney Howard & Paul de Kruif's "Yellowjacket" premieres in NYC
- 1935 Frank Bartell (Czech), cycles record 80.584 mph in LA
- 1936 Belgium ends Locarno pact
- 1940 1st US telecast from an airplane, NYC
Erwin Rommel
Historic Invention
1945 George Nissen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, receives a patent for the first modern trampoline
George Nissen
Event of Interest
1951 The trial of Julius Rosenberg and his wife Ethel Rosenberg begins
Julius Rosenberg
Ethel Rosenberg
Event of Interest
1955 Dutch premiere of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"
Samuel Beckett
- 1957 Ghana (formerly Gold Coast) declares independence from UK
- 1957 Centenary of Dred Scott slavery court decision marked by rediscovery of Scott's grave
- 1959 11th Emmy Awards: Playhouse 90, Jack Benny Show, Raymond Burr win
- 1959 Farthest radio signal heard (Pioneer IV, 400,000 miles)
- 1960 President Sukarno disbands Indonesia's parliament
- 1961 1st London minicabs introduced
- 1961 Dutch Queen Juliana celebrates 12½ year jubilee
- 1961 Dutch guilder revalued 4.74%
- 1962 St Louis vote to build a new downtown stadium for the Cardinals
- 1962 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- 1962 US promise Thailand assistance against communist aggression
- 1964 Constantine succeeds Paul I as king of Greece
Event of Interest
1964 Boxing legend Cassius Clay joins the Nation of Islam and changes his name to "Muhammad Ali", calling his former title a "slave name"
Muhammad Ali
Elijah Muhammad
- 1964 Tom O'Hara runs world record mile (3:56.4)
- 1965 "How to Succeed in Business" closes at 46th St NYC after 1415 performances
- 1965 1st nonstop helicopter crossing of North America, JR Willford
- 1965 Bruce Taylor hits 105 for NZ v India in 1st Test Cricket innings
- 1965 12th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: NC State beats Duke, 91-85
- 1966 Barry Sadler's "Ballad of the Green Berets" becomes #1 (13 weeks)
Music Awards
1967 2nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Merle Haggard and Bonnie Guitar win
Merle Haggard
- 1967 Jimmy Hoffa enters Lewisburg Federal Prison
- 1967 Muhammad Ali is ordered by selective service to be inducted
- 1967 Stalin's daughter Svetlana Allilujeva asks for political asylum in US
- 1967 WACS TV channel 25 in Dawson, GA (PBS) begins broadcasting
- 1970 Beatles release "Let it Be" in UK
- 1970 A Catholic man is shot dead by British soldiers in Belfast, North Ireland
- 1971 Test Cricket debut of Sunil Gavaskar, v West Indies at Port-of-Spain
Event of Interest
1972 Jack Nicklaus, passes Arnold Palmer as golf's all-time money winner
Jack Nicklaus
Arnold Palmer
- 1972 Keswick to Penrith railway officially closes
- 1973 In an exhibition game with the Pirates, Twins Larry Hisle becomes the 1st designated hitter (he hits 2 HRs & knocks in 7 RBIs)
- 1974 "Over Here!" musical written by Richard & Robert Sherman opens at Shubert Theater, NYC for 341 performances (top-grossing production 1974)
- 1974 An unnamed Italian industrialist loses a record $1,920,000 at roulette over 5 hours in Monte Carlo Casino
- 1974 Australian brothers an & Greg Chappell both score cricket centuries vs New Zealand
- 1975 Algiers Accord: Iran and Iraq announce a settlement of their border dispute.
- 1976 Ice Dance Championship at Gothenburg won by Pakhomova & Gorshkov (URS)
- 1976 Ice Pairs Championship at Gothenburg won by Rodnina & Zaitsev (Soviet Union)
- 1976 Men's Figure Skating Championship in Gothenburg won by John Curry (Great Britain)
- 1976 Worlds Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Gothenburg won by American Dorothy Hamill
- 1976 23rd ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: Virginia beats North Carolina, 67-62
- 1976 In his 10th title defence, WBA light welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes of Colombia is beaten by 17 year old Puerto Rican boxer Wilfred Benítez in a 15-round split decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Benitez youngest ever world champion
Event of Interest
1978 Hustler publisher Larry Flynt shot & crippled by a sniper in Georgia
Larry Flynt
- 1980 Emmy 7th Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 1st time
- 1980 Princess Theater (Latin Quarter, Cotton Club) opens at 200 W 48th NYC
- 1980 French Academy, founded in 1635, elects it 1st woman novelist (Marguerita Youcenar)
- 1981 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
- 1981 Soyuz 39 returns to Earth
Event of Interest
1981 Walter Cronkite signs off as anchorman of "CBS Evening News"
Walter Cronkite
- 1981 Worlds Ladies' Figure Skating Champ in Hartford won by Denise Biellmann
- 1982 NBA highest scoring game: San Antonio beat Milwaukee 171-166 (3 OT)
- 1982 Susan Birmingham makes then world's loudest recorded human shout (120 dB)
- 1982 23rd SEC Men's Basketball Tournament: Alabama beats Kentucky, 48-46
- 1983 "On Your Toes" opens at Virginia Theater NYC for 505 performances
- 1983 Anne-Marie Palli wins LPGA Samaritan Turquoise Golf Classic
Election of Interest
1983 Helmut Kohl's CDU/CSU wins West German parliament elections
Helmut Kohl
Boxing Title Fight
1985 Mike Tyson KOs Hector Mercedes in 1 round in his 1st pro fight
Mike Tyson
Event of Interest
1985 Yul Brynner appears in his 4,500th performance of "The King & I"
Yul Brynner
- 1985 Atlantis (OV-104) rollout at Palmdale
- 1986 Ken Ludwig's "Lend me a Tenor" premieres in London
- 1986 USSR's Vega 1 flies by Halley's Comet at 8,889 km
- 1987 6.8 earthquake hits Ecuador, kills 100
- 1987 Belgium ferry "Herald of Free Enterprise" sinks; 192 die
- 1988 18th Easter Seal Telethon raises $35,200,000
- 1988 3 IRA suspects shot dead in Gibraltar by SAS officers
- 1988 Julie Krone becomes winningest female jockey (1205 victories)
- 1988 Orville Moodey shoots 63 at Seniors golf tournament
- 1989 Yanks beat Mets 6-4 in exhibition game (1st meeting since 1985)
- 1990 SR-71 sets a transcontinental record, flying 2,404 miles in 1:08:17
Event of Interest
1991 Following Iraq's capitulation in the Persian Gulf conflict, US President George H. W. Bush told Congress that "aggression is defeated. The war is over"
George H. W. Bush
- 1992 Yankee pitcher Pascual Perez suspended for 1 year due to cocaine
- 1992 The Michelangelo computer virus begins to take affect
- 1992 Founding of the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
- 1994 Colin Jackson runs world record 60m hurdles indoor (7.30 sec)
- 1994 United Arab Emirates beat Kenya by 2 wickets to win ICC Trophy
- 1994 Referendum in Moldova results in the electorate voting against possible reunification with Romania.
Event of Interest
1995 9th American Comedy Award: Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
- 1995 American Express Travel begins charging for domestic air tickets
- 1995 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Phoenix AZ on KEDJ 106.3/100.3 FM
- 1996 10th American Comedy Award: James Burrows
- 1996 Aravinda De Silva smashes 145 v Kenya in cricket World Cup at Kandy Sri Lanka score 5-398 in 50 overs in World Cup v Kenya
Event of Interest
1997 Picasso's painting Tête de Femme is stolen from a London gallery, and is recovered a week later.
Pablo Picasso
- 1998 First time the British Union Flag is flown over Buckingham Palace (following the controversy after Princess Dian's death; formerly the only flag flown was the Sovereign's standard indicating the monarch's presence.)
- 1998 Matt Beck, an angry lottery accountant kills 4 at Connecticut state lottery
- 1999 20th Big East Men's Basketball Tournament: Connecticut beats St. John's, 82-63
Event of Interest
2000 Long-time Boston Bruin defenseman Ray Bourque is traded to the Colorado Avalanche
Ray Bourque
- 2001 US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham establishes the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to be used in emergency circumstances
- 2004 35th NAACP Image Awards: "The Fighting Temptations" wins Outstanding Motion Picture
- 2006 South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signs a bill into legislation that would ban most abortions in the state.
- 2007 Former White House aide I. Lewis Libby, Jr. is found guilty on four of five counts of perjury and obstruction of justice trial.
- 2010 30th Golden Raspberry Awards: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" wins
- 2012 9,000 residents are evacuated from Wagga Wagga, Australia, as the Murrimbidgee River threatens to overflow
- 2013 Syrian rebels capture Ar-Raqqah, their first major city
- 2013 Microsoft is fined €561 by the Euro Commission for not providing alternative web browsers
- 2013 9 people die after a plane crashes after being ensnared in power lines in Peru
- 2014 Crimean parliament votes unanimously to make the Crimea part of Russia
- 2015 US State Department charges 2 Vietnamese and a Canadian citizen with cyberfraud, for stealing 1 billion email addresses for spam
- 2015 NASA's Dawn space probe enters orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres
- 2016 Seventh Democratic presidential candidates debate hosted by CNN and held in Flint, Michigan
Event of Interest
2017 US President Donald Trump signs his second executive order barring travelers from 6 mostly-Muslim countries for 90 days but leaves out Iraq
Donald Trump
- 2017 Wikileaks publishes "Vault 7" CIA documents detailing its hacking and surveillance techniques
- 2018 "Highest overdose death rates ever recorded in the US", 142,000 overdoses in 2016-17 period according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- 2018 Sri Lanka imposes first nationwide state of emergency since civil war after unrest between Sinhalese and Muslim areas in Kandy District
- 2018 World's oldest message in a bottle found in Western Australia, thrown from German ship Paula 132 years ago (12 June 1886)
- 2018 American WWII aircraft carrier USS Lexington rediscovered in Australia's Coral Sea, lost during 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea
- 2018 Nashville mayor Megan Barry resigns a month after admitting to an extramarital affair with her bodyguard
Event of Interest
2018 Pope Francis announces that murdered Salvadorean Archbishop Óscar Romero will be made a saint
Pope Francis
- 2018 British health officials tells the country it's time "to get on a diet" and urging manufacturers to reduce calories in foods
Event of Interest
2018 Forbes names Amazon founder Jeff Bezos the world's richest person for the first time at $112 billion, Bill Gates no. 2
Jeff Bezos
Bill Gates
March in History
Arise, Sir Charlie Chaplin
He waited a lifetime for it, but on this day silent screen star Charlie Chaplin was finally honoured by the country where he was born.
March 4, 1975
Birdseye – the Father of Frozen Food
Native Americans showed Clarence Birdseye how they preserved fish they had caught. Intrigued, he saw the possibilities and the frozen food industry was born.
March 6, 1930
Sinatra Snaps the Fight of the Century
Sinatra does it his way and secures a ringside seat as a photographer for the "Fight of the Century" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
March 8, 1971
One-Man War Finally Ends
Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda finally surrendered on this day – nearly 30 years after the Second World War had ended.
March 9, 1974