March 1917 in History

Events in History

President Inaugurated

Mar 5 US President Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated for a second term

Mar 8 Russian "February Revolution" begins in earnest with protests celebrating International Woman's Day and riots in St Petersburg over food rations and conduct of the war [OS=Feb 23]
Mar 8 US Senate introduces the Cloture Rule, requiring a two-thirds majority to end debate, at the urging of Woodrow Wilson [1]
Mar 10 Batangas was formally founded as one of the Philippines's earliest encomiendas
Mar 11 British forces occupy Baghdad, the capital of Mesopotamia, after Turkish forces evacuated
Mar 12 A German submarine sinks an unarmed US merchant ship, the 'Algonquin' on the same day that US President Woodrow Wilson gives executive order to arm US merchant ships
Mar 12 In the wake of the February Revolution, Communist Party members Joseph Stalin, Lev Kamenev and Matvei Muranov arrive in Petrograd (St Petersburg) and seize control of the Pravda newspaper
Mar 12 [OS Feb 27] Russian Duma sets up the Provisional Committee; Soviets form Executive Committee

Abdication of Nicholas II

Mar 15 Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar abdicates and nominates his brother Grand Duke Michael to succeed him [OS Mar 2]

Mar 16 Russian Grand Duke Michael, brother of Tsar Nicholas II defers acceptance of the Russian throne [OS Mar 3]
Mar 17 1st exclusively women's bowling tournament begins in St Louis

Murder of Interest

Mar 17 Albert Anastasia is convicted of murdering longshoreman George Turino

Mar 17 Delta Phi Epsilon is founded at New York University Law School
Mar 19 US Supreme Court uphoelds 8-hr work day for railroad employees
Mar 20 After the sinking of 3 more American merchant ships, US President Woodrow Wilson meets with cabinet, who agree that war is inevitable
Mar 21 Loretta Walsh becomes US Navy's 1st female Petty Officer
Mar 22 The USA is the first nation to recognize the new government of Russia
Mar 23 Tornadoes kills 211 over 4 days in Midwest US

Event of Interest

Mar 25 Canadian flying ace Billy Bishop claims his first victory, shooting down and mortally wounding German Leutnant Theiller

Mar 26 British win a battle against Turks at Gaza
Mar 28 Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv & Jaffa by Turkish authorities
Mar 28 Puccini's "La Rondine" premieres in Monte Carlo
Mar 31 The Danish West Indies are officially ceded to the US for $25 million and renamed the Virgin Islands

Birthdays in History

Mar 1 Robert Lowell, American poet and pacifist (Lord Weary's Castle, Near the Ocean), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1977)
Mar 2 David Goodis, American writer (d. 1967)
Mar 3 Sameera Moussa, Egyptian nuclear scientist (d. 1952)
Mar 6 Will Eisner, American illustrator and cartoonist (d. 2005)
Mar 9 Dante Fascell, American politician (U.S. House of Representatives from Florida), born in Bridgehampton, New York (d. 1998)
Mar 10 Frank Perconte, American sergeant from Easy Company during WWII (portrayed in Band of Brothers), born in Joliet, Illinois (d. 2013)
Mar 11 Robert L Carter, Caryville, Florida, American civil rights activist and judge (Brown v. Board of Education, NAACP v. Alabama) (d. 2012)
Mar 14 Macha Rosenthal, American critic and poet (Poetry as Confession), born in Washington D.C. (d. 1996)
Mar 16 Samael Aun Weor, Colombian writer (d. 1977)
Mar 20 Peter Caddy, British caterer (co-founder of the Findhorn Community) (d. 1994)
Mar 21 Frank Hardy, Australian author (d. 1994)
Mar 22 Charles Pick, British publisher (William Heinemann), (d. 2000)
Mar 24 Constantine Andreou, Greek-Brazilian artist (d. 2007)
Mar 24 John Kendrew, British molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1997)
Mar 25 Nancy Barbato Sinatra, first wife and life-long friend of Frank Sinatra, born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 2018)
Mar 27 Cyrus Vance, US Secretary of State (1977-80), born in Clarksburg, West Virginia (d. 2002)
Mar 27 Harry West, Irish politician, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (1974-79), born in Enniskillen, Ireland (d. 2004)
Mar 29 Arthur Knight, CEO (Courtaulds), born in London (d. 2003)