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(Redirected from 12 March)

Contents

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

Liturgical feasts

External links

Events

★ 515 BC - Construction is completed on the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

★ 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius.

★ 1664 - New Jersey becomes a colony of Britain.

★ 1868 - Henry James O'Farrell attempts to assassinate Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

★ 1881 - Andrew Watson made his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain.

★ 1894 - Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time.

★ 1908 - The Pan-Macedonian group is formed in Athens to support the Greek Struggle for Macedonia.

★ 1912 - The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the U.S..

★ 1913 - Canberra Day: The future capital of Australia was officially named Canberra. (Melbourne remained temporary capital until 1927 while the new capital was still under construction.)

★ 1918 - Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint-Petersburg held this status for 215 years.

★ 1928 - In California, the St. Francis Dam fails, killing 400 people.

★ 1930 - Mahatma Gandhi leads a 200-mile march known as ''Dandi March'' to the sea in defiance of British opposition, to protest the British monopoly on salt.

★ 1933 - Great Depression: Franklin Delano Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This was also the first of his "Fireside Chats."

★ 1938 - ''Anschluss:'' German troops occupy Austria; annexation declared the following day.

★ 1940 - Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia. Finnish troops and remaining population are immediately evacuated.

★ 1947 - The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.

★ 1954 - Sahitya Akademi is founded in India.

★ 1956 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 500 for the first time (500.24)

★ 1967 - Suharto takes over from Sukarno to become President of Indonesia.

★ 1968 - Mauritius achieves independence.

★ 1992 - Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

★ 1993 - Several bombs explode in Bombay (Mumbai), India, killing about 300 and injuring hundreds more.

★ 1993 - North Korea nuclear weapons program: North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites.

★ 1994 - The Church of England ordains its first female priests.

★ 1999 - Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.

★ 2003 - Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia, assassinated in Belgrade.

★ 2004 - Roh Moo-hyun, President of South Korea is impeached by its national assembly for the first time in the nation's history.

★ 2005 - Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, steps down from his post after his resignation is approved by the Chinese central government.

Births

★ 1270 - Charles of Valois, son of Philip III of France (d. 1325)

★ 1386 - Ashikaga Yoshimochi, Japanese shogun (d. 1428)

★ 1478 - Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (d. 1516)

★ 1607 - Paul Gerhardt, German hymnist (d. 1676)

★ 1613 - André Le Nôtre, French landscape architect (d. 1700)

★ 1620 - Johann Heinrich Hottinger, Swiss philologist and theologian (d. 1667)

★ 1626 - John Aubrey, English antiquary and writer (d. 1697)

★ 1637 - Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (d. 1671)

★ 1647 - Victor-Maurice, comte de Broglie, French general (d. 1727)

★ 1685 - George Berkeley, Irish theologian (d. 1753)

★ 1710 - Thomas Arne, English composer (d. 1778)

★ 1718 - Joseph Damer, English politician (d. 1798)

★ 1806 - Jane Pierce, First Lady of the United States (d. 1863)

★ 1821 - Sir John Abbott, third Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1893)

★ 1824 - Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist (d. 1887)

★ 1831 - Clement Studebaker, American automobile pioneer (d. 1901)

★ 1832 - Charles Boycott, British land agent and originator of the term ''to boycott'' (d. 1897)

★ 1835 - Simon Newcomb, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1909)

★ 1837 - Alexandre Guilmant, French organist and composer (d. 1911)

★ 1838 - William Henry Perkin, English chemist (d. 1907)

★ 1859 - Abraham H. Cannon, Mormon apostle (d. 1896)

★ 1863 - Gabriele D'Annunzio, Italian writer (d. 1938)

★ 1863 - Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist (d. 1945)

★ 1864 - W. H. R. Rivers, British psychiatrist (d. 1922)

★ 1880 - Nikolaos Georgantas, Greek discus thrower (d. 1958)

★ 1880 - Henry Drysdale Dakin, British-American biochemist, known for the Dakin-West reaction (d. 1952)

★ 1881 - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, First President of Turkey (d. 1938)

★ 1881 - Gunnar Nordström, Finnish physicist (d. 1923)

★ 1883 - Zoltán Meskó, Hungarian Nazi (d. 1959)

★ 1889 - Þórbergur Þórðarson, Icelandic author (d. 1974)

★ 1890 - Vaslav Nijinsky, Polish ballet dancer (d. 1950)

★ 1890 - William Dudley Pelley, American leader of the Silver Legion (d. 1965)

★ 1895 - William C. Lee, U.S. Army general (d. 1948)

★ 1907 - Arthur Hewlett, British actor (d. 1997)

★ 1907 - Dorrit Hoffleit, American astronomer (d. 2007)

★ 1908 - Rita Angus, New Zealand painter (d. 1970)

★ 1911 - Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, President of Mexico (d. 1979)

★ 1912 - Irving Layton, Canadian poet (d. 2006)

★ 1912 - Paul Weston, American pianist, arranger and conductor (d. 1996)

★ 1918 - Elaine de Kooning, American artist (d. 1989)

★ 1921 - Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (d. 2003)

★ 1921 - Ülo Jõgi, Estonian freedom fighter (d. 2007)

★ 1921 - Gordon MacRae, American singer and actor (d. 1986)

★ 1922 - Jack Kerouac, American writer (d. 1969)

★ 1922 - Lane Kirkland, American labor leader (d. 1999)

★ 1923 - Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater

★ 1923 - Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (d. 2005)

★ 1923 - Wally Schirra, American astronaut (d. 2007)

★ 1923 - Mae Young, American professional wrestler

★ 1925 - Louison Bobet, French cyclist (d. 1983)

★ 1925 - Georges Delerue, French film composer (d. 1992)

★ 1925 - Leo Esaki, Japanese physicist, Nobel laureate

★ 1925 - Harry Harrison, American author

★ 1928 - Edward Albee, American dramatist

★ 1928 - Thérèse Lavoie-Roux, Quebec politician and senator

★ 1929 - U Win Tin, jailed Burmese journalist

★ 1930 - Vernon Law, American baseball player

★ 1931 - Herbert Kelleher, Southwest Airlines co-founder

★ 1931 - Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, American actor (d. 1980)

★ 1932 - Barbara Feldon, American actress and model

★ 1932 - Andrew Young, American civil rights activist and politician

★ 1936 - Patrick Procktor, English artist (d. 2003)

★ 1938 - Johnny Rutherford, American automobile racer

★ 1940 - Al Jarreau, American singer

★ 1940 - M.A. Numminen, Finnish singer and writer

★ 1942 - Ratko Mladić, Republika Srpska leader

★ 1945 - Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, American gangster

★ 1946 - Liza Minnelli, American singer and actress

★ 1946 - Serge Turgeon, Quebec actor and union leader (d. 2004)

★ 1947 - Kalervo Palsa, Finnish artist (d. 1987)

★ 1947 - Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts

★ 1948 - James Taylor, American musician

★ 1948 - Kent Conrad, Democratic Senator of North Dakota

★ 1948 - Virginia Bottomley, British politician

★ 1949 - Rob Cohen, American film director, producer and writer

★ 1949 - Natalia Kuchinskaya, Soviet gymnast

★ 1950 - Javier Clemente, Spanish football manager

★ 1950 - Jon Provost, American actor

★ 1952 - Eliézer Niyitegeka, Rwandan journalist, politician and genocidaire

★ 1953 - Carl Hiaasen, American journalist and author

★ 1953 - Ron Jeremy, American pornographic actor

★ 1956 - Steve Harris, English musician (Iron Maiden)

★ 1956 - Dale Murphy, American baseball player

★ 1957 - Marlon Jackson, American singer and musician (The Jackson 5)

★ 1960 - Minoru Niihara, Japanese singer

★ 1960 - Maki Nomiya, Japanese singer

★ 1960 - Courtney B. Vance, American actor

★ 1961 - Joseph Facal, Quebec politician

★ 1962 - Darryl Strawberry, American baseball player

★ 1963 - Joaquim Cruz, Brazilian runner

★ 1965 - Steve Finley, American baseball player

★ 1965 - Shawn Gilbert, American baseball player

★ 1965 - Steve Levy, American sports journalist

★ 1965 - Liza Umarova, Chechen torch singer

★ 1967 - Julio Dely Valdes, Panamanian footballer

★ 1968 - Aaron Eckhart, American actor

★ 1969 - Graham Coxon, English musician (Blur)

★ 1969 - Jake Tapper, American journalist

★ 1970 - Dave Eggers, American writer, editor, and publisher

★ 1970 - Sean Hopp, American painter and musician

★ 1970 - Roy Khan, Norwegian singer (Kamelot)

★ 1970 - John Nemechek, American NASCAR driver (d. 1997)

★ 1971 - Tony Eveready (Duane Moore), American adult film actor

★ 1972 - Hector Luis Bustamante, Colombian actor

★ 1972 - James Maritato, American professional wrestler

★ 1975 - Kelle Bryan, English singer

★ 1975 - Annabel Port, English radio presenter

★ 1976 - Simon Young, English music journalist

★ 1976 - Zhao Wei, Chinese actress

★ 1977 - Marcus 40 (Mark Hendry), New Zealand actor

★ 1978 - Masuimi Max, American model

★ 1978 - Casey Mears, American auto racer

★ 1978 - Claudio Sanchez, American musician (Coheed and Cambria)

★ 1978 - Arina Tanemura, Japanese mangaka

★ 1979 - Pete Doherty, English musician

★ 1979 - Nidia Guenard, American professional wrestler

★ 1979 - Edwin Villafuerte, Ecuadorian footballer

★ 1982 - Tobias Schweinsteiger, German footballer

★ 1985 - Bradley Wright-Phillips, English footballer

★ 1985 - Tosh Townend, American skateboarder

★ 1986 - Danny Jones, English singer (McFly)

Deaths

★ 604 - Pope Gregory I

★ 1289 - King Demetre II of Georgia (b. 1259)

★ 1374 - Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan (b. 1336)

★ 1447 - Shah Rukh, ruler of Persia and Transoxonia (b. 1377)

★ 1507 - Cesare Borgia, Italian general and statesman (b. 1475)

★ 1608 - Koriki Kiyonaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1530)

★ 1628 - John Bull, English composer

★ 1648 - Tirso de Molina, Spanish writer (b. 1571)

★ 1681 - Frans van Mieris, Sr., Dutch painter (b. 1635)

★ 1699 - Peder Griffenfeld, Danish statesman (b. 1635)

★ 1757 - Giuseppe Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect/painter (b. 1696)

★ 1790 - Andreas Hadik, Austro-Hungarian general (b. 1710)

★ 1832 - Friedrich Kuhlau, German composer (b. 1786)

★ 1872 - Zeng Guofan, Chinese politician and general (b. 1811)

★ 1894 - Illarion Pryanishnikov, Russian painter (b. 1840)

★ 1898 - Zacharias Topelius, Finnish-Swedish writer (b. 1818)

★ 1908 - Edmondo De Amicis, Italian children's writer (b. 1846)

★ 1909 - Joe Petrosino, NYPD lieutenant (b. 1860)

★ 1914 - George Westinghouse, American entrepreneur and engineer (b. 1846)

★ 1916 - Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Austrian writer (b. 1830)

★ 1925 - Sun Yat-sen, Chinese revolutionary and politician (b. 1866)

★ 1929 - Asa Griggs Candler, American businessman (b. 1851)

★ 1930 - Alois Jirásek, Czech writer (b. 1851)

★ 1930 - William George Barker, Canadian fighter ace (b. 1894)

★ 1937 - Charles-Marie Widor, French organist and composer (b. 1844)

★ 1937 - Jenő Hubay, Hungarian violinist (b. 1858)

★ 1942 - Robert Bosch, German industrialist (b. 1861)

★ 1943 - Gustav Vigeland, Norwegian sculptor (b. 1869)

★ 1944 - Artur Gavazzi, Croatian geographer (b. 1861)

★ 1946 - Ferenc Szálasi, Hungarian politician (executed) (b. 1897)

★ 1947 - "Winston Churchill the American", American novelist (b. 1871)

★ 1955 - Charlie Parker, American jazz saxophonist (b. 1920)

★ 1973 - Frankie Frisch, American baseball player (b. 1898)

★ 1974 - George D. Sax, Drive-in bank and instant loan innovator. Owner of the Saxony Hotel. (b. 1904)

★ 1978 - John Cazale, American actor (b. 1935)

★ 1978 - Gene Moore, American baseball player (b. 1909)

★ 1980 - Arthur Charles Dobson, British racing driver (b. 1914)

★ 1984 - Arnold Ridley, English playwright and actor (b. 1896)

★ 1985 - Eugene Ormandy, Hungarian conductor (b. 1899)

★ 1987 - Woody Hayes, American football coach (b. 1913)

★ 1989 - Maurice Evans, English-born actor (b. 1901)

★ 1990 - Wallace Breem, British author (b. 1926)

★ 1991 - Ragnar Granit, Finnish neuroscientist, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)

★ 1991 - Edwin H. Land, American inventor (b. 1909)

★ 1995 - Juanin Clay, American actress (b. 1949)

★ 1998 - Judge Dread, English musician (b. 1945)

★ 1998 - Beatrice Wood, American artist and ceramist (b. 1893)

★ 1999 - Yehudi Menuhin, American-born violinist (b. 1916)

★ 2001 - Morton Downey, Jr., American television talk show host (b. 1933)

★ 2001 - Robert Ludlum, American author (b. 1927)

★ 2002 - Spyros Kyprianou, Cypriot politician (b. 1932)

★ 2002 - Jean-Paul Riopelle, Quebec painter and sculptor (b. 1923)

★ 2003 - Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia (b. 1952)

★ 2003 - Howard Fast, American author (b. 1914)

★ 2003 - Andrei Kivilev, Kazakh cyclist (b. 1973)

★ 2003 - Lynne Thigpen, American actress (b. 1948)

★ 2005 - Bill Cameron, Canadian journalist (b. 1943)

★ 2006 - István Gyulai, Hungarian athletic official (b. 1943)

★ 2006 - Victor Sokolov, Russian dissident journalist and priest (b. 1947)

Holidays and observances

★ Faroe Islands - ''Grækarismessa'' (Mass of St. Gregor): According to tradition, the oystercatcher, the Faroes' national bird returns this day. This event is celebrated in the capital, Tórshavn

★ Mauritius - National Day.

★ Ancient Latvia - Gregoru Diena observed.

★ Arbor Day in People's Republic of China and Taiwan.

★ Adelaide Cup in South Australia

Liturgical feasts

In the Roman Catholic Church:

★ St. Theophanes the Confessor

★ St. Maximilian

★ St. Fina

External links

★ BBC: On This Day

★

★ On This Day in Canada
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