Historical Events
- Mar 1 3 day Battle of Java Sea ends, US suffers a major naval defeat
- Mar 1 J Milton Cage Jr's "Imaginary Landscape No 3" premieres in Chicago
- Mar 1 Japanese troops occupy Kalidjati airport in Java
- Mar 1 Major League Baseball owners decide not to allow players in the military to play for their clubs when on furlough
14th Academy Awards
Mar 2 14th Academy Awards: "How Green was My Valley", Gary Cooper, and Joan Fontaine win
Shostakovich' 7th Symphony
Mar 5 World première of Dmitri Shostakovich' 7th Symphony in Kuybyshev, Russia
- Mar 7 15 Mk-VB Spitfires reach Malta
- Mar 7 1st cadets graduated from flying school at Tuskegee, Alabama
- Mar 8 Japanese forces capture Rangoon, Burma
- Mar 8 KNIL, Dutch colonial army on Java, surrenders to Japanese armies
- Mar 9 Construction of the Alaska Highway begins
- Mar 11 1st deportation train leaves Paris for Auschwitz Concentration Camp
MacArthur Heads for Australia
Mar 11 General MacArthur leaves Corregidor (Bataan) for Australia
- Mar 11 Japanese troops land on North Sumatra
- Mar 12 British troops vacate the Andaman Islands in Gulf of Bengal
- Mar 13 Julia Flikke of the Nurse Corps, becomes 1st woman colonel in US army
- Mar 17 Bełżec Concentration Camp opens with the transport of 30,000 Lublin Polish Jews
- Mar 17 US General Douglas MacArthur arrives in Australia to become supreme commander
Black Players Try Out
Mar 18 2 black players, Jackie Robinson & Nate Moreland, request a tryout with the Chicago White Sox, they are allowed to work out
- Mar 18 Illegal Free Netherlands announces boycott of theaters
Internment of Japanese Americans
Mar 18 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9102, creating the War Relocation Authority, which was charged with overseeing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
MacArthur Vows "I Shall Return"
Mar 20 General Douglas MacArthur vows "I came through and I shall return" after escaping Japanese-occupied Philippines
- Mar 20 Major German assault on Malta
- Mar 21 Convoy QP9 departs Great Britain to Murmansk
- Mar 23 2,500 Jews of Lublin massacred or deported
- Mar 23 Japanese forces occupy Andaman Islands in Indian Ocean
- Mar 24 US government begins moving native-born citizens with Japanese ancestry into detention centres under Executive Order 9066, with intention of preventing home-grown espionage
- Mar 25 1st 700 Jews from Polish Lvov district reach the Bełżec Concentration camp
- Mar 26 Explosion of 20 tons of gelignite in a stone quarry at Easton, Pennsylvania, kills 21
'The Banality of Evil'
Mar 26 First "Eichmann transport" to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps
Rommel's Offensive
Mar 26 German offensive in North Africa under General Erwin Rommel
- Mar 27 -28] Allies raid German submarine base in St Nazaire
- Mar 27 Japan forces Java to use "Tokyo time" 1½ hour forward
- Mar 28 -29] 234 RAF bombers attack Lubeck
- Mar 28 4th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Stanford beats Dartmouth, 53-38; Cardinal forward Howie Dallmar is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Mar 28 British naval forces raid Nazi occupied French port of St Nazaire
- Mar 28 St. Nazaire Raid (Operation Chariot): obsolete British destroyer HMS Campbeltown, rigged with explosives and flying German flags, rams gates of German occupied St Nazaire port in France, and self detonates; kills 360 Germans, and disables the dry dock for duration of the war
- Mar 29 Bombing of Lübeck in World War II was the first major success for the RAF Bomber Command against Germany and a German city
- Mar 29 British cruiser HMS Trinidad torpedoes itself in the Barents Sea
- Mar 29 German submarine U-585 sinks
- Mar 30 1st RSHA-transport from France arrives in camp Birkenau
- Mar 30 SS murders 200 inmates of Trawniki concentration camp
Famous Birthdays
- Mar 1 Jerry Fisher, American R&B singer (Blood, Sweat & Tears), born in DeKalb, Texas
- Mar 1 Michael Giles, British drummer (King Crimson, Giles, Giles & Fripp), born in Waterlooville, Hampshire, England
- Mar 1 Peter Guber, American entertainment and sports executive (Polygram Pictures, Mandalay Entertainment; Los Angeles Dodgers; Golden State Warriors), film producer (The Deep; Rain Man; Batman), and author, born in Boston. Massachusetts
- Mar 1 Richard Bowman Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Mar 2 Claude Larose, Canadian NHL right wing (Stanley Cup 1965, 66, 68, 71, 73; Montreal Canadiens), born in Hearst, Ontario
- Mar 2 John Irving, American short-story writer (The World According to Garp; The Cider House Rules), born in Exeter, New Hampshire
- Mar 2 Kwang Jo Choi, the founder of Choi Kwang- do and is one of the twelve original Masters of Taekwon-Do.
- Mar 2 Lou Reed, American rock vocalist, songwriter and guitarist (Velvet Underground - "Sweet Jane"; solo - "Walk On The Wild Side"), born in New York City (d. 2013)
- Mar 2 Luc Plamondon, French Canadian musical lyricist, born in Saint-Raymond, Quebec
- Mar 3 Mike Pender [Prendergast], British rock vocalist and guitarist (The Searchers - "Needles & Pins"), born in Liverpool, England
- Mar 3 Vladimir Vasilyevich Kovolyonok, USR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 25, 29/31, T-4)
- Mar 4 Alexander Tekeliev, Bulgarian composer, and pedagogue, born in Svilengrad, Bulgaria
- Mar 4 Bob Wootton, American country and rockabilly guitarist (Johnny Cash, 1968-97), born in Paris, Arkansas (d. 2017)
- Mar 4 Charles C. Krulak, 31st Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, born at Quantico, Virginia
- Mar 5 David Watkins, Welsh rugby union fly-half (21 Tests Wales, 6 British & Irish Lions; Newport RFC), rugby league utility (16 Tests Wales, 6 GB; Salford RLFC) and coach (4 Tests GB, 3 Wales), born in Blaina, Wales (d. 2023)
- Mar 5 Felipe González, Prime Minister of Spain, 1982-96, born in Seville
- Mar 5 Michael "Mike" Resnick, American sci-fi author (Sideshow; Eros Ascending), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Mar 6 Ben Murphy, Jonesboro, Arkansas, American actor (Name of the Game, Alias Smith and Jones)
- Mar 6 Charles Tolliver, American jazz trumpeter (Impact), born in Jacksonville, Florida
- Mar 6 Flora Purim, Brazilian jazz singer (Return To Forever; Airto), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Mar 7 (Hamilton) Bohannon, American R&B and disco percussionist, bandleader, songwriter, and record producer ("Save Their Souls"), born in Newnan, Georgia, d. 2020)
- Mar 7 Charles R. Boutin, American politician (Maryland), born in Troy, New York
- Mar 7 Michael Eisner, American CEO (Walt Disney), born in Mount Kisco, New York
- Mar 7 Paul Preuss, American sci-fi author (Medusa Encounter, Starfire)
- Mar 7 Tammy Faye Bakker (née Messner), American Christian singer and former wife of Jim Bakker (The PTL Club), born in International Falls, Minnesota (d. 2007)
- Mar 7 Tommy F. Robinson, American politician (Rep-D-AR, 1985-91), born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Mar 7 U N Kulkarni, Indian cricket pace bowler (4 Tests, 5 wickets, BB 2/37; Mumbai), born in Alibagh, India
- Mar 8 Ann Packer, British 400m/800m runner (Olympic gold 1964), born in Moulsford, Oxfordshire, England
- Mar 8 Dick Allen, American baseball infielder (7 × MLB All-Star; NL Rookie of the Year 1964, Philadelphia Phillies; AL MVP 1972, Chicago White Sox), born in Wampum, Pennsylvania (d. 2020) [1]
- Mar 8 Ralph Ellis, British rock guitarist (The Swinging Blue Jeans – "Hippy Hippy Shake"), born in Liverpool, England
Bert Campaneris (82 years old)
Mar 9 Cuban-American baseball player (Oakland A's), born in Pueblo Nuevo, Cuba
- Mar 9 Gary Walker [Leeds], American musician (The Standells; The Walker Brothers), born in Glendale, California
- Mar 9 John Cale, Welsh musician, composer and singer-songwriter (Velvet Underground), born in Garnant, Wales
- Mar 9 Mark Lindsay, American rock vocalist (Paul Revere & Raiders - "Kicks"; "Indian Reservation"), born in Eugene, Oregon
- Mar 11 Charles Swan, American actor
- Mar 11 Peter Eyre, actor (Hedda)
- Mar 12 Brian O'Hara, English rock guitarist and singer (The Foremost - "A Little Loving"), born in Liverpool, England (d. 1999)
- Mar 12 Jimmy Wynn, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1967, 74, 75; Houston Astros, LA Dodgers), born in Hamilton, Ohio (d. 2020)
Ratko Mladić (82 years old)
Mar 12 Bosnian Serb general during the Bosnian War (found guilty of war crimes 2017), born in Božanovići, Croatia
- Mar 13 Bill Curbishley, British music and film producer and band manager (The Who, Judas Priest, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant), born in London, England
- Mar 13 Dave Cutler, American software engineer, born in Lansing, Michigan
- Mar 13 Geoffrey Hayes, British TV presenter and actor (Rainbow, Z-Cars), born in Stockport, England (d. 2018)
- Mar 14 John Whittaker, English real estate developer (Peel Holdings)
- Mar 14 Rita Tushingham, English actress (Green Eyes, Doctor Zhivago), born in Liverpool, England
- Mar 15 Hughie Flint, British blues-rock drummer (John Mayall & The Blues Breakers, 1964-66; Bonzo Dog Band, 1971; The Blues Band, 1979-82), born in Manchester, England
- Mar 15 Montserrat Figueras, Catalan soprano and early music advocate (Hespèrion), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2011)
- Mar 15 The Iron Sheik (Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri), Iranian pro wrestler (WWF Heavyweight C'hip 1983-84; WWF Tag Team C'ship 1985 [Nikolai Volkoff], born in Damghan, Iran (d. 2023)
- Mar 16 James Soong, Taiwanese politician
- Mar 16 Jerry Jeff Walker [Ronald Clyde Crosby], American country music singer and songwriter ("Mr. Bojangles"), born in Oneonta, New York (d. 2020)
- Mar 16 Roger Crozier, Canadian ice hockey goaltender (d. 1996)
- Mar 17 Dimitris Poulikakos, Greek rock singer-songwriter (Exadaktylos; MGC), and actor, born in Athens, Greece
John Wayne Gacy (1942-1994)
Mar 17 American serial killer who killed 33 young men, born in Chicago, Illinois
- Mar 17 Sidney Barthelemy, American politician (Mayor of New Orleans), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Mar 18 Albert Van Vlierberghe, Belgian cyclist (d. 1991)
- Mar 19 (Wilfred) "Wilf" Lunn, British inventor, TV personality (Vision On), and author, born in Rastrick, West Yorkshire, England
- Mar 19 David Minge, American judge and politician (Rep-D-Minnesota 1993-2001), born in Clarkfield, Minnesota
- Mar 19 Jeff Neighbour, American rock bassist, and ukulele player (Joy of Cooking), born in Mason City, Washington
- Mar 19 Robin Luke, American rockabilly singer ("Susie Darlin'"), and later college professor, born in Los Angeles, California
- Mar 21 Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemeni politician and 1st President of Yemen (1990-2012), born in Bait el-Ahmar, Kingdom of Yemen (d. 2017)
- Mar 22 Bernd Herzsprung, German actor (Freunde fürs Leben), born in Hamburg, Germany
- Mar 22 Dick Pound, Canadian chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency
- Mar 22 Jorge Ben [Menezes], Brazilian samba-rock and tropicalia musician and songwriter ("Mas que Nada"), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Mar 23 Jimmy Miller, American record producer and musician (The Rolling Stones), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1994)
- Mar 23 Walter Rodney, Guyanese historian and political figure (d. 1980)
- Mar 24 Jesús Alou, Dominican MLB baseball outfielder, 1963-79 (World Series 1973, 74 Oakland A's; Houston Astros, and 2 other teams), born in Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic (d. 2023)
- Mar 24 Stephen Yardley, British stage and screen actor (Howards' Way), born in Ferrensby, Yorkshire, England
Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)
Mar 25 American singer known as "The Queen of Soul" ("Respect"; "Think"; "Chain of Fools"), pianist, songwriter, and first female performer inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Mar 25 Jacqueline Lichtenberg, American sci-fi author (Star Trek Lives!, Dreamspy)
- Mar 25 Kim Woodburn, English television personality (How Clean is Your House), born in Eastney, England
- Mar 25 Richard O'Brien, English actor and writer (Rocky Horror Picture Show)
- Mar 26 Erica Jong [Mann], American author (Fear of Flying), born in New York City
- Mar 27 Michael Jackson, British writer and journalist, born in Wetherby, Yorkshire (d. 2007)
- Mar 27 Michael York, British actor (Cabaret, Logan's Run, 3 Musketeers), born in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire
- Mar 27 Raymond J. McGrath, U.S. House of Representatives from New York, born in Valley Stream, New York
- Mar 27 Sir John E. Sulston, British molecular biologist, co-recipient of 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (roundworm genome sequencing), born in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire (d. 2018)
- Mar 28 Conrad Schumann, East German border guard, born in Zschochau, Saxony, Nazi Germany (d. 1998)
- Mar 28 Daniel Dennett, American philosopher, born in Boston, Massachusetts
Jerry Sloan (1942-2020)
Mar 28 American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Utah Jazz 1988-2011) and shooting guard (NBA All-Star 1967, 69; Chicago Bulls), born in McLeansboro, Illinois
- Mar 28 Neil Kinnock, Leader of the British opposition (Labour Party), born in Tredegar, Wales
- Mar 28 Samuel Ramey, American operatic bass (La Scala, 1981- ; Metropolitan Opera, 1984-), born in Colby, Kansas
- Mar 29 Julie Goodyear, English television actress (Bet Lynch-Coronation Street), born in Bury, England
- Mar 29 Larry Pressler, American politician, United States Senator from South Dakota, born in Humboldt, South Dakota
- Mar 29 Scott Wilson, American actor (The Walking Dead; The Ninth Configuration), born in Thomasville, Georgia (d. 2018)
- Mar 30 George Esson, Scottish Chief Constable (Dumfries & Galloway - headed police investigation into Lockerbie Bombing)
- Mar 30 Graeme Edge, British rock drummer, and poet (Moody Blues - "The Dream"; "Morning Glory"), born in Rocester, Staffordshire England (d. 2021)
- Mar 30 Tane Norton, New Zealand rugby union hooker and captain (27 Tests; Mid Canterbury RFU, Canterbury RFU), born in Waikari, New Zealand (d. 2023)
- Mar 31 Hugh McCracken, American session guitarist (Aretha Franklin; Paul McCartney; Steely Dan; Billy Joel; John Lennon), born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey (d. 2013)
- Mar 31 Michael Savage [Michael A Wiener], American talk radio host and commentator, born in The Bronx, New York
- Mar 31 Ulla Hoffmann, Swedish politician
Famous Weddings
- Mar 15 Former actress and talent agent Sue Carol marries her client and actor Alan Ladd
Benny Goodman
Mar 20 American clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman (32) weds American socialite Alice Frances Hammond Duckworth (28), until her death in 1978
Indira Gandhi
Mar 26 Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi (25) weds politician and journalist Feroze Gandhi (29) at Anand Bhavan
Famous Deaths
- Mar 1 George S. Rentz, U.S. Navy Chaplain (awarded the Navy Cross during WW II), dies at 59
- Mar 2 Charlie Christian, American jazz and swing guitarist (Benny Goodman Sextet), dies of tuberculosis at 25 [1]
- Mar 3 Amedeo, Italian Duke of Aosta, military officer and Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East-Africa (1937-43), dies while a prisoner of war at 43
- Mar 4 Yuliya Veysberg, Russian composer, dies at 62
José Raúl Capablanca (1888-1942)
Mar 8 Cuban World Chess Champion (1921-27), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage provoked by hypertension at 53
- Mar 10 William Henry Bragg, English physicist (Nobel Prize for Physics, 1915 - crystalline structure analysis by means of X-rays), dies at 79 [1]
- Mar 12 Enric Morera i Viura, Spanish musician and composer, dies at 76
- Mar 12 Robert Bosch, German engineer, inventor (automotive ignition device), and industrialist, dies at 80
- Mar 15 Alexander von Zemlinsky, Austrian composer, conductor, and arranger (The Mermaid; Lyric Symphony), dies from a stroke at 70 [1]
- Mar 19 Clinton Hart Merriam, American zoologist and ornithologist, dies at 86
- Mar 20 Theodoro Valcarcel, composer, dies at 41
- Mar 20 Vasily Kalafati, Russian composer (Cygany), dies in the siege of Leningrad during World War II at 73
- Mar 23 Jan Olieslagers, Belgian aviation and motorcycle pioneer (WWI flying ace, Antwerp Devil), dies of cancer at 58
- Mar 23 Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear, President of Argentina (1922-28), dies at 73
- Mar 26 Jimmy Burke, American baseball third baseman Pittsburgh Pirates; coach World Series 1932 NY Yankees; and manager St. Louis Cardinals 1905, Browns 1918-20, dies at 67
- Mar 28 Herman Adriaan van Karnebeek, Dutch minister of Foreign affairs (1918-27), dies at 67
- Mar 28 Miguel Hernadez Gilabert, Spanish poet (Viento del Pueblo), dies at 31
- Mar 30 Alfred Coville, French historian (Lesson premier Valois), dies at 81
