Historical Events
Stalin's Stroke
Mar 1 After an all-night movie and dinner session with his top advisers, Joseph Stalin suffers a stroke and collapses. He dies four days later.
Golf Tournament
Mar 1 American golfer Babe Zaharias wins a controversial Sarasota Women's Open by 7 strokes as playing partner Louise Suggs refuses to sign the scorecard after Zaharias given a beneficial ruling
- Mar 1 KAUZ TV channel 6 in Wichita Falls, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Mar 1 KTNT (now KSTW) TV channel 11 in Tacoma-Seattle, WA (IND) begins
- Mar 1 WFBG TV (later WTAJ) channel 10 in Altoona, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Mar 1 WJZ-AM in NYC becomes WABC; WJZ-TV in Baltimore final transmission
- Mar 3 Boston Braves, who own Milwaukee minor league franchise, block St Louis Browns attempt to shift their franchise to Milwaukee
- Mar 3 Canadian Comet crashes at Karachi, 11 killed
- Mar 5 6th British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "The Sound Barrier" Best Film
Two's Company
Mar 8 Vernon Duke, Ogden Nash and Sammy Cahn's musical revue "Two's Company", starring Bette Davis, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for, after 90 performances
- Mar 8 WFMJ TV channel 21 in Youngstown, Ohio (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Mar 9 Joseph Stalin's funeral is held in Moscow after four days of national mourning
- Mar 11 1st woman army doctor commissioned (FM Adams)
- Mar 14 KOLR TV channel 10 in Springfield, MO (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Mar 15 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins her 5th Titleholders title by 9 strokes from Betsy Rawls
- Mar 15 West Germany loses in soccer to Netherlands, 2-1
Sports History
Mar 16 AL rejects St Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck's request to move his team to Baltimore
- Mar 17 Bill Veeck says he will sell his 80% of St Louis Browns for $2,475M
- Mar 17 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Mar 17 WBAY TV channel 2 in Green Bay, WI (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Mar 17 WWLP TV channel 22 in Springfield, MA (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Mar 18 15th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Kansas, 69-68; Jayhawks' center B. H. Born is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Mar 18 7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Yenice–Gönen in western Turkey, 1070 die
- Mar 18 KGNC (now KAMR) TV channel 4 in Amarillo, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Mar 18 MLB National League approves Boston Braves move to Milwaukee (1st shift since 1903)
Academy Awards
Mar 19 25th Academy Awards: "Greatest Show on Earth", Gary Cooper & Shirley Booth win (1st time televised)
Event of Interest
Mar 19 Tennessee Williams' "Camino Real" premieres in NYC
- Mar 21 England beats Scotland, 26-8 at Twickenham, London to clinch their 14th Five Nations Rugby Championship
- Mar 21 NBA record 106 fouls & 12 players foul out (Boston-Syracuse)
- Mar 22 Antonín Zápotocký chosen as President of Czechoslovakia
- Mar 24 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Mar 26 "Ugetsu", Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, starring Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyō and Kinuyo Tanaka, is released
Vaccine for Polio
Mar 26 Dr. Jonas Salk announces that he has successfully tested a vaccine to prevent polio, clinical trials began the next year
- Mar 27 21 die in a train crash in Conneaut, Ohio
- Mar 28 "New Faces (of 1952)" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 365 performances
- Mar 28 "Stock exchanges open, dikes closed" raises 5,200,000 guilders
- Mar 28 107th Grand National: Bryan Marshall wins aboard Irish 8-year old Early Mist; first of 3 consecutive GN victories for trainer Vincent O'Brien
- Mar 28 7th Tony Awards: "The Crucible" (Outstanding Play) & "Wonderful Town" (Outstanding Musical) win
- Mar 28 KCAU TV channel 9 in Sioux City, IA (ABC) begins broadcasting
Sports History
Mar 28 US Ladies' Figure Skating championship won by Tenley Albright
- Mar 28 US Men's Figure Skating championship won by Hayes A Jenkins
Event of Interest
Mar 30 Albert Einstein announces revised unified field theory
Dag Hammarskjöld
Mar 31 UN Security Council nominates Dag Hammarskjöld for Secretary-General
- Mar 31 US Department of Health, Education & Welfare established
Famous Birthdays
- Mar 1 Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lankan cricket batsman (4 Tests; first SL Test captain; 12 ODIs; Bloomfield CC), born in Rambukkana, Sri Lanka (d. 2021)
- Mar 1 Carlos Queiroz, Portuguese soccer coach (Portugal, UAE, RSA, Iran, Colombia; Real Madrid), born in Nampula, Portuguese Mozambique
- Mar 1 Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, American football linebacker (NFL Pro Bowl 1978; Super Bowl 1977; Dallas Cowboys), born in Austin, Texas
- Mar 2 William Simmons, American R&B saxophonist and keyboardist (Midnight Star - "No Parking On The Dance Floor"; "Operator"), born in the USA
- Mar 3 Aleksandr Viktorovich Borodin, Russian cosmonaut
- Mar 3 Dave Amato, American rock guitarist (REO Speedwagon, 1989-present), born in Framingham, Massachusetts.
- Mar 3 Zico, Brazilian footballer
- Mar 4 Chris Smith, American politician (Rep-R-NJ, 1981-), born in Rahway, New Jersey
- Mar 4 Kay Lenz, American actress (Moving Violations, Rich Man Poor Man), born in Los Angeles, California
- Mar 4 Paweł Janas, Polish soccer defender (53 caps; Widzew Łódź, Legia Warsaw, Auxerre) and manager (Poland, Legia Warsaw, Widzew Łódź), born in Pabianice, Poland
- Mar 4 Ray Price, Australian rugby league lock (22 Tests; Parramatta RLFC 259 games; Dally M Medal, Rothmans Medal) and rugby union flanker (7 Tests; Parramatta RUFC), born in Sydney, Australia
- Mar 4 Scott Hicks, Ugandan-born film director
- Mar 5 Russel D Feingold, (Sen-D Wisconsin)
- Mar 5 Valery Grigoriyevich Korzun, Russian colonel/cosmonaut (TM-24)
- Mar 6 Jackie Zeman, American actress (General Hospital - "Bobbie Spencer"), born in Englewood, New Jersey (d. 2023)
- Mar 6 Jan Kjærstad, Norwegian author
- Mar 7 Jules Shear, American rock musician and songwriter ("If She Knew What She Wants"), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Mar 7 Kenny Aronoff, American drummer (John Mellencamp), born in Albany, New York
- Mar 8 Bob Brozman, American world music guitarist, ethnomusicologist, and educator, born in New York City (d. 2013)
- Mar 8 Don Werner, American MLB baseball catcher, 1975-82 (Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers), and minor/major league coach, born in Appleton, Wisconsin
- Mar 8 Jim Rice, American Baseball Hall of Fame left fielder (AL MVP 1978; 8 x MLB All Star; AL HR leader 1977, 78, 83; Boston Red Sox), born in Anderson, South Carolina
- Mar 8 Kathy Shower, American model and Playboy playmate (May 1985, Playmate of the Year 1986), born in Brookville, Ohio
- Mar 9 Henriëtte Tol Dutch, actress (Soldier of Orange), born in Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
- Mar 10 Carolien van de Berg, Ditch actress (Havinck), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Mar 10 Paul Haggis, Canadian screenwriter, film director and producer (Crash, Due South), born in London, Ontario
- Mar 10 Ronnie Earl [Ronald Horvath], American blues guitarist (The Broadcasters), born in Queens, New York
- Mar 11 Bernie LaBarge, Canadian session and touring guitarist, and singer-songwriter, born in Ottawa, Ontario
- Mar 11 Chet Catallo, American jazz guitarist (Spyro Gyra), born in Rochester, New York
- Mar 11 Chuck Jackson, Canadian singer and harmonica player (Downchild, 1990-present; Cameo Blues Band, 1978-92), born in Toronto, Ontario
- Mar 11 Jimmy Iovine, American record producer (Interscope Records), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Mar 12 Carl Hiaasen, American journalist and author
- Mar 12 Labamba [Richard Rosenberg], American rock trombonist (Asbury Jukes), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Mar 12 Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepalese politician
- Mar 13 Andy Bean, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1980, 89 runner-up; British Open 1983 runner-up; 11 x PGA Tour titles), born in LaFayette, Georgia (d. 2023)
- Mar 13 Deborah Raffin, American model, actress (The Ransom; 40 Carats; Touched By Love, 7th Heaven), and audiobook publisher, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2012)
- Mar 14 Tim McKee, American 400m medley swimmer (Olympic silver 1972)
- Mar 15 Colin Croft, West Indian cricket fast bowler (27 Tests, 125 wickets; Guyana, Demerara, Lancashire CCC) and broadcaster (BBC, Sky Sports), born in Lancaster Village, Demerara, British Guiana
- Mar 15 Judi Spiers, TV presenter
- Mar 15 Richard Bruton, Irish politician
- Mar 16 Isabelle Huppert, French actress (The Piano Teacher), born in Paris
- Mar 16 Richard Stallman, American free software activist
- Mar 17 Chuck Muncie, American football running back, (d. 2013)
- Mar 17 Filemon Lagman, Filipino communist revolutionary (d. 2001)
- Mar 18 Helmer C Koetje, Dutch 2nd chamber member (CDA)
- Mar 18 Jamie West-Oram, British rock guitarist (The Fixx - "One Thing Leads To Another"; "Saved By Zero"), born in Barnsley, England
- Mar 18 Margaret L. Augustine, project manager (Biosphere 2), born in Buffalo, New York
- Mar 18 Nicholas Wisdom, cricketer (son of comic Norman, 2 games Sussex 1974)
- Mar 19 Billy Sheehan, American rock bassist (Talas; Mr Big - "To Be With You"; David Lee Roth), born in Buffalo, New York
- Mar 19 Hans Rinn, German DR, 2 man lugist (Olympic gold 1976, 80)
- Mar 19 Ricky Wilson, American rock guitarist (B-52's - "Rock Lobster"; "Love Shack"), born in Athens, Georgia
- Mar 21 Carl Wolfson, American comedian (Thicke of the Night), born in Washington, D.C.
- Mar 21 Emilio Correa, Cuban boxer (Olympic gold welterweight 1972; World C'ship gold 1974), born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (d. 2024)
- Mar 21 Robert "Shotgun" Johnson, American funk-rock drummer (KC & the Sunshine Band - "That's The Way I Like It"), born in Miami, Florida (d. 1983)
- Mar 22 Robin Le Mesurier [Halliley], British session and touring guitarist (The Wombles; Rod Stewart; Johnny Hallyday), born in Kensington, England (d. 2021)
- Mar 22 Thomas H. Andrews, American politician (Rep-D-Maine 1991-95), born in Brockton, Massachusetts
- Mar 23 Bo Diaz, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1990)
Chaka Khan (71 years old)
Mar 23 American singer and songwriter (Rufus; "I Am Every Woman"), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Mar 23 Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, British MP
- Mar 24 Louie Anderson, American comedian, Emmy Award-winning actor (Baskets; Life With Louie; Coming To America), TV game show Host (Family Feud, 1999-2002), and writer, born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 2022)
- Mar 25 Haroon Rashid, Pakistani cricket batsman (23 Tests, 3 x 100s; 12 ODIs; Karachi, Sind, UBIL, UBP), born in Karachi, Pakistan
- Mar 25 Mary Gross, actress/comedian (SNL, Club Paradise, Feds), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Mar 26 Billy Lyall, Scottish rock keyboardist (Bay City Rollers, 1969-71; Pilot, 1973-76; Alan Parsons Project - Irobot), born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1989)
- Mar 26 Elaine Chao, American politician (U.S. Secretary of Transportaion, 2017-21; U.S. Secretary of Labor, 2001-2009), born in Taipei, Taiwan
- Mar 26 Lincoln Chafee, American politician (Governor of Rhode Island, 2011-15; US Senator (R) - Rhode Island, 1999-2007), born in Providence, Rhode Island
- Mar 26 Michael Bonagura, American country singer (Baillie & Boys - "Oh Heart"), born in Newark, New Jersey
- Mar 26 Youssouf Togoïmi, Chadian rebel (d. 2002)
- Mar 27 Pamela Roylance, actress (Sarah-Little House on Prairie), born in Seattle, Washington
- Mar 27 Walter "Wally" Stocker, British rock vocalist and guitarist (The Babys - "Missing You"), born in London, England
- Mar 28 Melchior Ndadaye, 1st Hutu President of Burundi (1993), born in Nyabihanga, Burundi (d. 1993)
- Mar 28 Nydia M Velazquez, Puerto Rican politician, U.S. House of Representatives from New York, born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
- Mar 30 Cydney Bernard, American film producer
- Mar 31 Dennis Kamakahi, Hawaiian Grammy Award-winning slack-key guitarist, born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii (d. 2014)
- Mar 31 Greg Martin, American singer (Kentucky Headhunters - "Davy Crockett"), born in Louisville, Kentucky
- Mar 31 Rene Portland, American college basketball coach (Penn State 1980-2007), born in Broomall, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
- Mar 31 Sean Hopper, American rock keyboardist (Huey Lewis & The News - "The Power Of Love"), born in San Francisco, California
Famous Deaths
- Mar 2 Jim Lightbody, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m, 1500m, 2590m Steeplechase 1904), dies at 70
- Mar 5 Herman J. Mankiewicz, American screenwriter (b. 1897)
Joseph Stalin (1878-1953)
Mar 5 Dictator and General Secretary of the Soviet Union (1922-53), dies of a stroke at 73
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Mar 5 Russian composer (Peter and the Wolf; Alexander Nevsky), dies at 61
- Mar 7 Edward Sedgwick, American film director (The Flaming Frontier, Let 'er Buck), dies of a heart attack at 63
- Mar 10 Charles Gordon Curtis, American inventor (Curtis-steam turbine), dies at 92
- Mar 14 Klement Gottwald, Czech Communist politician, Premier and President of Czechoslovakia, dies at 56
- Mar 15 Arthur Berry, English football player (Olympic gold 1908, 12), dies at 65
- Mar 17 Conrado del Campo y Zabaleta, Spanish composer and violinist, dies at 73
- Mar 20 Graciliano Ramos, Brazilian author (Vidas Secas), dies at 60
- Mar 23 Raoul Dufy, painter, Forcalquier, France
- Mar 24 Felix M Abel, French dominican/biblical scholar, dies at 74
- Mar 24 Mary of Teck, Queen of Great Britain and consort of George V, dies at 85
- Mar 27 Narciso Garay, Panamanian composer, dies at 76
Jim Thorpe (1887-1953)
Mar 28 American all-round athlete (Olympic gold decathlon, pentathlon 1912; College & Pro Football Hall of Fame), dies of heart failure at 65