What Happened in March 1953

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

Soviet History

Mar 6 Malenkov becomes chairman of the USSR

  • Mar 7 South African cricket opening batsman Jackie McGlew scores an unbeaten 255 in 1st Test win against New Zealand in Wellington
  • Mar 8 Census indicates 239,000 farmers gave up farming in last 2 years in US
  • Mar 8 KSWO TV channel 7 in Lawton, Oklahoma (ABC) begins broadcasting

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
  • 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
1953 History

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
Born in 1953

Famous Deaths

  • Mar 2 Jim Lightbody, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m, 1500m, 2590m Steeplechase 1904), dies at 70

James J. Jeffries (1875-1953)

Mar 3 American heavyweight boxer, dies at 77

  • 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

  • Mar 29 Arthur Fields [Abraham Finkelstein], American singer-songwriter (Aba Daba Honeymoon), dies in a fire at his nursing home residence at 68 [1]
  • Mar 30 Roderich Mojsisovics-Mojsvar, Austrian composer, dies at 75