Historical Events
- Mar 1 Archbishop Makarios returns to Cyprus after 3 years
Sydney Opera House
Mar 2 Ceremony to mark the start of construction of the Sydney Opera House at Bennelong Point, Sydney
- Mar 3 1st US probe to enter solar orbit, Pioneer 4, launched
- Mar 3 British government arrests Hastings Banda of Nyasaland, ends emergency crisis
- Mar 3 San Francisco Giants rename their stadium Candlestick Park
- Mar 3 The Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts opens in Yerevan, Armenia, with a collection of over 23,000 manuscripts [1]
- Mar 4 NASA's scientific spacecraft Pioneer 4 misses moon, enters heliocentric orbit, and becomes 2nd (US 1st) earth-launched 'artificial planet' [1]
Golden Globes
Mar 5 16th Golden Globes: "The Defiant Ones", David Niven, & Susan Hayward win
- Mar 5 Iran & US sign economic & military treaty
Emmy Awards
Mar 6 11th Emmy Awards: Playhouse 90, Jack Benny Show, Raymond Burr win
- Mar 6 Farthest radio signal heard (Pioneer IV, 400,000 miles)
- Mar 7 "Bells Are Ringing" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 925 performances
- Mar 7 1st aviator to fly a million miles (1.61 M km) in a jet (MC Garlow)
- Mar 7 6th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: NC State beats North Carolina, 80-56
Sports History
Mar 7 West Indies all out 76 v Pakistan at Dacca, Fazal Mahmood 6-34
- Mar 8 Groucho, Chico & Harpo Marx's final TV appearance together
- Mar 8 KUAT TV channel 6 in Tucson, AZ (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Mar 8 Pro-Egyptian coup fails in Mosul Iraq
- Mar 9 "Juno" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 16 performances
- Mar 9 1st known radar contact is made with Venus
- Mar 9 Barbie makes her debut at the American Toy Fair in New York. Over a billion have been sold worldwide since.
- Mar 9 The Coasters' single "Charlie Brown" peaks at #2 on the Billboard Top 100
Sports History
Mar 10 Dorothy Comiskey Rigney, sells her 54% share of MLB Chicago White Sox to Bill Veeck, for a reported $27M
Event of Interest
Mar 10 Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" premieres in NYC
- Mar 10 Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupation force in Lhasa, Tibet
- Mar 11 4th Eurovision Song Contest: Teddy Scholten for Netherlands wins singing "Een beetje" in Cannes
A Raisin in the Sun
Mar 11 Lorraine Hansberry's stage drama "A Raisin in the Sun", 1st Broadway play by a black woman, starring Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC; later transfers to the Belasco Theatre; runs for 530 performances
- Mar 12 Dutch Liberal Party wins 2nd parliamentary elections
- Mar 12 US House joins Senate approving Hawaii statehood
- Mar 15 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Louise Suggs wins her 4th Titleholders title by 1 stroke from Betsy Rawls
- Mar 15 Robert Foster sets record by staying underwater 13 m 42.5 s
- Mar 15 WILX TV channel 10 in Lansing, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Mar 16 Iraq & USSR sign economic and technical treaty
- Mar 17 Australia & USSR restore diplomatic relations
NBA Record
Mar 18 Boston Celtic's Bill Sharman begins record of 56 straight free-throws
Event of Interest
Mar 18 US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs Hawaii statehood bill
First Impressions
Mar 19 George Weiss, Bo Goldman, and Glenn Paxton musical "First Impressions", adapted from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", starring Polly Bergen; Farley Granger, and Hermione Gingold, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 84 performances
- Mar 21 "Juno" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 16 performances
- Mar 21 113th Grand National: Michael Scudamore wins aboard 8/1 second favourite Oxo; only 4 of 32 starters finish the race
Sports History
Mar 21 21st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: California beats West Virginia, 71-70; WV future Hall of Fame point guard Jerry West is named MOP
- Mar 24 Iraq withdraws from the Baghdad Pact
Event of Interest
Mar 24 The Party of the African Federation (PFA) is launched by Léopold Sédar Senghor and Modibo Keita.
- Mar 25 Bill White traded to St Louis for pitchers Sam Jones & Don Choate
- Mar 25 French President De Gaulle acknowledges Oder-Neisse boundary
- Mar 26 Test debut for Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad v West Indies, aged 15 years
- Mar 28 11 days after Tibet uprising, China dissolves Tibet's government & installs Panchen Lama
Some Like It Hot
Mar 29 "Some Like It Hot", American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, premieres at Loew’s Capital Theatre, NYC
- Mar 29 West Indian cricket fast bowler Wes Hall dismisses Pakistani batsmen Mushtaq Mohammad, Fazal Mahmood and Nasim-ul-Ghani for a hat-trick in 3rd Test at Lahore
Event of Interest
Mar 30 Dalai Lama flees China and is granted political asylum in India
- Mar 30 WNED TV channel 17 in Buffalo, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting
Famous Birthdays
- Mar 1 Laura Karpman, American composer (Ask Your Mama, Why We Hate), born in Los Angeles, California
- Mar 2 Larry Stewart, American country singer (Restless Heart - "Alright Already"), born in Paducah, Kentucky
- Mar 4 Rick Ardon, Australian news presenter, born in Perth, Australia
- Mar 5 David Fury, American television writer and producer
- Mar 5 John Kezdy, American punk-rock guitarist and singer (The Effigies), and later prosecuting attorney, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2023)
- Mar 5 Vazgen Sargsyan, Armenian politician (d. 1999)
- Mar 6 Saul Anuzis, American politician
- Mar 6 Thomas "Tom" Arnold, American actor (Tom, True Lies) and former husband of actress Rosanne Barr, born in Iowa
- Mar 7 Donna Murphy, American musical theatre actress (The King and I), born in Queens, New York
- Mar 7 Jorge Domínguez, Argentinian soccer striker (3 caps; CA Boca Juniors, OGC Nice, SC Toulon, Nîmes), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2023)
Tom Lehman (65 years old)
Mar 7 American golfer (British Open 1996; Senior PGA C'ship 2010, Tradition 2011-12), born in Austin, Minnesota
- Mar 8 Aidan Quinn, American actor (Desperately Seeking Susan, Elementary), born in Rockford, Illinois
- Mar 8 Lester Holt, American journalist and news anchor (NBC Nightly News, 2015-present), born in Hamilton Air Force Base, California
- Mar 9 Kato Kaelin, American actor (Beach Fever), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Mar 9 Lonny Price, American actor (Muppets Take Manhattan), born in New York City
- Mar 13 Dirk Wellham, Australian cricketer (century on NSW debut & Australian debut), born in Marrickville, Sydney
- Mar 13 Greg Norton, American rock bassist (Hüsker Dü; Porcupine), born in Rock Island, Illinois
- Mar 13 Kathy Hilton, American socialite-Hilton Hotels, mother of Nikki Hilton and Paris Hilton, born in New York City
- Mar 13 Melvin Taylor, American electric blues guitarist, born in Jackson, Mississippi
- Mar 13 Ronnie Rogers, British guitarist (T'Pau-Heart & Soul), born in Shrewsbury, England
- Mar 14 Patrick Dupond, French dancer (La Bayadère), born in Paris, France
- Mar 14 Tamara Tunie, American actress
- Mar 15 Eliot Teltscher, American tennis player (French Open mixed doubles 1983; world #6 singles 1982), born in Rancho Palos Verdes, California
- Mar 15 Harold Baines, American Baseball HOF outfielder (6 × MLB All-Star; Chicago WS, Texas Rangers; Oakland A's, Baltimore Orioles) and coach (World Series 2005 Chicago WS), born in Easton Maryland
- Mar 15 Lisa Holton, American writer
- Mar 15 Renny Harlin, Finnish film director
Flavor Flav (65 years old)
Mar 16 American rapper (Public Enemy) and reality TV star (The Surreal Life), born in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York
- Mar 16 Jens Stoltenberg, Norwegian politician (Prime Minister of Norway, 2000-1, 2005-13), born in Oslo, Norway
- Mar 16 Michael J Bloomfield, American USAF Major USAF and NASA astronaut (STS 86), born in Flint, Michigan
- Mar 16 Stan Thorn, American country singer (Shenandoah - "Sunday in the South"), born in Kenosha, Wisconsin
- Mar 17 Christian Clemenson, American actor (Boston Leagal; CSI:Miami), born in Humboldt, Iowa
- Mar 17 Danny Ainge, American NBA basketball player (Boston Celtics, 1981-69; 3 other teams 1989-95), coach (Phoenix Suns, 1996-99), and executive (Boston Celtics, 2000-present)and MLB baseball (Toronto Blue Jays, 1979-81) player, born in Eugene, Oregon
- Mar 17 Mike Lindup, British rock keyboardist, singer, and songwriter (Level 42 - "Lessons In Love"; "Something About You"), born in London, England
- Mar 17 Paul Black [Marmorstein], American rock singer (L.A. Guns, 1985-87), and drummer, born in San Francisco, California
- Mar 18 Irene Cara [Escalera], American Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter ("Fame"; "Flashdance...What A Feeling"), and actress (Fame; D.C. Cab), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2022)
- Mar 18 Luc Besson, French producer, writer, and director
- Mar 19 Anthony Marinelli, American session keyboardist and synthesizer player (Michael Jackson; Sigue Sigue Sputnik), film, television, and advertising composer, born in Burbank, California
- Mar 19 Shelley Burch, actress (One Life to Live, Identity Crisis), born in Tucson, Arizona
- Mar 19 Terry Hall, British rock-ska-pop singer (Specials; Fun Boy Three; Vegas), born in Coventry, England (d. 2022)
- Mar 20 Dale Reid, Scottish golfer (21 x Ladies European Tour wins; Ladies European Tour Order of Merit 1984, 87), born in Ladybank Scotland (d. 2023)
- Mar 20 Richard Drummie, British rock guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Go West - "Call Me"; "Don't Look Down"), born in London, England
- Mar 20 Steve McFadden, British actor
- Mar 20 Sting [Steve Borden], American professional wrestler, born in Omaha, Nebraska
- Mar 21 Nobuo Uematsu, Japanese keyboardist and video game composer (Final Fatasy), born in Kōchi, Japan
- Mar 21 Sarah Jane Morris, English pop-jazz-R&B singer-songwriter, born in Southampton, England
- Mar 22 Avraham Fried [Friedman], Orthodox Jewish musician, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Mar 22 Carlton Cuse, Mexican-born American TV writer and executive
- Mar 22 Matthew Modine, American actor (Full Metal Jacket), born in Loma Linda, California
- Mar 23 Catherine Keener, American actress (Captain Philips, Get Out), born in Miami, Florida
- Mar 23 Epic Soundtracks [Kevin Paul Godfrey], English musician (Swell Maps, Crime and the City Solution, These Immortal Souls), born in Croydon, Surrey (d. 1997)
- Mar 23 Philippe Volter, Belgian actor (d. 2005)
- Mar 24 Renaldo Nehemiah, American hurdler (110m at 12.93)/NFLer (SF 49ers)
- Mar 25 Vince Guerra, American jockey, born in Tucson
- Mar 26 Chris Hansen, American reporter and correspondent (Dateline NBC: To Catch A Predator, 2004-07), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Mar 26 Chris Whitten, British session drummer (Paul McCartney - "Flowers In The Dirt"; Edie Brickell; The Waterboys), born in England
- Mar 27 Andrew Farriss, Australian rock keyboardist and songwriter (INXS - "Kiss the Dirt"; "New Sensation"), born in Perth, Australia
- Mar 28 Petra Delhees, Swiss tennis star, born in Aarau, Switzerland
- Mar 28 Todd Curtis, American actor (Capitol, Skip-Young & Restless), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Mar 29 Barry Blanchard, Canadian mountaineer, born in Calgary, Alberta
- Mar 29 Brad McCrimmon, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (Stanley Cup 1989 Calgary Flames; NHL All-Star 1988; Plus-Minus Award +48 1989), born in Dodsland, Saskatchewan (d. 2011)
- Mar 29 Perry Farrell [Peretz Bernstein], American rock singer-songwriter (Jane's Addiction - "Just Because"; Porno For Pyros - "Pets"), born in Queens, New York City
- Mar 30 Sabine Meyer, German classical clarinetist, Born in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Mar 31 Ali McMordie, Northern Irish bassist (Stiff Little Fingers), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Famous Deaths
Lou Costello (1906-1959)
Mar 3 American comedian and actor (The Abbott and Costello Show; Who's On First?), dies of a heart attack at 52
- Mar 4 Maxie Long, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m 1900), dies at 80
- Mar 6 Fred Stone, renowned American circus performer and broadway actor (Alice Adams), dies at 85
- Mar 7 Arthur Cecil Pigou, English economist (Economics of Welfare), dies at 81
- Mar 7 Hinsdale Smith, developer of roll-down auto windows, dies at 88
- Mar 7 Ichirō Hatoyama, Japanese politician, Prime Minister (1954-56), dies at 76
- Mar 8 Abdel Wahab Shawwaf, Iraqi colonel/putschist, murdered
- Mar 11 Haydn Wood, English violinist, and composer of light classical music (Roses of Picardy), dies at 76
- Mar 11 Lester Dent, American writer (Doc Savage), dies at 54
- Mar 15 Duncan Hines, American restaurant guide writer (Out of Kentucky Kitchens), dies at 78
- Mar 15 Lester Young, American jazz musician, dies at 49
- Mar 16 John B. Salling, reputed second to last Civil War veteran, dies at 111 [birth date, age and military service later disputed]
- Mar 17 Raffaele d'Alessandro, Swiss pianist, organist, and composer, dies of a ruptured aorta on his 48th birthday
- Mar 22 Olga Knipper. Russian-Soviet stage actress, and wife of Anton Chekhov, dies at
- Mar 25 Billy Mayerl, British pianist, music hall songwriter, theatre composer (Marigold), music publisher, and teacher (School of Syncopation), dies of a heart attack at 55
- Mar 26 Raymond Chandler, British-American mystery writer novelist and screenwriter (Farewell My Lovely; The Long Goodbye; The Big Sleep), dies at 71
- Mar 27 Grant Withers, American actor (Rio Grande, Oklahoma, Annie), commits suicide with sleeping pills at 54
- Mar 28 James Neblett, cricketer (one Test WI v England 1935), dies
- Mar 29 Barthélemy Boganda, French-African politician (Central African Republic's 1st President, 1958-59), dies in plane crash at 48
- Mar 29 Sara Wennerberg-Reuter, Swedish composer, dies at 84
- Mar 30 Daniil Andreev, Russian writer, poet and Christian mystic, dies at 52
- Mar 30 Riccardo Zanella, president of Free State of Fiume (b. 1875)
- Mar 31 Peter Suhrkamp, German publisher (Suhrkamp Verlag), dies at 68
