March 1st

Events

• 286 - Maximian proclaimed junior Roman emperor.
• 293 - Constantius Chlorus and Galerius proclaimed junior Roman emperors.
• 1562 - Over 1,000 Huguenots are massacred by Catholics in Vassy, France marking the start of the First War of Religion.
• 1642 - Georgeana, Massachusetts (now known as York, Maine) becomes the first incorporated city in America.
• 1692 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of four women with witchcraft.
• 1700 - Sweden introduces its own Swedish calendar, in an attempt to reform into the Gregorian calendar.
• 1712 - Sweden reverts to the Julian calendar as March 1 follows on February 30.
• 1753 - Sweden introduces the Gregorian Calendar as March 1 follows on February 17.
• 1781 - The Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation.
• 1790 - The first United States census is authorized
• 1803 - Ohio becomes the 17th U.S. state.
• 1811 - Leaders of the Mameluke dynasty are killed by Egyptian ruler Mohammed Ali.
• 1815 - Napoleon returns to France from his banishment on Elba.
• 1836 - Convention of delegates from 57 Texas communities convenes in Washington-on-the-Brazos to deliberate independence from Mexico
• 1845 - President John Tyler signs a bill authorizing the United States to annex the Republic of Texas.
• 1867 - Nebraska becomes the 37th U.S. state.
• 1872 - Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park.
• 1873 - E. Remington and Sons in Ilion, New York, start production of the first practical typewriter.
• 1896 - Battle of Adowa, in which Ethiopia defended its independence against Italy, begins. The Italians were defeated.
• 1911 - Jose Ordonez is elected President of Uruguay.
• 1912 - Albert Berry makes the first parachute jump from a moving airplane.
• 1931 - Henry Pu Yi, former Emperor of China, is proclaimed King of the puppet state of Manchukuo by Japan.
• 1932 - The son of Charles Lindbergh, Charles Augustus Lindbergh III, has been kidnapped.
• 1936 - Hoover Dam is completed.
• 1941 - World War II: Bulgaria signs the Tripartite Pact thus joining the Axis powers.
• 1941 - W47NV begins operations in Nashville, Tennessee becoming the first FM radio station.
• 1947 - The International Monetary Fund begins financial operations.
• 1949 - World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis announces his retirement from boxing.
• 1950 - Cold War: Klaus Fuchs is convicted of spying for the Soviet Union by giving them top secrete atomic bomb data.
• 1954 - Nuclear testing: Officials announce that an American hydrogen bomb test had been conducted on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
• 1954 - Puerto Rican nationalists attack the United States Capitol building, injuring five Representatives.
• 1961 - President of the United States John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
• 1962 - Uganda becomes self-governing
• 1966 - Venera 3 Soviet space probe crashes on Venus becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface.
• 1966 - The Ba'ath Party takes power in Syria.
• 1969 - Major league baseballer Mickey Mantle announces his retirement.
• 1974 - Watergate scandal: Seven are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged was conspiracy to obstruct justice.
• 1990 - A fire at the Sheraton Hotel in Cairo kills 16.
• 1990 - Steve Jackson Games is raided by the United States Secret Service, prompting the later formation of the EFF.
• 1992 - After a majority of Muslim and Croatian communities vote for Bosnian independence, Bosnian Serb snipers fire on civilians.
• 1999 - One of four bombs detonated in Lusaka, Zambia, destroys the Angolan Embassy.
• 1999 - Hutu rebels kill eight tourists in Uganda.
• 2002 - U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: In eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda begins.

Births

• 1474 - Angela Merici, founder of the Ursulines, (d. 1540)
• 1810 - Frederic Chopin, composer and pianist, (d. 1849)
• 1837 - William Dean Howells, writer, historian, editor, politician, (d. 1920)
• 1876 - Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian IOC president, (d. 1942)
• 1886 - Oskar Kokoschka, painter, graphic artist and poet, (d. 1980)
• 1904 - Glenn Miller, bandleader, (d. 1944)
• 1909 - David Niven, actor, (d. 1983)
• 1914 - Ralph Ellison, writer, (d. 1994)
• 1917 - Robert Lowell, poet, (d. 1977)
• 1922 - Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, (d. 1995)
• 1922 - William Gaines, publisher, founder of MAD Magazine, (d. 1992)
• 1926 - Pete Rozelle, commissioner of the National Football League, (d. 1996)
• 1927 - Harry Belafonte, musician and actor
• 1927 - Robert Bork, law professor
• 1929 - Georgi Markov, Bulgarian dissident, (d. 1978)
• 1935 - Robert Conrad, actor
• 1935 - Judith Rossner, writer
• 1942 - Gabriel Hudon, FLQ terrorist
• 1944 - Roger Daltrey, musician ("The Who")
• 1954 - Ron Howard, actor, director, producer
• 1969 - Javier Bardem, actor

Deaths

• 1620 - Thomas Campion, poet and composer, (b. 1567)
• 1862 - Peter Barlow, mathematician, (b. 1776)
• 1984 - Jackie Coogan, actor, (b. 1914)

Holidays and observances

• Roman Empire - Matronalia in honor of Juno
• Roman Empire - Feriae Marti in honor of Mars
• Roman Empire - New Year
• Roman Empire - The sacred fire of Rome was renewed (See Vesta)
• Saint David's Day
• Historically, March 1st was considered to be the beginning of the year. The names of some months reflect this. (September = Seventh, October = Eighth, November = Ninth, December = Tenth). (see New Year) If the days of the year were counted from March 1, till the next March 1, each date of the year would have the same number every year, unlike counting from January 1.
• World Day of Prayer
• Bahá'í Faith - Last Day (4 or 5) of Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) - days in the Bahá'í calendar devoted to service and gift giving.

Year Beginning March 1

Mar 31 Aug 31 Jan 31 Apr 30 Sep 30 Feb 28/29 May 31 Oct 31 Jun 30 Nov 30 Jul 31 Dec 31

This regularity is sometimes used in calendar calculations.

February 28 - February 29 - March 2 - February 1 - April 1 -- listing of all days

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Referenced By