Almanac - March 7

Piet Mondriaan 1872-1944

Events

• 161 – Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by his adoptive sons Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.
• 238 – Roman subjects in Africa revolt against Maximinus Thrax and elect Gordian I as emperor.
• 321 – Emperor Constantine I decrees that the dies Solis Invicti (sun-day) is the day of rest in the Empire.
• 1277 – Stephen Tempier, bishop of Paris, condemns 219 philosophical and theological theses.
• 1799 – Napoleon Bonaparte captures Jaffa in Palestine and his troops proceed to kill more than 2,000 Albanian captives.
• 1814 – Emperor Napoleon I of France wins the Battle of Craonne.
• 1827 – Brazil marines unsuccessfully attack the temporary naval base of Carmen de Patagones, Argentina.
• 1827 – Shrigley Abduction: Ellen Turner is abducted by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a future politician in colonial New Zealand.
• 1850 – Senator Daniel Webster gives his "Seventh of March" speech endorsing the Compromise of 1850 in order to prevent a possible civil war.
• 1862 – American Civil War: Union forces defeat Confederate troops at Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas.
• 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for an invention he calls the telephone.
• 1886 – The City of Lábrea in Amazonas, Brazil is founded. Today, the town is the seat of the Territorial Prelature of Lábrea.
• 1900 – The German liner SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse becomes the first ship to send wireless signals to shore.
• 1902 – Second Boer War: In the Battle of Tweebosch, a Boer commando led by Koos de la Rey inflicts the biggest defeat upon the British since the beginning of the war
• 1912 – Roald Amundsen announces that his expedition had reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911.
• 1914 – Prince William of Wied arrives in Albania to begin his reign.
• 1936 – World War II (Prelude to): In violation of the Locarno Pact and the Treaty of Versailles, Germany reoccupies the Rhineland.
• 1945 – World War II: American troops seize the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River at Remagen.
• 1950 – Cold War: The Soviet Union issues a statement denying that Klaus Fuchs served as a Soviet spy.
• 1951 – Korean War: Operation Ripper – United Nations troops led by General Matthew Ridgeway begin an assault against Chinese forces.
• 1965 – Bloody Sunday: A group of 600 civil rights marchers are forcefully broken up in Selma, Alabama.
• 1968 – Vietnam War: The United States and South Vietnamese military begin Operation Truong Cong Dinh to root out Viet Cong forces from the area surrounding M? Tho.
• 1985 – The song "We Are the World" has its international release.
• 1986 – Challenger Disaster: Divers from the USS Preserver locate the crew cabin of Challenger on the ocean floor.
• 1989 – Iran and the United Kingdom break diplomatic relations after a row over Salman Rushdie and his controversial novel.
• 1994 – Copyright Law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that parodies of an original work are generally covered by the doctrine of fair use.
• 2006 – The terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba coordinates a series of bombings in Varanasi, India.
• 2007 – The British House of Commons votes to make the upper chamber, the House of Lords, 100% elected.
• 2009 – The Real Irish Republican Army kills two British soldiers and two civilians, the first British military deaths in Northern Ireland since The Troubles.
• 2009 – The Kepler space observatory, designed to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars, is launched.

Births

• 189 – Publius Septimius Geta, Roman Emperor (d. 211)
• 1481 – Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter (d. 1537)
• 1556 – Guillaume du Vair, French writer (d. 1621)
• 1663 – Tomaso Antonio Vitali, Italian composer and violinist (d. 1745)
• 1671 – Robert Roy MacGregor, Scottish folk hero (d. 1734)
• 1678 – Filippo Juvarra, Italian architect (d. 1736)
• 1687 – Jean Lebeuf, French historian (d. 1760)
• 1693 – Pope Clement XIII (d. 1769)
• 1715 – Ewald Christian von Kleist, German poet (d. 1759)
• 1715 – Ephraim Williams, American philanthropist (d. 1755)
• 1730 – Baron de Breteuil, French statesman (d. 1807)
• 1765 – Nicéphore Niépce, French inventor of photography (d. 1833)
• 1785 – Alessandro Manzoni, Italian writer (d. 1873)
• 1788 – Antoine César Becquerel, French physicist (d. 1878)
• 1792 – John Herschel, English mathematician and astronomer (d. 1871)
• 1837 – Henry Draper, American physician and astronomer (d. 1882)
• 1841 – William Rockhill Nelson, American publisher (The Kansas City Star) and patron of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (d. 1915)
• 1849 – Luther Burbank, American botanist (d. 1926)
• 1850 – Champ Clark, American politician (d. 1921)
• 1850 – Tomáš Masaryk, first President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1937)
• 1857 – Julius Wagner-Jauregg, Austrian neuroscientist, Nobel laureate (d. 1940)
• 1866 – Hans Fruhstorfer, German lepidopterist (d. 1922)
• 1872 – Piet Mondriaan, Dutch painter (d. 1944)
• 1873 – Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress (d. 1959)
• 1875 – Maurice Ravel, French composer (d. 1937)
• 1878 – Boris Kustodiev, Russian painter (d. 1927)
• 1886 – Virginia Pearson, American silent film actress (d. 1958)
• 1887 – Heino Eller, Estonian composer (d. 1970)
• 1888 – Alidius Warmoldus Lambertus Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer, Dutch lawyer and politician (d. 1978)
• 1893 – Milton Avery, American artist (d. 1965)
• 1902 – Heinz Rühmann, German actor (d. 1994)
• 1904 – Ivar Ballangrud, Norwegian speed skater (d. 1969)
• 1904 – Reinhard Heydrich, German Nazi SS senior officer (d. 1942)
• 1908 – Anna Magnani, Italian actress (d. 1973)
• 1909 – Léo Malet, French writer (Nestor Burma) (d. 1996)
• 1913 – Dollard Ménard, Canadian military officer (Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal) during the Dieppe Raid (d. 1997)
• 1914 – John Rodney, American actor
• 1914 – Lee Young, American jazz drummer and singer (d. 2008)
• 1915 – Jacques Chaban-Delmas, French politician (d. 2000)
• 1917 – Lee Young, American jazz drummer and singer (d. 2008)
• 1920 – Eddy Paape, Franco-Belgian comics artist (Luc Orient)
• 1922 – Olga Aleksandrovna Ladyzhenskaya, Russian mathematician (d. 2004)
• 1922 – Mochtar Lubis, Indonesian novelist and journalist (d. 2004)
• 1925 – Rene Gagnon, American Marine shown in photograph of the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima (d. 1979)
• 1927 – James Broderick, American actor (d. 1982)
• 1927 – Philippe Clay, French singer and actor (d. 2007)
• 1927 – Jean-Paul Desbiens, Canadian writer and teacher (d. 2006)
• 1927 – Henri Landwirth, Belgian-American hotelier and philanthropist
• 1928 – Gilbert Rondeau, Canadian politician (d. 1994)
• 1930 – Antony Armstrong-Jones, British aristocrat, Lord Snowdon, former husband of Princess Margaret
• 1933 – Jackie Blanchflower, Northern Irish footballer (d. 1998)
• 1934 – Douglas Cardinal, Canadian architect
• 1934 – Giorgos Katsaros, Greek musician and composer
• 1934 – Willard Scott, American television broadcaster
• 1936 – Georges Perec, French novelist (d. 1982)
• 1938 – David Baltimore, American biologist, Nobel laureate
• 1938 – Janet Guthrie, American race car driver
• 1939 – Danyel Gérard, French pop singer and songwriter
• 1940 – Rudi Dutschke, German student leader (d. 1979)
• 1940 – Daniel J. Travanti, American actor
• 1942 – Tammy Faye Bakker, American televangelist (d. 2007)
• 1942 – Charles R. Boutin, American politician
• 1942 – Michael Eisner, American film studio executive
• 1943 – Chris White, British musician (The Zombies)
• 1944 – Sir Ranulph Fiennes, British soldier and explorer
• 1944 – Zhiuli Shartava, Georgian politician and the Head of the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (d. 1993)
• 1944 – Stanley Schmidt, American editor
• 1944 – Townes Van Zandt, American musician and songwriter (d. 1997)
• 1945 – John Heard, American actor
• 1945 – Bob Herbert, American journalist
• 1945 – Arthur Lee, American musician (Love) (d. 2006)
• 1945 – Elizabeth Moon, American author
• 1946 – Matthew Fisher, British musician (Procol Harum)
• 1946 – Daniel Goleman, American author and psychologist
• 1946 – Peter Wolf, American musician (The J. Geils Band)
• 1947 – Helen Eadie, Scottish politician
• 1947 – Richard Lawson, American actor
• 1947 – Walter Röhrl, German race and rally car driver
• 1949 – Ghulam Nabi Azad, Indian politician
• 1950 – Iris Chacon, Puerto Rican singer and dancer
• 1950 – Billy Joe Dupree, American football player
• 1950 – Franco Harris, American football player
• 1951 – Francis Rocco Prestia, American musician (Tower of Power)
• 1952 – Ernie Isley, American musician (The Isley Brothers)
• 1952 – Viv Richards, Antiguan West Indies cricketer
• 1952 – Lynn Swann, American football player
• 1953 – Bernard Voyer, Canadian explorer and mountainer
• 1955 – Anupam Kher, Indian actor
• 1955 – Tommy Kramer, American football player
• 1956 – Bryan Cranston, American actor
• 1957 – Robert Harris, English TV reporter and journalist
• 1958 – Alan Hale, American astronomer
• 1958 – Rik Mayall, British actor
• 1958 – Donna Murphy, American actress and singer
• 1960 – Joe Carter, American baseball player
• 1960 – Ivan Lendl, Czech tennis player
• 1960 – Jim Spivey, American track and field athlete
• 1961 – Mark Kumpel, American ice hockey player
• 1962 – Taylor Dayne, American recording artist
• 1962 – Peter Manley, English darts player
• 1963 – Bill Brochtrup, American actor
• 1963 – Mike Eagles, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1963 – Denyce Graves, American singer
• 1964 – Bret Easton Ellis, American writer
• 1964 – Wanda Sykes, American actress and comedienne
• 1965 – Jack Armstrong, American baseball player
• 1965 – Steve Beuerlein, American football player
• 1965 – Cameron Daddo, Australian actor
• 1965 – Jesper Parnevik, Swedish golfer
• 1966 – Terry Carkner, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1966 – Ludwig Kögl, German footballer
• 1966 – Joy Tanner, American actress
• 1967 – Jean-Pierre Barda, Swedish singer (Army of Lovers)
• 1967 – Ruthie Henshall, English theatre actress and singer
• 1967 – Ai Yazawa, Japanese manga artist
• 1968 – Denis Boucher, Canadian baseball player
• 1968 – Jeff Kent, American baseball player
• 1969 – Warrel Dane, American singer (Nevermore)
• 1969 – Massimo Lotti, Italian footballer
• 1969 – Hideki Noda, Japanese racing driver
• 1969 – Shin Ae Ra, Korean actress and radio DJ
• 1970 – Rachel Weisz, British actress
• 1971 – Peter Sarsgaard, American actor
• 1971 – Matthew Vaughn, British film producer and director
• 1972 – Jang Dong-gun, South Korean actor and musician
• 1972 – Maxim Roy, Canadian actress
• 1973 – Jason Bright, Australian racing driver
• 1973 – Sébastien Izambard, operatic pop singer (Il Divo)
• 1973 – Ray Parlour, English footballer
• 1974 – Larry Bagby, American actor and musician
• 1974 – Jenna Fischer, American actress
• 1974 – Krizz Kaliko, American Rapper
• 1974 – Facundo Sava, Argentine footballer
• 1975 – Audrey Marie Anderson, American actress
• 1975 – TJ Thyne, American actor
• 1977 – Paul Cattermole, British singer, actor and member of pop group S Club
• 1977 – Gianluca Grava, Italian footballer
• 1977 – Ronan O'Gara, Irish rugby union footballer
• 1977 – Mitja Zastrow, German-born swimmer
• 1979 – Rodrigo Braña, Argentine footballer
• 1979 – Amanda Somerville, American singer (Aina) and vocal coach
• 1980 – Éric Godard, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1980 – Laura Prepon, American actress
• 1981 – Rica Peralejo, Philippine Actress
• 1982 – Kate Michael, American beauty queen
• 1982 – Erika Yamakawa, Japanese talent
• 1983 – Manucho, Angolan footballer
• 1983 – Taylor Tankersley, American baseball player
• 1984 – Mathieu Flamini, French footballer
• 1984 – Brandon T. Jackson, American actor
• 1984 – Rachel Rice, Welsh reality TV star
• 1985 – Thomas Erak, American guitarist
• 1985 – Andre Fluellen, American football player
• 1986 – Ben Griffin, Australian soccer player
• 1986 – George Whitelock, New Zealand rugby player
• 1987 – Hatem Ben Arfa, French footballer
• 1987 – Niclas Bergfors, Swedish hockey player
• 1988 – Larry Asante, American football player
• 1989 – Gerald Anderson, Filipino actor and model
• 1990 – Abigail and Brittany Hensel, American conjoined twins
• 1990 – Choi Jong Hun, South Korean guitarist, leader in F.T. Island
• 1990 – Lefteris Matsoukas, Greek footballer
• 1991 – Michele Rigione, Italian footballer
• 1992 – Bel Powley, English actress
• 1994 – An-Sophie Mestach, Belgian tennis player
• 2009 – Prince Umberto of Savoy

Deaths

• 161 – Antoninus Pius, Roman Emperor (b. 86)
• 308 – Saint Eubulus, Christian martyr
• 413 – Heraclianus, Roman usurper
• 851 – Nominoe, Duke of Brittany
• 1226 – William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English military leader
• 1274 – Saint Thomas Aquinas, Philosopher (b. 1225)
• 1578 – Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (b. 1515)
• 1625 – Johann Bayer, German astronomer (b. 1572)
• 1724 – Pope Innocent XIII (b. 1655)
• 1767 – Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, French colonizer (b. 1680)
• 1778 – Charles De Geer, Swedish industrialist (b. 1720)
• 1810 – Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood, British admiral (b. 1750)
• 1904 – Ferdinand André Fouqué, French geologist (b. 1828)
• 1913 – Emily Pauline Johnson, Native Canadian poet (b. 1861)
• 1928 – Robert Abbe, American surgeon (b. 1851)
• 1932 – Aristide Briand, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (b. 1862)
• 1938 – Andreas Michalakopoulos, Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1876)
• 1942 – Lucy Parsons, American anarchist, communist and labor organizer (b. 1853)
• 1943 – Alma Moodie, Australian classical violinist (b. 1898)
• 1949 – Francis Dodd, English artist (b. 1874)
• 1949 – Bradbury Robinson, American football player (b. 1884)
• 1952 – Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian guru (b. 1893)
• 1954 – Otto Diels, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
• 1957 – Wyndham Lewis, British author (b. 1882)
• 1965 – Louise Mountbatten, Swedish queen (b. 1889)
• 1967 – Alice B. Toklas, American companion to Gertrude Stein (b. 1877)
• 1974 – Alberto Rabagliati, Italian singer and actor (b. 1906)
• 1975 – Mikhail Bakhtin, Russian philosopher (b. 1895)
• 1975 – Ben Blue, Canadian actor (b. 1901)
• 1976 – Wright Patman, American politician (b. 1893)
• 1978 – Steve Bilko, American baseball player (b. 1928)
• 1981 – Kiril Kondrashin, Russian conductor (b. 1914)
• 1983 – Igor Markevitch, Ukrainian conductor and composer (b. 1912)
• 1984 – Paul Rotha, English director (b. 1907)
• 1986 – Jacob K. Javits, American politician (b. 1904)
• 1988 – Divine, American actor (b. 1945)
• 1988 – Robert Livingston, American film actor (b. 1904)
• 1991 – Cool Papa Bell, American baseball player (b. 1903)
• 1995 – Paul-Émile Victor, French explorer (b. 1907)
• 1997 – E. H. Bronner, German-American soap magnate (b. 1908)
• 1997 – Edward Mills Purcell, Nobel laureate (b. 1912)
• 1999 – Sidney Gottlieb, American CIA official (b. 1918)
• 1999 – Stanley Kubrick, American film director (b. 1928)
• 2000 – Charles Gray, British actor (b. 1928)
• 2000 – Pee Wee King, American country music songwriter and musician (b. 1914)
• 2001 – Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (b. 1903)
• 2004 – Paul Winfield, American actor (b. 1941)
• 2005 – John Box, British film production designer and art director (b. 1920)
• 2005 – Debra Hill, American screenwriter and film producer (b. 1950)
• 2006 – Ali Farka Touré, Malian musician (b. 1939)
• 2006 – John Junkin, British performer (b. 1930)
• 2006 – Gordon Parks, photographer (b. 1912)
• 2009 – Jang Ja-yeon, South Korean actress (b. 1982)
• 2010 – Mary Josephine Ray, Canadian-American supercentenarian (b. 1895)

Holidays and observances

• Christian Feast Day:
  • Perpetua and Felicitas
• One of the days dedicated to Vejovis (Roman Empire)
• Teacher's Day (Albania)