Sir Richard Sykes(British ambassador to the Netherlands, assassinated by Irish Republican Army)–
David Strickland(actor)–
Janet Akyuz Mattei(astronomer)–
Aldabra tortoise Adwaitya(thought to be 255 years old, in Kolkata, India)–
Israel "Cachao" Lopez(pioneer of mambo style music)–
Born
Thomas Crawford(sculptor)–
Randolph Caldecott(illustrator)–
Robert Andrews Millikan(physicist)–
Chico Marx(comedian)–
Louis L'Amour(author)–
Karl Malden(actor)–
Marcel Marceau(French mime
)–
Stephen Sondheim(composer)–
William Shatner(actor)–
George Benson(singer)–
Andrew Lloyd Webber(composer)–
Bob Costas(sports broadcaster)–
Stephanie Mills(singer)–
Keegan-Michael Key (comedian and actor)–
Reese Witherspoon(actress)–
James T. Kirk(Character on Star Trek series; alternate birth year 2228)–
Events
Massasoit, chieftain of the Wampanoags, came to Plymouth to treat of peace with Pilgrims –
Gambling made illegal in Boston –
Stamp Act passed by the English Parliament, requiring American colonists to buy and affix British-issued stamps to most documents –
Young Men’s Hebrew Association founded –
President Grover Cleveland appointed members of the first regulatory agency, the Interstate Commerce Commision –
First women’s basketball game was played at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts –
Beer and Wine Revenue Act, signed by FDR, legalized wine and so-called 3.2 beer –
Grand Coulee Dam on Columbia River began production of electric power
–
First U.S. rocket to leave the earth’s atmosphere, launched from White Sands, New Mexico, attained height of 50 miles –
7.0-magnitude earthquake occurred in Fox Islands, Alaska –
Hank Williams Jr. made his stage debut at 8 years old –
Louis B. Leakey announced his 1961 discovery of a 14 million-year-old hominoid in Kenya –
The Beatles’ first album, Please Please Me, was released in Britain –
Muhammad Ali knocked out Zora Foley in NY. This was his last fight before being stripped of his title for avoiding the military draft –
Proposed women’s equal rights amendment to Constitution submitted to states for ratification –
Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter revealed that the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, and Bob Dylan inspired him while he worked late nights at the Georgia governor’s mansion –
U.S. Congress voted to overide President Reagan’s veto and reinstate the Civil Rights Restoration Act. The law, which was designed to replace protections voided by 1984 U.S. Supreme Court decision, prohibitted discrimination by an institution receiving federal funds –
A coyote was captured in Central Park, New York City. Named Hal by park workers, he was about a year old and weighed 35 pounds. First spotted on Sunday, March 19, the hunt began the afternoon of Tuesday, March 21 and ended Wednesday, March 22. He was taken to a wildlife center outside NYC. City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said the coyote is believed to be only the second coyote ever spotted in Central Park. –
Alaska’s Mount Redoubt volcano erupted four times. An ash plume more than 9 miles was released into the air in the volcano’s first emission in nearly 20 years –
An animatronic T-rex caught fire in Canon City, Colorado –
Weather
Deadly tornado struck Urbana, Ohio, blowing a Bible 15 miles –
Kansas and Texas experienced a blizzard –
Twenty degrees F at Barrow, Alaska –
Ninth day of March record highs (78 to 87 degrees Fahrenheit) in Chicago, Illinois –
