Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.
Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in March 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)
We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 edition is also available.
1 Mar 1941 – 80 years ago
The fictional superhero Captain America made his first appearance, in Captain America Comics #1. (Issue dated March 1941, on sale from 20th December 1940.)
2 Mar 1991 – 30 years ago
Gulf War – the Battle of Rumaila (Iraq). Controversial U.S. victory. U.S. forces practically annihilated a 5-mile column of Iraqi forces who were withdrawing from battle two days after the war. (The U.S. forces were later exonerated as the Iraqis had opened fire on a U.S. patrol that had accidentally wandered into their path.)
3 Mar 1991 – 30 years ago
American construction worker Rodney King was beaten by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department following a car chase. The beating was captured on amateur video. When the four officers involved were acquitted at the end of a trial in April 1992, it triggered the Los Angeles riots in which 53 people were killed and around $1 billion worth of damage was caused. (In a federal trial held in 1993, two of the officers were convicted and sentenced to 32 months in prison.)
4 Mar 1921 – 100 years ago
Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, USA was designated a national park. The area, previously known as Hot Springs Reservation, was established in 1832.
5 Mar 1946 – 75 years ago
Winston Churchill gave his famous “Iron Curtain” speech in Fulton, Missouri, USA. He used the term to describe the separation between Soviet and Western countries.
6 Mar 1961 – 60 years ago
Death of George Formby, the “ukulele king”, British comedian, singer and actor. Best known for his comic songs including When I’m Cleaning Windows.
7 Mar 1996 – 25 years ago
The first democratically elected Palestinian Parliament (the Palestinian Legislative Council) was inaugurated.
8 Mar 1896 – 125 years ago
Volunteers of America was founded. The faith-based charity provides affordable housing and other assistance to people in need in the USA.
9 Mar 1946 – 75 years ago
Burnden Park football stadium disaster, Bolton, UK. Thirty-three people were killed and hundreds injured in a crush during a match between Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City. The crush was caused by overcrowding, and led to a control on crowd sizes being introduced.
10 Mar 2006 – 15 years ago
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft reached Mars and began orbiting it.
11 Mar 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend–Lease Act into law. This allowed the USA to support countries it considered important to its defence (including Britain, France, China, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations) without selling them arms on credit, which would have violated the Neutrality Act.
12 Mar 1971 – 50 years ago
The science fiction thriller film The Andromeda Strain was released in the USA. It was based on Michael Crichton’s 1969 novel of the same name.
(UK première: 1st July.)
13 Mar 1996 – 25 years ago
Dunblane Massacre, Scotland. A gunman killed 16 children and a teacher at a primary school, and wounded several others, before taking his own life.
14 Mar 1991 – 30 years ago
The convictions of the Birmingham Six were quashed by Britain’s Court of Appeal and they were released from prison after 16 years. They had been convicted of carrying out pub bombings in Birmingham in 1974, but the court ruled their convictions were unsafe and unsatisfactory. They were each awarded compensation of up to £1.2 million ($1.9 million).
15 Mar 1951 – 70 years ago
Dennis the Menace first appeared in the British children’s comic The Beano. (Issue dated 17th March, it went on sale on the 15th.)
16 Mar 1521 – 500 years ago
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition became the first Europeans to reach the Philippines. Magellan was killed by natives in April.
17 Mar 1921 – 100 years ago
Dr Marie Stopes opened the Mothers’ Clinic in London. It was the first birth control clinic in the UK.
18 Mar to 28 May 1871 – 150 years ago
The Paris Commune was established in France. The group of radical socialists and revolutionaries governed Paris until their revolt was violently suppressed by French Government forces during “Bloody Week” (21st to 28th May).
19 Mar 1921 – 100 years ago
The silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released in the USA. (Germany: 26th February 1920.) It became the most influential film of the German Expressionist movement.
20 Mar 1996 – 25 years ago
The British Government reported that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans was linked to BSE (mad cow disease) and could be transmitted to humans who ate infected beef. On 25th March the European Union banned the export of British beef (until 2006).
21 Mar 1961 – 60 years ago
British rock band The Beatles gave their first performance at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.
22 Mar 1621 – 400 years ago
The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony (in present-day Massachusetts, USA) signed the first treaty with Native Americans: the Pilgrim-Wampanoag peace treaty.
23 Mar 1956 – 65 years ago
Pakistan became the world’s first Islamic Republic.
24 Mar 1721 – 300 years ago
Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated six of his concertos to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt. They are now commonly known as the Brandenburg Concertos.
25 Mar 421 – 1600 years ago
The city of Venice, Italy was officially founded when its first church was dedicated at noon.
26 Mar 1981 – 40 years ago
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was launched in Britain.
27 Mar 1871 – 150 years ago
The first international rugby union football match was held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Scotland beat England 1-0.
28 Mar 1941 – 80 years ago
Death of Virginia Woolf, influential British novelist (To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, A Room of One’s Own). One of the leading modernist writers of the 20th century. (Suicide, aged 59.)
29 Mar 1871 – 150 years ago
The Royal Albert Hall in London was officially opened by Queen Victoria.
30 Mar 1981 – 40 years ago
U.S. President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest and seriously injured in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. in Washington, D.C.
31 Mar 1921 – 100 years ago
The Royal Australian Air Force was formed.
More anniversaries:
You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 edition is also available if you need to work further ahead. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.