Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries in March 2023 (so you have time to write about them)
Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features, biographies and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, and editors and producers love them. They’re easy to research too. And you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, TV/radio features, films, documentaries, and more.
We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2023, which features more than 3,000 anniversaries. . The 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 editions are also available if you work further ahead.
Mar 1, 1873 – 150 years ago
Remington began producing the first practical typewriter – the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, also known as the Remington No. 1. It went on sale on July 1, 1874.
Mar 2, 1933 – 90 years ago
The premiere of the movie King Kong, in New York City, USA. (Released April 7th.)
Mar 3, 1923 – 100 years ago
The first issue of Time magazine was published in the USA.
Mar 4, 1933 – 90 years ago
Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States.
Mar 5, 1623 – 400 years ago
The first American temperance law came into effect in the Colony of Virginia in an effort to control the consumption of alcohol.
Mar 6, 1973 – 50 years ago
Death of Pearl S. Buck, American writer. The first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (in 1938).
Mar 7, 1848 – 175 years ago
The Great Mahele, Hawaii. The land of Hawaii was divided to protect it from foreign ownership. 1/3 was given to the Crown, 1/3 to the chiefs and managers, and 1/3 to the common people. The law required people to claim their land within two years. Many did not make a claim and the land was sold.
Mar 8, 1723 – 300 years ago
Death of Sir Christopher Wren, English architect. Best known for designing St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Mar 9, 1993 – 30 years ago
Death of C. Northcote Parkinson, British historian and writer. Noted for his books on naval history and for formulating Parkinson’s Law (work expands to fill the time available for its completion).
Mar 10, 1933 – 90 years ago
The Long Beach earthquake, California, USA. 120 people were killed.
Mar 11, 1948 – 75 years ago
Reginald Weir became the first African American to play in an official United States Lawn Tennis Association event, after several years of lobbying to be accepted. His acceptance paved the way for Althea Gibson to take part the following year.
Mar 12, 1933 – 90 years ago
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the first of his “fireside chats” – a radio address to the nation. His first chat was about the banking crisis.
Mar 13, 1933 – 90 years ago
Joseph Goebbels became the German Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.
Mar 14, 1983 – 40 years ago
OPEC agreed to cut oil prices for first time since it was founded in 1961.
Mar 15, 1998 – 25 years ago
Death of Dr Benjamin Spock, American pediatrician and writer. Known for his best-selling book Baby and Child Care.
Mar 16, 1898 – 125 years ago
Death of Aubrey Beardsley, British illustrator. His black ink drawings, influenced by Japanese woodcuts, contributed to the development of Art Nouveau.
Mar 17, 1973 – 50 years ago
The new London Bridge opened in the UK.
Mar 18, 1963 – 60 years ago
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Miranda decision: states must provide defendants in criminal cases with a lawyer if they are unable to afford their own. This led to the creation of the public defender system.
Mar 19, 1848 – 175 years ago
Birth of Wyatt Earp, legendary American lawman, gambler and gunfighter of the Old West. Noted for his role in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881.
Mar 20, 1993 – 30 years ago
An IRA bomb exploded at a shopping mall in Warrington, England. Two children were killed and more than 50 people were injured.
Mar 21, 1963 – 60 years ago
The U.S. Federal Penitentiary on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California, closed.
Mar 22, 1933 – 90 years ago
The first Nazi concentration camp opened in Dachau, Germany. The Nazis eventually established over 1,000 concentration camps throughout occupied Europe.
Mar 23, 1983 – 40 years ago
U.S. President Ronald Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”) system, which would use satellites to detect and destroy enemy missiles.
Mar 24, 1953 – 70 years ago
Death of Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, (Mary of Teck), Queen Consort of King George V. Mother of King Edward VIII and King George VI. Grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.
Mar 25, 1948 – 75 years ago
The first official tornado forecast/warning. U.S. Air Force Captain Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest Fawbush predicted a high risk of a tornado strike at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Two large tornadoes struck the base that evening, damaging or destroying aircraft and buildings.
Mar 26, 1923 – 100 years ago
BBC radio began broadcasting a daily weather forecast.
Mar 27, 1963 – 60 years ago
Dr. Richard Beeching, the chairman of British Railways, issued a report (The Reshaping of British Railways) which led to the closure of thousands of miles of railroad lines and stations across the country – about a third of the railroad network.
Mar 28, 1963 – 60 years ago
The premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s horror-thriller movie The Birds, in New York City, USA. (Released: March 29th. UK premiere: September 10th, released September 12th.)
Mar 29, 1948 – 75 years ago
Death of Harry Price, British psychic investigator. Best known for his investigation of the supposedly haunted Borley Rectory in Essex.
Mar 30, 1953 – 70 years ago
Albert Einstein’s equations for a revised Unified Field Theory were published. They represented the relationship between the forces of gravity and electromagnetism, and their relationship to space, time and physical forces.
Mar 31, 1973 – 50 years ago
The racehorse Red Rum won Britain’s Grand National steeplechase for the first time. The tightly fought battle for the finish is considered one of the greatest sporting moments. It was also a record-breaking time.
More anniversaries:
You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 and 2027 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2028 edition will be available from April 2023. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.