Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries in March 2027 (listed six months in advance so you have time to write about them)
Historical anniversaries are ideal for ‘On This Day in History’ features, articles, biographies and other anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with newspaper and magazine readers and radio stations, and editors, producers and presenters love them. They’re easy to research too. You can also turn them into movies, documentaries, novels, use them to plan events and exhibitions, and much more.
We’ve randomly selected an anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2027, which lists more than 3,600 anniversaries. The Date-A-Base Book 2028, 2029 and 2030 are also available.
Each edition is available in British and U.S. versions. Both have the same content, but with different date formats, spelling and grammar. If you click on the links above, you should be directed to the correct version, based on your location. We’ve taken the anniversaries below from the British version.
1 Mar 1947 – 80 years ago
The International Monetary Fund began operating.
2 Mar 1902 – 125 years ago
Birth of Edward Condon, American nuclear physicist. He was a pioneer of quantum mechanics, helped with the development of radar during WWII, and was part of the Manhattan Project that developed the first nuclear weapons. He is also known for the Condon Report, a U.S. Air Force review of UFOs, which concluded that there were rational explanations for the sightings and that further study of UFOs was unlikely to yield any scientific discoveries. (Died 1974.)
3 Mar 1877 – 150 years ago
Rutherford B. Hayes was privately inaugurated as the 19th President of the United States. His public inauguration was on Monday 5th March. Congressional leaders had only just declared him the winner of the disputed 1876 election after months of debate and compromise.
4 Mar 1877 – 150 years ago
Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake was performed for the first time, by the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow.
5 Mar 1827 – 200 years ago
Death of Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist and chemist. Best known for inventing the battery and discovering methane. The SI unit of electrical potential (the volt) is named in his honour.
6 Mar 1927 – 100 years ago
The U.S. première of Fritz Lang’s science fiction film Metropolis. Released: 13th March. German première: 10th January.
7 Mar 1962 – 65 years ago
The USA launched the world’s first astronomical satellite/space telescope, Orbiting Solar Observatory 1 (OSO 1). Its primary mission was to study the Sun, especially the sun spot cycle. It re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere in October 1981. Eight OSO satellites were launched between 1962 and 1975.
8 Mar 1977 – 50 years ago
The U.S. Army disclosed that it had secretly carried out 239 germ warfare experiments in the open air between 1949 and 1969. Live (but supposedly harmless) bugs were released in public locations, including bus terminals and airports, in Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco, Key West and Panama City to learn how to wage biological warfare and how to defend against it. The Army also sprayed simulated germs into the air at several military bases. The San Francisco tests, carried out in 1950, are believed to have caused at least eleven cases of pneumonia.
9 Mar 1987 – 40 years ago
U2’s album The Joshua Tree was released.
10 Mar 1987 – 40 years ago
The Vatican published Instruction on Respect for Human Life in its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation. The 40-page document opposed all artificial means of fertilisation, including artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation, embryo transfer, and surrogate motherhood. It also opposed experiments on living embryos.
11 Mar 1927 – 100 years ago
The world’s first armoured car (security van) robbery. The Flathead Gang stole more than $104,000 from an armoured car near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA after placing a landmine in the road. The gang’s leader, Polish-born Paul Jaworski, was sentenced to death for a separate payroll robbery and was executed in January 1929.
12 Mar 1947 – 80 years ago
U.S. President Harry S. Truman proclaimed the Truman Doctrine. It granted economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey, which were threatened by the spread of communism.
13 Mar 1997 – 30 years ago
The Phoenix Lights incident, Arizona, USA – one of the most widely witnessed UFO sightings. A V-shaped object was seen by hundreds of people, with some witnesses reporting it to be over a mile long.
14 Mar 1927 – 100 years ago
Pan American Airways (Pan Am) was founded. It ceased operations in 1991.
15 to 19 Mar 1877 – 150 years ago
The first cricket Test match was played: Australia v. England in Melbourne, Australia.
16 Mar 1827 – 200 years ago
The first African American newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, was published in the USA. It ran weekly for two years and ceased publication in 1829.
17 Mar 1967 – 60 years ago
The psychedelic rock song Purple Haze by the Jimi Hendrix Experience was released in the UK. (USA: 19th June.)
18 Mar 1877 – 150 years ago
Birth of Edgar Cayce, American clairvoyant and mystic.
19 Mar 1927 – 100 years ago
The Victor Talking Machine Company launched the Victrola 10-50. It was the first mass-produced, commercially successful record player with a built-in record changer.
20 Mar 1727 (or 1726) – 300 years ago
Death of Sir Isaac Newton, English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. One of the most influential scientists in history. A key figure in the Enlightenment. Best known for discovering the law of gravity and the laws of motion, and for building the first practical reflecting telescope.
21 Mar 1952 – 75 years ago
The Moondog Coronation Ball was held in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It is generally regarded as the world’s first rock and roll concert.
22 Mar 1997 – 30 years ago
Comet Hale–Bopp made its closest approach to Earth. It was a spectacular object and could be seen clearly with the naked eye even before the sky was dark. It reached perihelion on 1st April.
23 Mar 1987 – 40 years ago
The first Soul Train Music Awards were presented. The awards honour the best R&B, soul, rap, jazz and gospel music from the previous year.
24 Mar 1877 – 150 years ago
The annual University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge was declared a dead heat – the only time this happened. The decision was controversial and led to the introduction of finishing posts and umpires.
25 Mar 1957 – 70 years ago
The Treaty of Rome was signed. It created the European Economic Community (EEC), which was founded on 1st January 1958. It was renamed the European Community in 1993 and was dissolved in 2009 having been replaced by the European Union.
26 Mar 1827 – 200 years ago
Death of Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer and pianist. One of the most important classical composers.
27 Mar 1952 – 75 years ago
Sun Records was founded by Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
28 Mar 1997 – 30 years ago
The Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (also known as the Bangkok Treaty) came into effect. Member states must not develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapons.
29 Mar 1927 – 100 years ago
British racing driver Henry Seagrave set a new land speed record of 203.79 mph (327.97 km/h) at Daytona Beach in Florida, USA. He was the first person to travel over 200 mph. He broke the record again in March 1929, but abandoned all further attempts after witnessing the death of American driver Lee Bible, who was making his own attempt.
30 Mar 2002 – 25 years ago
Death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Mother of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Wife of King George VI.
31 Mar 1967 – 60 years ago
American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix set fire to his electric guitar on stage during a legendary performance at the London Astoria. He required hospital treatment afterwards for burns to his hands. He also set fire to his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival on 16th June.
More anniversaries:
You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2027.
The 2028, 2029 and 2030 editions are also available if you work further ahead.
Each edition is available as a PDF ebook (with a free Excel spreadsheet) or as a printed paperback book, in British or U.S. versions.
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This is a fantastic and extremely useful book – very well compiled, detailed and organised. Highly recommended for research or if you’re just curious about ‘on this day’ type history. — Mark