March 21

March 21 in recent years

2024 (Thursday)

2023 (Tuesday)

2022 (Monday)

2021 (Sunday)

2020 (Saturday)

2019 (Thursday)

2018 (Wednesday)

2017 (Tuesday)

2016 (Monday)

2015 (Saturday)

March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 285 days remain until the end of the year.

In astrology, the day of the equinox is the first full day of the sign of Aries. It is also the traditional first day of the astrological year.

Events

• 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the Vivarium, by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas and Peranius.
• 630 – Emperor Heraclius returns the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem.
• 717 – Battle of Vincy between Charles Martel and Ragenfrid.
• 1152 – Annulment of the marriage of King Louis VII of France and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
• 1188 – Emperor Antoku accedes to the throne of Japan.
• 1413 – Henry V becomes King of England.
• 1556 – In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake.
• 1788 – A fire in New Orleans leaves most of the town in ruins.
• 1800 – With the church leadership driven out of Rome during an armed conflict, Pius VII is crowned Pope in Venice with a temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché.
• 1801 – The Battle of Alexandria is fought between British and French forces near the ruins of Nicopolis in Egypt.
• 1804 – Code Napoléon is adopted as French civil law.
• 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: Austrian forces repel French troops in the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube.
• 1821 – Greek War of Independence: First revolutionary act in the monastery of Agia Lavra, Kalavryta.
• 1844 – The Bahá'í calendar begins. This is the first day of the first year of the Bahá'í calendar. It is annually celebrated by members of the Bahá'í Faith as the Bahá'í New Year or Náw-Rúz.
• 1857 – An earthquake in Tokyo, Japan kills over 100,000.
• 1861 – Alexander Stephens gives the Cornerstone Speech
• 1871 – Otto von Bismarck is appointed Chancellor of the German Empire.
• 1871 – Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and explorer David Livingstone.
• 1913 – Over 360 are killed and 20,000 homes destroyed in the Great Dayton Flood in Dayton, Ohio.
• 1918 – World War I: The first phase of the German Spring Offensive, Operation Michael, begins.
• 1919 – The Hungarian Soviet Republic is established becoming the first Communist government to be formed in Europe after the October Revolution in Russia.
• 1921 – The New Economic Policy is implemented by the Bolshevik Party in response to the economic failure as a result of War Communism.
• 1925 – The Butler Act prohibits the teaching of human evolution in Tennessee.
• 1925 – Syngman Rhee is removed from office after being impeached as the President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
• 1928 – Charles Lindbergh is presented with the Medal of Honor for the first solo trans-Atlantic flight.
• 1933 – Construction of Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, is completed.
• 1935 – Shah of Iran Reza Shah Pahlavi formally asks the international community to call Persia by its native name, Iran, meaning "Land of the Aryans".
• 1937 – Ponce Massacre: Nineteen people in Ponce, Puerto Rico, are gunned down by a police squad acting under orders of US-appointed Governor, Blanton C. Winship.
• 1943 – Wehrmacht officer Rudolf von Gersdorff plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler by using a suicide bomb, but the plan falls through. Von Gersdorff is able to defuse the bomb in time and avoid suspicion.
• 1945 – World War II: British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma.
• 1945 – World War II: Operation Carthage: Royal Air Force planes bomb Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. They also hit a school and 125 civilians are killed.
• 1945 – World War II: Bulgaria and the Soviet Union successfully complete their defense of the north bank of the Drava River as the Battle of the Transdanubian Hills concludes.
• 1946 – The Los Angeles Rams sign Kenny Washington, making him the first African American player in the American football since 1933.
• 1952 – Alan Freed presents the Moondog Coronation Ball, the first rock and roll concert, in Cleveland, Ohio.
• 1960 – Apartheid in South Africa: Massacre in Sharpeville, South Africa: Police open fire on a group of unarmed black South African demonstrators, killing 69 and wounding 180.
• 1963 – Alcatraz, a federal penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay, closes.
• 1965 – Ranger program: NASA launches Ranger 9, the last in a series of unmanned lunar space probes.
• 1965 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads 3,200 people on the start of the third and finally successful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
• 1968 – Battle of Karameh in Jordan between Israeli Defense Forces and Fatah.
• 1970 – The first Earth Day proclamation is issued by Mayor of San Francisco Joseph Alioto.
• 1980 – US President Jimmy Carter announces a United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
• 1980 – Dallas aired its "A House Divided" episode which led to eight months of international intrigue regarding Who shot J.R.?
• 1989 – Sports Illustrated reports allegations tying baseball player Pete Rose to baseball gambling.
• 1990 – Namibia becomes independent after 75 years of South African rule.
• 1999 – Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon.
• 2000 – Pope John Paul II makes his first ever pontifical visit to Israel.

Births

• 1417 – Nicholas of Flüe, Swiss saint (d. 1487)
• 1474 – Angela Merici, Italian religious leader and saint (d. 1540)
• 1521 – Maurice, Elector of Saxony (d. 1553)
• 1527 – Hermann Finck, German composer (d. 1558)
• 1672 – Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, Italian poet (d. 1742)
• 1713 – Francis Lewis, Welsh-American politician (d. 1803)
• 1716 – Josef Seger, Bohemian organist, composer, and educator (d. 1782)
• 1763 – Jean Paul, German author (d. 1825)
• 1768 – Joseph Fourier, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1830)
• 1801 – Maria Theresa of Austria (d. 1855)
• 1806 – Benito Juárez, Mexican lawyer and politician, 25th President of Mexico (d. 1872)
• 1811 – Nathaniel Woodard, English priest and educator (d. 1891)
• 1825 – Alexander Mozhaysky, Russian navy officer (d. 1890)
• 1835 – Thomas Hayward, English cricketer (d. 1876)
• 1839 – Modest Mussorgsky, Russian composer (d. 1881)
• 1854 – Alick Bannerman, Australian cricketer (d. 1924)
• 1857 – Alice Henry, Australian journalist and activist (d. 1943)
• 1859 – Daria Pratt, American golfer (d. 1938)
• 1865 – George Owen Squier, American general (d. 1934)
• 1867 – Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., American director and producer (d. 1932)
• 1869 – David Robertson, Scottish golfer (d. 1937)
• 1876 – Walter Tewksbury, American runner (d. 1968)
• 1877 – Maurice Farman, French race car driver and pilot (d. 1964)
• 1880 – Broncho Billy Anderson, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1971)
• 1882 – Aleksander Kesküla, Estonian politician (d. 1963)
• 1882 – Bascom Lamar Lunsford, American singer and lawyer (d. 1973)
• 1885 – Pierre Renoir, French actor and director (d. 1952)
• 1887 – M. N. Roy, Indian Communist Leader(d. 1954)
• 1889 – Jock Sutherland, American football player and coach (d. 1948)
• 1891 – Jonathan Hale, Canadian-American actor (d. 1966)
• 1895 – Zlatko Baloković, Croatian-American violinist (d. 1955)
• 1897 – Salvador Lutteroth, Mexican wrestling promoter, founded Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (d.1987)
• 1901 – Karl Arnold, German politician (d. 1958)
• 1902 – Son House, American singer and guitarist (d. 1988)
• 1902 – Santo Pecora, American trombonist (New Orleans Rhythm Kings) (d. 1984)
• 1904 – Jehane Benoît, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1987)
• 1904 – Forrest Mars, Sr., American candy maker, created M&M's and Mars bar (d. 1999)
• 1904 – Nikos Skalkottas, Greek composer (d. 1949)
• 1905 – Phyllis McGinley, American author and poet (d. 1978)
• 1906 – John D. Rockefeller III, American philanthropist (d. 1978)
• 1906 – Jim Thompson, American businessman (d. 1967)
• 1910 – Julio Gallo, American businessman, co-founded E & J Gallo Winery (d. 1993)
• 1910 – Muhammad Siddiq Khan, Bangladeshi librarian and educator (d. 1978)
• 1912 – André Laurendeau, Canadian journalist, playwright, and politician (d. 1968)
• 1913 – George Abecassis, English race car driver (d. 1991)
• 1914 – Paul Tortelier, French cellist and composer (d. 1990)
• 1916 – Bismillah Khan, Indian shehnai player (d. 2006)
• 1916 – Ken Wharton, English racing driver (d. 1957)
• 1917 – Frank Hardy, Australian author (d. 1994)
• 1917 – Yigael Yadin, Israeli archeologist, general, and politician (d. 1984)
• 1918 – Patrick Lucey, American politician, 38th Governor of Wisconsin
• 1918 - Charles Thompson, American keyboard player
• 1919 – Douglas Warren, Australian bishop (d. 2013)
• 1920 – Manolis Chiotis, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (d. 1970)
• 1920 – Georg Ots, Estonian opera singer (d. 1975)
• 1921 – Manolis Chiotis, Greek composer, singer and bouzouki virtuoso (d. 1970)
• 1921 – Arthur Grumiaux, Belgian violinist and pianist (d. 1986)
• 1921 - Antony Hopkins, English composer, conductor and pianist
• 1921 – Logan Ramsey, American actor (d. 2000)
• 1921 – Joe Sutter, American engineer
• 1922 – Russ Meyer, American director, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2004)
• 1923 – Philip Abbott, American actor (d. 1998)
• 1923 – Louis-Edmond Hamelin, Canadian geographer, educator, and author
• 1923 – Nizar Qabbani, Syrian diplomat, poet, and publisher (d. 1998)
• 1923 – Nirmala Srivastava, Indian religious leader, founded Sahaja Yoga (d. 2011)
• 1924 – Dov Shilansky, Israeli politician (d. 2010)
• 1925 – Harold Ashby, American saxophonist (d. 2003)
• 1925 – Peter Brook, English-French director and producer
• 1925 – Hugo Koblet, Swiss cyclist (d. 1964)
• 1926 – André Delvaux, Belgian director (d. 2002)
• 1927 – Halton Arp, American-German astronomer and critic (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany
• 1929 – Maurice Catarcio, American wrestler (d. 2005)
• 1930 – James Coco, American actor (d. 1987)
• 1930 – Otis Spann, American singer and pianist (d. 1970)
• 1931 – Clark L. Brundin, American scientist and administrator
• 1931 – Toyonobori, Japanese sumo wrestler (d. 1998)
• 1931 – Catherine Gibson, Scottish swimmer (d. 2013)
• 1931 – Al Williamson, American illustrator (d. 2010)
• 1932 – Walter Gilbert, American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1932 – Joseph Silverstein, American violinist and conductor
• 1933 – John Hall, English businessman
• 1933 – Michael Heseltine, Welsh businessman and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• 1934 – Al Freeman, Jr., American actor and director (d. 2012)
• 1934 – Ved Mehta, Indian writer
• 1935 – Brian Clough, English footballer and manager (d. 2004)
• 1936 – Ed Broadbent, Canadian politician
• 1936 – Brian Dee, English jazz pianist
• 1936 – Mike Westbrook, English pianist and composer
• 1937 – Ann Clwyd, Welsh politician
• 1937 – Tom Flores, American football player and coach
• 1937 – Pierre-Jean Rémy, French diplomat and author (d. 2010)
• 1938 – Michael Foreman, English author and illustrator
• 1939 – Kathleen Widdoes, American actress
• 1940 – Solomon Burke, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
• 1942 – Françoise Dorléac, French actress (d. 1967)
• 1942 – Kostas Politis, Greek basketball player and coach
• 1942 – Amina Claudine Myers, American singer-songwriter and pianist
• 1943 – István Gyulai, Hungarian sprinter and sportscaster (d. 2006)
• 1943 – Hartmut Haenchen, German conductor
• 1943 – Vivian Stanshall, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Grimms) (d. 1995)
• 1944 – Marie-Christine Barrault, French actress
• 1944 – Timothy Dalton, Welsh-English actor
• 1944 – Janet Daley, American-born British journalist
• 1944 – Hideki Ishima, Japanese guitarist (Flower Travellin' Band)
• 1944 – Mike Jackson, British soldier, Chief of the General Staff
• 1944 – David Lindley, American gutarist, songwriter, and producer (Kaleidoscope)
• 1944 – Gaye Adegbalola, American singer and guitarist (Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women)
• 1945 – Anthony Grabiner, British barrister
• 1945 – Rose Stone, American singer and keyboard player (Sly and the Family Stone)
• 1946 – Ray Dorset, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Mungo Jerry)
• 1947 – Amanda Nevill, English arts administrator
• 1948 – Scott Fahlman, American computer scientist
• 1949 – Alvin Kallicharran, Indo-Guyanese cricketer
• 1949 – Andy Love, Scottish politician
• 1949 – Eddie Money, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1949 – Slavoj Žižek, Slovenian sociologist and critic
• 1950 – Roger Hodgson, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player (Supertramp)
• 1950 – Ron Oden, American politician, 19th Mayor of Palm Springs
• 1951 – Conrad Lozano, American bass player (Los Lobos)
• 1951 – Russell Thompkins, Jr., American singer (The Stylistics)
• 1951 – Buck Zumhofe, American wrestler
• 1953 – Paul Martin Lester, American educator, author, and photographer
• 1953 – David Wisniewski, American children's author and illustrator
• 1955 – Fadi Abboud, Lebanese politician
• 1955 – Bob Bennett, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1955 – Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Greek politician
• 1956 – Guy Chadwick, German-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (The House of Love)
• 1956 – Ingrid Kristiansen, Norwegian runner
• 1958 – Brad Hall, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1958 – Sabrina Le Beauf, American actress
• 1958 – Gary Oldman, English actor, singer, director, and producer
• 1959 – Sarah Jane Morris, English singer-songwriter (The Happy End)
• 1959 – Yuval Rotem, Israeli diplomat
• 1959 – Nobuo Uematsu, Japanese composer
• 1960 – Benito T. de Leon, Filipino general
• 1960 – Raivo Puusepp, Estonian architect
• 1950 – Ayrton Senna, Brazilian F1 driver, triple world champion in 1988, 1990, 1991 (d. 1994)
• 1960 – Robert Sweet, American drummer and producer (Stryper, King James, and Blissed)
• 1961 – Lothar Matthäus, German footballer and manager
• 1961 – Slim Jim Phantom, American drummer (Stray Cats, Phantom, Rocker & Slick, Dead Men Walking, and The Head Cat)
• 1962 – Matthew Broderick, American actor, singer, and director
• 1962 – Kathy Greenwood, Canadian actress
• 1962 – Rosie O'Donnell, American actress and talk show host
• 1962 – Mark Waid, American author
• 1963 – Shawon Dunston, American baseball player
• 1963 – Ronald Koeman, Dutch footballer and manager
• 1963 – Shawn Lane, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Black Oak Arkansas) (d. 2003)
• 1964 – Ieuan Evans, Welsh rugby player
• 1964 – Ahmed Radhi, Iraqi footballer and politician
• 1964 – Jesper Skibby, Danish cyclist
• 1965 – Xavier Bertrand, French politician
• 1966 – Benito Archundia, Mexican football referee, lawyer, and economist
• 1966 – Matthew Maynard, English cricketer
• 1966 – DJ Premier, American DJ and producer (Gang Starr)
• 1967 – Jonas Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer (Ace of Base)
• 1967 – Adrian Chiles, English television and radio host
• 1967 – Carwyn Jones, Welsh politician
• 1967 – Maxim Reality, English singer-songwriter (The Prodigy)
• 1968 – Cameron Clyne, Australian businessman
• 1968 – Andrew Copeland, American singer and guitarist (Sister Hazel)
• 1968 – Jaye Davidson, American-English actor
• 1968 – Samantha Dorman, American model and actress
• 1968 – Greg Ellis, English actor
• 1968 – Shin Seung-hun, South Korean singer-songwriter
• 1968 – Scott Williams, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1969 – Viktor Alonen, Estonian footballer
• 1969 – Ali Daei, Iranian footballer and coach
• 1969 – Jonah Goldberg, American journalist and author
• 1970 – Shiho Niiyama, Japanese voice actress (d. 2000)
• 1970 – Cenk Uygur, Turkish-American talk show host
• 1971 – Zsolt Kürtösi, Hungarian decathlete
• 1972 – Chris Candido, American wrestler (d. 2005)
• 1972 – Hain Helde, Estonian canoer
• 1973 – Vanessa Branch, English-American model and actress
• 1973 – Ananda Lewis, American television host
• 1973 – Stuart Nethercott, English footballer
• 1973 – Large Professor, American rapper and producer (Main Source)
• 1973 – Jerry Supiran, American actor
• 1974 – Laura Allen, American actress
• 1974 – José Clayton, Brazilian-Tunisian footballer
• 1974 – Rhys Darby, New Zealand comedian and actor
• 1974 – Kevin Leahy, American drummer
• 1974 – Edsel Dope, American singer-songwriter and producer (Dope)
• 1974 – Conor Woodman, Irish journalist, author and television presenter
• 1975 – Yacoub Al-Mohana, Kuwaiti director
• 1975 – Fabricio Oberto, Argentinian-Italian basketball player
• 1975 – Justin Pierce, English-American actor (d. 2000)
• 1975 – Vitaly Potapenko, Ukrainian basketball player
• 1975 – Mark Williams, Welsh snooker player
• 1976 – Rachael MacFarlane, American voice actress and singer
• 1976 – Iain Percy, English sailor
• 1976 – Tekin Sazlog, German-Turkish footballer
• 1977 – Bruno Cirillo, Italian footballer
• 1978 – Nicholas M. Baines, English keyboard player (Kaiser Chiefs)
• 1978 – Charmaine Dragun, Australian journalist (d. 2007)
• 1978 – Kevin Federline, American dancer, rapper, and actor
• 1978 – Cristian Guzmán, Dominican baseball player
• 1978 – Rani Mukerji, Indian actress
• 1978 – Young Noble, American rapper (Outlawz)
• 1978 – Joyce Jimenez, American-Filipino actress
• 1980 – Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballer
• 1980 – Marit Bjørgen, Norwegian skier
• 1980 – Lee Jin, South Korean singer and actress (Fin.K.L)
• 1980 – Deryck Whibley, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Sum41)
• 1981 – Germano Borovicz Cardoso Schweger, Brazilian footballer
• 1981 – Sébastien Chavanel, French cyclist
• 1981 – Aysun Kayacı, Turkish model, actress, and presenter
• 1982 – Maria Elena Camerin, Italian tennis player
• 1982 – Aaron Hill, American baseball player
• 1982 – Jocie Kwok, Chinese-Singaporean singer
• 1982 – Colin Turkington, Irish race car driver
• 1982 – Ermal Mamaqi, Albanian actor, singer, comedian and Dj
• 1983 – Bonfire, German race horse (d. 2013)
• 1983 – Jean Ondoa, Cameroonian footballer
• 1984 – Tiago dos Santos Roberto, Brazilian footballer
• 1984 – Guillermo Daniel Rodríguez, Uruguayan footballer
• 1985 – Ryan Callahan, American ice hockey player
• 1985 – Adrian Peterson, American football player
• 1986 – Romanos Alyfantis, Greek swimmer
• 1986 – Miguel Pérez Cuesta, Spanish footballer, sometimes known as "Michu"
• 1987 – Rocco Nacino, Filipino actor, dancer and model
• 1988 – Lee Cattermole, English footballer
• 1988 – Kateřina Čechová, Czech sprinter
• 1988 – Erik Johnson, American ice hockey player
• 1988 – Eric Krüger, German sprinter
• 1989 – Jordi Alba, Spanish footballer
• 1989 – Rochelle Humes, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (The Saturdays and S Club 8)
• 1989 – Nicolas Lodeiro, Uruguayan footballer
• 1989 – Takeru Satoh, Japanese actor
• 1990 – Mandy Capristo, German singer-songwriter and dancer (Monrose)
• 1990 – Ryann Krais, American runner and heptathlete
• 1990 – Alex Nimo, Liberian-American footballer
• 1991 – Luke Chapman, English footballer
• 1992 – Karolína Plíšková, Czech tennis player
• 1993 – Jake Bidwell, English footballer
• 1993 – Jade Jones, Welsh Taekwondo athlete
• 1993 – Suraj Sharma, Indian actor
• 1995 – Gerli Liinamäe, Estonian figure skater
• 1995 – Diggy Simmons, American rapper (All City Chess Club)
• 2004 – Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg

Deaths

• 1063 – Richeza of Lotharingia (b. 995)
• 1076 – Robert I, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1011)
• 1306 – Robert II, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1248)
• 1487 – Nicholas of Flüe, Swiss saint (b. 1417)
• 1556 – Thomas Cranmer, English archbishop (b. 1489)
• 1656 – James Ussher, Irish archbishop (b. 1581)
• 1676 – Henri Sauval, French historian (b. 1623)
• 1729 – John Law, Scottish economist (b. 1671)
• 1734 – Robert Wodrow, Scottish historian (b. 1679)
• 1751 – Johann Heinrich Zedler, German publisher (b. 1706)
• 1762 – Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, French astronomer (b. 1713)
• 1772 – Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, French geographer (b. 1703)
• 1795 – Giovanni Arduino, Italian geologist (b. 1714)
• 1801 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian composer (b. 1741)
• 1804 – Louis Antoine, Duke of Enghien (b. 1772)
• 1843 – Robert Southey, English poet (b. 1774)
• 1843 – Guadalupe Victoria, Mexician general and politician, 1st President of Mexico (b. 1786)
• 1863 – Edwin Vose Sumner, American general (b. 1797)
• 1884 – Ezra Abbot, American scholar (b. 1819)
• 1896 – William Quan Judge, Irish occultist and theosophist (b. 1851)
• 1915 – Frederick Winslow Taylor, American engineer (b. 1856)
• 1920 – Evelina Haverfield Scottish nurse and activist (b. 1867)
• 1932 – Frantz Reichel, French rugby player (b. 1871)
• 1934 – Franz Schreker, Austrian composer and conductor (b. 1878)
• 1936 – Alexander Glazunov, Russian composer and conductor (b. 1865)
• 1939 – Evald Aav, Estonian composer (b. 1900)
• 1943 – Cornelia Fort, American pilot (b. 1919)
• 1945 – Arthur Nebe, German SS officer (b. 1894)
• 1951 – Willem Mengelberg, Dutch conductor and composer (b. 1871)
• 1955 – Muriel Aked, English film actress (b. 1887)
• 1958 – Cyril M. Kornbluth, American author (b. 1923)
• 1970 – Manolis Chiotis, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (b. 1920)
• 1973 – Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu, Turkish poet (b. 1894)
• 1974 – Candy Darling, American actress(b. 1944)
• 1975 – Joe Medwick, American baseball player (b. 1911)
• 1977 – Victor Beaumont, German-born British actor (b. 1912)
• 1978 – Louis Cottrell, Jr., American saxophonist and clarinet player (b. 1911)
• 1980 – Angelo Bruno, Italian-American mobster (b. 1910)
• 1980 – Peter Stoner, American mathematician, astronomer, and apologist (b. 1888)
• 1982 – Harry H. Corbett, English actor (b. 1925)
• 1985 – Michael Redgrave, English actor, director, and manager (b. 1908)
• 1987 – Walter L. Gordon, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1906)
• 1987 – Dean Paul Martin, American tennis player, singer, actor, and pilot (b. 1951)
• 1987 – Robert Preston, American actor (b. 1918)
• 1991 – Leo Fender, American businessman, founded Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (b. 1909)
• 1992 – John Ireland, Canadian actor and director (b. 1914)
• 1992 – Natalie Sleeth, American pianist and composer (b. 1930)
• 1994 – Macdonald Carey, American actor (b. 1913)
• 1994 – Lili Damita, French-American actress (b. 1904)
• 1994 – Dack Rambo, American actor (b. 1941)
• 1997 – Wilbert Awdry, English cleric and author (b. 1911)
• 1998 – Galina Ulanova, Russian ballerina (b. 1910)
• 1999 – Jean Guitton, French philosopher and author (b. 1905)
• 1999 – Ernie Wise, English comedian and actor (b. 1925)
• 2001 – Chung Ju-yung, South Korean businessman, founded Hyundai (b. 1915)
• 2001 – Anthony Steel, English actor and singer (b. 1920)
• 2002 – Herman Talmadge, American politician, 70th Governor of Georgia (b. 1913)
• 2003 – Shivani, Indian author (b. 1923)
• 2003 – Umar Wirahadikusumah, Indonesian politician, 4th Vice President of Indonesia (b. 1924)
• 2004 – Ludmilla Tchérina, French actress, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1924)
• 2005 – Barney Martin, American actor (b. 1923)
• 2005 – Bobby Short, American singer and pianist (b. 1924)
• 2007 – Drew Hayes, American writer and illustrator (b. 1969)
• 2007 – Sven O. Høiby, Norwegian journalist (b. 1936)
• 2007 – Kevin Whitrick, English engineer (b. 1964)
• 2008 – Klaus Dinger, German singer-songwriter and producer (Neu!, La Düsseldorf, La! Neu?, and Kraftwerk) (b. 1946)
• 2008 – Denis Cosgrove, British professor of geography (b. 1948)
• 2008 – Guillermo Jullian de la Fuente, Chilean architect (b. 1931)
• 2009 – Walt Poddubny, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1960)
• 2010 – Wolfgang Wagner, German director (b. 1919)
• 2011 – Loleatta Holloway, American singer-songwriter (The Caravans) (b. 1946)
• 2011 – Gerd Klier, German footballer (b. 1944)
• 2011 – Ladislav Novák, Czech footballer and manager (b. 1931)
• 2011 – Pinetop Perkins, American singer and pianist (b. 1913)
• 2012 – Albrecht Dietz, German businessman (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Ron Erhardt, American football coach (b. 1931)
• 2012 – Robert Fuest, English director, screenwriter, and production designer (b. 1927)
• 2013 – Chinua Achebe, Nigerian poet and author (b. 1930)
• 2013 – Mohamed Said Ramadan Al-Bouti, Turkish-Syrian cleric and scholar (b. 1929)
• 2013 – Angus Carmichael, Scottish footballer (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Ernest Chapman, Australian rower (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Yvan Ducharme, Canadian actor (b. 1937)
• 2013 – Tyrone Gilks, Australian motorcycle racer (b. 1993)
• 2013 – Rick Hautala, American author and screenwriter (b. 1949)
• 2013 – Harlon Hill, American football player and coach (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Ewan Jamieson, New Zealand commander (b. 1930)
• 2013 – Cornelis H. A. Koster, Dutch computer scientist, created the Compiler Description Language (b. 1943)
• 2013 – Ludwig Leitner, German skier (b. 1940)
• 2013 – Pietro Mennea, Italian sprinter and politician (b. 1952)
• 2013 – Max Oldmeadow, Australian politician (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Aníbal Paz, Uruguayan footballer (b. 1917)
• 2013 – Herschel Schacter, American rabbi (b. 1917)
• 2013 – Joe B. Scott, American baseball player (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Bruce Skeggs, Australian politician (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Elsie Thompson, American super-centenarian (b. 1899)
• 2013 – Giancarlo Zagni, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1926)

Holidays and observances

• Birth of Benito Juárez, a Fiestas Patrias (Mexico)

• Christian Feast Day:
  • Nicholas of Flüe
  • Serapion of Thmuis
  • Thomas Cranmer (Anglicanism)

• Earliest day on which Holy Saturday can fall, while April 24 is the latest; celebrated on Saturday before Easter. (Christianity)
• Harmony Day (Australia)
• Human Rights Day (South Africa)
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Namibia from South African mandate in 1990.
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (International)
• International Day of Forests (International), by proclamation of the United Nations General Assembly
• Mother's Day (most of the Arab World)
• Truant's Day (Poland)
• Vernal Equinox related observances (see March 20)
• World Down Syndrome Day (International)
• World Poetry Day (International)
• World Puppetry Day (International)
• Youth Day (Tunisia)
• Newroz (Kurdistan)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada