0483 - St. Felix III began his reign as Pope.
0607 - The 12th recorded passage of Halley's Comet occurred.
1519 - Cortez landed in Mexico.
1639 - Harvard University was named for clergyman John Harvard.
1660 - A statute was passed limiting the sale of slaves in the colony of Virginia.
1777 - The U.S. Congress ordered its European envoys to appeal to high-ranking foreign officers to send troops to reinforce the American army.
1781 - Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.
1852 - The New York "Lantern" newspaper published the first "Uncle Sam cartoon". It was drawn by Frank Henry Bellew.
1861 - Jefferson Davis signed a bill authorizing slaves to be used as soldiers for the Confederacy.
1868 - The U.S. Senate began the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.
1877 - Chester Greenwood patented the earmuff.
1878 - The first collegiate golf match was played between Oxford and Cambridge.
1881 - Tsar Alexander II was assassinated when a bomb was thrown at him near his palace.
1884 - Standard time was adopted throughout the U.S.
1900 - In South Africa, British Gen. Roberts took Bloemfontein.
1901 - Andrew Carnegie announced that he was retiring from business and that he would spend the rest of his days giving away his fortune. His net worth was estimated at $300 million.
1902 - In Poland, schools were shut down across the country when students refused to sing the Russian hymn "God Protect the Czar."
1902 - Andrew Carnegie approved 40 applications from libraries for donations.
1908 - The people of Jerusalem saw an automobile for the first time. The owner was Charles Glidden of Boston.
1911 - The U.S. Supreme Court approved corporate tax law.
1915 - The Germans repelled a British expeditionary force attack in France.
1918 - Women were scheduled to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York due to a shortage of men due to wartime.
1925 - A law in Tennessee prohibited the teaching of evolution.
1928 - The St. Francis Dam in California burst and killing 400 people.
1930 - It was announced that the planet Pluto had been discovered by scientist Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory.
1933 - U.S. banks began to re-open after a "holiday" that had been declared by President Roosevelt.
1935 - Three-thousand-year-old archives were found in Jerusalem confirming some biblical history.
1940 - The war between Russia and Finland ended with the signing of a treaty in Moscow.
1941 - Adolf Hitler issued an edict calling for an invasion of the U.S.S.R.
1942 - Julia Flikke of the Nurse Corps became the first woman colonel in the U.S. Army.
1943 - Japanese forces ended their attack on the American troops on Hill 700 in Bougainville.
1946 - Reports from Iran indicated that Soviet tanks units were stationed 20 miles from Tehran.
1946 - Premier Tito seized wartime collaborator General Draja Mikhailovich in a cave in Yugoslavia.
1951 - Israel demanded $1.5 billion in German reparations for the cost of caring for war refugees.
1951 - The comic strip "Dennis the Menace" appeared for the first time in newspapers across the country.
1957 - Jimmy Hoffa was arrested by the FBI on bribery charges.
1963 - China invited Soviet President Khrushchev to visit Peking.
1964 - 38 residents of a New York City neighborhood failed to respond to the screams of Kitty Genovese, 28 years old, as she was stabbed to death.
1969 - The Apollo 9 astronauts returned to Earth after the conclusion of a mission that included the successful testing of the Lunar Module.
1970 - A group calling itself "Revolutionary Force 9" took credit for 3 bombs that exploded in New York City.
1970 - Cambodia ordered Hanoi and Viet Cong troops to leave.
1970 - Digital Equipment Corp. introduced the PDP-11 minicomputer.
1972 - "The Merv Griffin Show" debuted in syndication for Metromedia Television.
1974 - The U.S. Senate voted 54-33 to restore the death penalty.
1974 - An embargo imposed by Arab oil-producing countries was lifted.
1980 - A jury in Winamac, IN, found Ford Motor Company innocent of reckless homicide in the deaths of three young women that had been riding in a Ford Pinto.
1988 - The board of trustees off Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, chose I. King Jordan to be its first deaf president. The college is a liberal arts college for the hearing-impaired.
1990 - The U.S. lifted economic sanctions against Nicaragua.
1991 - Exxon paid $1 billion in fines and for the clean-up of the Alaskan oil spill.
1992 - An earthquake in eastern Turkey killed more than 1,000.
1995 - The first United Nations World Summit on Social Development concluded in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1997 - Sister Nirmala was chosen by India's Missionaries of Charity to succeed Mother Teresa as leader of the Catholic order.
1998 - Sgt. Maj. Gene McKinney, at one time the U.S. Army's top enlisted man, was acquitted of pressuring military women for sex. He was convicted of trying to persuade the chief accuser to lie. He was reprimanded and had his rank reduced.
2002 - Fox aired "Celebrity Boxing." Tonya Harding beat Paula Jones, Danny Banaduce beat Barry Williams and Todd Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice.
2003 - Japan sent a destroyer to the Sea of Japan amid reports that North Korea was planning to test an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
2003 - A report in the journal "Nature" reported that scientists had found 350,000-year-old human footprints in Italy. The 56 prints were made by three early, upright-walking humans that were descending the side of a volcano.
Music History
1860 - Composer Hugo Wolf was born.
1911 - Ivan Caryll's "My Pink Lady" premiered in New York.
1947 - The musical "Brigadoon" opened at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City.
1949 - In Los Angeles, CA, ew Chudd formed Imperial Records.
1961 - Rick Nelson recorded "Travelin' Man".
1965 - Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds.
1973 - Pink Floyd released "Dark Side of the Moon".
1975 - Tammy Wynette and George Jones got divorced.
1975 - Rush released "Fly By Night".
1976 - The Jackson 5 moved from Motown to Epic Records. They also changeed their name to the Jackson's.
1984 - MTV premired its weekly "Top 20 Video Countdown" show.
1987 - Bryan Adams' "Heat of the Night" became the first commercially released cassette single in the U.S.
1987 - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1990 - MTV became available in the Middle East with the launch of MTV Europe in Israel.
1998 - The Smashing Pumpkins filed a suit against a U.K. based Sound And Media Ltd. for at least $1 million. The band alleged that the company released a "book-with-CD" without the proper clearances.
2002 - In Middletown, NJ, Sebastian Bach was arrested for threatening the life of a bartender and the patrons of Lincroft Inn. He was charged with disorderly conduct, possession of under 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released the next day after posting bail.
2004 - Luciano Pavarotti gave his final opera performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He still had concerts planned up until October 12, 2005.
Television History
1972 - "The Merv Griffin Show" debuted in syndication for Metromedia Television.
1974 - The 150th episode of "Adam-12" aired on NBC.
2002 - Fox aired "Celebrity Boxing." Tonya Harding beat Paula Jones, Danny Banaduce beat Barry Williams and Todd Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice.
2003 - It was reported that HBO's "The Sopranos" had been postponed indefinitely due to a contract dispute with the show's star, James Gandolfini.
2005 - The first episode of "Kelsey Grammer Presents The Sketch Show" aired.
American Bandstand History
1961 - The Capris performed "There's a Moon Out Tonight" and "Where I Fell in Love" on "American Bandstand."
1965 - Alvin Cash & the Crawlers performed "Twine Time" and "The Barracuda" on "American Bandstand."
1971 - Wadsworth Mansion performed "Sweet Mary" on "American Bandstand."
1976 - Larry Santos performed "We Can't Hide It Anymore" on "American Bandstand."
1982 - Sheena Easton performed "When He Shines" on "American Bandstand."
Elvis Presley History
1933 - Song writer Mike Stoller was born in Long Island, NY.
1956 - The "Elvis Presley" album was released.
1969 - The Elvis Presley movie "Charro" opened in the U.S.
Sports History
1878 - The first collegiate golf match was played between Oxford and Cambridge.
1894 - J.L. Johnstone invented the Horse Racing's starting gate.
1954 - Bobby Thomson (Milwaukee Braves) broke his ankle sliding into a base during a spring training game. The Braves replaced him with a rookie named Hank Aaron.
1955 - Maurice "Rocket" Richard (Montreal Canadiens) was ejected from a game for fighting. Three days later, NHL commissioner Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the rest of the season. Campbell's decision resulted in seven hours of looting and destruction of property.
1960 - The NFL's Chicago Cardinals transferred to St. Louis.
1983 - Randy Smith's NBA consecutive game streak ended at 906 games.
1992 - Chick Hearn, broadcaster for the Los Angeles Lakers, called his 2,500th consecutive Laker game. The streak began in November of 1965.
1993 - Oksana Bayul became the youngest world champion when she won the world figure skating championship at age 15.
1999 - A.C. Green (Dallas Mavericks) played in his 1,000th consecutive game.
1999 - Phil Housley (Calgary Flames) became the American all-time points leader in the NHL when he reached 1,066. He passed Joe Mullen who had 1,063.
2002 - Former NHL player Jim Brown began a six-month jail sentence for vandalizing his wife's car. Brown had refused to undergo court-ordered counseling and community service.
2007 - Mike Modano (Dallas Stars) scored his 500th career goal.
U.S. President History
1868 - The U.S. Senate began the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.
1901 - The twenty-third president of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, died.
1933 - U.S. banks began to re-open after a "holiday" that had been declared by President Roosevelt.
Birthdays
Joseph Priestley 1733
Charles Earl Grey 1764
Lorenzo Delmonico 1813
Percival Lowell 1855
Helen Sinclair Glatz 1908
Sammy Kaye 1910
L. Ron Hubbard 1911
William Casey 1913
Bobby Haggart 1914
Ina Ray Hutton 1916
Tessie O'Shea 1918
Roy Haynes 1926 - Jazz drummer
Jan Howard 1930 - Country singer
Peter Breck 1930
Liz Anderson 1930
Rosalind Elias 1931 - Opera singer
Jan Howard 1932
Mike Stoller 1933 - Songwriter
Dick Katz 1934
Neil Sedaka 1939 - Singer, songwriter
Robin Duke 1944 - Comedian
Donald York 1949 - Musician (Sha Na Na)
William H. Macy 1950 - Actor
Fred Berry 1951
Deborah Raffin 1953
Dana Delany 1956 - Actress ("China Beach")
Glenne Headly 1957
Adam Clayton 1960 - Musician (U2)
Terence Blanchard 1962 - Jazz trumpeter
Christopher Collet 1968 - Actor
Tracey Wells 1971 - Actress
Annabeth Gish 1971 - Actress
Common 1972 - Rapper
Trent Dilfer 1972 - Football player
Khujo 1972 - Rapper (Goodie Mob)
Glenn Lewis 1975 - Singer
Danny Masterson 1976 - Actor ("That 70's Show")
Johan Santana 1979 - Baseball player
Emile Hirsch 1985 - Actor
Natalie Albino 1986 Singer (Nina Sky)
Nicole Albino 1986 Singer (Nina Sky)
Deaths which occurred on March 13:
1202 Mieszko III the Elder, grand duke of Poland (1173-77, 1200-02), dies
1516 Vladislav II Jagiello king of Bohemia (1490-1516), dies at 60
1558 Jean Fernel French physician/physiologist, dies
1569 Louis Condé French prince/co-leader of Hugenot, dies in battle
1573 Michel de l'Hôpital chancellor of France (1560-68), dies at about 65
1619 Richard Burbage English actor (Shakespeare), dies
1716 Georg Gabriel Schutz composer, dies at 46
1756 Johann Melchior Conradi composer, dies at 81
1817 Matej Sojka composer, dies at 77
1837 Nikita P Panin Russian diplomat/minister of Foreign affairs, dies at 66
1839 Robert Gallenberg composer, dies at 55
1879 Adolf Anderssen German world champion chess (1851..66), dies at 60
1881 Alexander II Tsar of Russia, assassinated at 62
1890 Henry Wylde composer, dies at 67
1901 Benjamin Harrison 23rd President (1889-1893), dies in Indianapolis at 67
1903 Nicolas Beets [Hildebrand] Dutch writer (Camera Obscura), dies at 88
1906 Susan B[rownell] Anthony American suffragist, dies at 85
1911 Jacob M van Bemmelen Dutch physicist/chemist, dies at 80
1915 Sergei J Witte Dutch count/premier of Russia, dies at 65
1918 Karel Stecker composer, dies at 57
1918 William Courtleigh actor (Susie Snowflake), dies at 26
1930 Mary E W Freeman US writer (Pembroke), dies at 77
1934 Fritz Cortolezis composer, dies at 56
1938 Clarence S Darrow Scopes Monkey Trial attorney, dies in Chicago at 80
1941 A Coenradi Dutch resistance fighter, executed
1941 Bernard Ijzerdraat Dutch resistance fighter, executed
1941 E Hellendoorn Dutch resistance fighter, executed
1941 Isaak E Babel Russian writer (Zakat, Marija), executed at 46
1941 J Eyl Dutch resistance fighter, executed
1945 Herbert Bedford composer, dies at 78
1946 Abraham Bredius Dutch art historian (Rembrandt), dies at 90
1946 Thomas Frederick Dunhill composer, dies at 69
1946 Werner von Blomberg German minister of Reichswehr, dies at 67
1951 Alfred Hugenberg German Roman Catholic president-director of Krupp/media magnate, dies
1951 James I Wedgwood British theosophist/Catholic bishop, dies at 67
1955 Maharajadhiraja Tribhuvana Bir Bikram Yung Bahadur Shum Shere dies
1955 Yung Deva king of Nepal (191.-55), dies at about 48
1957 Lena Ashwell English actress/theatrical manager (Kingsway), dies at 84
1964 Kitty Genovese stabbed to death in Queens; 40 neighbors looked on
1965 George Calinescu Romanian author (Lauda Lucrorilor), dies at 65
1967 Frank Worrell West Indian cricketer, dies
1969 Felix Locher actor (Frankenstein's Daughter), dies at 86
1970 Rick Besoyan composer, dies at 45
1971 Piero Coppola composer, dies at 82
1971 Rockwell Kens US artist/painter/illustrator, dies at 88
1973 Stacy Harris actor (Door With No Name, Appointment with Danger), dies at 54
1974 Howard St John actor (Investigator, Dr Lewis-Hank), dies at 68
1974 Janos Prohaska actor (Andy Williams Show), dies at 52
1975 Ali Sastroamidjojo Indonesian attorney/minister/premier, dies at 71
1975 Ivo Andric Yugoslavian author (Nemiri-Nobel 1961), dies at 82
1975 Jean Del Val actor (Sainted Devil, Flying Deuces), dies at 83
1975 Ruth Schaumann German author/painter/sculptor, dies at 75
1976 Willy Alfredo [Willem Jue], Dutch comedian/poet, dies at 77
1977 Fanie Lou Hamer freedom fighter, dies
1977 Jan Patocka Czechoslovakian philosopher, dies in prison
1978 David McKinley Williams composer, dies at 91
1978 Ghulam Mustafa Guard cricketer (3 wickets in 2 Tests for India), dies
1980 Tauno Kullerve Pylkkanen composer, dies at 61
1982 Albert Weisser composer, dies at 64
1982 Wilfred Hawker Suriname Sergeant-Major, executed
1983 Louison Bobet French cyclist (Tour de France 1953-55), dies at 58
1983 Paul R Citroen Dutch sculptor, dies at 86
1984 Dick Whitington journalist/cricketer (South Australia & AIF bat), dies
1986 Alvaro Fayad Delgado Colombian guerilla leader (M-19), dies
1987 Bernhard Grzimek West German zoologist, dies at 77
1987 Finn Videro composer, dies at 80
1987 Gerald Moore England, pianist (Am I Too Loud), dies at 87
1988 Olive Carey actress (Affairs With a Stranger), dies at 92
1990 Bruno Bettelhelm Austrian/US psychoanalyst, commits suicide at 86
1991 Cor Witschge [Pipo the Clown], Dutch actor (Alicia), dies at 65
1991 Jimmy McPartland US, jazz cornetist, dies
1992 Clarence Wright singer, dies at 84
1992 Hans Redeker Dutch art critic (Algemeen Handelsblad), dies
1993 Ralph Smith Fults US gangster (Bonnie & Clyde gang), dies at 82
1994 Danny Barker US banjo player/guitarist (Bourbon St Black), dies at 85
1994 Edward James "Murt" O'Donoghue snooker player
1994 Sandra Paretti romantic novelist, dies at 59
1995 Abdul Ali Mazari Afghan shite leader, shot to death
1995 John Silverlight journalist, dies at 75
1995 Leo Kaplan lawyer (ASCAP), dies at 89
1995 Leon Day pitcher (Negro Leagues), dies of heart failure at 78
1995 Lorraine Macleod dancer (Girls Just Want to Have Fun), dies at 65
1995 P C J van Lierde Dutch vicar-general of Vatican (1951-91), dies at 87
1996 Brian Hulls television news cameraman, dies at 48
1996 Krzysztof Kieslowski film director, dies of heart attack at 54
1996 Lucio Fulci filem director, dies at 68
1996 Lucy Faithfull children's campaigner, dies at 85