1941 – Bernard Ijzerdraat, Dutch resistance fighter, executed by Nazi regime at 49
1951 – James I Wedgwood, British theosophist and bishop (Liberal Catholic Church), dies at 67
1973 – Stacy Harris, Canadian born actor (NOPD, Doorway to Danger), dies at 54
1995 – Lorraine Macleod, American dancer (Girls Just Want to Have Fun), dies at 65
2001 – Encarnación Alzona, pioneering Filipino historian, educator, and first Filipino woman to obtain a Ph.D., dies at 105
2002 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher (Truth and Method), dies at 102
2005 – Jason Evers, American actor (Wrangler, Channing), dies of heart failure at 83
2009 – James Purdy, American author (Malcolm), dies at 94
2016 – Martin Olav Sabo, American politician (Rep-D-MN, 1979-2007), dies at 78
2024 – Stefan Abadzhiev, Bulgarian soccer forward (27 caps; PFC Levski Sofia), dies at 89
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 13th March 2026
1901 – Amidst increasing anti-gambling sentiment, wagering on horse racing is banned in San Francisco, CA; Ingleside Race Track closes March 15
1922 – NHL Championship: Ottawa Senators outscore Toronto St Pats, 5 to 4, in 2 games
1961 – Elizabeth Gurley Finn (70) becomes President of US Communist Party
1973 – “Irene” opens at Minskoff Theater NYC for 605 performances
1979 – NHL New York Islanders Mike Bossy’s 5th career hat trick
1982 – Ice Pairs Championship at Copenhagen won by Baess and Thierbach (GDR)
1985 – Funeral services held for Konstantin Chernenko in Moscow
2019 – British MPs vote to reject a no-deal Brexit, defeating Theresa May’s government 321 votes to 278
Today in History for 13th March 2026
Historical Events
1759 – 27th recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet
1913 – Kansas legislature approved censorship of motion pictures
1921 – Mongolia (formerly Outer Mongolia) declares independence from China
1930 – Clyde Tombaugh announces the discovery of Pluto at Lowell Observatory
1954 – Braves’ Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle, he is replaced by Hank Aaron
Famous Birthdays
1372 – Louis I, Duke of Orléans, Brother of Charles VI of France, born in Paris (d. 1407)
1599 – Johannes Berchmans, Dutch Jesuit and Roman Catholic saint, born in Diest, Seventeen Provinces (d. 1621)
1700 – Michel Blavet, French composer, born in Besançon, France (d. 1768)
1910 – Karl Gustav Ahlefeldt, Danish actor (Gertrud, Hooray for the Blue Hussars), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1985)
1950 – Charles Krauthammer, American conservative political commentator and psychiatrist (The Washington Post), born in New York City (d. 2018)
Famous Deaths
1808 – Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway (1766-1808), dies of a stroke at 59
1965 – Fan S. Noli, Albanian bishop, poet, and politician (b. 1882)
1994 – Murt [Edward James] O’Donoghue, New Zealand snooker player (1st witnessed 147 break), dies at 93
1995 – Odette Hallowes, British classified agent in France (WWII), dies at 82
1996 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish film director (The Double Life of Veronique), dies of a heart attack at 54
Famous Deaths for 12th March 2026
1958 – Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, wife of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland, dies at 79
1984 – Arnold Ridley, English playwright and actor, dies at 88
1993 – June Valli, American singer (Crying in the Chapel), dies of cancer at 62
1998 – Judge Dread [Alexander Hughes] English reggae musician, dies from a heart attack at 52
2008 – Jorge Guinzburg, Argentine journalist, producer, humorist, and TV, theater and radio host (b. 1949)
2013 – Clive Burr, English drummer, dies from complications from multiple sclerosis at 56
2016 – Lloyd Shapley, American Mathematician (2012 Nobel Prize, Game Theory), dies at 92
2018 – Craig Mack, American rapper (Flava In Ya Ear), dies of heart failure at 47
2018 – Ken Flach, American tennis player (Wimbledon doubles 1987, 88; US Open doubles 1985, 93), dies of pneumonia at 54
2018 – Oleg Tabakov, Soviet-Russian actor and artistic director (Moscow Art Theatre), dies at 82
Historical Events for 12th March 2026
1755 – 1st steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine
1910 – Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Wanderers beat Berlin Dutchmen (ON), 7-3
1912 – Helen Hayes Theater (Little Theatre) opens at 240W 44th St, NYC
1933 – Franklin D. Roosevelt conducts his first “fireside chat” as US President via radio, speaking directly to 60 million listening Americans, eight days after his inauguration
1958 – 3rd Eurovision Song Contest: Andre Claveau for France wins singing “Dors, mon amour” in Hilversum
1977 – Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet bans the Christian-Democratic Party
1985 – Larry Bird scores Boston Celtic record 60 points
2006 – 47th SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament: Florida beats South Carolina, 49-47
Today in History for 12th March 2026
Historical Events
1365 – University of Vienna is founded
1877 – Great Britain annexes Walvis Bay at Cape colony, Southern Africa.
1966 – Chicago Black Hawks Bobby Hull’s 51st goal of season, sets record
1969 – 120 cannabis joints found at George Harrison and Patti Harrison’s home in Esher, England
1991 – 5th Soul Train Music Awards: Johnny Gill, Mariah Carey win
Famous Birthdays
1888 – Hall Johnson, American composer (Hall Johnson Choir), born in Athens, Georgia (d. 1970)
1924 – Martha Nierenberg [née Weiss de Csepel], Hungarian-American biochemist, furniture designer and co-founder of Dansk Designs, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2020)
1938 – Norman Hogg, British MP
1948 – James Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (“Fire And Rain”; “You’ve Got A Friend”; “Shower The People”), born in Boston, Massachusetts
1949 – David Mellor, British MP who resigned due to scandal, born in Wareham, England
Famous Deaths
1924 – Hilaire de Chardonnet, French industrialist and inventor (rayon), dies at 84
1950 – L Heinrich Mann, German/American writer (Between the Races), dies at 78
2004 – Sylvi Saimo, Finnish kayaker (Olympic gold K-1 500m 1952, 1st Finnish female summer Olympic champion), dies at 89
2010 – Lesley Duncan (Cox), British session singer (Pink Floyd; Jesus Christ Superstar), and singer-songwriter (“Love Song”; “Sing Children Sing”), dies of cerebrovascular disease at 66
2012 – Michael Hossack, American rock drummer (The Doobie Brothers), dies of cancer at 65
Famous Deaths for 11th March 2026
1874 – Charles Sumner, American politician, Senator Massachusetts (1851-74) and anti-slavery advocate, dies at 63
1944 – Irvin S. Cobb, American writer and humorist (Old Judge Priest), dies at 67
1947 – Victor Lustig, Austrian-Hungarian con artist known for “selling the Eiffel Tower twice”, dies at 57
1952 – Pierre Renoir, French stage and film actor and director (b. 1885)
1963 – Mahomed Nissar, Indian cricketer (6 Tests for India 1932-36, 25 wkts), dies at 52
1969 – John Wyndham, American sci-fi author (Chrysalids), dies at 65
2007 – Betty Hutton [Elizabeth June Thornburg], American actress, dancer, singer and comedian (Greatest Show on Earth), dies of colon cancer a 86
2018 – Ken Dodd, British singer and comedian described as “the last great music hall entertainer,” dies of complications from a chest infection at 90
2025 – Norair Nurikian, Bulgarian weightlifter (Olympic gold men’s 60kg 1972, 56kg 1976), dies at 76
2025 – Clive Revill, New Zealand stage and screen actor (Irma La Douce; Oliver!; Avanti!), dies at 94
Historical Events for 11th March 2026
1779 – US Army Corps of Engineers established (1st time)
1862 – Confederate Army General Stonewall Jackson begins evacuation of Winchester, Virginia
1919 – General strike in Germany crushed
1991 – 17th People’s Choice Awards: Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts win (Motion Picture star) and Bill Cosby and Kirstie Alley win (TV)
2000 – 21st Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament: St. John’s beats Connecticut, 80-70
2001 – 48th ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament: #3 Duke beats #6 North Carolina, 79-53
2011 – 9.0 magnitude earthquake strikes 130 km (80 miles) east of Sendai, Japan, triggering a tsunami that kills thousands and causes the second worst nuclear accident in history at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant
2013 – Falkland Islands’ sovereignty referendum: 99.8% choose to remain an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom
Today in History for 11th March 2026
Historical Events
1513 – Giovanni de’ Medici chosen Pope Leo X
1665 – NY approves new code guaranteeing Protestants religious rights
1924 – 3rd term of Belgium Theunis government begins
1982 – Failed military coup under Rambocus and Hawker in Suriname
2020 – Smallest dinosaur ever discovered – skull preserved in piece of amber smaller than a fingertip from a mine in Myanmar, reported in “Nature”
Famous Birthdays
1819 – Marius Petipa, French ballet dancer and choreographer (Don Quiotte), born in Marseille, France (d. 1910)
1907 – Eleni Gatzoyiannis, Greek heroine (subject of “Eleni” by son Nicholas Gage about how she saved her children), born in Greece (d. 1948)
1915 – Vijay Hazare, Indian cricket batsman and captain (30 Tests, 7 x 100, HS 164no; Maharashtra, Central India, Baroda, Holkar), born in Sangli, India (d. 2004)
1945 – Dock Ellis, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star and World Series 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates; pitched no-hitter 1971), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2008)
1961 – Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler and President of the UAE (2022-), born in Al Ain, Trucial States
Famous Deaths
1915 – Thomas Alexander Browne, Australian writer (Robbery Under Arms), dies at 88
1989 – John Jay McCloy, American lawyer and banker (Secretary of War 1941-45, Chairman Chase Manhattan Bank, President of World Bank 1947-49), dies at 93
1997 – Hugo Weisgall, American composer (4 Impressions), dies at 84
2000 – Alfred Schwarzmann, German gymnast (Olympic gold individual, team, horse vault, 2 x bronze 1936; silver 1952), dies at 87
2019 – Hal Blaine [Harold Belsky], American pop and rock session drummer (The Wrecking Crew), dies at 90
Famous Deaths for 10th March 2026
1588 – Theodor Zwinger, Swiss physician and scholar, dies at 54
1861 – Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian national poet and painter, dies at 47
1944 – David Vogel, Russian-Hebrew poet, and writer (Married Life; Before the Dark Gate; In the Sanatorium), murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp at 52
1966 – Frank O’Connor, Irish author and translator of Irish poetry, fiction, and memoirs, dies from a heart attack at 62
1966 – Mari Sandoz, American author (Cheyenne Autumn), dies at 64
2010 – (Doyle) “Nick” Taylor, American rock guitarist (Bloodrock), dies in a car accident at 63
2012 – Erico Menczer, Italian cinematographer (Chosen, Miranda), dies at 85
2016 – Anita Brookner, English novelist (Hotel du Lac) and art historian, dies at 87
2017 – Tony Haygarth, British stage and screen actor (Kinvig, The Infiltrator), dies at 72
2022 – Odalis Pérez, Dominican baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 2002; Atlanta Braves, LA Dodgers, KC Royals), dies after a fall at 44