March 10

March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 296 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 241 BC – First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands – The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing the First Punic War to an end.
• 1606 – Susenyos defeats the combined armies of Yaqob and Abuna Petros II at the Battle of Gol in Gojjam, which makes him Emperor of Ethiopia.
• 1735 – An agreement between Nadir Shah and Russia is signed near Ganja and Russian troops are withdrawn from Baku.
• 1762 – French Huguenot Jean Calas, who was wrongly convicted of killing his son, dies after being tortured by authorities; the event inspired Voltaire to begin a campaign for religious tolerance and legal reform.
• 1804 – Louisiana Purchase: In St. Louis, Missouri, a formal ceremony is conducted to transfer ownership of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States.
• 1814 – Napoleon I of France is defeated at the Battle of Laon in France.
• 1830 – The KNIL also known as the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army is created.
• 1831 – The French Foreign Legion is established by King Louis-Philippe to support his war in Algeria.
• 1848 – The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is ratified by the United States Senate, ending the Mexican-American War.
• 1861 – El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Segou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali.
• 1864 – American Civil War: The Red River Campaign begins as Union troops reach Alexandria, Louisiana.
• 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell makes the first successful telephone call by saying "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."
• 1891 – Almon Strowger, an undertaker in Topeka, Kansas, patents the Strowger switch, a device which led to the automation of telephone circuit switching.
• 1905 – Eleftherios Venizelos calls for Crete's union with Greece, and begins what is to be known as the Theriso revolt.
• 1906 – The Courrières mine disaster, Europe's worst ever, kills 1099 miners in Northern France.
• 1912 – Yuan Shikai is sworn in as the second Provisional President of the Republic of China.
• 1917 – Batangas is formally founded as one of the Philippines's earliest encomiendas.
• 1922 – Mahatma Gandhi is arrested in India, tried for sedition, and sentenced to six years in prison, only to be released after nearly two years for an appendicitis operation.
• 1925 – Olympiacos F.C. was created.
• 1933 – An earthquake in Long Beach, California kills 115 people and causes an estimated $40 million dollars in damage.
• 1945 – The Army Air Force firebombs Tokyo, and the resulting firestorm kills more than 100,000 people, mostly civilians.
• 1948 – The Indian Union Muslim League is founded by remnants of the old Muslim League.
• 1952 – Fulgencio Batista leads a successful coup in Cuba and appoints himself as the "provisional president".
• 1959 – Tibetan uprising: Fearing an abduction attempt by China, 300,000 Tibetans surround the Dalai Lama's palace to prevent his removal.
• 1969 – In Memphis, Tennessee, James Earl Ray pleads guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. He would later retract his guilty plea.
• 1970 – Vietnam War: Captain Ernest Medina is charged with My Lai war crimes.
• 1975 – Vietnam War: North Vietnamese troops attack Ban Me Thuot, South Vietnam, on their way to capturing Saigon.
• 1977 – Rings of Uranus: Astronomers discover rings around Uranus.
• 1980 – Madeira School headmistress Jean Harris shoots and kills Scarsdale diet doctor Herman Tarnower
• 1980 – Formation of the Irish Army Ranger Wing
• 1990 – In Haiti, Prosper Avril is ousted 18 months after seizing power in a coup.
• 2000 – The NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5132.52, signaling the beginning of the end of the dot-com boom.
• 2006 – The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrives at Mars.

Births

• 1415 – Vasili II of Russia (d. 1462)
• 1452 – Ferdinand II of Aragon (d. 1516)
• 1503 – Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1564)
• 1536 – Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, English politician (d. 1572)
• 1628 – Marcello Malpighi, Italian physician (d. 1694)
• 1709 – Georg Steller, German naturalist (d. 1746)
• 1745 – John Gunby, American soldier (d. 1807)
• 1749 – Lorenzo da Ponte, Italian librettist (d. 1838)
• 1769 – Joseph Williamson, English philanthropist (d. 1840)
• 1772 – Friedrich von Schlegel, German aesthetician (d. 1829)
• 1776 – Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen consort of Prussia (d. 1810)
• 1787 – William Etty, English painter (d. 1849)
• 1787 – Francisco de Paula Martinez de la Rosa, Spanish statesman and dramatist (d. 1862)
• 1788 – Joseph von Eichendorff, German writer (d. 1857)
• 1810 – Samuel Ferguson, Irish poet (d. 1886)
• 1842 – Mykola Lysenko, Ukrainian composer (d. 1912)
• 1844 – Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist (d. 1908)
• 1845 – Alexander III of Russia (d. 1894)
• 1846 – Edward Baker Lincoln, son of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (d. 1850)
• 1847 – Kate Sheppard, New Zealand suffragist (d. 1934)
• 1850 – Spencer Gore, British tennis player and cricketer (d. 1906)
• 1880 – Broncho Billy Anderson, American actor (d. 1971)
• 1881 – Thomas Quinlan, musical impresario (d. 1951)
• 1887 – Toshitsugu Takamatsu, Grandmaster of Ninjutsu (d. 1972)
• 1888 – Barry Fitzgerald, Irish actor (d. 1961)
• 1892 – Arthur Honegger, French-born Swiss composer (d. 1955)
• 1892 – Gregory La Cava, American director (d. 1952)
• 1899 – Robert Meier, German WW1 veteran (d. 2007)
• 1900 – Pandelis Pouliopoulos, secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (d. 1943)
• 1903 – Bix Beiderbecke, American musician (d. 1931)
• 1905 – Betty Amann, German-American actress. (d. 1990)
• 1905 – Richard Haydn, English actor (d. 1985)
• 1915 – Harry Bertoia, Italian artist (d. 1978)
• 1915 – Sir Charles Groves, English conductor (d. 1992)
• 1917 – Frank Perconte, American sergeant.
• 1918 – Günther Rall, German ace fighter pilot (d. 2009)
• 1919 – Marion Hutton, American singer (d. 1987)
• 1920 – Alfred Peet, Dutch-American entrepreneur (d. 2007)
• 1920 – Boris Vian, French writer and musician (d. 1959)
• 1923 – Val Logsdon Fitch, Nobel laureate
• 1925 – Manolis Anagnostakis, Greek poet (d. 2005)
• 1928 – James Earl Ray, American assassin (d. 1998)
• 1928 – Sara Montiel, Spanish actress and singer
• 1931 – Georges Dor, Québécois author, playwright, singer and songwriter (d. 2001)
• 1935 – Graham Farmer, Australian rules footballer
• 1936 – Sepp Blatter, Swiss FIFA President
• 1936 – Alfredo Zitarrosa, Uruguayan Vocals and journalist (d. 1989)
• 1937 – Joe Viterelli, American actor (d. 2004)
• 1938 – Marina Vlady, French actress
• 1940 – Chuck Norris, American actor and martial artist
• 1940 – Dean Torrence, American singer (Jan and Dean)
• 1945 – Birgitta Sellén, Swedish politician
• 1946 – Hiroshi Fushida, Japanese racing driver
• 1946 – Mike Hollands, Australian animator
• 1946 – Jim Valvano, American basketball coach (d. 1993)
• 1947 – Kim Campbell, 19th Prime Minister of Canada
• 1947 – Paul Condon, Baron Condon, former police commissioner
• 1947 – Bob Greene, American journalist
• 1947 – Tom Scholz, American songwriter and guitarist (Boston)
• 1948 – Austin Carr, American basketball player
• 1948 – Richard Park (broadcaster), British median consultant and broadcaster
• 1952 – Mike O'Donnell, American Composer
• 1952 – Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
• 1953 – Paul Haggis, Canadian film director
• 1955 – Toshio Suzuki, Japanese racing driver
• 1955 – Youssra, Egyptian actress and singer
• 1956 – Mitchell Lichtenstein, American actor, son of Roy Lichtenstein
• 1956 – Robert Llewellyn, Writer, Actor, Presenter
• 1957 – Osama bin Laden, Islamic militant, leader of al-Qaida
• 1957 – Matt Knudsen, American actor
• 1957 – Shannon Tweed, Canadian actress and model
• 1957 – Jim White, American folk singer-songwriter
• 1958 – Steve Howe, American baseball player (d. 2006)
• 1958 – Sharon Stone, American actress
• 1960 – Anne MacKenzie, journalist and broadcaster
• 1961 – Laurel Clark, physician and astronaut (d. 2003)
• 1961 – Mitch Gaylord, American gymnast
• 1961 – Pam Oliver, American sportscaster
• 1961 – Bobby Petrino, American football coach
• 1962 – Seiko Matsuda, Japanese pop singer
• 1963 – Jeff Ament, American musician (Pearl Jam)
• 1963 – Rick Rubin, American record producer
• 1964 – Neneh Cherry, Swedish musician
• 1964 – Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
• 1964 – David Faber, American television reporter
• 1964 – Jasmine Guy, American actress
• 1965 – Rod Woodson, American football player
• 1966 – Edie Brickell, American singer
• 1966 – Gráinne Mulvey, Irish composer
• 1966 – Mike Timlin, American baseball player
• 1968 – Felice Arena, Australian children's author
• 1968 – Shoichi Funaki, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1968 – Thio Li-ann, Singaporean law professor and NMP
• 1969 – Paget Brewster, American actress
• 1970 – Matt Barlow, American singer (Iced Earth)
• 1970 – Michel van der Aa, Dutch composer
• 1971 – Steve Arnold, British racing driver
• 1971 – Jon Hamm, American actor
• 1971 – Timbaland, American rapper
• 1972 – Takashi Fujii, Japanese television performer
• 1972 – Matt Kenseth, American race car driver
• 1972 – Paraskevi Tsiamita, Greek athlete
• 1973 – Eva Herzigova, Czech model
• 1973 – John LeCompt, American guitarist
• 1973 – Chris Sutton, English footballer
• 1973 – Mauricio Taricco, Argentine footballer
• 1974 – Cristián de la Fuente, Chilean model and actor
• 1975 – Lyne Bessette, Canadian bicycle racer
• 1975 – Jerry Horton, American guitarist (Papa Roach)
• 1976 – Kisaki, Japanese musician
• 1976 – Haifa Wehbe, Lebanese actress, model and singer
• 1977 – Peter Enckelman, Finnish footballer
• 1977 – Shannon Miller, American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist
• 1977 – Colin Murray, British radio DJ
• 1977 – Bree Turner, American dancer and actress
• 1977 – Rita Simons, English actress
• 1977 – Robin Thicke, American singer
• 1978 – Ben Burnley, American musician (Breaking Benjamin)
• 1981 – Samuel Eto'o, Cameroonian footballer
• 1981 – Steven Reid, English-born footballer
• 1982 – Kwame Brown, American basketball player
• 1982 – Timo Glock, German racing driver
• 1982 – Katharine Isabelle, Canadian actress
• 1983 – Che'Nelle, Malaysian Australian Singer
• 1983 – Rafe Spall, English Actor
• 1983 – Carrie Underwood, American country singer
• 1983 – Reena Virk, Canadian murder victim (d. 1997)
• 1984 – Ben May, English footballer
• 1984 – Olivia Wilde, American actress
• 1985 – Lassana Diarra, French footballer
• 1985 – Casey Dienel, American singer-songwriter
• 1986 – JC de Vera, Filipino Actor
• 1987 – Martellus Bennett, American football player
• 1988 – Ivan Rakitić, Croatian Footballer
• 1992 – Emily Osment, American actress and singer
• 1993 – Chris McIntosh, American actor
• 1996 – Benjamin Johnson, Wikipedia Troll

Deaths

• 1291 – Arghun, Persian ruler
• 1391 – Tvrtko I, first king of Bosnia (b. 1338)
• 1510 – Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg, Swiss-born preacher (b. 1445)
• 1513 – John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, English commander (b. 1443)
• 1549 – Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, English politician and diplomat
• 1584 – Thomas Norton, English politician and writer (b. 1532)
• 1585 – Rembert Dodoens, Flemish physician and botanist (b. 1517)
• 1588 – Theodor Zwinger, Swiss scholar (b. 1533)
• 1669 – John Denham, English poet (b. 1615)
• 1670 – Johann Rudolf Glauber, German chemist (b. 1604)
• 1776 – Élie Catherine Fréron, French critic (b. 1719)
• 1776 – Niclas Sahlgren, Swedish merchant and philanthropist (b. 1701)
• 1792 – John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1713)
• 1832 – Muzio Clementi, Italian composer (b. 1752)
• 1861 – Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet (b. 1814)
• 1864 – Jack Slade, American frontier figure (b. 1831)
• 1872 – Giuseppe Mazzini, Italian politician (b. 1805)
• 1895 – Charles Frederick Worth, English-born couturier (b. 1826)
• 1910 – Karl Lueger, mayor of Vienna (b. 1844)
• 1910 – Carl Reinecke, German pianist, conductor and composer (b. 1824)
• 1913 – Harriet Tubman, American abolitionist (b. 1820)
• 1937 – Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian writer (b. 1884)
• 1940 – Mikhaïl Boulgakov, Russian writer (b. 1891)
• 1942 – William Henry Bragg, English physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1862)
• 1948 – Zelda Fitzgerald, American novelist, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald (b. 1900)
• 1948 – Jan Masaryk, Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia (b. 1886)
• 1949 – James Rector, American athlete (b. 1884)
• 1950 – Marguerite De La Motte, American actress (b. 1902)
• 1951 – Kijūrō Shidehara, Prime minister of Japan (b. 1872)
• 1966 – Frits Zernike, Dutch physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1888)
• 1967 – Yiorgos Batis, Greek composer and musician (b. 1885)
• 1970 – Vasilis Avlonitis, Greek actor (b. 1904)
• 1973 – Eugene 'Bull' Connor, American segregationist (b. 1897)
• 1977 – E. Power Biggs, English-born organist (b. 1906)
• 1982 – Minoru Shirota, inventor of Yakult(b. 1899)
• 1984 – June Marlowe, American actress (b. 1903)
• 1985 – Konstantin Chernenko, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (b. 1911)
• 1985 – Bob Nieman, American baseball player (b. 1927)
• 1986 – Ray Milland, British actor (b. 1905)
• 1988 – Andy Gibb, English-born singer (b. 1958)
• 1992 – Giorgos Zampetas, Greek composer and musician (b. 1925)
• 1994 – Abdelkader Alloula, Algerian playwright (b. 1929)
• 1996 – Ross Hunter, American film producer (b. 1920)
• 1997 – La Vern Baker, American singer (b. 1929)
• 1998 – Lloyd Bridges, American actor (b. 1913)
• 1999 – Oswaldo Guayasamin, Ecuadorian painter and sculptor (b. 1919)
• 1999 – Valentino Mazzia, American forensic anesthesiologist (b. 1922)
• 2001 – Nicholas Georgiadis, Greek painter, stage and costume designer (b. 1923)
• 2001 – Massimo Morsello, Italian musician and activist (b. 1958)
• 2003 – Barry Sheene, British motorcycle racer (b. 1950)
• 2004 – Dave Blood (David Schulthise), American musician (b. 1956)
• 2005 – Dave Allen, Irish comedian (b. 1936)
• 2005 – Danny Joe Brown, American singer (Molly Hatchet) (b. 1951)
• 2006 – Anna Moffo, American soprano (b. 1932)
• 2007 – Richard Jeni, American comedian (b. 1957)
• 2007 – Ernie Ladd, American football player and wrestler (b. 1938)
• 2008 – Richard Fran Biegenwald, American serial killer (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances

• Mawlid
• Saint Himelin
• Saint John Ogilvie
• Saint Macharius
• Saint Anastasia
• Tibetan Uprising Day

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: March 10

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