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March 4 is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 302 days remaining until the end of the year.

From 1793 - 1933, March 4 was Inauguration Day for the President of the United States. Beginning in 1937, Inauguration Day has been January 20.

Events

* 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth).
* 303 or 304 - Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. (more…)

March 3 is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 303 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events
* 1575 - Indian Mughal Emperor Akbar defeats Bengali army at the Battle of Tukaroi
* 1791 - The United States Mint is created by the U.S. Congress.
* 1803 - Colégio Militar is founded in Portugal by Colonel Teixeira Rebello.
* 1817 - The Alabama Territory is created by splitting the Mississippi Territory.
* 1820 - The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise.
* 1845 - Florida is admitted as the 27th U.S. state. (more…)

March 2 is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 304 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks.
• 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good, Count of Flanders.
• 1717 - The Loves of Mars and Venus becomes the first ballet performed in England.
• 1807 - The U.S. Congress passes an act to “prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States… from any foreign kingdom, place, or country.”
• 1836 - Texas Revolution: Declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico.
• 1855 - Alexander II becomes Tsar of Russia.
• 1861 - Nevada Territory and Dakota Territory are organized as political divisions of the United States.
• 1863 - The United States Congress authorizes track width of 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) for Union Pacific Railroad
• 1865 - Second Taranaki War: The Volkner Incident in New Zealand.
• 1867 - The United States Congress passed the 1st Reconstruction Act
• 1877 - U.S. presidential election, 1876: Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote on November 7, 1876.
• 1888 - The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and peace.
• 1896 - Ethiopia defeats Italy in the Battle of Adwa, marking the first victory of an African nation over a colonial power.
• 1899 - In the state of Washington, USA, Mount Rainier National Park is established.
• 1901 - The United States Congress passes the Platt amendment, limiting the autonomy of Cuba as a condition for the withdrawal of American troops.
• 1903 - In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.
• 1917 - The enactment of the Jones-Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans, United States citizenship.
• 1917 - (Old Style) - Nicholas II of Russia abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Michael II of Russia.
• 1941 - World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joined the Axis Pact.
• 1943 - World War II: Battle of the Bismarck Sea - United States and Australian forces sink Japanese convoy ships.
• 1946 - Ho Chi Minh is elected the President of North Vietnam.
• 1949 - Captain James Gallagher lands his B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II in Fort Worth, Texas after completing the first non-stop around-the-world airplane flight in 94 hours and one minute.
• 1949 - The first automatic street light was installed in New Milford, Conn..
• 1953 - The Academy Awards are first broadcast on television by NBC.
• 1956 - Morocco declares its independence from France.
• 1962 - Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by tallying 100 points.
• 1972 - The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets.
• 1978 - Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Russian or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28.
• 1989 - Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
• 1991 - Battle at Rumaila Oil Field brings end to the 1991 Gulf War.
• 1990 - Nelson Mandela elected deputy President of the African National Congress.
• 1992 - Uzbekistan joins the United Nations.
• 1992 - Moldova joins the United Nations.
• 2002 - U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).
• 2003 - The first International Symposium on Taiwan Sign Language Linguistics is held at Chung Cheng University.
• 2004 - Voters in the U.S. state of Georgia vote on a referendum concerning its Confederacy-derived flag.
• 2004 - War in Iraq: Al Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.
• 2006 - Nintendo DS Lite Launched.

Births

• 1316 - Robert II of Scotland, (d. 1390)
• 1705 - William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish judge and politician (d. 1793)
• 1793 - Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas (d. 1863)
• 1810 - Pope Leo XIII (d. 1903)
• 1842 - Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer (d. 1914)
• 1843 - Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy (d. 1911)
• 1849 - Robert Means Thompson, U.S. naval officer (d. 1930)
• 1876 - Pope Pius XII (d. 1958)
• 1878 - William Kissam Vanderbilt II, member of the Vanderbilt family (d. 1944)
• 1913 - Celedonio Romero, Spanish guitarist (d. 1996)
• 1913 - Mort Cooper, American baseball player (d. 1958)
• 1914 - Martin Ritt, American director (d. 1990)
• 1917 - Desi Arnaz, Cuban-born American actor and bandleader (d. 1986)
• 1917 - Jim Konstanty, American baseball player (d. 1976)
• 1917 - David Goodis, American writer (d. 1967)
• 1918 - Peter O’Sullevan, Irish horse racing commentator
• 1919 - Jennifer Jones, American actress
• 1931 - Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Soviet Union and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
• 1931 - Tom Wolfe, American author
• 1935 - Al Waxman, Canadian actor (d. 2001)
• 1942 - Peter Guber, American film producer
• 1942 - John Irving, American author
• 1942 - Luc Plamondon, French Canadian lyricist
• 1942 - Lou Reed, American singer and guitarist
• 1943 - Peter Straub, American author
• 1949 - Gates McFadden, American actress
• 1949 - Eddie Money, American singer
• 1949 - J. P. R. Williams, Welsh rugby union footballer
• 1950 - Karen Carpenter, American singer (The Carpenters) (d. 1983)
• 1950 - Jeffrey Chodorow, American restaurateur and financier
• 1958 - Ian Woosnam, Welsh golfer
• 1958 - Peter Arnold, American architect
• 1965 - Ron Gant, American baseball player
• 1965 - Lembit Öpik, British politician
• 1968 - Daniel Craig, English actor
• 1979 - Damien Duff, Irish footballer
• 1980 - Édson Nobre, Angolan footballer
• 1980 - Lance Cade, American professional wrestler
• 1981 - Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress
• 1982 - Kevin Kurányi, German footballer
• 1982 - Henrik Lundqvist, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1982 - Ben Roethlisberger, American football player
• 1985 - Luke Pritchard, British singer (The Kooks)
• 1988 - Nadine Samonte, Filipino actress
• 1988 - Keith Jack, British singer and actor

Deaths

• 855 - Lothair, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor (b. 795)
• 1316 - Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I of Scotland (b. 1296)
• 1572 - Mem de Sá, Portuguese Governor-General of Brazil
• 1589 - Alessandro Cardinal Farnese, Italian cardinal (b. 1520)
• 1791 - John Wesley, English founder of Methodism (b. 1703)
• 1835 - Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1768)
• 1840 - Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers, German astronomer (b. 1758)
• 1855 - Nicholas I of Russia, Emperor of Russia (b. 1796)
• 1979 - Christy Ring Irish hurler (b. 1920)
• 1982 - Philip K. Dick, American author (b. 1928)
• 1987 - Randolph Scott, American actor and director (b. 1898)
• 1999 - Dusty Springfield, English singer (b. 1939)
• 2001 - John Diamond, British journalist (b. 1953)
• 2003 - Hank Ballard, American musician (b. 1927)
• 2003 - Malcolm Williamson, Australian composer (b. 1931)
• 2004 - Cormac McAnallen, Northern Irish Gaelic footballer (b. 1980)
• 2004 - Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (b. 1916)
• 2004 - Marge Schott, American baseball team owner (b. 1928)
• 2005 - Rick Mahler, American baseball player (b. 1953)
• 2005 - Martin Denny, American musician (b. 1911)

Holidays and observances

• Bahá’í Faith - Feast of ‘Alá (Loftiness) - First day of the 19th month of the Bahá’í calendar.
• Bahá’í Faith - Beginning of the Fast (sunrise to sunset fast for 19 days).
• Texas Independence Day (1836).

Liturgical feasts

• Church of England - Saint Chad’s Day.
• March 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Catholic Church:

• Saint Abdalon
• Saint Jovinus
• Blessed Charles the Good, Count of Flanders (+Bruges 1127)