In Annunciation Style dating, the year begins on March 25. Until 1752, March 25 was the official date of the beginning of the year in England and its dominions.

Events

Pre-1600

  • 410 – The Southern Yan capital of Guanggu falls to the Jin dynasty general Liu Yu, ending the Southern Yan dynasty.
  • 421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto.
  • 708 – Election of Pope Constantine following the death of Pope Sisinnius. He would be the last pope to visit Constantinople until 1967.
  • 717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter a monastery, allowing Leo III to take the throne and begin the Isaurian dynasty.
  • 919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII.
  • 1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government.
  • 1065 – The Great German Pilgrimage is attacked on Good Friday by Beduin bandits, suffering heavy losses.
  • 1221 – Coronation of Robert of Courtenay as Emperor of the Latin Empire.
  • 1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland).
  • 1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism.
  • 1410 – The Yongle Emperor of Ming China launches the first of his military campaigns against the Mongols, resulting in the fall of the Mongol khan Bunyashiri.
  • 1519 – Hernán Cortés, entering province of Tabasco, defeats Tabascan Indians.
  • 1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London.
  • 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia.

1601–1900

  • 1655 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.
  • 1708 – A French fleet anchors nears Fife Ness as part of the planned French invasion of Britain.
  • 1725 – Bach's chorale cantata "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1", is first performed on the Feast of the Annunciation, coinciding with Palm Sunday.
  • 1770 – Daskalogiannis leads the people of Sfakia in the first Greek uprising against the Ottoman rule
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: American Patriots conduct a Raid on Tybee Island, primarily seeking to capture runaway slaves who sought refuge with British forces stationed there.
  • 1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and the United Kingdom.
  • 1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world.
  • 1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.
  • 1821 – Greek War of Independence: Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar).
  • 1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army.
  • 1894 – Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C.

1901–present

  • 1905 – The Greek football club P.A.E. G.S. Diagoras is founded in the city of Rhodes.
  • 1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers.
  • 1911 – Andrey Yushchinsky is murdered in Kiev, leading to the Beilis affair.
  • 1914 – The Greek multi-sport club Aris Thessaloniki is founded in Thessaloniki.
  • 1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811.
  • 1918 – The Belarusian People's Republic is established.
  • 1919 – The Tetiev pogrom occurs in Ukraine, becoming the prototype of mass murder during the Holocaust.
  • 1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic.
  • 1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape.
  • 1932 – The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is unveiled in Athens.
  • 1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact.
  • 1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111.
  • 1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
  • 1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia.
  • 1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" on obscenity grounds.
  • 1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members.
  • 1959 – Chain Island is sold by the State of California to Russell Gallaway III, a Sacramento businessman who plans to use it as a "hunting and fishing retreat", for $5,258.20 ($ in ).
  • 1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their four-day march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
  • 1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos.
  • 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by his nephew.
  • 1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch.
  • 1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
  • 1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world's first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham.
  • 1996 – The European Union's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
  • 2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
  • 2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested.
  • 2018 – Syrian civil war: Following the completion of the Afrin offensive, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) initiate an insurgency against the Turkish occupation of the Afrin District.

Births

Pre-1600

  • 1252 – Conradin, Duke of Swabia (died 1268)
  • 1259 – Andronikos II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (died 1332)
  • 1297 – Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (died 1341)
  • 1297 – Arnošt of Pardubice, the first Bohemian archbishop (died 1364)
  • 1345 – Blanche of Lancaster (died 1369)
  • 1347 – Catherine of Siena, Italian philosopher, theologian, and saint (died 1380)
  • 1404 – John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, English military leader (died 1444)
  • 1414 – Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford, English noble (died 1455)
  • 1434 – Eustochia Smeralda Calafato, Italian saint (died 1485)
  • 1479 – Vasili III of Russia (died 1533)
  • 1491 – Marie d'Albret, Countess of Rethel (died 1549)
  • 1510 – Guillaume Postel, French linguist (died 1581)
  • 1538 – Christopher Clavius, German mathematician and astronomer (died 1612)
  • 1541 – Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (died 1587)
  • 1545 – John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (died 1622)
  • 1546 – Giacomo Castelvetro, Italian writer (died 1616)
  • 1593 – Jean de Brébeuf, French-Canadian missionary and saint (died 1649)

1601–1900

  • 1611 – Evliya Çelebi, Ottoman Turk traveller and writer (died 1682)
  • 1636 – Henric Piccardt, Dutch lawyer (died 1712)
  • 1643 – Louis Moréri, French priest and scholar (died 1680)
  • 1661 – Paul de Rapin, French soldier and historian (died 1725)
  • 1699 – Johann Adolph Hasse, German singer and composer (died 1783)
  • 1741 – Jean-Antoine Houdon, French sculptor and educator (died 1828)
  • 1745 – John Barry, Irish-American naval officer and father of the American navy (died 1803)
  • 1767 – Joachim Murat, French general (died 1815)
  • 1782 – Caroline Bonaparte, French daughter of Carlo Buonaparte (died 1839)
  • 1800 – Ernst Heinrich Karl von Dechen, German geologist and academic (died 1889)
  • 1808 – José de Espronceda, Spanish poet and author (died 1842)
  • 1824 – Clinton L. Merriam, American banker and politician (died 1900)
  • 1828 – George Montgomery White, American politician (died 1860)
  • 1840 – Myles Keogh, Irish-American colonel (died 1876)
  • 1859 – Hendrik Wortman, Dutch civil engineer (died 1939)
  • 1863 – Simon Flexner, American physician and academic (died 1946)
  • 1867 – Gutzon Borglum, American sculptor, designed Mount Rushmore (died 1941)
  • 1867 – Arturo Toscanini, Italian-American cellist and conductor (died 1957)
  • 1868 – Bill Lockwood, English cricketer (died 1932)
  • 1871 – Louis Perrée, French fencer (died 1924)
  • 1872 – Horatio Nelson Jackson, American race car driver and physician (died 1955)
  • 1873 – Rudolf Rocker, German-American author and activist (died 1958)
  • 1874 – Selim Sırrı Tarcan, Turkish educator and politician (died 1957)
  • 1876 – Irving Baxter, American high jumper and pole vaulter (died 1957)
  • 1877 – Walter Little, Canadian politician (died 1961)
  • 1878 – František Janda-Suk, Czech discus thrower and shot putter (died 1955)
  • 1879 – Amedee Reyburn, American swimmer and water polo player (died 1920)
  • 1881 – Béla Bartók, Hungarian pianist and composer (died 1945)
  • 1881 – Patrick Henry Bruce, American painter and educator (died 1936)
  • 1881 – Mary Webb, English author and poet (died 1927)
  • 1893 – Johannes Villemson, Estonian runner (died 1971)
  • 1895 – Siegfried Handloser, German general and physician (died 1954)
  • 1885 – Jimmy Seed, English international footballer and manager (died 1966)
  • 1897 – Leslie Averill, New Zealand doctor and soldier (died 1981)
  • 1899 – François Rozet, French-Canadian actor (died 1994)
  • 1900 – George Carstairs, Australian rugby league player (died 1966)

1901–present

  • 1901 – Ed Begley, American actor (died 1970)
  • 1903 – Binnie Barnes, English-American actress (died 1998)
  • 1903 – Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (died 2001)
  • 1903 – Nahum Norbert Glatzer, Ukrainian-American theologian and scholar (died 1990)
  • 1904 – Pete Johnson, American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist (died 1967)
  • 1905 – Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, German colonel (died 1944)
  • 1906 – Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (died 1994)
  • 1906 – A. J. P. Taylor, English historian and academic (died 1990)
  • 1908 – David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1991)
  • 1910 – Magda Olivero, Italian soprano (died 2014)
  • 1910 – Benzion Netanyahu, Polish-Israeli historian and academic (died 2012)
  • 1912 – Melita Norwood, English civil servant and spy (died 2005)
  • 1912 – Jean Vilar, French actor and director (died 1971)
  • 1913 – Reo Stakis, Cypriot-Scottish businessman, founded Stakis Hotels (died 2001)
  • 1914 – Norman Borlaug, American agronomist and humanitarian, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2009)
  • 1914 – Tassos, Greek engraver, etcher and sculptor (died 1985)
  • 1915 – Dorothy Squires, Welsh singer (died 1998)
  • 1916 – S. M. Pandit, Indian painter and educator (died 1993)
  • 1918 – Howard Cosell, American soldier, journalist, and author (died 1995)
  • 1920 – Paul Scott, English author, poet, and playwright (died 1978)
  • 1920 – Patrick Troughton, English actor (died 1987)
  • 1920 – Usha Mehta, Gandhian and freedom fighter of India (died 2000)
  • 1921 – Nancy Kelly, American actress (died 1995)
  • 1921 – Simone Signoret, French actress (died 1985)
  • 1921 – Alexandra of Yugoslavia, the last Queen of Yugoslavia (died 1993)
  • 1922 – Eileen Ford, American businesswoman, co-founded Ford Models (died 2014)
  • 1923 – Bonnie Guitar, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2019)
  • 1923 – Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (died 2003)
  • 1924 – Roberts Blossom, American actor (died 2011)
  • 1924 – Machiko Kyō, Japanese actress (died 2019)
  • 1925 – Flannery O'Connor, American short story writer and novelist (died 1964)
  • 1925 – Anthony Quinton, Baron Quinton, English physician and philosopher (died 2010)
  • 1925 – Kishori Sinha, Indian politician, social activist and advocate (died 2016)
  • 1926 – Riz Ortolani, Italian composer and conductor (died 2014)
  • 1926 – László Papp, Hungarian boxer (died 2003)
  • 1926 – Shirley Jean Rickert, American actress (died 2009)
  • 1926 – Jaime Sabines, Mexican poet and politician (died 1999)
  • 1926 – Gene Shalit, American journalist and critic
  • 1927 – P. Shanmugam, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Puducherry (died 2013)
  • 1928 – Jim Lovell, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (died 2025)
  • 1928 – Gunnar Nielsen, Danish runner and typographer (died 1985)
  • 1928 – Peter O'Brien, Australian rugby league player (died 2016)
  • 1928 – Hans Steinbrenner, German sculptor (died 2008)
  • 1929 – Cecil Taylor, American pianist and composer (died 2018)
  • 1930 – David Burge, American pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2013)
  • 1930 – Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (died 1982)
  • 1930 – Rudy Minarcin, American baseball player and coach (died 2013)
  • 1931 – Humphrey Burton, English radio and television host (died 2025)
  • 1932 – Penelope Gilliatt, English novelist, short story writer, and critic (died 1993)
  • 1932 – Wes Santee, American runner (died 2010)
  • 1934 – Johnny Burnette, American singer-songwriter (died 1964)
  • 1934 – Bernard King, Australian actor and chef (died 2002)
  • 1934 – Karlheinz Schreiber, German-Canadian businessman
  • 1934 – Gloria Steinem, American feminist activist, co-founded the Women's Media Center
  • 1935 – Gabriel Elorde, Filipino boxer (died 1985)
  • 1936 – Carl Kaufmann, American-German sprinter (died 2008)
  • 1937 – Tom Monaghan, American businessman, founded Domino's Pizza
  • 1938 – Hoyt Axton, American singer-songwriter and actor (died 1999)
  • 1938 – Daniel Buren, French sculptor and painter
  • 1938 – Fritz d'Orey, Brazilian racing driver (died 2020)
  • 1939 – Toni Cade Bambara, American author, academic, and activist (died 1995)
  • 1939 – D. C. Fontana, American screenwriter and producer (died 2019)
  • 1941 – Gudmund Hernes, Norwegian sociologist and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research
  • 1942 – Robert J. Birgeneau, Canadian-American physicist
  • 1942 – Aretha Franklin, American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 2018)
  • 1942 – Richard O'Brien, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1942 – Kim Woodburn, English television host (died 2025)
  • 1943 – Paul Michael Glaser, American actor and director
  • 1945 – Leila Diniz, Brazilian actress (died 1972)
  • 1946 – Cliff Balsom, English footballer
  • 1946 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and author (died 2010)
  • 1946 – Stephen Hunter, American author and critic
  • 1946 – Maurice Krafft, French volcanologist (died 1991)
  • 1947 – Richard Cork, English historian and critic
  • 1947 – Elton John, English singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor
  • 1948 – Bonnie Bedelia, American actress
  • 1948 – Michael Stanley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2021)
  • 1949 – Ronnie Flanagan, Northern Irish Chief Constable (Royal Irish Constabulary, Police Service of Northern Ireland)
  • 1949 – Sue Klebold, American activist
  • 1950 – Chuck Greenberg, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (died 1995)
  • 1950 – Ronnie McDowell, American singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – David Paquette, American-New Zealander pianist
  • 1951 – Jumbo Tsuruta, Japanese wrestler (died 2000)
  • 1952 – Stephen Dorrell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health
  • 1952 – Antanas Mockus, Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician, Mayor of Bogotá
  • 1953 – Christos Ardizoglou, Greek footballer
  • 1953 – Robert Fox, English producer and manager
  • 1953 – Vesna Pusić, Croatian sociologist and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia
  • 1953 – Haroon Rasheed, Pakistani cricketer and coach
  • 1954 – Thom Loverro, American journalist and author
  • 1955 – Daniel Boulud, French chef and author
  • 1955 – Lee Mazzilli, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1957 – Christina Boxer, English runner and journalist
  • 1957 – Kanellos Kanellopoulos, Greek cyclist
  • 1957 – Jonathan Michie, English economist and academic
  • 1957 – Aleksandr Puchkov, Russian hurdler
  • 1957 – Jim Uhls, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1958 – Susie Bright, American journalist, author, and critic
  • 1958 – Lorna Brown, Canadian artist, curator, and writer
  • 1958 – Sisy Chen, Taiwanese journalist and politician
  • 1958 – María Caridad Colón, Cuban javelin thrower and shot putter
  • 1958 – John Ensign, American physician and politician
  • 1958 – Ray Tanner, American baseball player and coach
  • 1958 – Åsa Torstensson, Swedish politician, 3rd Swedish Minister for Infrastructure
  • 1960 – Mike Aulby, American bowler
  • 1960 – Steve Norman, English saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1960 – Peter O'Brien, Australian actor
  • 1960 – Brenda Strong, American actress
  • 1961 – Mark Brooks, American golfer
  • 1962 – Marcia Cross, American actress
  • 1962 – David Nuttall, English lawyer and politician
  • 1963 – Karen Bruce, English dancer and choreographer
  • 1963 – Velle Kadalipp, Estonian architect
  • 1963 – Andrew O'Connor, British actor, comedian, magician, television presenter and executive producer
  • 1964 – Norm Duke, American bowler
  • 1964 – Buzz Osborne, American musician
  • 1964 – René Meulensteen, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1964 – Ken Wregget, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1965 – Avery Johnson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1965 – Stefka Kostadinova, Bulgarian high jumper
  • 1965 – Sarah Jessica Parker, American actress, producer, and designer
  • 1966 – Tom Glavine, American baseball player
  • 1966 – Humberto Gonzalez, Mexican boxer
  • 1966 – Jeff Healey, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2008)
  • 1966 – Anton Rogan, Northern Irish footballer
  • 1967 – Matthew Barney, American sculptor and photographer
  • 1967 – Doug Stanhope, American comedian and actor
  • 1967 – Debi Thomas, American figure skater and physician
  • 1969 – George Chlitsios, Greek conductor and composer
  • 1969 – Dale Davis, American basketball player
  • 1969 – Cathy Dennis, English singer-songwriter, record producer and actress
  • 1969 – Jeffrey Walker, English singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1970 – Magnus Larsson, Swedish tennis player
  • 1971 – Stacy Dragila, American pole vaulter and coach
  • 1971 – Cammi Granato, American ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Sheryl Swoopes, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Naftali Bennett, Israeli politician, 13th Prime Minister of Israel
  • 1972 – Giniel de Villiers, South African racing driver
  • 1972 – Phil O'Donnell, Scottish footballer (died 2007)
  • 1973 – Michaela Dorfmeister, Austrian skier
  • 1973 – Anders Fridén, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1973 – Bob Sura, American basketball player
  • 1974 – Serge Betsen, Cameroonian-French rugby player
  • 1974 – Lark Voorhies, American actress and singer
  • 1975 – Ladislav Benýšek, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Melanie Blatt, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1975 – Erika Heynatz, Papua New Guinean-Australian model and actress
  • 1976 – Francie Bellew, Irish footballer
  • 1976 – Lars Figura, German sprinter
  • 1976 – Wladimir Klitschko, Ukrainian boxer
  • 1976 – Rima Wakarua, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
  • 1977 – Natalie Clein, English cellist and educator
  • 1977 – Andrew Lindsay, Scottish rower
  • 1978 – Gennaro Delvecchio, Italian footballer
  • 1978 – Teddy Lussi-Modeste, French film director, screenwriter and literature teacher
  • 1979 – Nate Bargatze, American stand-up comedian and actor
  • 1979 – Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, French sprinter
  • 1980 – Kathrine Sørland, Norwegian fashion model and television presenter
  • 1981 – Casey Neistat, American YouTube personality
  • 1982 – Danica Patrick, American race car driver
  • 1982 – Álvaro Saborío, Costa Rican footballer
  • 1982 – Jenny Slate, American comedian, actress and author
  • 1983 – Mickaël Hanany, French high jumper
  • 1984 – Katharine McPhee, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1984 – Liam Messam, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1985 – Carmen Rasmusen, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1985 – Diana Rennik, Estonian figure skater
  • 1986 – Marco Belinelli, Italian basketball player
  • 1986 – Megan Gibson, American softball player
  • 1986 – Kyle Lowry, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Mickey Paea, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Jacob Bagersted, Danish handball player
  • 1987 – Victor Obinna, Nigerian footballer
  • 1987 – Nobunari Oda, Japanese figure skater
  • 1987 – Hyun-jin Ryu, South Korean baseball player
  • 1988 – Big Sean, American rapper, singer and songwriter
  • 1988 – Ryan Lewis, American music producer
  • 1988 – Mitchell Watt, Australian long jumper
  • 1988 – Arthur Zeiler, German rugby player
  • 1989 – Aly Michalka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1989 – Scott Sinclair, English footballer
  • 1990 – Mehmet Ekici, Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Alexander Esswein, German footballer
  • 1991 – Scott Malone, English footballer
  • 1992 – Meg Lanning, Australian cricketer
  • 1993 – Jacob Gagan, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Sam Johnstone, English footballer
  • 1994 – Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier
  • 1999 – Mikey Madison, American actress
  • 2000 – Ozan Kabak, Turkish footballer

Deaths

Pre-1600

  • 908 – Li Kening, Chinese general
  • 940 – Taira no Masakado, Japanese samurai
  • 990 – Nicodemus of Mammola, Italian monk and saint
  • 1005 – Kenneth III, king of Scotland
  • 1051 – Hugh IV, French nobleman
  • 1189 – Frederick, duke of Bohemia
  • 1223 – Alfonso II, king of Portugal (born 1185)
  • 1351 – Kō no Moronao, Japanese samurai
  • 1351 – Kō no Moroyasu, Japanese samurai
  • 1392 – Hosokawa Yoriyuki, Japanese samurai
  • 1458 – Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, Spanish poet and politician (born 1398)
  • 1558 – Marcos de Niza, French friar and explorer (born 1495)

1601–1900

  • 1603 – Ikoma Chikamasa, Japanese daimyō (born 1526)
  • 1609 – Olaus Martini, Swedish archbishop (born 1557)
  • 1609 – Isabelle de Limeuil, French noble (born 1535)
  • 1620 – Johannes Nucius, German composer and theorist (born 1556)
  • 1625 – Giambattista Marino, Italian poet and author (born 1569)
  • 1658 – Herman IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg, German nobleman (born 1607)
  • 1677 – Wenceslaus Hollar, Czech-English painter and etcher (born 1607)
  • 1701 – Jean Regnault de Segrais, French poet and novelist (born 1624)
  • 1712 – Nehemiah Grew, English anatomist and physiologist (born 1641)
  • 1732 – Lucy Filippini, Italian teacher and saint (born 1672)
  • 1736 – Nicholas Hawksmoor, English architect, designed Easton Neston and Christ Church (born 1661)
  • 1738 – Turlough O'Carolan, Irish harp player and composer (born 1670)
  • 1801 – Novalis, German poet and author (born 1772)
  • 1818 – Caspar Wessel, Norwegian-Danish mathematician and cartographer (born 1745)
  • 1848 – Nicolai Wergeland, Norwegian priest, writer and politician (born 1780)
  • 1857 – William Colgate, English-American businessman and philanthropist, founded Colgate-Palmolive (born 1783)
  • 1860 – James Braid, Scottish surgeon (born 1795)
  • 1869 – Edward Bates, American politician and lawyer (born 1793)
  • 1873 – Wilhelm Marstrand, Danish painter and illustrator (born 1810)

1901–present

  • 1907 – Ernst von Bergmann, Latvian-German surgeon and academic (born 1836)
  • 1908 – Durham Stevens, American diplomat (born 1851)
  • 1914 – Frédéric Mistral, French lexicographer and poet, 1904 Nobel Prize laureate (born 1830)
  • 1917 – Elizabeth Storrs Mead, American academic (born 1832)
  • 1918 – Claude Debussy, French composer (born 1862)
  • 1918 – Peter Martin, Australian footballer and soldier (born 1875)
  • 1927 – Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas, Palestinian Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (born 1843)
  • 1931 – Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Indian journalist and politician (born 1890)
  • 1931 – Ida B. Wells, American journalist and activist (born 1862)
  • 1932 – Harriet Backer, Norwegian painter (born 1845)
  • 1942 – William Carr, American rower (born 1876)
  • 1951 – Eddie Collins, American baseball player and manager (born 1887)
  • 1956 – Lou Moore, American race car driver (born 1904)
  • 1956 – Robert Newton, English actor (born 1905)
  • 1958 – Tom Brown, American trombonist (born 1888)
  • 1964 – Charles Benjamin Howard, Canadian businessman and politician (born 1885)
  • 1965 – Viola Liuzzo, American civil rights activist (born 1925)
  • 1969 – Billy Cotton, English singer, drummer, and bandleader (born 1899)
  • 1969 – Max Eastman, American poet and activist (born 1883)
  • 1973 – Jakob Sildnik, Estonian photographer and director (born 1883)
  • 1973 – Edward Steichen, Luxembourgian-American photographer, painter, and curator (born 1879)
  • 1975 – Juan Gaudino, Argentinian race car driver (born 1893)
  • 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian king (born 1906)
  • 1975 – Deiva Zivarattinam, Indian lawyer and politician (born 1894)
  • 1976 – Josef Albers, German-American painter and educator (born 1888)
  • 1976 – Benjamin Miessner, American radio engineer and inventor (born 1890)
  • 1979 – Robert Madgwick, Australian colonel and academic (born 1905)
  • 1979 – Akinoumi Setsuo, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 37th Yokozuna (born 1914)
  • 1980 – Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist and psychologist (born 1901)
  • 1980 – Walter Susskind, Czech-English conductor and educator (born 1913)
  • 1982 – Goodman Ace, American comedian and writer (born 1899)
  • 1983 – Bob Waterfield, American football player and coach (born 1920)
  • 1986 – Gloria Blondell, American actress (born 1910)
  • 1987 – A. W. Mailvaganam, Sri Lankan physicist and academic (born 1906)
  • 1988 – Robert Joffrey, American dancer, choreographer, and director, co-founded the Joffrey Ballet (born 1930)
  • 1991 – Marcel Lefebvre, French-Swiss archbishop (born 1905)
  • 1992 – Nancy Walker, American actress, singer, and director (born 1922)
  • 1994 – Angelines Fernández, Spanish-Mexican actress (born 1922)
  • 1994 – Bernard Kangro, Estonian poet and journalist (born 1910)
  • 1994 – Max Petitpierre, Swiss jurist and politician (born 1899)
  • 1995 – James Samuel Coleman, American sociologist and academic (born 1926)
  • 1995 – John Hugenholtz, Dutch engineer (born 1914)
  • 1998 – Max Green, Australian lawyer (born 1952)
  • 1998 – Steven Schiff, American lawyer and politician (born 1947)
  • 1999 – Cal Ripken, Sr., American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1936)
  • 2000 – Helen Martin, American actress (born 1909)
  • 2001 – Brian Trubshaw, English cricketer and pilot (born 1924)
  • 2002 – Kenneth Wolstenholme, English journalist and sportscaster (born 1920)
  • 2005 – Paul Henning, American screenwriter and producer (born 1911)
  • 2006 – Bob Carlos Clarke, Irish photographer (born 1950)
  • 2006 – Rocío Dúrcal, Spanish singer and actress (born 1944)
  • 2006 – Richard Fleischer, American film director (born 1916)
  • 2006 – Buck Owens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1929)
  • 2007 – Andranik Margaryan, Armenian engineer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Armenia (born 1951)
  • 2008 – Ben Carnevale, American basketball player and coach (born 1915)
  • 2008 – Thierry Gilardi, French journalist and sportscaster (born 1958)
  • 2008 – Abby Mann, American screenwriter and producer (born 1927)
  • 2008 – Herb Peterson, American businessman, created the McMuffin (born 1919)
  • 2009 – Johnny Blanchard, American baseball player (born 1933)
  • 2009 – Kosuke Koyama, Japanese-American theologian and academic (born 1929)
  • 2009 – Dan Seals, American musician (born 1948)
  • 2009 – Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, Turkish politician and member of the Parliament of Turkey (born 1954)
  • 2012 – Priscilla Buckley, American journalist and author (born 1921)
  • 2012 – Hal E. Chester, American actor, director, and producer (born 1921)
  • 2012 – John Crosfield, English businessman, founded Crosfield Electronics (born 1915)
  • 2012 – Edd Gould, English animator and voice actor, founded Eddsworld (born 1988)
  • 2012 – Antonio Tabucchi, Italian author and academic (born 1943)
  • 2013 – Léonce Bernard, Canadian politician, 26th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island (born 1943)
  • 2013 – Ben Goldfaden, American basketball player and educator (born 1913)
  • 2013 – Anthony Lewis, American journalist and academic (born 1927)
  • 2013 – Jean Pickering, English runner and long jumper (born 1929)
  • 2013 – Jean-Marc Roberts, French author and screenwriter (born 1954)
  • 2013 – John F. Wiley, American lieutenant, football player, and coach (born 1920)
  • 2014 – Lorna Arnold, English historian and author (born 1915)
  • 2014 – Hank Lauricella, American football player and politician (born 1930)
  • 2014 – Jon Lord, Canadian businessman and politician (born 1956)
  • 2014 – Sonny Ruberto, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1946)
  • 2014 – Jonathan Schell, American journalist and author (born 1943)
  • 2014 – Ralph Wilson, American businessman, founded the Buffalo Bills (born 1918)
  • 2015 – George Fischbeck, American journalist and educator (born 1922)
  • 2016 – Shannon Bolin, American actress and singer (born 1917)
  • 2017 – Cuthbert Sebastian, St. Kitts and Nevis politician (born 1921)
  • 2019 – Barrie Hole, Welsh footballer (born 1942)
  • 2020 – Floyd Cardoz, Indian-born American chef (born 1960)
  • 2021 – Beverly Cleary, American author (born 1916)
  • 2022 – Taylor Hawkins, American drummer and singer (born 1972)
  • 2025 – Tapani Kansa, Finnish singer (born 1949)
  • 2025 – Terry Manning, American musician and recording engineer (born 1947)
  • 2026 – Dash Crofts, American musician (born 1938)
  • 2026 – Alexander Kluge, German author, film director and public intellectual (born 1932)

Holidays and observances

  • Anniversary of the Arengo and the Feast of the Militants (San Marino)
  • Christian feast days:
  • Feast of the Annunciation
  • March 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Christian Saints' days
  • Ælfwold II of Sherborne
  • Blessed Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas
  • Omelyan Kovch (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
  • Dismas, the "Good Thief"
  • Cultural Workers Day (Russia)
  • Empress Menen's Birthday (Rastafari)
  • EU Talent Day (European Union)
  • Freedom Day (Belarus)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the start of Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, in 1821. (Greece)
  • International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (international)
  • International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members (United Nations General Assembly)
  • BBC: On This Day