March 21 holidays in 2020

Historical Events on March 21

• 1814: At the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube during the Napoleonic Wars, French forces are repelled by Austrian forces.
• 1844: Today is the first day of the first year of the Bahá’í Calendar.
• 1861: The Cornerstone Speech is given by Alexander Stephens.
• 1913: Over twenty thousand homes and 360 people are killed during the Great Dayton Flood in Dayton, Ohio.
• 1918: The German Spring Offensive starts with Operation Michael during World War I.
• 1925: Teaching human evolution is banned in Tennessee with the passage of the Butler Act.
• 1943:  Wehrmacht officer Rudolf von Gersdorff attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler by using a suicide bomb but the plan fails. Fortunately, he was able to diffuse the bomb in time to avoid suspicion.
• 1945: Mandalay, Burma is liberated by British forces during World War II.
• 1945: Operation Carthage begins during World War II. During this operation, RAF planes bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. Unfortunately, they also accidentally hit a school and kill over a 120 people.
• 1960: 180 people are wounded and 69 are killed when the police in South Africa fire on demonstrators. This event would become known as the Sharpeville Massacre.
• 1963: The Federal Penitentiary Alcatraz in California is shut down.

Famous Birthdays on March 21

• American candy maker and creator of the Mars Bar and M&M’s, Forrest Mars, Sr. is born in 1904.
• American poet and author, Phyllis McGinley is born in 1905.
• American captain and politician, 38th Governor of Wisconsin Patrick Lucey, is born in 1918.
• English actor Gary Oldman is born in 1958.
• American actor Matthew Broderick is born in 1962.
• American actress and TV show host, Rosie O’Donnell is born in 1962.
• American author Mark Waid is born in 1962.