Saturday 23 March 2024 Calendar with holidays, observances and special days

Holi

Holi is a Hindu spring festival, also known as the festival of colours or the festival of sharing love and rejoice the victory of good over evil. It symbolizes unity and..→

World Meteorological Day

Our climate is changing. This is not just a future scenario. It is happening now. The climate will continue to change over the coming decades as more and more heat-trappi..→

Holidays and observances

• Cuddly Kitten Day
• Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship (Hungary and Poland)
• Day of the Sea in Bolivia
• Family and Professional Reconciliation Day in Spain
• International OK Day
• Melba Toast Day, National Chips and Dip Day in USA
• Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Day in Azerbaijan
• Near Miss Day
• Pakistan Day
• Puppy Day
• Southern Africa Liberation Day
• Spring festival of Wilstedt traders with flea market (starts on the fourth Sunday in March)
• Sultan Johor Day in Malaysia
• World Bear Day

Events

• 2003 – Battle of Nasiriyah, first major conflict during the invasion of Iraq.
• 1996 – Taiwan holds its first direct elections and chooses Lee Teng-hui as President.
• 1994 – A United States Air Force (USAF) F-16 aircraft collides with a USAF C-130 at Pope Air Force Base and then crashes, killing 24 United States Army soldiers on the ground. This later became known as the Green Ramp disaster.
• 1980 – Archbishop Óscar Romero of El Salvador gives his famous speech appealing to men of the El Salvadoran armed forces to stop killing the Salvadorans.
• 1978 – The first UNIFIL troops arrived in Lebanon for peacekeeping mission along the Blue Line.
• 1977 – The first of The Nixon Interviews (12 will be recorded over four weeks) are videotaped with British journalist David Frost interviewing former United States President Richard Nixon about the Watergate scandal and the Nixon tapes.
• 1965 – NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States' first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young).
• 1956 – Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic in the world. (Republic Day in Pakistan)
• 1918 – First World War: On the third day of the German Spring Offensive, the 10th Battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment is annihilated with many of the men becoming prisoners of war
• 1901 – Emilio Aguinaldo, only President of the First Philippine Republic, was captured at Palanan, Isabela by the forces of General Frederick Funston.
• 1888 – In England, The Football League, the world's oldest professional association football league, meets for the first time.
• 1879 – War of the Pacific: The Battle of Topáter, the first battle of the war is fought between Chile and the joint forces of Bolivia and Peru.
• 1868 – The University of California is founded in Oakland, California when the Organic Act is signed into law.
• 1862 – The First Battle of Kernstown, Virginia, marks the start of Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. Although a Confederate defeat, the engagement distracts Federal efforts to capture Richmond.
• 1857 – Elisha Otis's first elevator is installed at 488 Broadway New York City.
• 1848 – The ship John Wickliffe arrives at Port Chalmers carrying the first Scottish settlers for Dunedin, New Zealand. Otago province is founded.
• 1806 – After traveling through the Louisiana Purchase and reaching the Pacific Ocean, explorers Lewis and Clark and their "Corps of Discovery" begin their arduous journey home.
• 1775 – American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his speech – "Give me liberty, or give me death!" – at St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia.

Births

• 1992 – Kyrie Irving, Australian-American basketball player. A six-time All-Star and two-time member of the All-NBA Team, he won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016.
• 1989 – Ayesha Curry, Canadian-American chef, author and television personality. Ayesha's Home Kitchen), on Food Network.
• 1988 – Dellin Betances, American baseball player. Dellin Betances (/ˈdɛlɪn bəˈtænsɪs/; born March 23, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB).
• 1986 – Brett Eldredge, American singer-songwriter and guitarist. The cousin of Terry Eldredge of The Grascals, Eldredge has had five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, three of which came from his debut studio album, Bring You Back: "Don't Ya", "Beat of the Music", and "Mean to Me".
• 1985 – Bethanie Mattek-Sands, American tennis player. She is an Olympic Gold medalist, and has won nine Grand Slam titles, five of which in women's doubles and four in mixed doubles.
• 1985 – Maurice Jones-Drew, American football player. Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "M.J.D", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons.
• 1984 – Brandon Marshall, American football player. Marshall has also played for the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, New York Giants, and the Seattle Seahawks.
• 1981 – Erin Crocker, American racing driver. Erin Mary Crocker Evernham (born March 23, 1981) is an American race car driver and broadcaster with the Motor Racing Network's Winged Nation.
• 1979 – Mark Buehrle, American baseball player. He also pitched for the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays.
• 1976 – Jayson Blair, American journalist and author. He resigned from the newspaper in May 2003 in the wake of the discovery of fabrication and plagiarism in his stories.
• 1976 – Jeremy Newberry, American football player. Jeremy David Newberry (born March 23, 1976 in Antioch, California) is a former center in the National Football League .
• 1976 – Keri Russell, American actress. Russell also starred as KGB agent Elizabeth Jennings on the FX spy thriller series The Americans (2013–2018), for which she was nominated for Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awards.
• 1976 – Michelle Monaghan, American actress. She has also received recognition for her starring role as Julia Meade in the action spy film series Mission: Impossible, appearing in Mission: Impossible III (2006), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018).
• 1974 – Randall Park, American actor, director and screenwriter. In 2012, he had gained popularity playing Steve, a prank replacement of Jim Halpert in an episode of The Office.
• 1973 – Jason Kidd, American basketball player and coach. Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
• 1968 – Mitch Cullin, American author. He currently resides in Arcadia, California and Tokyo, Japan with his partner and frequent collaborator Peter I.
• 1966 – Lorenzo Daniel, American sprinter. 1988: 200m NCAA National Champion
• 1965 – Gary Whitehead, American poet and painter. Gary Joseph Whitehead (born March 23, 1965 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island) is an American poet.
• 1964 – Hope Davis, American actress. For her role in the original Broadway production of God of Carnage in 2009, she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play.
• 1960 – Nicol Stephen, Baron Stephen, Scottish lawyer and politician, 2nd Deputy First Minister of Scotland. He is a former Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.
• 1959 – Catherine Keener, American actress. She has been twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles as Maxine Lund in Being John Malkovich (1999) and Harper Lee in Capote (2005).
• 1957 – Amanda Plummer, American actress. Plummer won a Tony Award in 1982 for her performance in Agnes of God.
• 1955 – Moses Malone, American basketball player and sportscaster (d. 2015), was an American basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A center, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times, was a 12-time NBA All-Star and an eight-time All-NBA Team selection.
• 1954 – Geno Auriemma, Italian-American basketball player and coach. Luigi "Geno" Auriemma (born March 23, 1954) is an Italian-born American college basketball coach and the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team.
• 1954 – Kenneth Cole, American fashion designer, founded Kenneth Cole Productions. Kenneth Cole (or Ken Cole) may refer to:
• 1953 – Chaka Khan, American singer-songwriter. Khan received public attention for her vocals and image.
• 1952 – Kim Stanley Robinson, American author. His work has been translated into 24 languages.
• 1952 – Rex Tillerson, American businessman, engineer and diplomat; 69th United States Secretary of State. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Tillerson was chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, holding that position from 2006 until 2017.
• 1951 – Adrian Reynard, English businessman, founded Reynard Motorsport, was the founder of Reynard Motorsport, which was a successful racing car manufacturer before it went bankrupt in 2002.
• 1951 – Ron Jaworski, American football player and sportscaster. He is the CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
• 1949 – Ric Ocasek, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and painter. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the rock band the Cars.
• 1947 – Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, American author. Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (born March 23, 1947) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy and Registered Nurse who lives in Port Townsend, Washington.
• 1945 – David Grisman, American mandolin player and composer. He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acoustic musicians.
• 1943 – Lee May, American baseball player and coach, was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman and designated hitter who played 18-seasons for the Cincinnati Reds (1965–71), Houston Astros (1972–74), Baltimore Orioles (1975–80), and Kansas City Royals (1981–82). He batted and threw right-handed.
• 1943 – Sharon Presley, American author and academic. Sharon Presley (born 23 March 1943) is an American libertarian feminist, writer, activist, and retired lecturer in psychology.
• 1942 – Jimmy Miller, American record producer and musician (d. 1994). While he produced albums for dozens of different bands and artists, he is most closely associated for his work with several key musical acts of the 1960s and 1970s.
• 1937 – Craig Breedlove, American racing driver. He was the first person in history to reach 500 mph (800 km/h), and 600 mph (970 km/h), using several turbojet-powered vehicles, all named Spirit of America.
• 1937 – Robert Gallo, American physician and academic. He is best known for his role in the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the infectious agent responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and in the development of the HIV blood test, and he has been a major contributor to subsequent HIV research.
• 1937 – Tony Burton, American actor, comedian, boxer and American football player (d. 2016), was an American actor, boxer, and football player. He was known for his role as Tony "Duke" Evers in the Rocky films.
• 1934 – Mark Rydell, American actor, director and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for On Golden Pond (1981).
• 1933 – Philip Zimbardo, American psychologist and academic. He has authored various introductory psychology books since.
• 1924 – Bette Nesmith Graham, American inventor, invented Liquid Paper (d. 1980), was an American typist, commercial artist, and the inventor of the correction fluid Liquid Paper (not to be confused with competitor White-Out). She was the mother of musician and producer Michael Nesmith of The Monkees.
• 1924 – Rodney Mims Cook, Sr., American lieutenant and politician (d. 2013), was a Georgia public figure who served for over twenty years as an Atlanta city alderman and member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
• 1923 – Angelo Ingrassia, American soldier and judge (d. 2013), was an American jurist.
• 1922 – Marty Allen, American comedian and actor, was an American comedian, actor, and philanthropist. He worked as a comedy headliner in nightclubs, as a dramatic actor in television roles, and was once called "The Darling of Daytime TV".
• 1920 – Neal Edward Smith, American pilot, lawyer and politician, was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa from 1959 until 1995—the longest-serving Iowan in the United States House of Representatives.
• 1919 – Carl Graffunder, American architect and educator (d. 2013), was a mid-century modernist architect whose influence from European modernism, Frank Lloyd Wright and Antonin Raymond manifested in many residential and commercial structures mostly in Minnesota. He was born in Rock Island, Illinois and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota.
• 1918 – Helene Hale, American politician (d. 2013), was an American politician from the state of Hawaii.
• 1918 – Stanley Armour Dunham, American sergeant (d. 1992), was the maternal grandfather of the 44th U.S. President Barack Obama.
• 1914 – Milbourne Christopher, American magician and author (d. 1984), was a prominent American illusionist, magic historian, and author.
• 1912 – Eleanor Cameron, Canadian-American author and critic (d. 1996), was a children's author and critic. She published 20 books in her lifetime, including The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet (1954) and its sequels, a collection of critical essays called The Green and Burning Tree (1969), and The Court of the Stone Children (1973), which won the U.S.
• 1912 – Wernher von Braun, German-American physicist and engineer (d. 1977), was a German and later American aerospace engineer and space architect. He was the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in Germany and a pioneer of rocket and space technology in the United States.
• 1909 – Charles Werner, American cartoonist (d. 1997), was an American editorial cartoonist who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1939 and later worked 47 years for the Indianapolis Star.
• 1898 – Louis Adamic, Slovenian-American author, translator and politician (d. 1951), was a Slovene-American author and translator, mostly known for writing about and advocating for ethnic diversity of America.
• 1895 – Dane Rudhyar, French-American astrologer, author and composer (d. 1985), was a French-born American author, modernist composer and humanistic astrologer. He was a pioneer of modern transpersonal astrology.
• 1893 – Cedric Gibbons, Irish-born American art director and production designer (d. 1960), was an Irish-American art director and production designer for the film industry. He also made a significant contribution to motion picture theater architecture from the 1930s to 1950s.
• 1887 – Sidney Hillman, Lithuanian-born American labor leader (d. 1946). He was the head of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and was a key figure in the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations and in marshaling labor's support for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Democratic Party.
• 1886 – Frank Irons, American long jumper (d. 1942), was an American athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
• 1885 – Platt Adams, American jumper and politician (d. 1961), was an American athlete. He competed in various events at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics and won a gold and a silver medal in jumping events in 1912.
• 1882 – Emmy Noether, Jewish German-American mathematician, physicist and academic (d. 1935), was a German mathematician who made important contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics. She invariably used the name "Emmy Noether" in her life and publications.
• 1881 – Lacey Hearn, American sprinter (d. 1969), was an American athlete and middle distance runner who competed in the early twentieth century. Individually he specialized in the 1500 Metres, and he won a bronze medal in Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics.
• 1874 – J. C. Leyendecker, German-American painter and illustrator (d. 1951), was a German-American illustrator. He is considered to be one of the preeminent American illustrators of the early 20th century.
• 1842 – Susan Jane Cunningham, American mathematician (d. 1921), was an American mathematician instrumental in the founding and development of Swarthmore College. She was born in Virginia, and studied mathematics and astronomy with Maria Mitchell at Vassar College as a special student during 1866–67.
• 1823 – Schuyler Colfax, American journalist and politician, 17th Vice President of the United States (d. 1885), was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th speaker of the House of Representatives from 1863 to 1869. A member of the Republican Party (after the Whig Party's demise in the early 1850s), he was the U.S.
• 1699 – John Bartram, American botanist and explorer (d. 1777), was an early American botanist, horticulturist and explorer. Carl Linnaeus said he was the "greatest natural botanist in the world."

Deaths

• 2016 – Joe Garagiola, Sr., American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1926)
• 2016 – Ken Howard, American actor (b. 1944)
• 2015 – Bobby Lowther, American basketball player and lieutenant (b. 1923)
• 2014 – Dave Brockie, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1963)
• 2013 – Joe Weider, Canadian-American bodybuilder and publisher, co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (b. 1919)
• 2013 – Virgil Trucks, American baseball player and coach (b. 1917)
• 2012 – Jim Duffy, American animator, director, and producer (b. 1937)
• 2012 – Lonnie Wright, American basketball and football player (b. 1945)
• 2011 – Elizabeth Taylor, American-British actress, socialite and humanitarian (b. 1932)
• 2011 – Jean Bartik, American computer scientist and engineer (b. 1924)
• 2007 – Eric Medlen, American race car driver (b. 1973)
• 2007 – Paul Cohen, American mathematician and theorist (b. 1934)
• 2006 – Cindy Walker, American singer-songwriter and dancer (b. 1918)
• 2006 – David B. Bleak, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1932)
• 2006 – Desmond Doss, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1919)
• 2002 – Eileen Farrell, American soprano (b. 1920)
• 2001 – Robert Laxalt, American author (b. 1923)
• 2001 – Rowland Evans, American journalist (b. 1921)
• 1985 – Peter Charanis, Greek-American scholar and educator (b. 1908)
• 1980 – Arthur Melvin Okun, American economist and academic (b. 1928)
• 1972 – Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish fashion designer, founded Balenciaga (b. 1895)
• 1968 – Edwin O'Connor, American journalist and author (b. 1918)
• 1965 – Mae Murray, American actress, dancer, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1889)
• 1964 – Peter Lorre, American actor (b. 1904)
• 1961 – Albert Bloch, American painter and educator (b. 1882)
• 1960 – Franklin Pierce Adams, American journalist and author (b. 1881)
• 1884 – Henry C. Lord, American businessman (b. 1824)