This Month in History: March

hello march printed paper on white surface

I’ll be honest…March was a bit more difficult to find interesting “did you know” facts…but it was worth it!


Did you know the Nuclear Bomb…

01 March 1954

The US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15 megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll…BUT DID YOU KNOW that this ACCIDENTALLY became the the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the US?

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Did you know King Kong…

02 March 1933

“King Kong“, starring Fay Wray premiered at Radio City Music Hall… BUT DID YOU KNOW King Kong’s roar was a lion’s roar and a tiger’s roar combined, slowed down, and run backward.

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Did you know before Marilyn Monroe was…

03 March 1911

American actress Jean Harlow, who was considered the original “Blonde Bombshell,” was born… BUT DID YOU KNOW that Maryilyn Monroe idolized Harlow and by chance, both actresses last film had Clark Gable as their Co-Star.

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Did you know John Candy…

04 March 1994

The larger-than-life comedy star John Candy died of a heart attack… BUT DID YOU KNOW that his real life name was…John Candy. 🙂 

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Did you know the Boston Massacre…

05 March 1770

The Boston Massacre took place on King Street in Boston, Massachusetts… BUT DID YOU KNOW that it all started started when young wigmaker’s apprentice called out to a British officer, that he had not paid his master’s bill?

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Did you know Walter Cronkite…

06 March 1981

News anchor Walter Cronkite signed off for the final time with his trademark phrase, “And that’s the way it is,”… BUT DID YOU KNOW that Cronkite was 1 of 5 journalists that joined troops for the invasion of Normandy at D-Day?

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Did you know Selma, Alabama…

07 March 1965

At Selma, Alabama, a 600-person civil rights demonstration ended in violence when marchers were attacked and beaten by state troopers…AND DID YOU KNOW the day’s events became known as “Bloody Sunday.”

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Did you know Joe Frazier…

08 March 1971

Joe Frazier ended Muhammad Ali‘s 31-fight winning streak at Madison Square Garden, NYC in the “Fight of the Century”… BUT DID YOU KNOW that Frazier inspired some of Rocky’s most famous scenes because he used to work at a slaughterhouse and punch the meat which Sylvester Stallone saw once.

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Did you know Barbie…

09 March 1959

The first Barbie doll goes on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City… BUT DID YOU KNOW that since then, over 1 billion barbie dolls have been sold?

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Did you know Buffy the Vampire Slayer…

10 March 1997

The inaugural episode of  Buffy the Vampire Slayer airs on the WB… BUT DID YOU KNOW that Katie Holmes and Ryan Reynolds were originally offered the two lead roles?

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Did you know Paul McCartney…

11 March 1997

Paul McCartney, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his “services to music.”… BUT DID YOU KNOW that when he wrote “Yesterday” the first placeholder lyrics were “Scrambled eggs / Oh my baby, how I love your legs / Not as much as I love scrambled eggs.”

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Did you know Douglas MacArthur…

12 March 1942

Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Theatre came under the command of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur … BUT DID YOU KNOW the MacArthur Memorial is in Norfolk, Virginia because his mother lived there? He loved his mother.

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Did you know John Wayne…

13 March 1956

The John Ford western film, “The Searchers” starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood was released… BUT DID YOU KNOW that John Wayne has been in more leading roles than any other actor? With the leading role in 142 out of his 175 movies.

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Did you know the FBIs Most Wanted…


14 March 1950

The FBI debuted “10 Most Wanted Fugitives” list… BUT DID YOU KNOW that over 93% of the fugitives on the list have been captured?

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Did you know The Godfather….

15 March 1972

Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” opened in theaters… BUT DID YOU KNOW it ranks 2nd on AFIs list of the greatest movies of all time…right behind Citizen Kane.

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Did you know The Scarlet Letter…

16 March 1850

A story of adultery in colonial America, “The Scarlet Letter”,  is published… BUT DID YOU KNOW the novel is one of the first in American literature to feature a strong female character?

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Did you know Saint Patrick…

17 March 461 A.D.

On March 17, 461 A.D., Saint Patrick, Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, died… BUT DID YOU KNOW St. Patrick never got canonized by a pope, making his saintly status somewhat questionable.

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Did you know Queen Latifah…

18 March 1970

American musician and actress, Queen Latifah was born… BUT DID YOU KNOW she was given the nickname Latifah as a child (meaning “delicate” or “sensitive” in Arabic) and later adopted the stage name Queen Latifah.

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Did you know that Graceland…

19 March 1957

Elvis Presley puts his first down payment on Graceland… BUT DID YOU KNOW it’s Second Only to the White House

in visitors each year in the US? 

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Did you know Yoko Ono…

20 March 1969

John Lennon married Japanese artist and musician, Yoko Ono… BUT DID YOU KNOW that the host of Walk With History, Jenn, was a Navy pilot and her call sign was Yoko…because she was the first female pilot in her squadron.

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Did you know Twitter…

21 March 2006

Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey sent the first public tweet, which read “just setting up my twttr.”… BUT DID YOU KNOW that Dorsey almost worked for Facebook?

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Did you know the Stanley Cup…

22 March 1894

The first championship series for Lord Stanley’s Cup is played in Montreal, Canada… BUT DID YOU KNOW that the Stanley Cup is the only trophy that is not reproduced each year? When a team wins the Cup, they are allowed to hold on to the trophy for one year

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Did you know that Titanic…

23 March 1998 

The epic drama Titanic won 11 Academy Awards, tying the record set by Ben-Hur in 1959… BUT DID YOU KNOW that like Jack Dawson, Leo DiCaprio’s character,  there was a J. Dawson aboard the real ship and it is just a coincidence that the two share similar names because  Director James Cameron didn’t find that out until after the movie finished filming.

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Did you know Houdini…

24 March 1874

American magician, Harry Houdini, was born… BUT DID YOU KNOW he protected his famous “Chinese water torture cell” act from being copied by putting it in to a play he wrote and then copyrighting that play.

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Did you know Elton John…

25 March 1947

British singer, composer, and pianist Sir Elton John, was born… BUT DID YOU KNOW he names his pianos? Most of them after famous female musicians, including Aretha Franklin and Diana Krall.

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Did you know Leonard Nimoy…

26 March 1931

Actor Leonard Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts… BUT DID YOU KNOW the recognizable Vulcan salute wasn’t actually written into the show. In the Star Trek season 2 premier, Nimoy tossed the Vulcan salute in, and it became a thing.

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Did you know “Singin’ in the Rain”…

27 March 1952

“Singin’ in the Rain”, starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, premiered… BUT DID YOU KNOW Gene Kelly’s film Anchors Aweigh (1945) was the first musical to mix live-action and animation. Kelly wanted to dance with Mickey Mouse, but Walt Disney wouldn’t allow it, so he danced with Jerry the Mouse instead.

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Did you know President Dwight Eisenhower…

28 March 1969 

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, died… BUT DID YOU KNOW that Camp David is named after his grandson?

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Did you know Wayne Gretzky…

29 March 1999

Canadian ice-hockey player Wayne Gretzky, considered by many to be the greatest player in NHL history, scored the final goal of his career… BUT DID YOU KNOW Gretzky Holds or Shares 60 NHL Records?

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Did you know Ronald Reagan…

30 March 1981

President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel… BUT DID YOU KNOW he was an FBI informant as an actor? Tipping off the Bureau to suspected Communist activity in Hollywood in the 1940s. 

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Did you know Jimi Hendrix…

31 March 1967

Jimi Hendrix burns his guitar for the first time at The Astoria, London… BUT DID YOU KNOW Jimi Hendrix was left-handed and when he got his first guitar, he simply flipped the guitar and rearranged the strings in the proper order.

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Published by Scott

The mountains are calling, let me grab a jacket and my kids.

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