March 17
March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). There are 289 days remaining. Events * 45 BC - In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Gnaeus Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda. * 1756 - St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in New York City for the first time (at the Crown and Thistle Tavern). * 1776 - American Revolution: British forces evacuate Boston, Massachusetts after George Washington places artillery overlooking the city * 1861 - The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed. * 1886 - Carrollton Massacre: 20 African Americans are killed in Mississippi. * 1891 - The British steamship SS Utopia sinks off the coast of Gibraltar, killing 574. * 1901 - A showing of 71 Vincent van Gogh paintings in Paris, 11 years after his death, creates a sensation. * 1910 - Luther Gulick and his wife Charlotte found Camp Fire Girls (formally announced in 1912). * 1931 - Nevada legalizes gambling * 1941 - In Washington, DC, the National Gallery of Art is officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. * 1948 - Benelux, France, and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Brussels which is a precursor to the NATO Agreement. * 1950 - University of California, Berkeley researchers announce the creation of element 98 which they have named "californium". * 1958 - The United States launches the Vanguard 1 satellite. * 1959 - The Dalai Lama flees Tibet and travels to India. * 1966 - Off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, the ALVIN submarine finds a missing American hydrogen bomb. * 1969 - Golda Meir of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, becomes Prime Minister of Israel. * 1970 - My Lai massacre: The United States Army charges 14 officers with suppressing information related to the incident. * 1985 - Serial killer Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker", commits his first two murders in Los Angeles, California murder spree. * 1992 - 29 are killed and 242 injured when a suicide car-bomb goes off in the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. * 2003 - British Cabinet Minister, Robin Cook, resigns over government plans for war with Iraq. Births * 1473 - King James IV of Scotland (+ 1513) * 1777 - Roger Taney, Chief Justice of the United States (+ 1864) * 1804 - Jim Bridger, pioneer (+ 1881) * 1834 - Gottlieb Daimler, engineer and inventor (+ 1900) * 1862 - Silvio Gesell, economist (+ 1930) * 1888 - Frank Buck, "big game" hunter (+ 1950) * 1894 - Paul Green, novelist, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (+ 1981) * 1895 - Shemp Howard, actor ("The Three Stooges") (+ 1955) * 1902 - Bobby Jones, golfer (+ 1971) * 1908 - Brigitte Helm, actress (+ 1996) * 1912 - Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (+ 1987) * 1914 - Sammy Baugh, American football star * 1918 - Mercedes McCambridge, actress * 1919 - Nat King Cole, singer (+ 1965) * 1920 - Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (+ 1975) * 1926 - Siegfried Lenz, writer * 1936 - Ladislav Kupkovic, composer * 1938 - Rudolf Nureyev, dancer and choreographer (+ 1993) * 1942 - John Wayne Gacy, serial killer (+ 1994) * 1944 - John Sebastian, singer-songwriter, also a member of the Lovin' Spoonful * 1948 - William Gibson, writer * 1949 - Patrick Duffy, actor * 1951 - Kurt Russell, actor * 1954 - Lesley-Anne Down, actress * 1955 - Gary Sinise, actor * 1956 - Patrick McDonnell, creator of syndicated cartoon strip "Mutts" * 1959 - Danny Ainge, basketball player, coach, baseball player * 1964 - Rob Lowe, actor * 1972 - Mia Hamm, soccer player Deaths * 45 BC - Titus Labienus, Roman statesman (died in battle) * 180 - Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor * 461 - Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland died in Saul, County Down * 1058 - King Lulach I of Scotland * 1956 - Irene Joliot-Curie, scientist * 1965 - Amos Alonzo Stagg, baseball, basketball and American football coach and player * 1976 - Luchino Visconti, director * 1957 - Ramon Magsaysay, President of the Philippines * 1990 - Capucine, actress * 1993 - Helen Hayes, actress Holidays and observances * Saint Patrick's Day: a public holiday in Ireland and Montserrat * Roman Empire - the second day of the Bacchanalia in honor of Bacchus * Roman Empire - the Liberia in honor of Liber * Ancient Latvia - Kustonu Diena observed * Boston, Massachusetts - Evacuation Day
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