Irish American Heritage Month.
In 1995, Congress proclaimed March as a month
to recognize the contributions of Irish Americans to the United States.
National
Women's History Month. This was established
by presidential proclamation to draw attention to and rectify the limited
focus on women in historical studies. For the theme for the Year 2003,
and for educational materials, contact the Women's
History Project, Windsor, CA, 707-838-6000.
March 1
Blanche K. Bruce (1841–1898) : African American.
Legislator. Born into slavery, Bruce represented
Mississippi in the United States Senate from 1875 to 1881. The only African
American to serve a full term in the Senate during Reconstruction, Bruce
opposed the exclusion of Chinese from the United States and fought for
citizenship rights for American Indians.
Ralph Ellison (1914–1994) : African American. Writer.
Introduced to literature by his mother, who worked as a domestic, Ellison
attended Tuskegee Institute on a music scholarship. However, in 1936 he
moved to New York City, where he began to write short stories while supporting
himself as a freelance photographer and audio engineer. He served in the
merchant marines during World War II. After seven years of effort, he
published Invisible Man in 1952, which won the National Book Award.
Since then, the book has become a classic of African American literature
and has been translated into seventeen languages. He taught and lectured
widely, was appointed to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, served
on the National Council on the Arts and Humanities and the Carnegie Commission
on public television, and was a trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts. He died on this day at his home in New York City.
Independence Movement Day : South Korea.
Although Japan annexed Korea in 1910, a movement
for independence arose in 1919. However, it was not until the end of World
War II that Korea became independent, and then only as the two separate
states of North and South Korea.
Three-One Day
(Samil-Jol) : Korea. From 1905
to 1945, Japan dominated Korea. This day commemorates the March movement
of 1919 of massive demonstrations against Japanese rule. The movement
was suppressed and Korea, although divided at the 38th parallel, became
independent only after the end of World War II.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 2
Granting of citizenship
to Puerto Ricans (1917) : United States. On
this date the United States Congress passed the Jones Act, which conferred
U.S. citizenship on Puerto Ricans and gave them the right to elect representatives
to both houses of the territorial legislature. The act was opposed by
some of the most prominent Puerto Rican leaders because they felt it was
a poor substitute for full independence. (See entries for April
16 and July 17.)
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 3
Alexander Crummell
(1819–1898) : African American. Minister,
missionary, and writer. After his ordination as an Episcopal minister,
Crummell traveled to England to raise funds to support his work among
African Americans. He decided instead to enroll at Cambridge University,
where he took a degree. From 1853 to 1873 he worked as a missionary and
teacher of theology in Monrovia, Liberia. He then returned to the United
States and served as rector of a church in Washington, D.C. Crummell's
published works include collections of sermons and essays on contemporary
topics of concern to African Americans.
Doll Festival
(Hina Matsuri) : Japan. This
is one of the major social festivals in traditional Japan. There is much
visiting among family members and friends, and visitors bring gifts of
dolls. The traditional holiday foods are red-bean-flavored rice, rice
dumplings wrapped in cherry leaves, and a special sweet cake.
Indian Appropriations
Act (1871) : United States. This
act declared that no American Indian tribe was to be recognized as a nation
empowered to make treaties with the U.S. government. It asserted the right
of the federal government to manage American Indian affairs without tribal
consent.
National Day
: Morocco. In 1915 Morocco became
independent from France and Spain. The king is especially honored on this
day. The holiday feast traditionally includes mechoui (whole roasted
lamb) and pastilla (salted pie filled with lamb, eggs, pigeon,
chicken, vegetables, and spices).
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 4
Garrett Morgan
(1877–1963) : African American. Inventor.
Morgan patented two widely known inventions, the gas mask (1914) and the
three-light traffic signal system (1923).
Kazimierz (Casimir)
Pulaski (1748–1779) : Polish. Soldier.
An aristocrat and patriot, Pulaski left Poland after participating in
a failed uprising protesting the increasing dominance of foreign powers
in Polish affairs. He then offered his services to the American Revolution.
He fought in a number of engagements before being mortally wounded at
the siege of Savannah, Georgia.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 5
Holi (hah-lee)
: Hindu. This two-day holiday
celebrates the coming of spring throughout India. Large bonfires are lit,
and coconuts and other foods are thrown into the fire. Games and folk
dancing take place as well as the throwing of colored powder and water
on friends. (m)
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 6
Independence
Day : Ghana. On this date in
1957, the British territories of the Gold Coast and Togoland became the
independent nation of Ghana.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 7
Purim (poor-îm)
(Feast of Lots) : Jewish. This
festive holiday celebrates the rescue of the ancient Persian Jews from
a plot to destroy them. The king's advisor, Haman, cast lots to choose
the day for carrying out his plan. Esther, the Jewish queen, persuaded
her husband to spare the Jews. Fasting on the day before Purim commemorates
Esther's fasting before seeing the king to plead for the Jewish people.
The "Megillah," the story of Purim, is read in the synagogue. Children
twirl gragers (noisemakers) to drown out Haman's name each time
it is mentioned. Homentashen, special pastries in the form of Haman's
hat, are eaten. Gifts are distributed to the poor as well as exchanged
among family and friends. (m)
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 8
International
Women's Day. The movement to
create an International Women's Day began as part of the socialist movement
for greater women's rights, particularly the right to vote. First designated
as the last Sunday in February by the Conference of Socialist Women in
Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910, it was later changed to be uniformly celebrated
on March 8 to honor women's role in the Russian Revolution. With the resurgence
of feminism in the late 1960s, International Women's Day gained renewed
interest as a day to celebrate women's lives and work.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 9
Raul Julia (1940–1994)
: Puerto Rican. Actor. One of
the most versatile and successful actors of his generation, Julia won
acclaim in dramatic and musical roles in the New York theater and for
a variety of performances in films and television. His stage roles ranged
from Shakespeare's Othello and Prospero to Mack the Knife
in The Threepenny Opera and Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha.
His best known film roles include that of Gomez, the comically macabre
father in The Addams Family, and Valentin, the courageous political
prisoner in the drama Kiss of the Spider Woman.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 10
Lorenzo da Ponte
(1749–1838) : Italian American. Librettist,
businessman, and teacher. Da Ponte immigrated to the United States at
the age of 57, having won fame in Europe as the librettist for Mozart's
operas Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte.
After arriving in the United States, da Ponte worked as a grocer,
impresario, and teacher of Italian at Columbia University. As one of the
prime movers in the establishment of the Italian Opera House in New York
in 1832, da Ponte helped to promote the appreciation of Italian culture
in the United States.
Harriet Tubman
(1820?–1913) : African American. Tubman
became the "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, a clandestine system
for helping slaves escape to freedom in the North. An escaped slave, she
earned the name "Moses" for her heroic work in leading some 400 slaves
to freedom. She died on this date.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 11
Restoration of
Statehood Day : Lithuania. Public
holiday.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 12
Sun Yat-sen's
Death (1866–1925) : People's Republic of China. Revolutionary
leader. Sun Yat-sen was the leader of China's 1911 revolution, which overthrew
the Ch'ing Dynasty that had ruled China since 1644, and founder of the
Republic of China. He is remembered on the anniversary of his death in
1925 in the People's Republic of China.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 14
Albert Einstein
(1879–1955) : Jewish German American. Physicist.
The leading theoretical physicist of the twentieth century, Einstein received
the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921. When the Nazi government confiscated
his property and deprived him of his German citizenship in 1933, Einstein
immigrated to the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen
and took a post at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New
Jersey.
New Year : Sikh.
This begins the new year 536 of the Nanakshahi
Era for the Sikhs, one of the largest religious groups in India. The first
year of the Nanakshahi Era is 1469, the year of birth of the founder of
Sikhism, Guru Nanak.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 15
Eusebio Francisco
Kino (1645–1711) : Italian. Jesuit
missionary and explorer. Kino is noted for his success in making converts
among the Pima Indians while respecting their customs, and for the historical
value of his letters, journals, and maps. From 1687 to the end of his
life he worked in Pimeria Alta (now southern Arizona and northern Sonora
in Mexico), where he founded a number of missions and introduced the Indians
to cattle and to new crops. This day is the anniversary of his death.
National Day
: Hungary. Public holiday.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 16
First publication
of Freedom's Journal (1827) : African American. On
this date Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm began publication of
the first African American newspaper. The first edition of Freedom's
Journal was devoted entirely to issues of slavery and discrimination.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 17
Bayard Rustin
(1912–1987) : African American. Civil
rights activist and pacifist. Rustin worked from 1941 to 1953 for the
Fellowship of Reconciliation, a group seeking peaceful solutions to world
problems; served as executive director of the War Resisters League from
1953 to 1955; and worked for the next five years with Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. One of the chief organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for
civil rights, Rustin also traveled to Africa, Europe, and Asia to support
local protest movements for social justice.
St. Patrick's
Day : Ireland. Tradition holds
that Ireland's patron saint died on this date in A.D. 493 at the age of
106. The anniversary of his death is celebrated in Ireland as a national
holiday, with green, the color of the day, signifying undying gratitude
to the memory of St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. The
shamrock is worn to commemorate its use by the saint as a symbol of the
Trinity. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of Irish descent all
over the world as an expression of pride in their heritage.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 19
San Jose Day
: Colombia, Venezuela. Public
holiday.
Feast of St.
Joseph : Roman Catholic. This feast
day honors St. Joseph, the husband of Mary. The celebration is especially
important in Italy, because during the Middle Ages when Sicily was plagued
with a horrible drought, St. Joseph (San Giuseppe) answered the people's
prayers to him by ending the drought. A giant feast was held to honor
San Giuseppe, a tradition that continues to this day. On the eve of March
19, bonfires are lit in the streets. The next day, an elderly carpenter
is chosen to act the part of San Giuseppe, while a poor girl is chosen
to play the part of Mary, and a young orphan boy plays the infant Jesus.
A midday mass is held, followed by an outdoor banquet where crespoli
di riso (rice made into sausages and fried in honey) and sfinci
(cream-puff fritters with ricotta filling) are eaten. After the banquet,
the Holy Family mounts richly adorned mules and leads a procession while
being showered with gifts. The feast became widespread in the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries, and in 1621 Pope Gregory XV made the Feast of
St. Joseph a holy day of obligation.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 20
Independence
Day : Tunisia. This holiday
commemorates the treaty of March 20, 1956, by which France recognized
Tunisia as a sovereign nation.
Now Rouz (now-rooz)
(New Year) : Afghanistan and Iran. This
is the traditional new year in Iran, coming at the time of the spring
equinox and marking year 1383. The two days before Now Rouz are celebrated
as holidays, as are the thirteen days following Now Rouz. (m)
Vernal Equinox
Day (Shumbun No Hi) : Japan. This
celebrates the beginning of spring and is a public holiday in Japan. (m)
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 21
Benito Pablo
Juárez (1806–1872) : Mexico. Political
leader. One of the national heroes of Mexico, Juárez served his country
as minister of justice, vice president, and president during the turbulent
period from 1855 until his death. Among Juárez's achievements are both
the successful military resistance to the French emperor's attempt to
impose a puppet ruler, the archduke Maximilian of Austria, as emperor
of Mexico, and the institution of a number of civil reforms.
Youth Day :
Tunisia. Public holiday.
Naw Ruz (New
Year) : Baha'i. The Baha'i year
consists of 19 months with 19 days in each month. The new year is preceded
by a 19-day period of fasting beginning on March 2 and ending on March
20, during which Baha'is set time aside for prayer and meditation. Children
under 15, the ill, and pregnant women and nursing mothers are exempt from
the fast. Baha'i days begin at sunset, so the new year starts at sundown
on March 20.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 22
Robert Smalls
(1839–1915) : African American. War
hero and legislator. As a slave forced to serve in the Confederate navy,
Smalls took control of his vessel and turned it over to Union forces.
He then served as a pilot and later captain in the United States Navy.
After the War he served in the South Carolina legislature and for eight
years in the United States Congress.
Arab League
Day : Lebanon. Public holiday.
Emancipation
Day : Puerto Rico. On this day
in 1873 the Spanish colonial government of Puerto Rico abolished slavery,
fulfilling the commitment made after the Lares uprising of 1868. (See
entry for September 23.)
Human Rights
Day : South Africa. This day
commemorates those Blacks who were killed at Sharpeville in 1960 and those
who lost their lives in the struggle against apartheid.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 23
Republic Day:
Pakistan. In its movement for
independence from Great Britain, India had an internal conflict as well
between its Hindu and Muslim populations, each wanting a separate area
over which they could rule. On this day in 1940, the All India Muslim
League adopted a resolution calling for a separate Muslim homeland. In
1947, under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act from Great Britain,
two states, a predominately Hindu India and a predominately Muslim Pakistan,
were established. On this day in 1956, Pakistan declared itself a republic.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 25
Arturo Toscanini
(1867–1957) : Italian American. Orchestra
conductor. Toscanini, one of the great virtuoso conductors of the early
twentieth century, first came to prominence as a conductor of operas.
After serving as musical director of La Scala, the opera house of Milan
in his native Italy, and then of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, he
became conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and finally of
the NBC Symphony, sponsored by the radio network, which broadcast his
performances to millions of homes across the nation. He was legendary
for his phenomenal memory, his attention to detail, and his powers of
interpretation, particularly in his performances of Verdi, Beethoven,
and Wagner.
Independence
Day : Greece. During the early
19th century, Greeks throughout the world joined a secret society, the
Philikę Hetairia (Friendly Association), whose purpose was to collect
money and arms for a revolution to free Greece from Turkish rule. In March
of 1821 the head of the organization, Alexander Ypsilanti, entered Turkish
territory with a group of armed followers and declared the independence
of Greece. Although his uprising was crushed, it is remembered as the
first event in Greece's struggle for independence.
The Annunciation
: Christian. Based on the gospel
in Luke 1:26–56, this holy day celebrates the Angel Gabriel's announcement
to Mary of Galilee that she would become the mother of Jesus.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 26
Henry O. Flipper
(1856–1940) : African American. Military
officer. Henry Flipper was the first Black West Point graduate. Although
the fifth Black accepted to West Point, he was the first to graduate and
in 1877 became the first Black commissioned officer in the United States
Army. Flipper described his successful struggle against ostracism and
prejudice in The Colored Cadet at West Point (1878). He joined
the Tenth Cavalry, one of two all-Black army units. At Fort Sill in the
Oklahoma territory, he perfected a system for draining mosquito-infested
stagnant water that caused outbreaks of malaria at the fort. In 1881,
he was court-martialed on charges of embezzlement. A review of the trial
record at the time concluded that the charges were dubious, but President
Chester Arthur refused to set the verdict aside. In 1976, the United States
Army lifted Flipper's dishonorable discharge, recognizing that the conviction
was racially motivated. On February 19, 1999, President Clinton granted
a posthumous pardon to Flipper. Flipper has also been honored at West
Point with an annual award given in his name to an outstanding cadet,
and with a section of the library named after him.
National Day
: Bangladesh. Formerly the eastern
part of Pakistan, Bangladesh is the world's 139th independent nation,
having emerged as a sovereign, independent state on December
16, 1971. March 26, 1971 marks the day the newly formed Bangladesh
government declared independence from Pakistan.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 28
Edmund Muskie
(1914–1996) : Polish American. Governor,
senator, presidential candidate, secretary of state. Edmund Muskie was
a long-time leader of the Democratic Party, holding many high offices
in both state and federal government. Born in the mill town of Rumford,
Maine, one of six children of a Polish immigrant tailor, he became the
Governor of Maine and later its senator for 21 years. He ran as the Democratic
Party's vice presidential candidate with Hubert Humphrey in 1968. Under
the Carter administration, he became secretary of state.
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 30
Sean O'Casey
(1880–1964) : Irish. Playwright.
O'Casey is best known for his tragicomic dramas set in the poor neighborhoods
of Dublin during the Irish uprising against the British and the subsequent
civil war.
Ramanavami (rama-na-vamee)
(Birthday of Rama) : Hindu. The
story of Rama, one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu, is told in the
Ramayana, which along with the Mahabharata is one of the
great epic poems of Hinduism. Rama is celebrated in literature, music,
and art throughout India and Southeast Asia. This holiday is observed
with sanctity and fasting. Temples are decorated and parts of the Ramayana
are recited at home. (m)
This Week | March | Index | Home
March 31
César Chávez
(1927–1993) : Mexican American. Labor
leader and activist. A migrant farm worker who became a nationally respected
voice for social justice, Chávez spent his life combating the poverty
and discrimination suffered by Mexicans and Mexican Americans, particularly
agricultural laborers. In 1962 he began organizing farm workers into a
union that three years later joined with a Filipino union in a strike
against California grape growers for better wages and more humane working
conditions. (The two groups later merged as the United Farm Workers.)
Table grape producers held out for five years while Chávez focused national
attention on the plight of farm workers. A national consumer boycott helped
bring the strike to a successful conclusion in 1970. (See entry for September
30.)
Jack Johnson
(1878–1946) : African American. Prizefighter.
Johnson was the world's first Black heavyweight champion, holding the
title from 1908 to 1915.
Octavio Paz
(1931–1998) : Mexican. Writer.
Octavio Paz was Mexico's leading poet and essayist and one of the world's
leading figures in literature. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Literature
in 1990 and praised for "impassioned writing with wide horizons, characterized
by sensuous intelligence and humanistic integrity." He was widely known
for his essay "The Labyrinth of Solitude" and his epic poem " Sunstone."
In addition to his writing, Octavio Paz had a distinguished diplomatic
career, serving as Mexico's consul and ambassador to such countries as
France, Japan, and India.
This Week | March | Index | Home