So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.
March 19th - holidays
- Earliest day on which Maundy Thursday can fall, while April 22 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday before Easter. (Christianity)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Mojoday (Discordianism)
- Saint Joseph's Day (Roman Catholicism and Church of England) related observances:
Father's Day (Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Honduras, and Bolivia)
- Las Fallas, celebrated on the week leading to March 19. (Valencia)
- "Return of the Swallow", annual observance of the swallows' return to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California.
- The Kashubians' Unity Day.
- The first day of Quinquatria, held in honor of Minerva. (Roman Empire)
March 19th - events
- 2008 - GRB 080319B: A cosmic burst that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed.
- 2004 - Konginkangas bus disaster: A semi-trailer truck and a bus crash head-on in Äänekoski, Finland. 24 people are killed and 13 injured.
- 2004 - A Swedish DC-3 shot down by a Russian MiG-15 in 1952 over the Baltic Sea is finally recovered after years of work. The remains of the three crewmen are left in place, pending further investigations.
- 2004 - 3-19 Shooting Incident: Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian is shot just before the country's presidential election on March 20.
- 2003 - United States President George W. Bush orders the start of war against Iraq.
- 2002 - Zimbabwe is suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and of electoral fraud, following a turbulent presidential election.
- 1990 - The ethnic clashes of Târgu Mure? begin four days after the anniversary of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas.
- 1989 - The Egyptian Flag is raised on Taba, Egypt announcing the end of the Israeli occupation after the Yom Kippur War in and the peace negotiations in .
- 1987 - Televangelist Jim Bakker resigns as head of the PTL Club due to a brewing sex scandal; he hands over control to Jerry Falwell.
- 1982 - Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating war with the United Kingdom.
- 1979 - The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN.
- 1978 - UN Security Council Resolution 425 is passed, calling upon Israel immediately to cease its military action and withdraw its forces from all Lebanese territory (Operation Litani), and establishing the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
- 1972 - India and Bangladesh sign a friendship treaty.
- 1969 - The 385 metres (1,263 ft) tall TV-mast at Emley Moor, United Kingdom, collapses due to ice build-up.
- 1966 - Texas Western becomes the first college basketball team to win the Final Four with an all-black starting lineup.
- 1965 - The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by then teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, exactly 102 years after its destruction.
- 1962 - Algerian War of Independence: A ceasefire takes effect.
- 1958 - The Monarch Underwear Company fire leaves 24 dead and 15 injured.
- 1954 - Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory in round seven at Madison Square Garden in the first televised prize boxing fight shown in colour.
- 1954 - Willie Mosconi sets a world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio. The record still stands today.
- 1946 - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion become overseas départements of France.
- 1945 - World War II: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the U.S. under her own power.
- 1945 - World War II: Adolf Hitler issues his "Nero Decree" ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities and communications facilities in Germany to be destroyed.
- 1944 - World War II: Nazi forces occupy Hungary.
- 1943 - Frank Nitti, the Chicago Outfit Boss after Al Capone, commits suicide at the Chicago Central Railyard.
- 1941 - World War II: The 99th Pursuit Squadron also known as the Tuskegee Airmen, the first all-black unit of the Army Air Corp, is activated.
- 1932 - The Sydney Harbour Bridge is opened.
- 1931 - Gambling is legalized in Nevada.
- 1921 - Irish War of Independence: One of the biggest engagements of the war takes place at Crossbarry, County Cork. About 100 Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers escape an attempt by over 1,300 British forces to encircle them.
- 1921 - Italian Fascists shoot from the Parenzana train at a group of children in Strunjan (Slovenia): two children are killed, two mangled and three wounded.
- 1920 - The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919).
- 1918 - The U.S. Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.
- 1916 - Eight American planes take off in pursuit of Pancho Villa, the first United States air-combat mission in history.
- 1915 - Pluto is photographed for the first time but is not recognized as a planet.
- 1885 - Louis Riel declares a Provisional Government in Saskatchewan, beginning the North-West Rebellion.
- 1865 - American Civil War: The Battle of Bentonville begins. By the end of the battle two days later, Confederate forces had retreated from Four Oaks, North Carolina.
- 1863 - The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000.
- 1861 - The First Taranaki War ends in New Zealand.
- 1853 - The Taiping reform movement occupies and makes Nanjing its capital until .
- 1687 - Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men.
- 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China.
March 19th - births
- 2007 - Prince Abdullah bin Ali of Jordan
- 2000 - Kauto Star, French-bred racehorse
- 1999 - Tatum McCann, American actress
- 1989 - Craig Lamar Traylor, American actor
- 1988 - Clayton Kershaw, American baseball player
- 1987 - Alexander Metz, German rugby player
- 1987 - Michal Švec, Czech footballer
- 1987 - Milos Teodosic, Serbian basketball player
- 1987 - April Jeanette, American wrestler
- 1987 - Josie Lopez, American actress
- 1985 - E. J. Viso, Venezuelan racing driver
- 1984 - Tanushree Dutta, Indian actress
- 1983 - Ana Rezende, Brazilian film director and musician (CSS)
- 1983 - Matt Sydal, American professional wrestler
- 1982 - Brad Jones, Australian footballer
- 1982 - Matt Littler, British actor
- 1982 - Jonathan Fanene, American football player
- 1981 - Kim Rae Won, South Korean actor and model
- 1981 - Kolo Touré, Ivorian footballer
- 1980 - Luca Ferri, Italian footballer
- 1980 - Mikuni Shimokawa, Japanese singer
- 1980 - Don Sparrow, Canadian illustrator
- 1979 - Sheldon Brown, American football player
- 1979 - Hee-Seop Choi, Korean baseball player
- 1979 - Ivan Ljubi?i?, Croatian tennis player
- 1979 - Christos Patsatzoglou, Greek footballer
- 1979 - Hedo Türko?lu, Turkish basketball player
- 1977 - Jorma Taccone, American writer and comedian
- 1976 - Andre Miller, American basketball player
- 1976 - Rachel Blanchard, Canadian actress
- 1976 - Alessandro Nesta, Italian footballer
- 1975 - Vivian Hsu, Taiwanese singer, actress and model
- 1975 - Brann Dailor, American drummer
- 1975 - Matthew Richardson, Australian rules footballer
- 1975 - Antonio Daniels, American basketball player
- 1974 - Vida Guerra, Cuban-American swimsuit model
- 1974 - Marcel Tiemann, German racing driver
- 1973 - Simmone Jade Mackinnon, Australian actress
- 1973 - Bun B, American Rapper (UGK)
- 1971 - Nadja Auermann, German supermodel
- 1971 - Sébastien Godefroid, Belgian sailor
- 1970 - Michael Krumm, German race car driver
- 1969 - Gary Jules, American singer and songwriter
- 1969 - Connor Trinneer, American actor
- 1969 - Tom McRae, British singer and songwriter
- 1968 - Mots'eoa Senyane, Lesotho diplomat
- 1968 - Tyrone Hill, American basketball player
- 1967 - Vladimir Konstantinov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1967 - Mary Scheer, American actress and comedian
- 1967 - Katia Tiutiunnik, Australian violist and composer
- 1966 - Andy Sinton, English footballer
- 1965 - Kevin F. Harris, American composer and graphic artist
- 1964 - Yoko Kanno, Japanese composer
- 1964 - Jake Weber, British actor
- 1962 - Ivan Calderón, Puerto Rican baseball player (d. 2003)
- 1962 - Jim Korderas, American professional wrestling referee
- 1961 - Jos Lansink, Dutch-Belgian equestrian
- 1960 - Simo Aalto, Finnish magician
- 1960 - Eliane Elias, Brazilian jazz musician and composer
- 1959 - Terry Hall, British singer
- 1958 - Andy Reid, American pro football coach
- 1956 - Yegor Gaidar, Russian politician and economist.
- 1955 - Simon Yam, Hong Kong actor
- 1955 - Bruce Willis, American actor
- 1954 - Indu Shahani, Indian educator
- 1954 - Cho Kwang-Rae, South Korean football manager
- 1953 - Billy Sheehan, American bassist (Mr. Big)
- 1953 - Ricky Wilson, American musician (The B-52's) (d. 1985)
- 1952 - Wolfgang Ambros, Austrian singer-songwriter
- 1952 - Warren Lees, New Zealand Test wicket-keeper
- 1952 - Harvey Weinstein, American film producer
- 1949 - Valery Leontiev, Russian pop singer
- 1949 - Hirofumi Hirano, Japanese politician and Chief Cabinet Secretary
- 1948 - Vincent van der Bijl, South African cricketer
- 1947 - Glenn Close, American actress
- 1947 - Marinho Peres, Brazilian football player
- 1946 - Paul Atkinson, English guitarist (The Zombies) (d. 2004)
- 1946 - Bigas Luna, Spanish film director
- 1946 - Ruth Pointer, American singer (Pointer Sisters)
- 1945 - Stefanos Kiriakidis, Greek actor
- 1944 - Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize
- 1944 - Sirhan Sirhan, Palestinian-born assassin
- 1943 - Mario J. Molina, Mexican chemist, Nobel laureate
- 1943 - Mario Monti, Italian politician
- 1943 - Vern Schuppan, Australian racing driver
- 1942 - Richard Dobson, American singer and songwriter
- 1939 - Joe Kapp, American football player
- 1937 - Clarence "Frogman" Henry, American musician
- 1937 - Egon Krenz, President of East Germany
- 1936 - Ursula Andress, Swiss actress
- 1936 - Birthe Wilke, Danish singer
- 1933 - Philip Roth, American author
- 1933 - Renée Taylor, American actress
- 1932 - Gay Brewer, American golfer (d. 2007)
- 1930 - Gualtiero Marchesi, Italian chef
- 1929 - Miquel Martí i Pol, Catalan poet (d. 2003)
- 1928 - Hans Küng, Swiss theologian
- 1928 - Patrick McGoohan, American actor (d. 2009)
- 1927 - Richie Ashburn, American baseball player (d. 1997)
- 1925 - Brent Scowcroft, American former Cabinet member and military officer
- 1924 - Mary Wimbush, British actress (d. 2005)
- 1924 - Joe Gaetjens, Haitian-American footballer (d. c. 1964)
- 1923 - Pamela Britton, American actress (d. 1974)
- 1923 - Henry Morgentaler, Canadian gynecologist
- 1921 - Tommy Cooper, Welsh comedy magician (d. 1984)
- 1920 - Tige Andrews, American actor (d. 2007)
- 1920 - Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author (d. 2002)
- 1920 - Paul Hagen, Danish actor (d. 2003)
- 1917 - Dinu Lipatti, Romanian pianist (d. 1950)
- 1917 - Laszlo Szabo, Hungarian chess player (d. 1998)
- 1916 - Eric Christmas, British actor (d. 2000)
- 1916 - Irving Wallace, American novelist (d. 1990)
- 1915 - Robert G. Cole, American World War II soldier and Medal of Honor winner (d. 1944)
- 1914 - Leonidas Alaoglu, Greek-Canadian mathematician (d. 1981)
- 1914 - Jay Berwanger, American football player (d. 2002)
- 1914 - Fred Clark, American film actor (d. 1968)
- 1910 - Joseph Carroll, American military officer (d. 1991)
- 1909 - Louis Hayward, British actor (d. 1985)
- 1909 - Attilio Demaria, Argentinian footballer (d. 1990)
- 1905 - Joe Rollino, American strongman, weightlifter, and boxer (d. 2010)
- 1904 - John Sirica, American judge (d. 1992)
- 1900 - Frédéric Joliot, French physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1958)
- 1898 - Karl Theodor Bleek, German politician (d. 1969)
- 1894 - Moms Mabley, American comedian (d. 1975)
- 1893 - Augusto Cesar Sandino, Nicaraguan revolutionary (d. 1934)
- 1892 - James Van Fleet, American military officer (d. 1992)
- 1891 - Earl Warren, American jurist (d. 1974)
- 1888 - Josef Albers, German artist (d. 1976)
- 1888 - Léon Scieur, Belgian cyclist (d. 1969)
- 1883 - Walter Haworth, British chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1950)
- 1883 - Joseph Stilwell, American military officer (d. 1946)
- 1881 - Edith Nourse Rogers, American social welfare volunteer and politician (d. 1960)
- 1873 - Max Reger, German composer (d. 1916)
- 1871 - Schofield Haigh, British cricketer (d. 1921)
- 1865 - William Morton Wheeler, American entomologist and myrmecologist (d. 1937)
- 1864 - Charles Marion Russell, American artist (d. 1926)
- 1861 - Lomer Gouin, Quebec politician (d. 1929)
- 1860 - William Jennings Bryan, American statesman (d. 1925)
- 1851 - William Henry Stark, American business leader (d. 1936)
- 1849 - Alfred von Tirpitz, German World War I Admiral (d. 1930)
- 1848 - Wyatt Earp, American policeman and gunfighter (d. 1929)
- 1829 - Carl Frederik Tietgen, Danish financier and industrialist (d. 1901)
- 1824 - or – William Allingham, Irish author (d. 1889)
- 1823 - Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria (d. 1914)
- 1821 - Richard Francis Burton, British explorer, diplomat and author (d. 1890)
- 1813 - David Livingstone, Scottish missionary and explorer (d. 1873)
- 1778 - Edward Pakenham, British general (d. 1815)
- 1749 - Princess Louisa of Great Britain (d. 1768)
- 1742 - Tupac Amaru II, Incan revolutionary (d. 1781)
- 1739 - Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, Third Consul of France (d. 1824)
- 1734 - Thomas McKean, American lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence (d. 1817)
- 1721 - Tobias Smollett, Scottish novelist (d. 1771)
- 1684 - Jean Astruc, French physician and scholar (d. 1766)
- 1593 - Georges de la Tour, French artist (d. 1652)
- 1590 - William Bradford, Pilgrim and First Governor of the Plymouth Colony (d. 1657)
- 1534 - José de Anchieta, Spanish Jesuit missionary to Brazil (d. 1597)
- 1488 - Johannes Magnus, Swedish religious figure (d. 1544)
- 1434 - Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shogun (d. 1443)