On This Day in History — March 4

Highlights of March 4

• 2017 — Construction began on a 69-metre (226 ft) statue of the Buddha at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen in Bangkok. Read more
• 2012 — A series of blasts occurred at an arms dump in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, killing at least 300 people and injuring 2,500 others. Read more
• 2009 — President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the War in Darfur. Read more
• 2007 — Fourteen-year-old English schoolgirl Charlotte Shaw drowned on Dartmoor, becoming the first person to die in connection with the annual Ten Tors challenge. Read more
• 2000 — Playstation 2 was released in Japan. Read more
• 1990 — College basketball player Hank Gathers died after collapsing during a West Coast Conference tournament semifinal game in Los Angeles. Read more
• 1987 — U.S. president Ronald Reagan made a nationally televised address in which he accepted full responsibility for illegal actions in the Iran–Contra affair. Read more
• 1979 — The space probe Voyager 1 discovered the rings of Jupiter, the third ring system to be discovered in the Solar System, after those of Saturn and Uranus. Read more
• 1966 — During an interview, John Lennon of the Beatles argued that the band had become "more popular than Jesus". Read more
• 1944 — Murder, Inc. leader Lepke Buchalter was executed, becoming the only American mob boss to receive the death penalty after being convicted of murder. Read more
• 1943 — The Holocaust: Almost all Jews in Bulgarian-occupied Western Thrace were deported to Treblinka extermination camp to be killed. Read more
• 1941 — Second World War: British Commandos successfully executed a raid on the Lofoten Islands in German-occupied Norway. Read more
• 1933 — Frances Perkins was appointed United States Secretary of Labor, making her the first female member of the Cabinet. Read more
• 1918 — The United States Navy suffered its largest non-combat loss of life when the collier USS Cyclops set sail from Barbados to Baltimore and was never seen again, presumably disappearing in the Bermuda Triangle. Read more
• 1918 — A case of influenza was recorded at Camp Funston, Kansas, United States, conventionally marking the beginning of the Spanish flu pandemic. Read more
• 1899 — Cyclone Mahina struck Bathurst Bay, Queensland, killing more than 300 people in one of the deadliest natural disasters in Australian history. Read more
• 1890 — The Forth Bridge, a railway bridge connecting Edinburgh to Fife over the Firth of Forth, opened, eventually becoming an internationally recognised Scottish landmark. Read more
• 1848 — King Charles Albert of Sardinia signs the Statuto Albertino, which would later serve as the constitution for the Kingdom of Italy. Read more
• 1837 — Chicago was incorporated as a city. Read more
• 1824 — The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the British Isles, was founded as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck by author and philanthropist William Hillary. Read more
• 1804 — Irish convicts formerly involved at the Battle of Vinegar Hill during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 began an uprising against British colonial authorities in New South Wales, Australia. Read more
• 1776 — American Revolutionary War: Using artillery transported from Ticonderoga, the Continental Army occupied Dorchester Heights, forcing the British to abandon Boston two weeks later. Read more
• 1773 — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart departed Italy after the last of his three journeys there. Read more
• 1681 — King Charles II of England granted Quaker William Penn a charter for the Pennsylvania Colony. Read more
• 1675 — John Flamsteed (pictured) was appointed the first Astronomer Royal by King Charles II of England. Read more
• 1461 — Wars of the Roses: Henry VI, the Lancastrian king of England, was deposed by his Yorkist cousin, who succeeded him as Edward IV. Read more
• 1386 — Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, was crowned King of Poland as Władysław II Jagiełło (pictured), beginning the Jagiellonian dynasty. Read more
• 852 — Trpimir I, the founder of the Trpimirović dynasty of Croatia, issued a document that contains the first known use of the name Croats. Read more
• 306 — Roman Herculian guard Adrian of Nicomedia, who had converted to Christianity after being impressed with the faith of Christians that he had been torturing, was martyred. Read more

Events

• 2020 — Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to walk over the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. Read more
• 2018 — Former MI6 spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, causing a diplomatic uproar that results in mass-expulsions of diplomats from all countries involved. Read more
• 2015 — At least 34 miners die in a suspected gas explosion at the Zasyadko coal mine in the rebel-held Donetsk region of Ukraine. Read more
• 2012 — A series of explosions is reported at a munitions dump in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, killing at least 250 people. Read more
• 2009 — The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002. Read more
• 2002 — Afghanistan: Seven American Special Operations Forces soldiers and 200 Al-Qaeda Fighters are killed as American forces attempt to infiltrate the Shah-i-Kot Valley on a low-flying helicopter reconnaissance mission. Read more
• 2001 — BBC bombing: A massive car bomb explodes in front of the BBC Television Centre in London, seriously injuring one person; the attack was attributed to the Real IRA. Read more
• 1998 — Gay rights: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex. Read more
• 1996 — A derailed train in Weyauwega, Wisconsin (USA) causes the emergency evacuation of 2,300 people for 16 days. Read more
• 1994 — Space Shuttle program: The Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-62. Read more
• 1990 — American basketball player Hank Gathers dies after collapsing during the semifinals of a West Coast Conference tournament game. Read more
• 1990 — Lennox Sebe, President for life of the South African Bantustan of Ciskei, is ousted from power in a bloodless military coup led by Brigadier Oupa Gqozo. Read more
• 1986 — The Soviet Vega 1 begins returning images of Halley's Comet and the first images of its nucleus. Read more
• 1985 — The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for HIV infection, used since then for screening all blood donations in the United States. Read more
• 1980 — Nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a sweeping election victory to become Zimbabwe's first black prime minister. Read more
• 1977 — The 1977 Vrancea earthquake in eastern and southern Europe kills more than 1,500, mostly in Bucharest, Romania. Read more
• 1976 — The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland, resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland from London by the British parliament. Read more
• 1970 — French submarine Eurydice explodes underwater, resulting in the loss of the entire 57-man crew. Read more
• 1966 — A Canadian Pacific Air Lines DC-8-43 explodes on landing at Tokyo International Airport, killing 64 people. Read more
• 1966 — In an interview in the London Evening Standard, the Beatles' John Lennon declares that the band is "more popular than Jesus now". Read more
• 1962 — A Caledonian Airways Douglas DC-7 crashes shortly after takeoff from Cameroon, killing 111 – the worst crash of a DC-7. Read more
• 1960 — The French freighter La Coubre explodes in Havana, Cuba, killing 100. Read more
• 1957 — The S&P 500 stock market index is introduced, replacing the S&P 90. Read more
• 1955 — An order to protect the endangered Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is legalized. Read more
• 1946 — The sixth President of Finland, Gustaf Mannerheim, submits his resignation for health reasons. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: After the success of Big Week, the USAAF begins a daylight bombing campaign of Berlin. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea in the south-west Pacific comes to an end. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, begins. It ends on 6 March with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion and the liberation of the town of Grevena. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: The United Kingdom launches Operation Claymore on the Lofoten Islands, the first large-scale British Commando raid. Read more
• 1933 — Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States. Read more
• 1933 — The United States Senate confirms Frances Perkins as United States Secretary of Labor and she is sworn in the same day, making her the first female member of the United States Cabinet. Read more
• 1933 — The Parliament of Austria is suspended because of a quibble over procedure – Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss initiates an authoritarian rule by decree. Read more
• 1918 — A case of influenza is recorded at Camp Funston, Kansas, conventionally marking the beginning of the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic. Read more
• 1917 — Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first female member of the United States House of Representatives. Read more
• 1913 — First Balkan War: The Greek army engages the Turks at Bizani, resulting in victory two days later. Read more
• 1913 — The United States Department of Labor is formed. Read more
• 1909 — U.S. President William Howard Taft uses what became known as a Saxbe fix, a mechanism to avoid the restriction of the U.S. Constitution's Ineligibility Clause, to appoint Philander C. Knox as U.S. Secretary of State. Read more
• 1908 — The Collinwood school fire, Collinwood near Cleveland, Ohio, kills 174 people. Read more
• 1901 — William McKinley is inaugurated President of the United States for the second time; Theodore Roosevelt is vice president. Read more
• 1899 — Cyclone Mahina sweeps in north of Cooktown, Queensland, with a 12 metres (39 ft) wave that reaches up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) inland, killing over 300. Read more
• 1890 — The longest bridge in Great Britain, the Forth Bridge in Scotland, measuring 8,094 feet (2,467 m) long, is opened by the Duke of Rothesay, later King Edward VII. Read more
• 1882 — Britain's first electric trams run in east London. Read more
• 1878 — Pope Leo XIII reestablishes the Catholic Church in Scotland, recreating sees and naming bishops for the first time since 1603. Read more
• 1865 — The third and final national flag of the Confederate States of America is adopted by the Confederate Congress. Read more
• 1865 — U.S. politician Andrew Johnson makes his drunk vice-presidential inaugural address in Washington, D.C. Read more
• 1861 — The first national flag of the Confederate States of America (the "Stars and Bars") is adopted. Read more
• 1849 — Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States of America and Millard Fillmore, 12th Vice President, did not take their respective oaths of office (they did so the following day), leading to the erroneous theory that outgoing President pro tempore of the United States Senate David Rice Atchison had assumed the role of acting president for one day. Read more
• 1848 — Carlo Alberto di Savoia signs the Statuto Albertino that will later represent the first constitution of the Regno d'Italia. Read more
• 1837 — The city of Chicago is incorporated. Read more
• 1814 — War of 1812: Americans defeat British forces at the Battle of Longwoods between London, Ontario and Thamesville, near present-day Wardsville, Ontario. Read more
• 1813 — Cyril VI of Constantinople is elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Read more
• 1804 — Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish convicts rebel against British colonial authority in the Colony of New South Wales. Read more
• 1797 — John Adams is inaugurated as the 2nd President of the United States of America, becoming the first President to begin his presidency on March 4. Read more
• 1794 — The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed by the U.S. Congress. Read more
• 1791 — Vermont is admitted to the United States as the fourteenth state. Read more
• 1790 — France is divided into 83 départements, cutting across the former provinces in an attempt to dislodge regional loyalties based on ownership of land by the nobility. Read more
• 1789 — In New York City, the first Congress of the United States meets, putting the United States Constitution into effect. Read more
• 1776 — American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army fortifies Dorchester Heights with cannon, leading the British troops to abandon the Siege of Boston. Read more
• 1773 — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart departs Italy after the last of his three tours there. Read more
• 1686 — After being unofficially established as a settlement in 1678, the Dominican mission of Ilagan is founded in the Philippines. Read more

Born on March 4

• 2007 — Miya Cech, American actress Read more
• 2002 — Jacob Hopkins, American actor Read more
• 2002 — Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva, Australian rhythmic gymnast Read more
• 2001 — Freya Anderson, English freestyle swimmer Read more
• 2001 — George Pickens, American football player Read more
• 1999 — Brooklyn Beckham, English model and socialite Read more
• 1998 — Obi Toppin, American basketball player Read more
• 1997 — Matisse Thybulle, Australian-American basketball player Read more
• 1997 — Kwon Hyun-bin, South Korean actor and singer Read more
• 1996 — Michael Gallup, American football player Read more
• 1996 — Antonio Sanabria, Paraguayan footballer Read more
• 1996 — Lukas Webb, Australian rules footballer Read more
• 1995 — Chlöe Howl, English singer-songwriter Read more
• 1995 — Bill Milner, English actor Read more
• 1995 — Valeri Nichushkin, Russian ice hockey player Read more
• 1994 — Callum Harriott, English footballer Read more
• 1994 — Luisito Pié, Dominican taekwondo athlete Read more
• 1994 — AJ Tracey, British rapper and record producer Read more
• 1993 — Jenna Boyd, American actress Read more
• 1993 — Bobbi Kristina Brown, American singer and actress (died 2015) Read more
• 1993 — Richard Peniket, English footballer Read more
• 1992 — Nick Castellanos, American baseball player Read more
• 1992 — Erik Lamela, Argentine footballer Read more
• 1992 — Bernd Leno, German footballer Read more
• 1992 — Karl Mööl, Estonian footballer Read more
• 1992 — Jared Sullinger, American basketball player Read more
• 1990 — Andrea Bowen, American actress Read more
• 1990 — Draymond Green, American basketball player Read more
• 1990 — Paddy Madden, Irish footballer Read more
• 1990 — Fran Mérida, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1989 — Benjamin Kiplagat, Ugandan long-distance runner (died 2023) Read more
• 1988 — Josh Bowman, English actor Read more
• 1988 — Gal Mekel, Israeli basketball player Read more
• 1988 — Laura Siegemund, German tennis player Read more
• 1988 — Adam Watts, English footballer Read more
• 1987 — Ben McKinley, Australian footballer Read more
• 1987 — Tamzin Merchant, English actress Read more
• 1987 — Cameron Wood, Australian footballer Read more
• 1986 — Steven Burke, English road and track cyclist Read more
• 1986 — Tom De Mul, Belgian footballer Read more

Died on March 4

• 2025 — Roy Ayers, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, vibraphonist, and producer (born 1940) Read more
• 2025 — Joe Nickell, American skeptic and investigator of the paranormal (born 1944) Read more
• 2023 — Phil Batt, American soldier and politician, 29th Governor of Idaho (born 1927) Read more
• 2022 — Rod Marsh, Australian cricketer and coach (born 1947) Read more
• 2022 — Shane Warne, Australian cricketer, coach, and sportscaster (born 1969) Read more
• 2020 — Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Peruvian politician and diplomat (born 1920) Read more
• 2019 — Keith Flint, English singer (The Prodigy) (born 1969) Read more
• 2019 — Luke Perry, American actor (born 1966) Read more
• 2018 — Davide Astori, Italian soccer player (born 1987) Read more
• 2017 — Clayton Yeutter, American politician (born 1930) Read more
• 2016 — Bud Collins, American journalist and sportscaster (born 1929) Read more
• 2016 — Pat Conroy, American author (born 1945) Read more
• 2016 — P. A. Sangma, Indian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Lok Sabha (born 1947) Read more
• 2016 — Zhou Xiaoyan, Chinese soprano and educator (born 1917) Read more
• 2015 — Dušan Bilandžić, Croatian historian and politician (born 1924) Read more
• 2015 — Ray Hatton, English-American runner, author, and academic (born 1932) Read more
• 2014 — Mark Freidkin, Russian author and poet (born 1953) Read more
• 2014 — Elaine Kellett-Bowman, English lawyer and politician (born 1923) Read more
• 2014 — Jack Kinzler, American engineer (born 1920) Read more
• 2014 — Wu Tianming, Chinese director and producer (born 1939) Read more
• 2013 — Lillian Cahn, Hungarian-American businesswoman, co-founded Coach, Inc. (born 1923) Read more
• 2013 — Mickey Moore, Canadian-American actor and director (born 1914) Read more
• 2013 — Toren Smith, Canadian businessman, founded Studio Proteus (born 1960) Read more
• 2012 — Paul McBride, Scottish lawyer and politician (born 1965) Read more
• 2012 — Don Mincher, American baseball player (born 1938) Read more
• 2011 — Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Nepalese journalist and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Nepal (born 1924) Read more
• 2011 — Vivienne Harris, English journalist and publisher, co-founded the Jewish Telegraph (born 1921) Read more
• 2011 — Ed Manning, American basketball player and coach (born 1943) Read more
• 2011 — Arjun Singh, Indian politician (born 1930) Read more
• 2011 — Alenush Terian, Iranian astronomer and physicist (born 1920) Read more
• 2011 — Simon van der Meer, Dutch-Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1925) Read more
• 2010 — Raimund Abraham, Austrian architect and educator, designed the Austrian Cultural Forum New York (born 1933) Read more
• 2010 — Johnny Alf, Brazilian pianist and composer (born 1929) Read more
• 2010 — Vladislav Ardzinba, Abkhazian historian and politician, 1st President of Abkhazia (born 1945) Read more
• 2010 — Fred Wedlock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1942) Read more
• 2009 — Yvon Cormier, Canadian wrestler (born 1938) Read more
• 2009 — Horton Foote, American playwright and screenwriter (born 1916) Read more
• 2009 — George McAfee, American football player (born 1918) Read more
• 2008 — Gary Gygax, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (born 1938) Read more
• 2008 — Leonard Rosenman, American composer and conductor (born 1924) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Adrian of Nicomedia; Christian feast day: Casimir; Christian feast day: Felix of Rhuys; Christian feast day: Giovanni Antonio Farina (Catholic Church); Christian feast day: Blessed Humbert III, Count of Savoy (Roman Catholic Church); Christian feast day: Paul Cuffee (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Peter of Pappacarbone; Christian feast day: Blessed Placide Viel; Christian feast day: Blessed Zoltán Meszlényi; Christian feast day: March 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); St Casimir's Day (Poland and Lithuania); World Obesity Day; World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development

More from the Almanac

Sunrise & SunsetStar TransitMoon & Planting CalendarsAncient Measures