March 19
March 19 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 287 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Pisces.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On March 19 the Sun's declination is approximately -0.8°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a March 19.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1687 — French explorer La Salle was murdered by his own men in Texas. ↗(339 years ago)more
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was a French explorer and fur trader in North America. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, and the Mississippi River. He is best known for an early 1682 expedition in which he canoed the lower Mississippi River from the mouth of the Illinois River to the Gulf of Mexico; there, on Apr...
1918 — The U.S. Congress established time zones and approved daylight saving time. ↗(108 years ago)more
The Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as the Calder Act, was the first United States federal law implementing Standard time and Daylight saving time in the United States. It defined five time zones for the continental United States and authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to define the limits of each time zone.
- 1931 — Nevada legalised gambling. ↗(95 years ago)
more
In the United States, gambling is subject to a variety of legal restrictions.
2003 — The U.S. and coalition forces began the invasion of Iraq. ↗(23 years ago)more
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion began on 20 March 2003 and lasted just over one month, including 26 days of major combat operations. The invasion was conducted by a United States-led coalition of mainly American, British, Australian, and Polish troops.
Notable births
1813 — David Livingstone, Scottish missionary and explorer. ↗(213 years ago)more
David Livingstone was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. Livingstone was married to Mary Moffat Livingstone, from the prominent 18th-century Moffat missionary family.
1955 — Bruce Willis, American actor. ↗(71 years ago)more
Walter Bruce Willis is a retired American actor. Widely recognised as a Hollywood icon of the action genre, he first achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining widespread recognition as an action hero for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise (...
Notable deaths
1950 — Edgar Rice Burroughs, American author (Tarzan). ↗(76 years ago)more
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American writer, recognized for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he also wrote the Pellucidar series, the Amtor series, and the Caspak trilogy.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (79) | 79 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (287) | 7 × 41 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 19032026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -0.81° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 90 days |