1549 – The city of Salvador da Bahia, the 1st capital of Brazil, was founded on the 29th March 1549.

1638 – Swedish colonists establish the first European settlement in Delaware on the 29th March 1638, naming it New Sweden.

1871 – The Royal Albert Hall was opened by Queen Victoria on the 29th March 1871.

1900 – John McEwen the 18th Prime Minister of Australia was born on the 29th March 1900 (died 1980).

1917 – Man o’ War the American race horse was born on the 29th March 1917 (died 1947).

1944 ~ Ilsa Konrads the Australian world champion freestyle swimmer was born Ilze Konrade in Riga, Latvia on the 29th May 19442. Ilsa Konrads won silver in the 4×100m freestyle relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.  In her career, she set 12 individual world records. When llsa retired from her swimming career she became the Australasian editor of Belle. Ilsa Konrads was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1987. Ilsa’s brother John Konrads also set multiple world records, and won gold in the 1500 m freestyle, when they were well known as the Konrad Kids.

YouTube video: The Konrads Swim Champions: John and Ilsa Konrads were teenage sensations in a golden time for Australian swimming. Here we see them rise through the ranks with the aid of coach Don Talbot and examine their training techniques that led them to achieve multiple world records. It also shows earlier champions Andrew “Boy” Charlton, Bonnie Mealing and Fanny Durack (Made by the National Film Board 1959)…

1946 – Billy Thorpe the English-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs was born on the 29th March 1946 (died 2007).

1947 – Bobby Kimball the American singer-songwriter from Toto was born on the 29th March 1947.

1974 ~ Osher Günsberg the Australian television and radio presenter was born Andrew Günsberg on the 29th March 1974. He is best known by his former stage name Andrew G as host of Australian Idol. He is also known for his hosting Channel V, Live to Dance, Take 40 Australia, The Hot Hits and The Bachelor. website: www.AndrewGunsberg.com

0845 – Paris was sacked by Viking raiders on the 28th March in the year 845, under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collected a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.

1802 – Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovered 2 Pallas on the 28th March, known as the 2nd asteroid known to man.

1836 – Frederick Pabst the German-American brewer and founder of the Pabst Brewing Company was born on the 28th March 1836 (died 1904).

1910 – Henri Fabre became the 1st person to fly a seaplane on the 28th March 1910, after taking off from a water runway in the Fabre Hydravion, near Martigues, France.

1922 – Neville Bonner the Australian politician was born on the 28th March 1922 (died 1999).

1940 – Tony Barber the English-Australian game show host was born on the 28th March 1940.

1966 – Cheryl James the American rapper also known as Salt from Salt-n-Pepa was born on the 28th March 1966.

1970 – Vince Vaughn the American actor, screenwriter, and producer was born on the 28th March 1970.

1986 ~ Lady Gaga the American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress was born Stefani Germanotta in New York City on the 28th March 1986. Lady Gaga’s official website: www.LadyGaga.com | Lady Gaga’s verified Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LadyGaga | Lady Gaga’s verified Twitter: www.twitter.com/LadyGaga | instagram: www.instagram.com/LadyGaga

2006 ~ Pro Hart the Australian painter died on the 28th March 2006 aged 77 (born 30th May 1928).

1851 – The 1st reported sighting of the Yosemite Valley by Europeans was on the 27th March 1851.

1863 – Henry Royce the English engineer and founder of Rolls-Royce Limited was born on the 27th March 1863 (died 1933).

1950 – Tony Banks the English guitarist and songwriter from Genesis was born on the 27th March 1950.

1952 ~ Felix Haug the Swiss drummer and keyboardist from the band Double was born on the 27th March 1952 (died 2004). Felix Haug was with Double from the its creation in 1981 to its disbandment in 1987. Felix Haug died from a heart attack on the 1st May 2004 at the age of 52. YouTube video: Double ~ The Captain Of Her Heart (Official Video 1986)…

1970 – Mariah Carey the American singer-songwriter and producer was born on the 27th March 1970.

1975 – Fergie the American singer-songwriter from The Black Eyed Peas was born on the 27th March 1975.

1986 – A car bomb exploded at Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne on the 27th March 1986, killing 1 police officer and injuring 21 people.

1988 – Jessie J the English singer-songwriter was born on the 27th March 1988.

1990 – Kimbra the New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter was born on the 27th March 1990.

1998 – The Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence on the 27th March 1998, becoming the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.

1484 – William Caxton printed his translation of Aesop’s Fables on the 26th March 1484.

1830 – The Book of Mormon was published in Palmyra, New York on the 26th March 1830.

1931 – SwissAir was founded as the national airline of Switzerland on the 26th March 1931.

1941 ~ Richard Dawkins the English ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author was born Clinton Richard Dawkins on the 26th March 1941. www.RichardDawkins.net

1944 – Diana Ross the American singer from The Supremes was born on the 26th March 1944.

1948 – Steven Tyler the American singer-songwriter from Aerosmith was born on the 26th March 1948.

1949 ~ Jon English the Australian rock singer, musician, actor and writer was born Jonathan James English in  in Hampstead, London on the 26th March 1949. Jon English online: official website: www.JonEnglish.com.au |  Facebook.com/MyJonEnglish  |  YouTube video: Jon English ~ Words Are Not Enough (1978)…

1954 – Clive Palmer the Australian businessman was born on the 26th March 1954.

1957 – Leeza Gibbons the American talk show host was born on the 26th March 1957.

1973 – Larry Page the American computer scientist and co-founder of Google was born on the 26th March 1973.

1985 – Keira Knightley the English actress was born on the 26th March 1985.

0421 – Venice was founded at twelve o’clock noon on the 25th March 0421, according to legend.

1634 – The first settlers arrived in Maryland, on the 25th March 1634.

1655 – Saturn‘s largest moon, Titan, was discovered by Christiaan Huygens on the 25th March 1655.

1934 ~ Bernard King the Australian stage actor, celebrity chef, and television personality was born on the 25th March 1934 (died 2002).

1942 – Richard O’Brien the English actor and screenwriter was born Richard Timothy Smith on the 25th March 1942. Richard is best known for writing the The Rocky Horror Show and co-writing the screenplay of the 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show, appearing in the film as the character Riff Raff.

1988 – Ryan Lewis the American rapper, DJ, and producer was born on the 25th March 1988. YouTube video: Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis..

1837 – Canada gave African Canadian men the right to vote on the 24th March 1837.

1874 – Harry Houdini the Hungarian-American magician and actor was born on the 24th March 1874 (died 1926).

1882 – Robert Koch announced the discovery of mycobacterium tuberculosis on the 24th March 1882, which is the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis

1896 – A. S. Popov made the first radio signal transmission in history on the 24th March 1896.

1936 ~ David Suzuki (CC|OBC) the Japanese-Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist was born David Takayoshi Suzuki on the 24th March 1936. Official website: www.DavidSuzuki.org | YouTube video: David Suzuki presents the UNSW Jack Beale Lecture 2013: Global Environment & Imagining a sustainable future: foresight over hindsight. A wide-ranging talk discussing the environmental movement’s successes and failures, explores human evolution and the threats to our future, outlines the problems of a globalised economy, criticises the Australian government’s climate change policies, and points to a sustainable way forward…

1958 – Elvis Presley was drafted in the U.S. Army on the 24th March 1958.

1960 ~ Nena the German singer-songwriter from the band Nena was born Gabriele Susanne Kerner in Hagen, West Germany on the 24th March 1960. Nena rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song 99 Luftballons. In 1984 Nena re-recorded the song in English as 99 Red Balloons. Since the 1980s Nena has done some TV hosting, co-founded a new school Neue Schule Hamburg, and recorded a song with Kim Wilde – Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime. Nena’s official website: www.nena.de, Facebook: Facebook.com/NENAofficial, Twitter verified: Twitter.com/NenaOfficial & YouTube channel: Youtube.com/NenaOfficial YouTube video: Nena – 99 Luftballons (1983 German Version)…

1960 – Kelly LeBrock the American model and actress was born on the 24th March 1960.

1965 – NASA spacecraft Ranger 9 transmitted images of the Moon into ordinary homes on the 24th March 1965, before crash landing.

1970 – Sharon Corr the Irish singer-songwriter and violinist from The Corrs was born on the 24th March 1970.

1970 – Lara Flynn Boyle the American actress was born on the 24th March 1970.

1972 – The United Kingdom imposed direct rule over Northern Ireland on the 24th March 1972.

1973 ~ Jim Parsons the American actor was born James Joseph Parsons in Houston on the 24th March 1973. Jim Parsons is best known for his role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.

1989 – Exxon Valdez oil spill: In Prince William Sound in Alaska on the 24th March 1989, when the Exxon Valdez spilled 240,000 barrels (38,000 m³) of petroleum after running aground.

1993 – Discovery of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 on the 24th March 1993.

1999 – Mont Blanc Tunnel fire killed 38 people on the 24th March 1999.

2000 – S&P 500 index reached an intraday high of 1,552.87 on the 24th March 2000, a peak that due to the collapse of the dot-com bubble, that didn’t reach again for another 7 years.

2012 ~ Costa Georgiadis hosted his first show of Gardening Australia on ABC TV on 24th March 2012. Coata previously hosted Costa’s Garden Odyssey on SBS TV.