March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of seven months that are 31 days long. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20th or 21st marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere for March.
March symbols: The birthstones of March are aquamarine and bloodstone. These stones symbolize courage. Its birth flower is the daffodil. The zodiac signs for the month of March are Pisces (until March 20) and Aries (March 21 onwards).
Historical Events for March, 1986
Day of Week 7th » Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Challenger Disaster: Divers from the USS Preserver ARS-8 6 locate the crew cabin of STS-51-L Challenger on the ocean floor.
Day of Week 15th » Hotel New World Disaster: Thirty-three people die when the Hotel New World in Singapore collapses.
Day of Week 21st » Debi Thomas became the first African-American to win the World Figure Skating Championship
Day of Week 24th » The Loscoe gas explosion leads to new UK laws on landfill gas migration and gas protection on landfill sites.
Day of Week 27th » A car bomb explodes at Russell Street Bombing or Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, killing one police officer and injuring 21 people.
Day of Week 31st » Six metropolitan county councils are abolished in England.
17th » Miles Kane, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Little Flames, The Rascals (English band) called The Rascals, and The Last Shadow Puppets)
17th » Nick Newell, American mixed martial artist
17th » Olesya Rulin, Russian-American actress
18th » Abdennour Chérif El-Ouazzani, Algerian footballer
18th » Kaloyan Ivanov, Bulgarian basketball player