Born on this Day 19th March
1813 Dr. Livingstone
1848 Wyatt Earp
1871 Sergei Diaghilev
1928 Patrick McGoohan
1930 Ornette Coleman
1933 Philip Roth
1935 Ursula Andress
1947 Glenn Close
1955 Bruce Willis

Died on this Day
1930 Arthur Balfour
1950 Edgar Rice Burroughs
1982 Randy Rhoades

Music

1955 Irish singer Ruby Murray had five singles in the UK Top 20. They were : ‘Softly Softly’ ,’ ‘Let Me Go Lover’, ‘Happy Days And Lonely Nights’, ‘Hearbeat’ and ‘If Anyone Finds This, I Love You.’

1957 Elvis Presley bought the Graceland Mansion in the Memphis suburb of Whitehaven.

1980 Dr Nick, who had prescribed drugs to Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis was found guilty of over-prescribing.

Sport

1984 Cricketer Ian Botham apologised to the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan Major-General Sadar Butt for comments he made about the country in a radio interview for the BBC. He criticised the food and the hotels and remarked that the country was ‘a place to send your mother-in-law for a month, all expenses paid’.

1988 In the Five Nations Tournament, France beat Wales 10-9, leaving the 2 teams with equal points and a share of the championship, while England beat Ireland 35-3 to finish runners-up.

People & Showbiz

1989 The Queen and Duke of York attended the Royal Film performance of Steven Spielberg’s ‘Always’ at the Odeon in Leicester Square.

1992 At the Broadcasting Press Guild Television and Radio Awards, Robert Lindsay was named Best Actor, Helen Mirren Best Actress and Alistair Cooke Radio Broadcaster of the Year.

1995 The Queen began a week-long state visit to South Africa- the first time she had set foot in the country for 48 years.

General Events

1932 The Sydney Harbour Bridge, with its 1650 feet span, was officially opened.

1962 A 300 year old skull was dug up in the grounds of 10 Downing Street.

1982 An Argentinian scrap-metal dealer landed on South Georgia, neighbouring the Falkland Islands, and planted an Argentinian flag. This action was the first of many that led up to the Falklands conflict.

1983 A 14 year old boy in Moscow claimed to have been visited by extra terrestrials.

1987 Alleged Broadwater Farm riot ringleader Winston Silcott was jailed for life for the murder of 40 year old PC Keith Blakelock in October 1995.

1988 In full view of television cameras 2 British soldiers, Derek Wood and Robert Howes, blundered into an IRA Funeral cortege in West Belfast, were dragged from their car, bludgeoned and driven to waste ground before being stripped naked and shot.

1995 A man of 94, who lived in Seaton, Devon, left £18 million to his 2 stepdaughters who were unaware that he had any money.