A day on the globeROENES中文
The Earth on 22 March, with the rays of the day’s events
  1. A birthday on the globe

    22 March on the globe: what happened in the world on this day, and who was born

    For 22 March, the English Wikipedia lists 69 events and 227 births. 35 of the events stand at their places as rays of light; eight more are dashed circles, where the sentence links only to a country or a sea. The taller the ray, the longer ago it happened. The people born that day come further down, as blue points.

    A birthday, yours or someone else’s:

  2. The Earth on 22 March

    The picture on the globe was assembled by NASA from satellite photographs taken in March 2004: the snow, the ice and the green are those of the month.

    On 22 March the Sun passes straight overhead at noon along the parallel of 0.8° north. In London, the day lasts about 12 hours 20 minutes.

    The line between day and night is tilted on the globe exactly as on this day of the year. On the dark side you can see the lights of towns.

  3. 22 March

    Europe#

    Nine events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1508 and 2024.

    The globe stops at one of them; the whole list is further down. All nine

  4. Europe · Parc des Princes

    1906

    The first England vs France rugby union match is played at Parc des Princes in Paris.

    On the map: Parc des Princes.

    Wikipedia: Parc des Princes

  5. 22 March

    Africa#

    Two events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1945 and 2019.

    The globe stops at one of them; the whole list is further down. Both

  6. Africa · Cairo

    1945

    The Arab League is founded when a charter is adopted in Cairo, Egypt.

    On the map: Cairo.

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Chinese.

    Wikipedia: Arab League

  7. 22 March

    Asia#

    12 events from the day’s list are placed here, between 106 and 2017.

    The globe stops at two of them; the whole list is further down. All 12

  8. Asia · Arabia Petraea

    106

    Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea.

    On the map: Arabia Petraea.

    Wikipedia: Bostran era

  9. Asia · Wat Phra Kaew

    1784

    The Emerald Buddha is moved with great ceremony to its current location in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand.

    On the map: Wat Phra Kaew.

    Wikipedia: Emerald Buddha

  10. 22 March

    North America#

    13 events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1622 and 2026.

    The globe stops at three of them; the whole list is further down. All 13

  11. North America · 1934 Masters Tournament

    1934

    The first Masters Tournament is held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

    On the map: the coordinates Wikidata gives for the article “1934 Masters Tournament”.

    Wikipedia: 1934 Masters Tournament

  12. North America · Supreme Court of the United States

    1972

    In Eisenstadt v. Baird, the United States Supreme Court decides that unmarried persons have the right to possess contraceptives.

    On the map: Supreme Court of the United States.

    Wikipedia: Supreme Court of the United States

  13. North America · United States Congress

    1988

    The United States Congress votes to override President Ronald Reagan's veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987.

    On the map: United States Congress.

    Wikipedia: United States Congress

  14. 22 March

    Born on 22 March#

    The English Wikipedia lists 227 births for this day. The blue points are the birthplaces of 58 of these people: those written about in the most Wikipedia editions, where Wikidata gives a place of birth.

  15. Born on 22 March

    1976

    Reese Witherspoon, American actress

    Place of birth: New Orleans.

    Wikipedia: Reese Witherspoon

  16. Born on 22 March

    1599

    Anthony van Dyck, Flemish-English painter and etcher (died 1641)

    Place of birth: Antwerp.

    Wikipedia: Anthony van Dyck

  17. Born on 22 March

    1394

    Ulugh Beg, Persian astronomer and mathematician (died 1449)

    Place of birth: Soltaniyeh.

    Wikipedia: Ulugh Beg

  18. Born on 22 March

    1931

    William Shatner, Canadian actor

    Place of birth: Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

    Wikipedia: William Shatner

  19. Born on 22 March

    1931

    Burton Richter, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)

    Place of birth: New York City.

    Wikipedia: Burton Richter

  20. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1948

    Andrew Lloyd Webber, English composer and director

    Place of birth: Kensington.

    Wikipedia: Andrew Lloyd Webber

  21. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1785

    Adam Sedgwick, English scientist (died 1873)

    Place of birth: Dent.

    Wikipedia: Adam Sedgwick

  22. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1808

    Caroline Norton, English feminist, social reformer, and author (died 1877)

    Place of birth: London.

    Wikipedia: Caroline Norton

  23. The whole globe of the day

    Drag the globe to turn it. Touch a ray or a point to read what happened there.

Everything Wikipedia lists for 22 March

The list is the English Wikipedia’s, in its own wording, as it stood in October 2026. 26 events have no place on the map: the sentence links to no place with coordinates, only to places too wide to mark, or to several countries.

  1. 106

    Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea.

    Asia · Arabia PetraeaWikipedia: Bostran era
  2. 235

    Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century.

  3. 871

    Æthelred of Wessex is defeated by a Danish invasion army at the Battle of Marton.

    Britain & Ireland · Great BritainWikipedia: Battle of Meretun
  4. 1185

    Battle of Yashima: the Japanese forces of the Taira clan are defeated by the Minamoto clan.

    Asia · Battle of YashimaWikipedia: Battle of Yashima
  5. 1312

    Vox in excelso: Pope Clement V dissolves the Order of the Knights Templar.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Knights Templar
  6. 1508

    Ferdinand II of Aragon commissions Amerigo Vespucci chief navigator of the Spanish Empire.

    Europe · Spanish EmpireWikipedia: Ferdinand II of Aragon
  7. 1621

    The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony, led by governor John Carver, sign a peace treaty with Massasoit, sachem of the Wampanoags; Squanto serves as an interpreter between the two sides.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Pilgrims
  8. 1622

    Jamestown massacre: Algonquians kill 347 English settlers around Jamestown, Virginia, a third of the colony's population, during the Second Anglo-Powhatan War.

    North America · Indian massacre of 1622Wikipedia: Indian massacre of 1622
  9. 1631

    The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables.

  10. 1638

    Anne Hutchinson is expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony for religious dissent.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Anne Hutchinson
  11. 1668

    Notable Privateer Henry Morgan lands in Cuba to raid and plunder the inland town of Puerto del Príncipe during the latter stages of the Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660).

    Latin America · CamagüeyWikipedia: Anglo-Spanish War
  12. 1739

    Nader Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks the city, stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne.

    Asia · DelhiWikipedia: Nader Shah
  13. 1765

    The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act that introduces a tax to be levied directly on its American colonies.

  14. 1784

    The Emerald Buddha is moved with great ceremony to its current location in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand.

    Asia · Wat Phra KaewWikipedia: Emerald Buddha
  15. 1792

    Battle of Croix-des-Bouquets: Black slave insurgents gain a victory in the first major battle of the Haitian Revolution.

    Latin America · Battle of Croix-des-BouquetsWikipedia: Battle of Croix-des-Bouquets
  16. 1794

    The Slave Trade Act of 1794 bans the export of slaves from the United States, and prohibits American citizens from outfitting a ship for the purpose of importing slaves.

  17. 1829

    In the London Protocol, the three protecting powers (United Kingdom, France and Russia) establish the borders of Greece.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: London Protocol
  18. 1849

    The Austrians defeat the Piedmontese at the Battle of Novara.

    Europe · Battle of NovaraWikipedia: Battle of Novara
  19. 1871

    In North Carolina, William Woods Holden becomes the first governor of a U.S. state to be removed from office by impeachment.

    North America · North CarolinaWikipedia: North Carolina
  20. 1873

    The Spanish National Assembly abolishes slavery in Puerto Rico.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Cortes Generales
  21. 1894

    The Stanley Cup ice hockey competition is held for the first time, in Montreal, Canada.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Stanley Cup
  22. 1895

    Before the Société pour L'Encouragement à l'Industrie, brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière demonstrate movie film technology publicly for the first time.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Lumière brothers
  23. 1896

    Charilaos Vasilakos wins the first modern Olympic marathon race with a time of three hours and 18 minutes.

  24. 1906

    The first England vs France rugby union match is played at Parc des Princes in Paris.

    Europe · Parc des PrincesWikipedia: Parc des Princes
  25. 1913

    Mystic Phan Xích Long, the self-proclaimed Emperor of Vietnam, is arrested for organising a revolt against the colonial rule of French Indochina, which was nevertheless carried out by his supporters the following day.

    Asia · French IndochinaWikipedia: Phan Xích Long
  26. 1916

    Yuan Shikai abdicates as Emperor of China, restoring the Republic and returning to the Presidency.

    Asia · Beiyang governmentWikipedia: Yuan Shikai
  27. 1920

    Azeri and Turkish army soldiers with participation of Kurdish gangs attack the Armenian inhabitants of Shushi (Nagorno Karabakh).

    Asia · ShushaWikipedia: Shusha massacre
  28. 1933

    Cullen–Harrison Act: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an amendment to the Volstead Act, legalizing the manufacture and sale of "3.2 beer" (3.2% alcohol by weight, approximately 4% alcohol by volume) and light wines.

  29. 1933

    Nazi Germany opens its first concentration camp, Dachau.

    Europe · Dachau concentration campWikipedia: Nazi Germany
  30. 1934

    The first Masters Tournament is held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

    North America · 1934 Masters TournamentWikipedia: 1934 Masters Tournament
  31. 1939

    Germany takes Memel from Lithuania.

  32. 1942

    World War II: In the Mediterranean Sea, the Royal Navy confronts Italy's Regia Marina in the Second Battle of Sirte.

    Oceans · Second Battle of SirteWikipedia: Second Battle of Sirte
  33. 1943

    British propaganda radio station Deutscher Kurzwellensender Atlantik began broadcasting to German submariners.

  34. 1943

    World War II: The entire village of Khatyn (in present-day Republic of Belarus) is burnt alive by Schutzmannschaft Battalion 118.

    Europe · Khatyn massacreWikipedia: Khatyn massacre
  35. 1945

    The Arab League is founded when a charter is adopted in Cairo, Egypt.

    Africa · CairoWikipedia: Arab League
  36. 1945

    World War II: The city of Hildesheim, Germany, is heavily damaged in a British air raid, though it had little military significance and Germany was on the verge of final defeat.

    Europe · HildesheimWikipedia: Bombing of Hildesheim in World War II
  37. 1946

    The United Kingdom grants full independence to Transjordan.

    Asia · JordanWikipedia: Jordan
  38. 1955

    A United States Navy Douglas R6D-1 Liftmaster crashes into Hawaii's Waiʻanae Range, killing 66.

    North America · 1955 Hawaii R6D-1 crashWikipedia: 1955 Hawaii R6D-1 crash
  39. 1957

    A United States Air Force aircraft disappears with all 67 people on board somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

    Oceans · 1957 Pacific Ocean Boeing C-97 disappearanceWikipedia: 1957 Pacific Ocean Boeing C-97 disappearance
  40. 1960

    Arthur Leonard Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes receive the first patent for a laser.

  41. 1963

    The Beatles release their debut album Please Please Me.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: The Beatles
  42. 1972

    In Eisenstadt v. Baird, the United States Supreme Court decides that unmarried persons have the right to possess contraceptives.

    North America · Supreme Court of the United StatesWikipedia: Supreme Court of the United States
  43. 1972

    The United States Congress sends the Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification.

  44. 1975

    A fire at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Decatur, Alabama, causes a dangerous reduction in cooling water levels.

    North America · Browns Ferry Nuclear PlantWikipedia: Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
  45. 1978

    Karl Wallenda of The Flying Wallendas dies after falling off a tight-rope suspended between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

    Latin America · San Juan, Puerto RicoWikipedia: Karl Wallenda
  46. 1982

    NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia is launched from the Kennedy Space Center on its third mission, STS-3.

    North America · Kennedy Space CenterWikipedia: NASA
  47. 1984

    Teachers at a preschool in Manhattan Beach, California, were falsely charged with the sexual abuse of schoolchildren, leading to the longest and costliest criminal trial in United States history.

    North America · Manhattan Beach, CaliforniaWikipedia: Manhattan Beach, California
  48. 1988

    The United States Congress votes to override President Ronald Reagan's veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987.

    North America · United States CongressWikipedia: United States Congress
  49. 1992

    Fall of communism in Albania: The Democratic Party of Albania wins a decisive majority in the parliamentary election.

    Europe · AlbaniaWikipedia: Fall of communism in Albania
  50. 1992

    USAir Flight 405 crashes shortly after takeoff from New York City's LaGuardia Airport, leading to a number of studies into the effect that ice has on aircraft.

    North America · USAir Flight 405Wikipedia: USAir Flight 405
  51. 1993

    The Intel Corporation ships the first Pentium chips (80586), featuring a 60 MHz clock speed, 100+ MIPS, and a 64 bit data path.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Intel
  52. 1995

    Cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returns to earth after setting a record of 438 days in space.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Astronaut
  53. 1996

    NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on its 16th mission, STS-76.

  54. 1997

    Comet Hale–Bopp reaches its closest approach to Earth at 1.315 AU.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Comet Hale–Bopp
  55. 1997

    Tara Lipinski, aged 14 years and nine months, becomes the youngest women's World Figure Skating Champion.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Tara Lipinski
  56. 2004

    Ahmed Yassin, co-founder and leader of the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group Hamas, two bodyguards, and nine civilian bystanders are killed in the Gaza Strip when hit by Israeli Air Force Hellfire missiles.

    Asia · Gaza StripWikipedia: Gaza Strip
  57. 2006

    Three Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) hostages are freed by British forces in Baghdad after 118 days of captivity and the murder of their colleague from the U.S., Tom Fox.

    Asia · BaghdadWikipedia: Community Peacemaker Teams
  58. 2013

    At least 37 people are killed and 200 are injured after a fire destroys a camp containing Burmese refugees near Ban Mae, Thailand.

    Asia · Ban MaeWikipedia: 2013 Thailand refugee camp fire
  59. 2014

    A massive landslide in Oso, Washington, killed 43 people after engulfing a rural neighborhood, the largest death toll for a standalone landslide in U.S. history.

    North America · 2014 Oso landslideWikipedia: 2014 Oso landslide
  60. 2016

    Three suicide bombers kill 32 people and injure 316 in the 2016 Brussels bombings at the airport and at the Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station.

    Europe · 2016 Brussels bombingsWikipedia: 2016 Brussels bombings
  61. 2017

    A terrorist attack in London near the Houses of Parliament leaves four people dead and at least 20 injured.

    Britain & Ireland · 2017 Westminster attackWikipedia: 2017 Westminster attack
  62. 2017

    Syrian civil war: Five hundred members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are airlifted south of the Euphrates by United States Air Force helicopters, beginning the Battle of Tabqa.

    Asia · Battle of TabqaWikipedia: Syrian civil war
  63. 2019

    The Special Counsel investigation on the 2016 United States presidential election concludes when Robert Mueller submits his report to the United States Attorney General.

  64. 2019

    Two buses crash in Kitampo, a town north of Ghana's capital Accra, killing at least 50 people.

    Africa · AccraWikipedia: Ghana
  65. 2020

    Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces a national lockdown and the country's first ever self-imposed curfew, in an effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.

  66. 2020

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces the country's largest ever self-imposed curfew, in an effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.

  67. 2021

    Ten people are killed in a mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado.

    North America · 2021 Boulder shootingWikipedia: 2021 Boulder shooting
  68. 2024

    At least 151 people are killed and 609 injured in a bombing and mass shooting at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Russia.

    Europe · Crocus City Hall attackWikipedia: Crocus City Hall attack
  69. 2026

    Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation, collided with a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Two fatalities were reported, both being the captain and the co-pilot. This marked the first fatal accident involving a CRJ-900.

    North America · Air Canada Express Flight 8646Wikipedia: Air Canada Express Flight 8646

Who was born on 22 March

In order of how many Wikipedia editions have an article about each. The first 60 of 227 are shown.

  1. 1868

    Robert Andrews Millikan, American colonel and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1953)

    MorrisonWikipedia: Robert Millikan
  2. 1976

    Reese Witherspoon, American actress

    New OrleansWikipedia: Reese Witherspoon
  3. 1599

    Anthony van Dyck, Flemish-English painter and etcher (died 1641)

    AntwerpWikipedia: Anthony van Dyck
  4. 1459

    Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1519)

    Wiener NeustadtWikipedia: Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
  5. 1394

    Ulugh Beg, Persian astronomer and mathematician (died 1449)

    SoltaniyehWikipedia: Ulugh Beg
  6. 1931

    William Shatner, Canadian actor

    Notre-Dame-de-GrâceWikipedia: William Shatner
  7. 1931

    Burton Richter, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)

    New York CityWikipedia: Burton Richter
  8. 1869

    Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino general and politician, 1st President of the Philippines (died 1964)

    KawitWikipedia: Emilio Aguinaldo
  9. 1948

    Andrew Lloyd Webber, English composer and director

    KensingtonWikipedia: Andrew Lloyd Webber
  10. 1933

    Abolhassan Banisadr, Iranian economist and politician, 1st President of Iran (died 2021)

    HamadanWikipedia: Abolhassan Banisadr
  11. 1941

    Bruno Ganz, Swiss actor (died 2019)

    ZurichWikipedia: Bruno Ganz
  12. 1929

    P. Ramlee, Malaysian actor, director, singer, songwriter, composer, and producer (died 1973)

    George TownWikipedia: P. Ramlee
  13. 1857

    Paul Doumer, French mathematician, journalist, and politician, 14th President of France (died 1932)

    AurillacWikipedia: Paul Doumer
  14. 1955

    Valdis Zatlers, Latvian physician and politician, 7th President of Latvia

    RigaWikipedia: Valdis Zatlers
  15. 1609

    John II Casimir Vasa, Polish king (died 1672)

    KrakówWikipedia: John II Casimir Vasa
  16. 1949

    Fanny Ardant, French actress

    SaumurWikipedia: Fanny Ardant
  17. 1963

    Martín Vizcarra, Peruvian engineer and politician, 67th President of Peru

    LimaWikipedia: Martín Vizcarra
  18. 1728

    Anton Raphael Mengs, German painter and theorist (died 1779)

    Ústí nad LabemWikipedia: Anton Raphael Mengs
  19. 1999

    Mick Schumacher, German racing driver

    Vufflens-le-ChâteauWikipedia: Mick Schumacher
  20. 1943

    George Benson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

    PittsburghWikipedia: George Benson
  21. 1842

    Mykola Lysenko, Ukrainian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1912)

    HrynkyWikipedia: Mykola Lysenko
  22. 1940

    Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-American physician and author (died 1996)

    French IndochinaWikipedia: Haing S. Ngor
  23. 1921

    Nino Manfredi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2004)

    Castro dei VolsciWikipedia: Nino Manfredi
  24. 1937

    Angelo Badalamenti, American pianist and composer (died 2022)

    BrooklynWikipedia: Angelo Badalamenti
  25. 1984

    Piotr Trochowski, German footballer

    TczewWikipedia: Piotr Trochowski
  26. 1997

    Alex Meret, Italian footballer

    UdineWikipedia: Alex Meret
  27. 1896

    Joseph Schildkraut, Austrian-American actor (died 1964)

    ViennaWikipedia: Joseph Schildkraut
  28. 1956

    Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

  29. 1935

    M. Emmet Walsh, American actor (died 2024)

    OgdensburgWikipedia: M. Emmet Walsh
  30. 1785

    Adam Sedgwick, English scientist (died 1873)

    DentWikipedia: Adam Sedgwick
  31. 1909

    Gabrielle Roy, Canadian author and educator (died 1983)

    Saint BonifaceWikipedia: Gabrielle Roy
  32. 1982

    Constance Wu, American actress

    RichmondWikipedia: Constance Wu
  33. 1887

    Chico Marx, American actor (died 1961)

    ManhattanWikipedia: Chico Marx
  34. 1918

    Cheddi Jagan, Guyanese politician, 4th President of Guyana (died 1997)

    Port MourantWikipedia: Cheddi Jagan
  35. 1975

    Cole Hauser, American actor

    Santa BarbaraWikipedia: Cole Hauser
  36. 1972

    Shawn Bradley, German-American basketball player, coach, and actor

    LandstuhlWikipedia: Shawn Bradley
  37. 1994

    Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Belarusian tennis player

    MinskWikipedia: Aliaksandra Sasnovich
  38. 1817

    Braxton Bragg, American general (died 1876)

    WarrentonWikipedia: Braxton Bragg
  39. 1975

    Anne Dudek, American actress

    Wikipedia: Anne Dudek
  40. 1985

    Jakob Fuglsang, Danish cyclist

    GenevaWikipedia: Jakob Fuglsang
  41. 875

    William I, Duke of Aquitaine (died 918)

  42. 1212

    Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan (died 1235)

  43. 1517

    Gioseffo Zarlino, Italian composer (died 1590)

    ChioggiaWikipedia: Gioseffo Zarlino
  44. 1912

    Agnes Martin, Canadian-American painter and educator (died 2004)

    MacklinWikipedia: Agnes Martin
  45. 1920

    Katsuko Saruhashi, Japanese geochemist (died 2007)

    TokyoWikipedia: Katsuko Saruhashi
  46. 1936

    Roger Whittaker, Kenyan-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2023)

    NairobiWikipedia: Roger Whittaker
  47. 1974

    Philippe Clement, Belgian footballer

    AntwerpWikipedia: Philippe Clement
  48. 1808

    Caroline Norton, English feminist, social reformer, and author (died 1877)

    LondonWikipedia: Caroline Norton
  49. 1942

    Jorge Ben Jor, Brazilian singer-songwriter

    Rio de JaneiroWikipedia: Jorge Ben
  50. 1974

    Marcus Camby, American basketball player

    HartfordWikipedia: Marcus Camby
  51. 1896

    He Long, Chinese general and politician, 1st Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (died 1969)

    Sangzhi CountyWikipedia: He Long
  52. 1917

    Virginia Grey, American actress (died 2004)

    Los AngelesWikipedia: Virginia Grey
  53. 1937

    Armin Hary, German sprinter

    QuierschiedWikipedia: Armin Hary
  54. 1945

    Eric Roth, American screenwriter and producer

    New York CityWikipedia: Eric Roth
  55. 1967

    Mario Cipollini, Italian cyclist

    LuccaWikipedia: Mario Cipollini
  56. 1970

    Leontien van Moorsel, Dutch cyclist

    BoekelWikipedia: Leontien van Moorsel
  57. 1663

    August Hermann Francke, German clergyman, philanthropist, and scholar (died 1727)

    LübeckWikipedia: August Hermann Francke
  58. 1886

    August Rei, Estonian lawyer and politician, Head of State of Estonia (died 1963)

    PilistvereWikipedia: August Rei
  59. 1907

    James M. Gavin, American general and diplomat, United States Ambassador to France (died 1990)

    BrooklynWikipedia: James M. Gavin
  60. 1934

    May Britt, Swedish actress (died 2025)

    Gustav Vasa parishWikipedia: May Britt

What is celebrated on 22 March

  • Bihar Day (Bihar, India)
  • Christian feast day: Basil of Ancyra
  • Christian feast day: Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen
  • Christian feast day: Darerca of Ireland
  • Christian feast day: Epaphroditus
  • Christian feast day: Jonathan Edwards (Lutheranism)
  • Christian feast day: Lea of Rome
  • Christian feast day: Nicholas Owen
  • Christian feast day: Paul of Narbonne
  • Christian feast day: March 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Easter Sunday can fall (last in 1818, will not happen again until 2285), while April 25 is the latest. (Christianity)
  • Emancipation Day or Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud (Puerto Rico)
  • World Water Day (International)

A greeting link for someone

Type a name and, if you like, the year of birth. The link opens with a greeting, and beside each event it says how old the person turned that day, or how many years before their birth it happened.

The name and the year go only into the link you send.

Download the day’s picture

All 366 days

How the globe is made

Where the events come from

Each edition of this page uses the day’s list from Wikipedia in its own language: Romanian, English, Spanish, Chinese. The lists are written by volunteers and differ from one edition to the next; the text of each event is Wikipedia’s, with a link to the article. A row that appears twice in a list is shown once. The lists have not been checked event by event: they are Wikipedia’s, mistakes included.

For events before 1582, and for countries that moved to the Gregorian calendar later (Britain in 1752, Russia in 1918), the same day may be counted Old Style in one list and New Style in another.

The chapter “What the other Wikipedias remember” adds up to five events a day from the lists of the other three editions, only for years in which the English list has nothing on that day. They were translated for this page, passed the same filters as the tour, and are not counted among the events of the English list.

How an event gets onto the map

The place comes from Wikidata. If the sentence links to the article about the event itself (a battle, an opening, an earthquake), dated to the same year, the ray stands on its coordinates or on those of its location. Otherwise it stands on the first place the sentence links to: a town, a building, a mountain, an island. This second step can be wrong: sometimes the sentence only mentions the place. That is why the page says, under each event, which place the ray stands on.

When the sentence links to a single state or province, or to a single sea, lake or desert larger than 5,000 km², the globe shows a dashed circle, not a ray. The circle has the area Wikidata gives, with its radius kept between 1.2° and 16°, or a radius of 4.5° when Wikidata gives no area; it says only that the sentence links to that place. Organisations, ships, spacecraft, museum objects, rivers, mountain ranges, languages and continents are never used as places. When a sentence names several states and no exact place, the event stays in the list only.

What the height means

The height of a ray shows how many years have passed, on a logarithmic scale: 10 years, 100 years and 1,000 years are equal steps apart; anything older than about 2,600 years has the tallest ray. The colour runs from pale yellow for recent years to violet for antiquity.

Where the tour stops

In each region the tour stops at up to three events (five in Britain and Ireland), chosen mainly by three things: whether Wikipedia’s editors put the event in the “On this day” box of their main page (the English, Spanish and Chinese editions), how many Wikipedia editions have an article about it, and how many of the four lists include it. Events whose sentence or article is about a war, an attack, a crime or a disaster are left out of the tour; they stay in the whole list, in Wikipedia’s wording. The filter is a list of words and a list of Wikidata types, so it can miss some.

The tour of births names the people with articles in the most editions and leaves aside those whom the list or Wikidata describes as rulers, politicians, commanders, leaders of movements or criminals; they stay in the list.

The Earth and the Sun

The daytime images are NASA’s Blue Marble Next Generation mosaics, one for each month of 2004; the night side is Black Marble 2016. The tilt of the line between day and night is computed for the day; the hour is chosen so that the place being read is in daylight. The latitude where the Sun stands overhead is the average of the four years of the leap cycle; in a given year it can differ by up to 0.4°.

The day you were born

The number ones come from the weekly lists on Wikipedia: Billboard for the United States (from 1940; the Hot 100 from August 1958), the UK Singles Chart (from November 1952), Los 40 Principales for Spain (from July 1966) and, for Romania, the Romanian Top 100 and Airplay 100 (2001–2021, with missing weeks). The page shows the chart of the week in which the day of birth falls, with its date; Billboard and the UK chart are dated at the end of their week. For Romania before 2001 and for China these sources have no weekly chart.

The films are those that reached cinemas in the United States up to ten days before or three days after that day (some of them in a few cinemas at first), from the English Wikipedia’s yearly lists (from 1968), in order of how many editions have an article about them. The events “in those days” are the ones on the neighbouring days’ lists that carry the year of birth, passed through the same filter as the tour.

The day of birth, year included

The Moon, the star sign and the constellation are worked out by the page itself, for noon Universal Time on the day. The lit part of the Moon is rounded and can differ by a few per cent from that at the hour of birth. The sign follows the usual zodiac of twelve equal parts starting at the March equinox; the constellation is the one the Sun actually stood in front of, by the borders set by the International Astronomical Union, and within a day of a border the page does not name it. When the Sun changes sign while it is that day anywhere on Earth, the page gives the moment of crossing, rounded to ten minutes and accurate to within about a quarter of an hour, and the clock time in a few cities, with the time zone and summer time of that year.

The year in the Chinese calendar is the one your device’s own calendar gives for the date, checked against the Hong Kong Observatory’s tables. “All your birthdays” uses the same sources as the rest of the chapter for the same day in every year since the birth: the temperature, well-known launches that took place on that very day, matches of the teams the edition follows, snow deeper than 10 cm and strong geomagnetic storms. The three things at the top and the four on the picture are chosen in a fixed order (the song, the animal, a full Moon, a well-known launch before an ordinary earthquake); on the picture you can change them.

When the link carries a year of birth, the page adds a few things about that exact day. The weather is the Met Office’s Central England temperature record and the readings from New York’s Central Park; the “usual high” is the average of the daily highs of 1961–1990 for that date, with two days either side. The carbon dioxide figure is the monthly mean at the Mauna Loa observatory, where measurements begin in March 1958.

The earthquake is the one with the largest magnitude in the USGS catalogue for that day, counted in Universal Time. Before the 1960s the catalogue has gaps even above magnitude 5.5, so in the older years many days have no earthquake. The page gives only the magnitude and the place: the country the epicentre falls in or, when the epicentre is at sea within 300 km of a coast, the nearest country; farther out, only the ocean.

The launches are those that reached orbit or left for the Moon and the planets, from Jonathan McDowell’s GCAT catalogue. If nothing left that day, the page shows the nearest launch within three days before or after, and says how many days away it was. The geomagnetic storm appears only when the Kp index reached at least 5 in one of the day’s eight three-hour intervals.

The animal comes from GBIF: an observation made by a person (the animal seen or heard, or its tracks), dated to that exact day, with coordinates and a CC0 or CC BY licence. Only a few hundred well-known species are searched (mammals, birds, turtles, butterflies); of those noted that day, mammals and species with articles in many Wikipedia editions come first; birds noted almost every day, and species used recently, wait their turn. Observations dated 1 January are left out, because records without a day are often filed there. An observation shows that the animal was recorded there, not how many animals there were.

The matches are those between national teams. Only matches of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia are shown, along with those at the big final tournaments. The picture to send is drawn in the page from the day’s globe and the facts above, and stays on your device until you send it.

Sources

More pages about birthdays