Did you know
His second lead, Good Guys Wear Black (1978), became a hit, and he soon became a popular action film star.
Notable Deaths on March 19
92 people
235 – 2026
March 19 has seen 92 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 235 – 2026. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
2026 — Chuck Norris
American martial artist and actor (born 1940)
Did you know
After serving in the United States Air Force, he won numerous martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do
Did you know
Norris began working in the American film industry as a martial arts instructor for celebrities before making his screen debut with a minor role in The Wrecking Crew (1968)
Did you know
Friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in The Way of the Dragon (1972)
Did you know
Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which turned a profit
Roman emperor (born 208)
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander, also known as Alexander Severus, was Roman emperor from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty and was the youngest sole emperor of the united Roman Empire.
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235
caliph of the Fatimid Caliphate (born 913)
Abu Tahir Isma'il, better known by his regnal name al-Mansur Billah, was the thirteenth Isma'ili imam and third caliph of the Fatimid Caliphate in Ifriqiya, ruling from 946 until his death. He succeeded his father,…
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953
duchess of Normandy (born 943)
Emma of Paris, was a duchess consort of Normandy, married to Richard I, Duke of Normandy. She was the daughter of Count Hugh the Great of Paris and Hedwige of Saxony and sister of Hugh Capet, king of France.
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968
Polish duke and son of Bolesław I the Tall (born 1163)
Henry the Bearded was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty. He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all Poland – internally divided – from 1232 until his death.
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1238
French cardinal (born 1200)
Hugh of Saint-Cher, O.P. was a French Dominican friar who became a cardinal and noted biblical commentator.
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1263
1279
king of Scotland (born 1241)
Alexander III was King of Alba (Scotland) from 6 July 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. His heir and only…
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1286
1st Earl of Kent, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (born 1301)
Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, whose seat was Arundel Castle in Sussex, was the sixth and youngest son of King Edward I of England, and the second son of his second wife Margaret of France, and was a younger…
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1330
1372
2nd Baron Berners, English baron and statesman (born 1467)
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners was an English soldier, statesman and translator.
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1533
German theologian (born c. 1488)
Michael Weiße or Weisse was a German theologian, Protestant reformer and hymn writer. First a Franciscan, he joined the Bohemian Brethren. He published the most extensive early Protestant hymnal in 1531, supplying most…
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1534
English nobleman (born c. 1478)
Lord Edmund Howard was the third son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, and his first wife, Elizabeth Tilney. His sister, Elizabeth, was the mother of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn, and he was the father of…
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1539
English poet
Arthur Brooke was an English poet who wrote and created various works including The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562), considered to be William Shakespeare's chief source for his tragedy Romeo and Juliet.
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1563
Lady Cromwell, English noblewoman (bornc. 1518)
Elizabeth Seymour was a younger daughter of Sir John Seymour of Wulfhall, Wiltshire and Margery Wentworth. Elizabeth and her sister Jane served in the household of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. The…
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1568
1581
Belarusian saint (born 1585)
Zofia Radziwiłł, also Zofia of Słuck is a Polish-Lithuanian Orthodox Christian saint. She was the last descendant of the Olelkowicz–Słucki family – princes of Slutsk and Kopyl – who were descended from Lithuanian Grand…
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1612
Hungarian cardinal (born 1570)
Péter Pázmány de Panasz, S.J., was a Hungarian Jesuit who was a noted philosopher, theologian, cardinal, pulpit orator and statesman. He was an important figure in the Counter-Reformation in Royal Hungary.
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1637
German scholar and theologian (born 1577)
Gerrit Janszoon Vos, often known by his Latin name Gerardus Vossius, was a Dutch classical scholar, theologian, and polymath.
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1649
English playwright and manager (born 1612)
Thomas Killigrew was an English dramatist and theatre manager. He was a witty, dissolute figure at the court of King Charles II of England.
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1683
Sieur de La Salle, French-American explorer (born 1643)
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…
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1687
German organist and composer (born 1665)
Nicolaus Bruhns was a Danish-German organist, violinist, and composer. He was one of the most prominent organists and composers of his generation.
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1697
English bishop and hymn-writer (born 1637)
Thomas Ken was an English cleric who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and one of the developers of modern English hymnody. He is the writer of the hymn Awake My Soul and with the Sun.
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1711
1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, Scottish soldier (born 1636)
John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, known as Sir John Campbell, 5th Baronet from 1670 to 1681, was a Scottish politician. Heavily involved in the Glorious Revolution and Jacobite risings, he was known as…
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1717
Pope Clement XI, born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721.
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1721
English archbishop (born 1713)
Frederick Cornwallis was a British clergy member who served as Archbishop of Canterbury after a career in the Church of England. He was born the seventh son of an aristocratic family.
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1783
Ottoman general and politician, 182nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (born 1713)
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha or Algerian Hasan Pasha, nicknamed Ejder-i Bahrî, was an Ottoman Grand Admiral (1770–90), Grand Vizier (1790), and general in the late 18th century.
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1790
English organist and composer (born 1738)
Philip Hayes was an English composer, organist, singer and conductor.
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1797
Italian-American physician and philosopher (born 1730)
Philip Mazzei, originally Filippo Mazzei, and sometimes erroneously cited as Philip Mazzie, was an Italian physician, philosopher, diplomat, winemaker, merchant, and author. A neighbor of Thomas Jefferson, he was a…
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1816
Austrian mineralogist, geologist, and physicist (born 1795)
Wilhelm Karl Haidinger, ennobled as Wilhelm Ritter von Haidinger in 1864, was an Austrian mineralogist.
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1871
Finnish physician and philologist (born 1802)
Elias Lönnrot was a Finnish polymath, physician, philosopher, poet, musician, linguist, journalist, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for synthesizing the Finnish national…
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1884
Irish-French geographer, ethnologist, linguist, and astronomer (born 1810)
Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie d'Arrast was a Basque-Irish explorer, geographer, ethnologist, linguist and astronomer, renowned for his expeditions in Ethiopia during the early 19th century. He was the elder brother of…
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1897
American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Ambassador to Japan (born 1815)
John Armor Bingham was an American politician who served as a Republican representative from Ohio and as the United States ambassador to Japan. In his time as a congressman, Bingham served as both assistant Judge…
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1900
French pianist and composer (born 1819)
Charles-Louis Hanon was a French piano pedagogue and composer. He is best known for his work The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises, which is still used today for modern piano teaching, but over the years the method has…
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1900
Italian priest, geologist, and volcanologist (born 1850)
Giuseppe Mercalli was an Italian volcanologist and Catholic priest. He is known best for the Mercalli intensity scale for measuring earthquake intensity.
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1914
American writer, poet, and artist of Appalachia (born 1879)
Emma Bell Miles was a writer, poet, and artist. Her works capture the essence of the natural world and the culture of southern Appalachia.
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1919
Scottish-English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1848)
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As foreign secretary in the Lloyd George ministry, he…
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1930
Australian politician, 11th Premier of Western Australia (born 1854)
Sir Henry Bruce Lefroy was the eleventh Premier of Western Australia.
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1930
American zoologist, ornithologist, and entomologist (born 1855)
Clinton Hart Merriam was an American zoologist, mammalogist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, ethnographer, geographer, naturalist and physician. He was commonly known as the "father of mammalogy," a branch of…
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1942
American rancher and politician, 41st Mayor of Chicago (born 1869)
William Hale Thompson Jr. was a corrupt American politician who served as mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and again from 1927 to 1931. Known as "Big Bill", he is the most recent Republican to have served as mayor of…
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1944
American businessman and baseball executive (born 1887)
James Alexander Gilmore was an American businessman who served as president of baseball's Federal League when it attempted to become a third major league, alongside the American League and National League, in 1914 and…
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1947
American novelist (born 1854)
Maud Howe Elliott was an American novelist, most notable for her Pulitzer Prize-winning collaboration with her sisters, Laura E. Richards and Florence Hall, on their mother's biography The Life of Julia Ward Howe…
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1948
English admiral and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset (born 1882)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, was a Royal Navy admiral. He served in the First World War as fleet wireless officer for the Mediterranean Fleet where he was involved in providing naval support for the…
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1949
Australian soldier and policeman (born 1881)
James Ernest Newland, VC was an Australian soldier, policeman and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and…
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1949
American soldier and author (born 1875)
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…
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1950
English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1883)
Sir Walter Norman Haworth FRS was a British chemist best known for his groundbreaking work on ascorbic acid while working at the University of Birmingham. He received the 1937 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his…
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1950
Ukrainian historian and politician, Prime Minister of Ukraine (born 1882)
Dmytro Ivanovych Doroshenko was a prominent Ukrainian political figure during the revolution of 1917–1918 and a leading Ukrainian emigre historian during the inter-war period. Doroshenko was a supporter of federal ties…
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1951
French actor and author (born 1889)
Albert Dieudonné was a French actor, screenwriter, film director and novelist.
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1976
English guitarist and songwriter (born 1950)
Paul Francis Kossoff was an English guitarist, best known as the co-founder and guitarist of the rock band Free. In 2010, he was ranked number 51 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
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1976
Lithuanian-born American journalist and author (born 1888)
William Leonard Laurence was a Jewish American science journalist best known for his work at The New York Times. Born in the Russian Empire, he won two Pulitzer Prizes. As the official historian of the Manhattan…
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1977
Indian lawyer and politician, 2nd Speaker of the Lok Sabha (born 1891)
Madabhushi Ananthasayanam Ayyangar was the first Deputy Speaker and then Speaker of the Lok Sabha in the Indian Parliament. He also served as the 5th Governor of Bihar.
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1978
Indian lawyer and politician (born 1888)
Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani, popularly known as Acharya Kripalani, was an Indian politician, noted particularly for holding the presidency of the Indian National Congress during the transfer of power in 1947 and the…
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1982
American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (born 1956)
Randall William Rhoads was an American guitarist. He was the co-founder and original guitarist of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot, and the guitarist and co-songwriter for Ozzy Osbourne's first two solo albums Blizzard…
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1982
American photographer (born 1928)
Garry Winogrand was an American street photographer, who portrayed U.S. life and its social issues in the mid-20th century. Photography curator, historian, and critic John Szarkowski called Winogrand the central…
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1984
Spanish footballer and manager (born 1922)
Sabino Barinaga Alberdi was a Spanish football forward and manager.
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1986
French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1892)
Louis Victor Pierre Raymond, 7th Duc de Broglie was a French theoretical physicist and aristocrat known for his contributions to quantum theory. In his 1924 Ph.D. thesis, de Broglie postulated the wave nature of…
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1987
1988
American singer-songwriter (born 1966)
Andrew Patrick Wood was an American musician who was the lead singer and lyricist for the alternative rock bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. He formed Malfunkshun in 1980 with his older brother Kevin Wood on…
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1990
Danish production manager and producer (born 1915)
Henrik Sandberg was a Danish film producer. He produced 39 films between 1955 and 1979. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father was the Danish film director A. W. Sandberg.
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1993
Danish psychologist and politician (born 1924)
Anna Elisabeth "Lise" Østergaard was a Danish psychologist and a politician for the Social Democrats. Under Anker Jørgensen's leadership, she was Minister without Portfolio (1977–80) and Minister of Culture (1980–82).…
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1996
1996
American nurse, researcher, theorist and author (born 1897)
Virginia Avenel Henderson was an American nurse, researcher, theorist, and writer.
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1996
Dutch-American painter and educator (born 1904)
Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist. Born in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, he moved to the United States in 1926, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1962. In 1943, he married painter Elaine…
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1997
French poet and author (born 1907)
Eugène Guillevic was a French poet. Professionally, he went by the single name Guillevic.
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1997
Indian theorist and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Kerala (born 1909)
Elamkulam Nanakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad was an Indian communist politician, theorist, author and statesman who served as the first Chief Minister of Kerala in 1957–1959 and then again in 1967–1969. As a member of the…
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1998
Samoan politician, 5th Prime Minister of Samoa (born 1924)
Tofilau Eti Alesana was a Samoan politician who served as the fifth prime minister of Samoa from 1982 to 1985, and again from 1988 until his resignation in 1998.
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1999
American baseball player (born 1935)
Joanne "Joltin' Jo" Weaver was a right fielder who played from 1951 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 142 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
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2000
Pakistani physician and author (born 1920)
Shafiq-ur-Rahman was a Pakistani humorist and short-story writer of Urdu language.
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2000
German soldier and illustrator (born 1926)
Michael Mathias Prechtl was a German artist, illustrator and cartoonist.
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2003
Canadian economist and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Finance (born 1911)
Mitchell William Sharp was a Canadian civil servant and politician, most noted for his service as a Liberal Cabinet minister. He served in both the private and public sectors during his long career.
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2004
American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (born 1925)
John Zachary DeLorean was an American engineer, inventor, and executive in the U.S. automobile industry. He is widely known as founder of the DeLorean Motor Company, as well as for his work at General Motors.
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2005
English science fiction writer (born 1917)
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke was an English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host.
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2008
Belgian author, poet, and playwright (born 1929)
Hugo Maurice Julien Claus was a leading Belgian author who published under his own name as well as various pseudonyms. Claus' literary contributions spanned the genres of drama, novels, and poetry; he also left a legacy…
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2008
English actor (born 1922)
David Paul Scofield was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work. Scofield established a…
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2008
Austrian-American architect and interior designer (born 1914)
Maria Bergson was an American interior designer, industrial designer, and architect best known for revolutionizing commercial office design. She specialized in the design of commercial interiors including offices,…
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2009
Australian drummer and radio host (born 1920)
Hugh Reskymer "Kym" Bonython, was an Australian politician, World War Two veteran, musician, gallery owner, and racing driver.
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2011
2012
Belgian-American director and producer (born 1929)
Israel "Ulu" Grosbard was a Belgian-born, naturalized American theater and film director and film producer.
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2012
Norwegian intelligence agent (born 1922)
Hugo Conrad Munthe-Kaas DSM was a Norwegian intelligence agent and resistance fighter during World War II. He received most decorations in Norway for his war service. From the 1970s he was active in the Progress Party,…
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2012
American businessman, founded IDG (born 1937)
Patrick Joseph McGovern Jr. was an American businessman, and chairman and founder of International Data Group (IDG), a company with subsidiaries in technology publishing, research, event management and venture capital.
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2014
American lawyer, pastor, and activist, founded the Westboro Baptist Church (born 1929)
Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. was an American minister and disbarred lawyer who served as the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, worked as a civil rights attorney, and ran for statewide election in Kansas. A divisive and…
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2014
Canadian journalist and author (born 1942)
Heather Margaret Robertson was a Canadian journalist, novelist and non-fiction writer. She published her first book, Reservations are for Indians, in 1970, and her last book, Walking into Wilderness, in 2010. She was a…
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2014
American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Russia (born 1918)
Robert Schwarz Strauss was an influential figure in American politics, diplomacy, and law whose service dated back to future President Lyndon Johnson's first congressional campaign in 1937. By the 1950s, he was…
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2014
Canadian-American lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (born 1912)
Lawrence Edward Walsh was an American lawyer and judge who was United States Deputy Attorney General from 1957 to 1961 and a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He was…
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2014
Jr., American lawyer and judge (born 1923)
Joseph Francis Weis Jr. was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western…
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2014
American farmer and politician (born 1927)
Gus R. Douglass was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, who served as Agriculture Commissioner of West Virginia for 44 years. First elected to that post in 1964, he served from 1965 to 1989, when…
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2015
Bosnian author and playwright (born 1950)
Safet Plakalo was a Bosnian playwright and poet, theatre critic, journalist, and founder of the Sarajevo War Theatre. He was a prominent figure in Bosnian drama, known for his poetic and modernist theatrical works and…
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2015
American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1942)
Daniel Isaac Schechter was an American television producer, independent filmmaker, blogger, and media critic. He wrote and spoke about many issues including apartheid, civil rights, economics, foreign policy,…
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2015
Brazilian banker and businessman (born 1959)
Roger Agnelli was a Brazilian investment banker and entrepreneur. He ran one of the largest mining companies in the world, Vale SA, and in 2013 was voted by Harvard Business Review as the world's fourth best-performing…
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2016
English footballer and manager (born 1927)
Jack Mansell was a professional football player and coach. He made 274 appearances in the Football League as a defender for Brighton & Hove Albion, Cardiff City and Portsmouth. After retiring as a player, he joined the…
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2016
British architect (born 1920)
Sir William Whitfield was a British architect and town planner.
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2019
American engineer (born 1936)
Glynn Stephen Lunney was an American NASA engineer. Lunney was an employee of NASA since its creation in 1958, a flight director during the Gemini and Apollo programs. Lunney was on duty during historic events such as…
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2021
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March 19 in the Blog
Battle of Ningpo — March 19, 1842
1842 Battle of Ningpo, China: British victory sparks change
Read the full storyNotable deaths
Who died on March 19?
Chuck Norris — American martial artist and actor (1940–2026)
FeaturedChuck Norris
Death year2026
Known forHe held black belts in karate, taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo
Deaths on this date92 (235 – 2026)
Explore March 19
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on March 19 in History
2023
The Swiss Government brokers a deal for UBS to buy out rival Credit Suisse in an attempt to calm the 2023 banking crisis. Wikipedia →
2019
The first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, resigns from office after nearly three decades, leaving Senate Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the acting President and successor. Wikipedia →
2016
See all events on March 19
Flydubai Flight 981 crashes while attempting to land at Rostov-on-Don international airport, killing all 62 on board. Wikipedia →
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