Historical Anniversaries this Week

February 27

 Events (400 years ago today): 1626 – Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after leading the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci.^[7]

 Events (250 years ago today): 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in North Carolina breaks up a Loyalist militia.

 Events (50 years ago today): 1976 – The former Spanish territory of Western Sahara, under the auspices of the Polisario Front declares independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – David H. Hubel, Canadian-American neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Ludovic Capelle, Belgian cyclist

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Cornelia Ecker, Austrian politician^[55]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Tony Gonzalez, American football player^[56]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Sergei Semak, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager

February 28

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Svetlana Alliluyeva, Russian-American writer, daughter of Joseph Stalin (died 2011)^[52]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Francisco Elson, Dutch basketball player^[138]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Ali Larter, American actress and model^[139]

March 1

 Events (550 years ago today): 1476 – Forces of the Catholic Monarchs engage the combined Portuguese-Castilian armies of Afonso V and Prince John at the Battle of Toro.^[5]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1876 – Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian businessman (died 1942)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Robert Clary, French-American actor and author (died 2022)^[28]

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Cesare Danova, Italian-American actor (died 1992)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Pete Rozelle, American businessman and 3rd National Football League Commissioner (died 1996)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Allan Stanley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 2013)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1976 – Jean Martinon, French conductor and composer (born 1910)

March 2

 Events (550 years ago today): 1476 – Burgundian Wars: The Old Swiss Confederacy hands Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, a major defeat in the Battle of Grandson in Canton of Neuchâtel.^[6]

 Events (250 years ago today): 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in and around the Savannah River by a small fleet of the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Rice Boats.^[9]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1876 – James A. Gilmore, American businessman and baseball executive (died 1947)^[43]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1876 – Pope Pius XII (died 1958)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Bernard Agré, Ivorian cardinal (died 2014)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Murray Rothbard, American economist and historian (died 1995)

March 3

 Events (250 years ago today): 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps begins the Battle of Nassau.

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – James Merrill, American poet and playwright (died 1995)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Kampamba Mulenga Chilumba, Zambian politician^[48]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Fraser Gehrig, Australian footballer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Isabel Granada, Filipino-Spanish actress (died 2017)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Estonian politician, 28th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Commemorations:
International Day for Ear and Hearing

March 4

 Events (250 years ago today): 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army fortifies Dorchester Heights with cannon, leading the British troops to abandon the Siege of Boston.

 Events (50 years ago today): 1976 – The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland from London by the British parliament.

 Births (500 years ago today): 1526 – Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (died 1596)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1826 – August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein, German linguist, ethnographer, and theologian (died 1907)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1826 – John Buford, American general (died 1863)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1826 – Elme Marie Caro, French philosopher and academic (died 1887)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1826 – Theodore Judah, American engineer, founded the Central Pacific Railroad (died 1863)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1876 – Léon-Paul Fargue, French poet and author (died 1947)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1876 – Theodore Hardeen, Hungarian-American magician (died 1945)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Henri de Contenson, French archaeologist and academic (died 2019)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma, French businessman, soldier and racing driver (died 2018)^[31]

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Richard DeVos, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Amway (died 2018)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Pascual Pérez, Argentinian boxer (died 1977)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1926 – Don Rendell, English saxophonist and flute player (died 2015)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Robbie Blake, English footballer

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Tommy Jönsson, Swedish footballer

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1976 – John Marvin Jones, American judge and politician (born 1882)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1976 – Walter H. Schottky, Swiss-German physicist and engineer (born 1886)

March 5

 Births (700 years ago today): 1326 – Louis I of Hungary (died 1382)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1876 – Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote, English lawyer and politician, 8th Lord Chief Justice of England (died 1947)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1876 – Elisabeth Moore, American tennis player (died 1959)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Neil Jackson, English actor, producer, and screenwriter

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – ?ar?nas Jasikevi?ius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Paul Konerko, American baseball player

 Births (50 years ago today): 1976 – Norm Maxwell, New Zealand rugby player

 Deaths (300 years ago today): 1726 – Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull, English politician, Lord President of the Council (born 1655)

 Deaths (150 years ago today): 1876 – Marie d'Agoult, German-French historian and author (born 1805)^[78]

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1976 – Otto Tief, Estonian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia (born 1889)