March 15: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
Julius Caesar's infamous assassination on the Ides of March in 44 BC forever cemented this date in history, but March 15 also launched revolutions and birthed nations.
About March 15
The Romans called it the Ides, a marker on their calendar tied to the full moon, but the term took on a darker meaning in 44 BC when a conspiracy of senators stabbed the dictator Julius Caesar to death in the Theater of Pompey. That singular act of political violence has echoed through literature and politics for over two thousand years, making "Beware the Ides of March" one of history's most famous warnings. Yet the date carries far more than ancient intrigue.
March 15 is a day of national awakening. Hungarians celebrate the outbreak of their 1848 revolution against Habsburg rule, a bold stand for independence that began with a peaceful demonstration in Pest and rapidly escalated into a full-scale war of sovereignty. Maine also marks its statehood on this date, joining the Union in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Fast-forward to 1991, and Germany formally regained full sovereignty as the treaty settling its postwar status took effect, closing a chapter on the Cold War.
From Tsar Nicholas II abdicating the Russian throne in 1917 and ending the Romanov dynasty, to Lyndon B. Johnson declaring "We shall overcome" before Congress in 1965 while pushing the Voting Rights Act, March 15 has repeatedly witnessed leaders and citizens changing the course of nations. It is a day of turning points.
Holidays & Observances on March 15
- Ancient Roman religious observance: Ides of March
- Constitution Day (Belarus)
- International Day To Combat Islamophobia
- Joseph Jenkins Roberts' Birthday (Liberia)
- National Day, celebrating the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 (Hungary)
- World Consumer Rights Day (International)
- Youth Day (Palau)
Fun & National Days on March 15
- Dumbstruck Day — Embrace the moments when words fail you and let yourself be delightfully speechless today.
- Everything You Think is Wrong Day — A humbling reminder to question your assumptions and enjoy the freedom of admitting you might be mistaken.
- National Peanut Lovers Day — Grab a handful of roasted peanuts or a spoonful of butter and celebrate this humble, crunchy favorite.
- National Egg Cream Day — Sip a classic New York egg cream, mixing milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup into fizzy nostalgia.
- International Day Against Police Brutality
- International Eat an Animal for PETA Day
- Mothering Sunday
- National Brutus Day
- National Pears Hélène Day
On This Day in History
- -44 — A conspiracy of Roman senators assassinated dictator Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, a date forever etched into Western historical memory.
- 1564 — Mughal Emperor Akbar abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslim subjects, marking a pivotal shift toward religious tolerance across his empire.
- 1783 — George Washington delivered an emotional plea in Newburgh, New York, successfully dissuading his officers from launching a military coup.
- 1820 — Maine was officially admitted to the Union as the twenty-third U.S. state, a milestone tied to the Missouri Compromise's balance of power.
- 1848 — A revolutionary uprising erupted in Hungary, compelling Habsburg rulers to concede to the reform party's demands for independence.
- 1877 — The first official cricket Test match was played between Australia and England at the MCG in Melbourne, launching a legendary sporting rivalry.
- 1907 — Finland held its first parliamentary elections, becoming an early pioneer of universal suffrage by allowing women to both vote and run for office.
- 1917 — Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the Russian throne, abruptly ending the Romanov dynasty after three centuries of imperial rule.
- 1965 — President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed Congress with the phrase "We shall overcome," urging the passage of the Voting Rights Act amid the Selma crisis.
- 1990 — Mikhail Gorbachev was elected as the first and only President of the Soviet Union during the final years of the nation's existence.
- 1991 — The treaty granting full sovereignty to a reunified Federal Republic of Germany officially went into effect, concluding the post-World War II settlement.
- 2019 — Roughly 1.4 million young people across 123 countries went on strike, demanding urgent political action to combat global climate change.
Famous Birthdays on March 15
- 1767 — Andrew Jackson, The seventh U.S. President, a polarizing military hero who reshaped American frontier politics and expanded executive power.
- 1809 — Joseph Jenkins Roberts, The first President of Liberia, an American-Liberian leader who guided the early republic and whose birthday is a national holiday.
- 1854 — Emil von Behring, German physiologist and Nobel laureate whose pioneering work on diphtheria antitoxin earned him the inaugural Nobel Prize in Medicine.
- 1933 — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Trailblazing U.S. Supreme Court Justice whose legal advocacy for gender equality transformed American civil rights law.
- 1943 — David Cronenberg, Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker who pioneered the body horror genre, crafting unsettling cult classics exploring humanity and technology.
- 1943 — Sly Stone, Visionary American musician and producer who led Sly and the Family Stone, fusing funk, rock, and soul into revolutionary anthems.
- 1967 — Naoko Takeuchi, Japanese manga artist who created "Sailor Moon," a cultural phenomenon that redefined the magical girl genre for a worldwide audience.
- 1975 — Eva Longoria, American actress and producer whose breakout role on "Desperate Housewives" made her a global television icon and advocate.
- 1975 — will.i.am, Rapper, producer, and founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, blending pop, hip-hop, and electronic music for global audiences.
- 1993 — Paul Pogba, French midfielder and World Cup champion whose dynamic playmaking powered France to international glory in 2018.