A Day in the Past

On this day: 19 March

116 things happened on 19 March, from AD 235 to 2026. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.

Printable worksheet Take the quiz

In the UK 7

UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

1921 105 years ago

UK story

Irish War of Independence: One of the biggest engagements of the war takes place at Crossbarry, County Cork. About 100 Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers escape an attempt by over 1,300 British forces to encircle them.

War & peace Find out more: Irish War of Independence (Wikipedia)

Around the world 26

1965 61 years ago

The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, exactly 102 years after its destruction.

Science & discovery Find out more: SS Georgiana (Wikipedia)
2019 7 years ago

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.

Find out more: President of Kazakhstan (Wikipedia)

Quick quiz

Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!

  1. In which year did this happen: “The secular oratorio A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett premiered at the”?

    1. 1944
    2. 1969
    3. 1982
    Show the answer

    A: 1944. 1944 — that’s 82 years ago. Find it on the page

  2. In which year did this happen: “King Charles IV of Spain was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand”?

    1. 1982
    2. 1883
    3. 1808
    Show the answer

    C: 1808. 1808 — that’s 218 years ago. Find it on the page

  3. Which of these happened first?

    1. The secular oratorio A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett premiered at the
    2. Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating
    3. King Charles IV of Spain was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand
    Show the answer

    C: King Charles IV of Spain was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand. 1944: The secular oratorio A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett premiered at the · 1982: Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating · 1808: King Charles IV of Spain was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand Find it on the page

  4. “Falklands War: Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating” happened in 1982. How many years ago was that?

    1. 44 years
    2. 54 years
    3. 34 years
    Show the answer

    A: 44 years. 2026 − 1982 = 44. Find it on the page

Born on this day 30

Famous people whose birthday is 19 March.

Remembering 22

Well-known people who died on 19 March.

Special days 11

Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 19 March somewhere in the world.

For older readers 20 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history

Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.

Where these facts come from

Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “March 19” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.