March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of seven months that are 31 days long. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20th or 21st marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere for March.
March symbols: The birthstones of March are aquamarine and bloodstone. These stones symbolize courage. Its birth flower is the daffodil. The zodiac signs for the month of March are Pisces (until March 20) and Aries (March 21 onwards).
Historical Events for March, 1974
Day of Week 1st » Watergate scandal: Seven are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Day of Week 3rd » Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes at Ermenonville near Paris, France killing all 346 aboard.
Day of Week 4th » 'People (American magazine) or People' magazine is published for the first time in the United States as 'People Weekly'.
Day of Week 5th » Yom Kippur War: Israeli forces withdraw from the west bank of the Suez Canal.
Day of Week 8th » Charles de Gaulle Airport opens in Paris, France.
Day of Week 18th » Oil embargo crisis: Most OPEC nations end a five-month oil embargo against the United States, Europe and Japan.
Day of Week 20th » Ian Ball attempts, but fails, to kidnap Her Royal Highness Anne, Princess Royal or Princess Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips in The Mall (London) named The Mall, outside Buckingham Palace, London.
Day of Week 26th » Gaura Devi leads a group of 27 women of Laata village, Henwalghati, Garhwal Himalayas, to form circles around trees to stop them being felled and giving rise to the Chipko Movement in India.