13 Facts about March

It’s March! That means that here in North Dakota winter will be over in a month or so. Hooray!!! But March can be a treacherous month. Did you know that some of the worst weather on record occurred in March? Here are some random facts about March:

1. The word March is from the Roman god of war, Mars. March was the first month of the Roman year.

2. The Great Storm of March 12-13, 1993 affected 26 US states and much of eastern Canada. Syracuse NY had 43 inches of snow. Birmingham AL had 13 inches, Atlanta GA had 4 inches. Several NASCAR races had to be postponed for weeks.

3. On March 4, 1793 George Washington delivered the shortest inaugural speech ever, at just 135 words.

4. On March 15, 1941 the northern plains were hit especially hard by a blizzard. It was 20 degrees and sunny in the morning so folks went into town wearing their spring clothing, but by that evening over 150 people were dead in North Dakota.

5. In the US March is Women’s History Month.

6. In Japan, the spring equinox (around March 20-21) is a national holiday. I like that. It’s better than St Patrick’s Day.

7. On March 1, 1983 the low temperature in Quincy Missouri was -21 F. Yowza. That would be low even for North Dakota.

8. On March 22, 1457 the Gutenberg Bible became the first printed book.

9. On March 25 31 AD the first Easter is celebrated in recorded history.

10. On March 26, 2009 the previous record for flood level was broken in Fargo ND. It crested a week or so later at over a foot higher than the previous record.

11. On March 2, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a basketball game. NO one has come even close since then.

12. In March of 1949 Newfoundland became Canada’s 10th province. (Not the Yukon)

13. The first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City on March 17, 1762. That was before the Irish Potato Famine drove large numbers of Irish immigrants to New York.

Does any of this surprise you?