March 19
Overview
Holidays & Observances
ChristianObservances:
Alkmund of Derby, Saint Joseph(Western Christianity; if this date falls on Sunday, the feast is moved to Monday March 20)Saint Joseph's Day(Roman CatholicismandAnglican Communion) related observances:Falles, celebrated on the week leading to March 19 (Valencia)Father's Day(Spain, Portugal, Italy,Honduras, andBolivia)"Return of the Swallow", annual observance of theswallows' return toMission San Juan CapistranoinCalifornia, March 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), Earliest day on whichMaundy Thursdaycan fall, while April 22 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday beforeEaster(Christianity)
Various Christian feast days and traditions are observed on March 19, celebrating saints, liturgical occasions, and related cultural festivities across denominations.
Minna Canth's Birthday and theDay of Equality(Finland)
In Finland, March 19 marks the birthday of Minna Canth, a pioneering writer and social activist, and is celebrated as the Day of Equality.
Kashubian Unity Day(Poland)
Kashubian Unity Day celebrates the cultural heritage and unity of the Kashubian people in Poland each year on March 19.
Alkmund of Derby
Saint Alkmund of Derby, an Anglo-Saxon martyr and prince, is commemorated by some Christian communities on March 19.
Saint Joseph(Western Christianity; if this date falls on Sunday, the feast is moved to Monday March 20)
Saint Joseph's Day(Roman CatholicismandAnglican Communion) related observances:Falles, celebrated on the week leading to March 19 (Valencia)Father's Day(Spain, Portugal, Italy,Honduras, andBolivia)"Return of the Swallow", annual observance of theswallows' return toMission San Juan CapistranoinCalifornia
Saint Joseph's Day on March 19 honors Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, in Western Christian traditions, with related cultural celebrations.
March 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
March 19 marks important liturgical commemorations in the Eastern Orthodox Church, often dedicated to Saint Joseph the Betrothed.
Earliest day on whichMaundy Thursdaycan fall, while April 22 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday beforeEaster(Christianity)
On rare occasions, Maundy Thursday can fall as early as March 19, marking the beginning of the Paschal Triduum in Christianity.
Saint Joseph's Day(Roman CatholicismandAnglican Communion) related observances:
Falles, celebrated on the week leading to March 19 (Valencia), Father's Day(Spain, Portugal, Italy,Honduras, andBolivia), "Return of the Swallow", annual observance of theswallows' return toMission San Juan CapistranoinCalifornia
Saint Joseph's Day on March 19 is celebrated by Roman Catholic and Anglican communities, often accompanied by cultural events and family traditions.
Falles, celebrated on the week leading to March 19 (Valencia)
Falles is a vibrant Valencian festival held annually in March, culminating on March 19 in spectacular firework and sculpture displays.
Events
The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire.
The 1277 treaty between Byzantium and Venice set a two-year truce and restored trading rights for Venetian merchants in the empire.
A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen ends the Song dynasty in China.
The Mongols defeated the Song navy at the Battle of Yamen in 1279, bringing an end to China's Song dynasty.
The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England.
The Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 annexed Wales to the Kingdom of England under King Edward I.
Frederick III of Habsburg is the last Holy Roman Emperor crowned by medieval tradition in Rome by Pope Nicholas V.
In 1452, Frederick III became the last Holy Roman Emperor crowned in Rome by Pope Nicholas V under medieval tradition.
The Edict of Amboise is signed, ending the first phase of the French Wars of Religion and granting certain freedoms to the Huguenots.
The 1563 Edict of Amboise ended the first phase of France's Wars of Religion, granting limited rights to Huguenots.
The House of Commons of England passes an act abolishing the House of Lords, declaring it "useless and dangerous to the people of England".
In 1649, England's House of Commons passed an act to abolish the House of Lords, labeling it "useless and dangerous".
Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men.
In 1687, French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle was killed by his own men during his search for the Mississippi River's mouth.
Charles IV, king of Spain, abdicates after riots and a popular revolt at the winter palace Aranjuez. His son, Ferdinand VII, takes the throne.
King Charles IV of Spain abdicated amid popular revolt during the Mutiny of Aranjuez in 1808, installing his son Ferdinand VII as king.
The Cortes of Cádiz promulgates the Spanish Constitution of 1812.
The Cortes of Cádiz adopted the liberal Spanish Constitution of 1812, known as La Pepa, marking a major step in constitutionalism.
Births
Güyük Khan
Güyük Khan was the third Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1246 until his death. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan and son of Ögedei Khan.
Ashikaga Yoshikatsu
Ashikaga Yoshikatsu served briefly as a Japanese shōgun during the Muromachi period, ascending to the post as a child and ruling from 1442 until his early death.
Johannes Magnus
Johannes Magnus was the last Catholic Archbishop of Uppsala and a noted Swedish theologian and historian during the Reformation era.
José de Anchieta
José de Anchieta was a 16th-century Spanish Jesuit missionary, saint, and one of the founders of São Paulo in Brazil.
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Zamoyski was a prominent Polish nobleman, statesman, and military leader who served as Grand Chancellor and Grand Hetman of the Crown.
Alonzo Cano
Alonzo Cano was a versatile Spanish Baroque artist celebrated for his paintings, sculptures, and architectural designs.
John IV of Portugal was the king who restored Portuguese independence from Spain in 1640 and established the House of Braganza.
Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi
Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi was a renowned 17th-century Syrian Sufi scholar, poet, and author known for his works on spirituality and history.
Francesco Gasparini
Francesco Gasparini was an Italian Baroque composer and influential voice teacher based in Venice.
Deaths
Severus Alexander
Roman Emperor (208–235) noted as the last ruler of the Severan dynasty.
al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah
Third Fatimid caliph (913–953) who ruled from 946 and reinforced the dynasty's authority in Ifriqiya.
Emma of Paris
Duchess of Normandy (943–968) as the wife of Duke Richard I and influential in court politics.
Henry the Bearded
Duke of Silesia and High Duke of Poland (1163–1238) known for territorial consolidation and urban growth.
Hugh of Saint-Cher
French Dominican friar and cardinal (1200–1263) renowned for creating the first concordance of the Bible.
Zhao Bing
Child emperor (1271–1279) and the last ruler of the Southern Song dynasty before its fall to the Mongols.
Alexander III
King of Scotland (1241–1286) remembered for a long reign of peace, prosperity, and securing Scottish independence.
Edmund of Woodstock
English nobleman (1301–1330), Earl of Kent and half-brother to Edward II, known for his political intrigue and execution.
John II
Marquess of Montferrat (1321–1372), Italian noble who navigated 14th-century Piedmontese politics.