On this day

1st March
Beer Day in Iceland
Today is Beer Day if you're Icelandic, and a day worth celebrating even if you're not. On this day in 1989, Icelanders were finally allowed to drink beer,

2nd March
Lou Reed's Birthday
The late, great Lou Reed, one of rock's enduring icons, was born on this day in 1942, in Brooklyn, New York.

3rd March
The anniversary of the inaugural Time magazine
The world's largest-circulation weekly news magazine, Time, celebrates its anniversary today.

4th March
The US Constitution became law on this day
The US Constitution is probably America's single most successful export. The first written constitution in world history, it provided a model for more

5th March
Absinthe Day
Absinthe has long been the drink of choice for artists, poets, writers and painters so its being awarded a day is fitting.

6th March
Aspirin was discovered on this day
Headaches are, we're sad to say, an occupational hazard for the dedicated cocktail lover. So praise the lord for Felix Hoffmann, a genius pharmacist who

7th March
Happy Birthday Corn Flakes!
On this day in 1897, Doctor John Kellogg, a Seventh Day Adventist, served the world's first cornflakes to patients at his Michigan sanitarium, as part

8th March
International Women's Day
Today is International Women's Day, an excuse, if ever one was needed, to propose a toast to women around the world.

9th March
It's National Meatball Day
IKEA is for many, more about its meatballs than flatpack furniture and the Swedish chain sells a staggering one billion meatballs every year. Perhaps it

10th March
Bell gave Watson a bell today
On this day in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made a phone call - the world's first. His imaginative words? Mr. Watson, come here! I want to see you.

11th March
Britain's first daily newspaper was published this day
In 1702, in a room above Fleet Street's White Hart pub in London, Edward Mallet launched The Daily Courant, England's first regular daily newspaper.

12th March
The Internet's birthday
London-born computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee sent out a memo entitled WorldWide Web: Proposal for a HyperText Project on this day in 1989. In it, he

13th March
Riesling's Birthday
Riesling, a grape variety that's maligned by some but celebrated by those in the know, celebrates its birthday today.

14th March
Albert Einstein's birthday
The father of modern physics, Albert Einstein, was born in Ulm, Germany, to Jewish parents, on this day in 1879. And we'd imagine that the father of E=MC2

15th March
Espresso Martini Day
Somebody somewhere (OK in America) has ordained March 15th Espresso Martini Day but we suspect this date was chosen due to its previous lack of notable

16th March
Tonight's the festival of Bacchanalia
Tonight is the night of Bacchanalia, one Roman festival that would be well worth reviving (if it weren't for the fact that the Romans themselves ended

17th March
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is as good an excuse as any to drink Irish whisky and stout, dress in green, listen to Irish folk music and generally celebrate the

18th March
Fra Angelico died this day
The folk behind the hazelnut liqueur Frangelico claim that their secret recipe dates back to a hermit monk named Fra Angelico in 18th-century Piedmont,

19th March
The anniversary of Sydney Harbour Bridge opening
Sydney Harbour Bridge (fondly known as the Coathanger) opened for public use on this day in 1932. The opening ceremony didn't run quite as smoothly as

20th March
Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere
Spring is here! The daffodils are out, it's light when we leave the office and we're beginning to wean ourselves off hot-soup and onto summer salads.

21st March
World Planting Day
Yesterday brought the arrival of spring, so it's quite fitting that we should go green today as it's World Planting Day.

22nd March
World Water Day
Water is the most abundant compound on the earth's surface, covering 70% of our planet. Yet almost a billion human beings live without access to clean

23rd March
OK, it's your birthday
Indeed, today is OK's birthday. The initials O.K. were first published on 23rd March 23 1839 in The Boston Morning Post as an abbreviation for 'oll korrect,'

24th March
Cocktail Day
Today has been pronounced National Cocktail Day in America, so by extension for the rest of us, it is simply Cocktail Day. It's worth remembering that

25th March
New Years - Take 2
We're always sniffing about for an excuse for a party - so when we learned that 25 March was the original New Years, we thought we'd better celebrate all

26th March
It's Spinach Day
Popeye the Sailor Man has derived his superhero strength from eating spinach since 1932. He's onto something! The health benefits of spinach, whether fresh,

27th March
Quentin Tarantino's birthday
The man who brought us Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, True Romance and the acclaimed Django Unchained is celebrating his birthday today.

28th March
It's Black Forest Gâteau Day
Established in America as National Black Forest Cake Day, as that's what this indulgent dessert is called in America. Whether Cake or Gâteau, this is

29th March
The anniversary of the first London Marathon
According to legend, the original marathon was run in Ancient Greece, when a soldier named Pheidippides allegedly raced some 40-odd kilometres (25 miles)

30th March
America bought Alaska
On the penultimate day of March, 1867, America bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, which works out at roughly five cents per hectare (two cents

31st March
Et Voilà! La Tour Eiffel!
On this very day back in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated (it was opened on 6 May). It was then the tallest building in the world ... until the Chrysler