Major Events of March 1927: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from March 1927 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of March 1927: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Mar 1927 President Coolidge's Final White House Night: U.S. President Calvin Coolidge and his family spent their final night in the White House before a six-month renovation project. The following day, they temporarily relocated to the Patterson Mansion at 15 Dupont Circle, owned by Mrs. Ellinor Schlesinger, while President Coolidge continued to conduct executive business from the White House offices.
02 Mar 1927 Babe Ruth Becomes Highest-Paid Baseball Player: On March 2, 1927, Babe Ruth signed a groundbreaking contract with the New York Yankees, securing a record-breaking salary of $70,000 per year. This unprecedented deal not only highlighted Ruth's extraordinary value to the team but also set a new standard for athlete compensation in professional baseball. At the time, his salary was astronomical, reflecting his status as the most famous and talented player of the era.
03 Mar 1927 Devastating Cyclone Strikes Madagascar: On March 3, 1927, a powerful tropical cyclone made landfall on the island of Madagascar, causing significant destruction with sustained wind speeds exceeding 125 miles per hour (201 kilometers per hour). The extreme weather event likely resulted in substantial damage to infrastructure, agricultural lands, and posed severe risks to local populations, highlighting the vulnerability of island communities to intense tropical storms.
04 Mar 1927 Babe Ruth's Record-Breaking Contract: Baseball legend Babe Ruth signs a groundbreaking three-year contract with the New York Yankees for $70,000 per season, establishing him as the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball history at the time.
05 Mar 1927 U.S. Marines Deployed to China: On March 5, 1927, approximately 1,000 United States Marines were deployed to China with the primary objective of protecting American property and citizens during a period of significant political instability. This intervention was part of the broader U.S. foreign policy of gunboat diplomacy, which involved using military presence to safeguard American interests in regions experiencing civil unrest.
06 Mar 1927 Birth of Gabriel García Márquez: Gabriel García Márquez, the renowned Colombian novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and screenwriter, was born in the small town of Aracataca, Colombia. A pivotal figure in the Latin American literary movement known as magical realism, Márquez would go on to become one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His most famous work, 'One Hundred Years of Solitude', published in 1967, would earn him international acclaim and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982.
07 Mar 1927 1927 Kita Tango Earthquake: A devastating 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Tango Peninsula on March 7, 1927, causing widespread destruction in the Hyōgo Prefecture. The powerful seismic event resulted in 3,020 fatalities and completely destroyed the cities of Toyooka and Kinosaki. The earthquake was one of the most significant natural disasters in early 20th-century Japan, highlighting the region's vulnerability to seismic activity.
08 Mar 1927 Pan American Airlines Incorporation: Pan American Airways was officially incorporated, marking a significant milestone in the development of commercial aviation in the United States. This event would later establish Pan Am as a pioneering international airline that would play a crucial role in global transportation throughout the 20th century.
09 Mar 1927 Adolf Hitler's First Public Speech After Ban: Adolf Hitler delivered his first public speech after the Bavarian government lifted a two-year ban on his political participation. This event marked a critical moment in Hitler's political resurgence and the rise of Nazi ideology in Germany during the late 1920s.
10 Mar 1927 Bavaria Lifts Hitler's Speech Ban: The Bavarian government lifted a two-year ban on Adolf Hitler's public political speeches, allowing him to resume public speaking engagements. This event marked a significant moment in Hitler's political rise, enabling him to spread his ideology more freely.
11 Mar 1927 Roxy Theater Opens in New York City: Samuel 'Roxy' Rothafel inaugurated the legendary Roxy Theater in New York City, a landmark entertainment venue that would become an iconic symbol of early 20th-century cinema and performance culture.
12 Mar 1927 Assassination Attempt on Nikolai Bukharin: An assassination attempt was made against Nikolai Bukharin, a prominent Soviet Politburo member, outside the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The Soviet government claimed the attempt was orchestrated by British intelligence agents. In response, a group of alleged 'counterrevolutionaries' were executed on June 9, 1927, highlighting the intense political tensions and repressive measures of the early Soviet era.
13 Mar 1927 Kuomintang Leadership Crisis: In a significant political upheaval, the Kuomintang leadership votes to remove Chiang Kai-shek from most executive positions, retaining him only as commander of expeditionary forces. However, Chiang defies this demotion and, after capturing Shanghai two weeks later, consolidates his power and takes absolute control of the Kuomintang party, demonstrating his political resilience and military prowess.
14 Mar 1927 Death of Jānis Čakste, First President of Latvia: On March 14, 1927, Jānis Čakste, the inaugural President of Latvia and a pivotal figure in the country's early independence movement, passed away at the age of 67. Čakste played a crucial role in establishing Latvia's democratic foundations following World War I.
15 Mar 1927 Watanabe Bank Collapse in Tokyo: On March 15, 1927, a dramatic financial crisis unfolded in Tokyo when the Watanabe Bank experienced a catastrophic bank run. The incident was triggered by Finance Minister Naoharu Kataoka's unfortunate public statement suggesting the bank had 'at last collapsed'. This unintended comment sparked immediate panic among depositors, who rushed to withdraw their funds, ultimately leading to the bank's actual failure. The event highlighted the fragility of public confidence in financial institutions during the interwar period.
16 Mar 1927 Birth of Vladimir Komarov, Pioneering Soviet Cosmonaut: Vladimir Komarov was born on March 16, 1927, in Moscow, Soviet Union. He would later become a significant figure in the Soviet space program and tragically become the first human to die during a space mission aboard Soyuz 1 in 1967, marking a somber milestone in space exploration history.
17 Mar 1927 US Declines League of Nations Disarmament Treaty: The United States government chose not to sign the League of Nations disarmament treaty, reflecting the nation's isolationist foreign policy stance during the interwar period.
18 Mar 1927 Northern Expedition: Nationalist Forces Capture Shanghai Defenses: During the Northern Expedition, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces strategically advanced to Shanghai's defensive line. In a significant turn of events, the local garrison commander chose to collaborate with the Nationalists, surrendering the city's critical defense plans. This moment marked a pivotal point in the Chinese Nationalist Party's military campaign to unify China and challenge warlord control.
19 Mar 1927 Political Street Conflict in Berlin: Violent confrontations erupted between communist and Nazi paramilitary groups in Berlin, Germany, reflecting the intense political polarization and street-level tensions of the Weimar Republic era. These bloody battles highlighted the growing political extremism and social instability that would eventually contribute to the rise of the Nazi regime.
20 Mar 1927 Dr. Ambedkar Launches Anti-Caste Discrimination Movement in Mahad: On March 20, 1927, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar initiated a landmark social reform movement in Mahad, Maharashtra, challenging the deeply entrenched caste-based discrimination against Dalits. By organizing a public water tank access protest, Ambedkar directly confronted the systemic oppression that had denied Dalits basic human rights for centuries. This event marked a pivotal moment in India's social justice movement, symbolizing the fight for equality and human dignity.
21 Mar 1927 Shanghai Uprising During Northern Expedition: During the Northern Expedition, Nationalist Chinese troops led by Chiang Kai-shek approached Shanghai. Communist Party leader Zhou Enlai orchestrated a strategic uprising that involved 600,000 workers going on strike. The rebels systematically seized police stations and armories, disrupted city infrastructure by cutting power and telephone lines, and notably followed Zhou's directive to avoid harming foreign residents. This coordinated action significantly weakened the city's resistance and facilitated the Nationalist Army's takeover.
22 Mar 1927 Federico Garcia Lorca's First Play Premieres: On March 22, 1927, Federico Garcia Lorca's debut play 'El Maleficio' (The Butterfly's Evil Spell) premiered in Madrid. This early theatrical work marked an important milestone in the young playwright's career, showcasing his emerging talent in dramatic writing before he became a renowned poet and dramatist of the Spanish avant-garde.
23 Mar 1927 Nanjing Attacks on Foreigners: During the tumultuous period of warlord conflicts in China, Nationalist troops pursued retreating troops to Nanjing, resulting in violent attacks on foreign residents. Six foreign nationals, including Professor John E. Williams from Nanjing University, were tragically killed during these hostilities.
24 Mar 1927 Nanking Incident: Foreign Naval Intervention in China: Foreign warships from multiple nations, including the United States Navy and British Royal Navy, bombarded Nanjing (Nanking) to protect foreign citizens during a period of significant political unrest. The intervention was triggered by the killing of six foreign nationals and the perceived threat from Kuomintang and Communist Party forces approaching foreign consulates.
25 Mar 1927 Commissioning of the Japanese Aircraft Carrier Akagi: On March 25, 1927, the Imperial Japanese Navy commissioned the Akagi, a significant naval vessel that would play a crucial role in Japan's naval strategy during the early stages of World War II. The Akagi was an important symbol of Japan's naval modernization and expansion, representing the country's growing maritime ambitions in the interwar period. Originally designed as a battlecruiser and later converted to an aircraft carrier, the Akagi became a key component of the Japanese carrier fleet, ultimately participating in major naval operations in the Pacific Theater.
26 Mar 1927 Chiang Kai-shek Captures Shanghai: Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, Commander-in-Chief of the Cantonese armies, strategically captured Shanghai without engaging in direct combat. He arrived in the city aboard the gunboat Zhongshan after sailing from Hankou, marking a significant moment in the Chinese military and political landscape of the 1920s.
27 Mar 1927 Birth of Lorry I. Ireland, American Actress: Lorry I. Ireland was an American actress born on March 27, 1927. While details about her specific acting career are limited, her birth represents a moment in the early 20th century entertainment landscape, when Hollywood was rapidly evolving and new talents were emerging.
28 Mar 1927 Shanghai Uprising Led by Zhou Enlai: Communist Party leader Zhou Enlai orchestrated a significant political and labor uprising in Shanghai during the Northern Expedition. The uprising involved a massive general strike where 600,000 workers withdrew from their jobs. Strategic actions included seizing police stations and armories, disrupting city infrastructure by cutting power and telephone lines, while explicitly avoiding harm to foreign residents. This event was a critical moment in the complex political landscape of pre-revolutionary China.
29 Mar 1927 Arctic Aviation Milestone: Explorers Hubert Wilkins and Ben Eielson accomplished a remarkable feat by becoming the first people to successfully land an airplane on a floating icepack in the Arctic Ocean. After experiencing engine trouble, they made repairs, took off again, and ultimately survived a challenging journey back to Barrow, Alaska, after hiking ten days across the ice.
30 Mar 1927 Japan's Emergency Banking Law of 1927: Following the most severe financial panic in Japanese economic history, the national Diet (parliament) passed the critical Ginko Ho (Banking Law), which mandated immediate increases in bank capital reserve requirements to stabilize the financial system and prevent further economic collapse.
31 Mar 1927 César Chávez Born: César Chávez, a prominent American labor leader and civil rights activist, was born in Yuma, Arizona. He would go on to become a pivotal figure in the labor movement, co-founding the National Farm Workers Association (later the United Farm Workers) and leading nonviolent protests to improve working conditions for agricultural laborers.