On This Day in History: March 6

Today in history is the birth date of some notable people throughout history. John of Gaunt was born on March 6, leading to the start and end of the Wars of the Roses. What else happened today in history?

1340: John of Gaunt Born

In English history, the father of Henry IV of England was born. John of Gaunt was known for his three wives and numerous children, some of them declared illegitimate. The Beaufort line was born to John’s mistress Katherine John of Gaunt born on March 6, 1340Swynford, who he later took as his third wife. While Richard II deemed them legitimate and able to claim the English throne, John’s son Henry deposed Richard and made a slight change. His half-siblings would remain legitimate due to the marriage, but would not be eligible for the throne. Richard being deposed arguably started the Wars of the Roses, but John’s descendent Henry Tudor would later bring it to an end.

1899: Aspirin Patented in Germany

Today in history, the Berlin Imperial Patent Office registered the brand name Aspirin for acetylsalicylic acid for Friedrich Bayer & Co. Now a common household medicine, it was originally created from willow tree bark and used in folk medicine for fever and pain. It’s side effects on the stomach and unpleasant taste meant that many doctors stayed away from prescribing it at first but by 1915 it was available without prescription in tablet form.


1902: The Founding of Real Madrid

Real Madrid started on this day in history, but under the name Madrid Football Club. A group of fans founded the team, wearing the blue and white strips inspired by the English football team. The first team was coached by Arthur Johnson, an English man who saw them to victory three times in a row in La Liga between 1905 and 1907.

1951: The Start of the Rosenberg TrialMichaelangelo

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s trial began on March 6,1951. They were charged with espionage, for selling secrets about the atomic bomb to the Russians. It would have been treason, but America and the Soviet Union were not at war with each other. It was due to the information that the Soviet Union was able to create and explode the first atomic bomb, starting the Cold War. Despite little evidence, the Rosenbergs were found guilty and sentenced to death.  They were offered deals but refused and were later executed.

Famous Birthdays on March 6

King John II of Castile–1405

Architect and painter Michelangelo Buonarroti—1475

Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning–1806

Princess Clementine of Orleans–1817

Union general Philip Henry Sheriden—1831

You Know Me, Al author Ring Lardner—1885

American comedian Lou Costello—1908

First woman to orbit the Earth Valentina Nikolayeva-Tereshkova—1937

Nashville actress Connie Britton—1967

One Tree Hill actress Moira Kelly—1968

Basketball player ShaquilleO’Neal—1972


Birthdays from HistoryNet.com, OnThisDay.com and FamousBirthdays.com

Featured image from Deposit Photos

Image of John of Gaunt in the public domain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Gaunt#/media/File:Johnofgaunt.jpg

Share with your friends

Follow Us


Delivered by FeedBurner

Leave a Reply
