They changed the world

A brief look at some of the momentous happenings in March.

Have a headache? Take an aspirin. This drug was patented on March 6, 1899, by two German researchers. On March 7, 1854, Miller patented a very different invention: the sewing machine.

Rrrring! Rrring! Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was born in Scotland on March 3, 1847. He made the first telephone call in March, many years later (March 10, 1876).

Albert Einstein was born on March 14,1879. March was his lucky month, too. His theory of general relativity was published on March 20, 1916. Another famous publication was Wolfgang Pauli's exclusion principle on March 21,1925.

Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781, by William Herschel. His less famous sister, Caroline, conducted all the tedious calculations necessitated by their joint observations and was responsible for reducing their data and transcribing it for publication. She also put together two catalogues, discovered many comets and nebulas on her own, and became the first professional female astronomer.

You know about Magellan, of course, but who completed the world's first non-stop circumnavigatory flight? Captain Gallagher, on March 2, 1949.

Other notable dates: Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity on March 1, 1896. The artificial heart was used for the first time on March 8,1952. The first laser was patented in 1960 on March 22.

On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated. The tallest tower of its time, it wasn't universally liked. Some wanted it pulled down!