March, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a book of prayers to be said at canonical hours. Manuscript illumination from Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 3, verso: March. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Welcome to March! March, named for the Roman deity Mars (Greek Ares), is the third month. It begins spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Since military campaigns would start once winter ended, the Romans considered it appropriate to name the month after the god of war. Festivals honoring him and seeking his blessing were held in ancient Rome.
On the meteorological calendar, March 1 marks the start of spring (or autumn in the Southern Hemisphere), but astronomically it begins with the March equinox. This falls between March 19 and 21, when the Sun shines directly on the equator, making night and day almost equal in length. The March equinox is celebrated as a time of rebirth, with new plants emerging—leading to the phrase “spring forth,” now simply “spring.” Increased warmth causes snowmelt, swelling rivers and replenishing water supplies for people and nature. Areas with little or no snow may see spring up to a month earlier, while far northern regions may not experience it until May.
George Hodan (publicdomainpictures.net)
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) is one of the most popular celebrations in March. As the patron saint of Ireland, it is a public holiday there but nowhere else. Easter and Passover may also fall in March some years due to complex, varying calculations. For Christians, March often includes Lent: forty days of fasting, penance, and charity in preparation for Easter Sunday.
Beware the Ides of March!
The Death of Julius Caesar,Vincenzo Camuccini (1771–1844). Public Domain
The Ides were one of three fixed days in the ancient Roman calendar. They fell on the 15th in March, May, July, and October, and on the 13th in other months. Because the early Romans used a lunar calendar, the Ides could sometimes carry foreboding omens. However, since March marked the start of the new year in the old Roman calendar, it was generally festive—until March 15, 44 BC, when Julius Caesar was assassinated. The event transformed the Ides of March into a symbol of danger and betrayal, leading to Caesar’s death, retribution against his killers, and the rise of the Roman Empire. Thereafter, “Beware the Ides of March” became a warning of impending misfortune.
In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, the soothsayer famously warns:
Soothsayer: Beware the Ides of March.
Caesar: What man is that?
Brutus: A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March.
Though the phrase may have existed earlier, Shakespeare popularized it, embedding it in educated speech and broader culture. Its use has faded as fewer schools require Shakespeare, often met with blank stares today. Still, as the Ides of March approach, the warning occasionally resurfaces to recall Caesar’s assassination.
Photo of Kate Phillips with her Daughter Ellen Mary Image Credit: Disasters and Shipwrecks, August 2, 2020.
One true story of lost love was of a local shopkeeper called Henry Morley and his young assistant, Kate Phillips. Henry was 40 and married, Kate just 19, and they were running away to America to set up home together, travelling under the assumed names of Mr and Mrs Marshall. Henry had given Kate a necklace of sapphires surrounded by diamonds on the morning of their voyage – widely considered to have been an inspiration for the “Heart of the Ocean” from the 1997 film. Their love affair ended in the pandemonium of the sinking when Henry put Kate into Lifeboat 11, whereupon he hugged her, holding on as the boat was lowered until he could hold on no more and was forced to step back.
The Titanic was full of mysteries, but did you know that one of the biggest involves a missing car that, if found, could be worth a h ig sum of money? The ship carried a single automobile on its maiden voyage, a 1912 Renault Type CB Coupe de Ville owned by American first-class passenger William Carter. It sank with the liner in April 1912 and has never been confirmed as found in modern dives. More than a century later, the question is not just where it is, but what could possibly be left of it.
On this day in 1907, the steamship Larchmont collided with the coal schooner Harry Knowlton in the worst maritime disaster in Rhode Island’s history. Between 150 and 200 lives were lost according to newspaper reports at the time. The exact number of deaths has been the subject of much speculation as the passenger list was lost with the ship. Only 17 survived, including the captain and other members of the crew.
The Morning Tribune. (Providence, RI) 14 Feb. 1907. U.S. Library of Congress Public Domain
It’s regrettable that 5 lives were lost on the Titan submersible that now lies at the bottom of the ocean near the Titanic. Not only are these two vessels in the same ocean but they have other similarities. Stockton Rush the captain of the sub made a statement that was eerily identical to what . Edward John Smith said about the 1912 luxury liner. Smith has been quoted as saying “Not even God can sink the Titanic” and during a 2017 interview with Chris Reid of CBS Rush said his vessel was unstoppable.
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Event Complex Aberdeen, “Rare Titanic Artefacts to Make Scottish Debut at Aberdeen Exhibition,” Press release, P&J Live, last modified February 10, 2026, https://www.pandjlive.com/news/rare-titanic-artefacts-to-make-scottish-debut-at-aberdeen-exhibition/.
This Spring, a major exhibition of original artefacts from the RMS Titanic will be presented in Aberdeen, as White Star Heritage brings its acclaimed collection to P&J Live from 26 March to 12 April 2026. The exhibition places rare and often deeply personal objects at the centre of the Titanic story, offering visitors a direct physical connection to the ship, its passengers, and its final voyage.
From props to original costume pieces, visitors can relive the most iconic moments from the film. The museum also has real artifacts from the wreckage and recreations of the ship’s interior. Ozarks First stopped by the grand opening of the gallery on Tuesday, Feb. 3, to see the pieces that people are most excited for. The main attraction of the exhibit is the iconic “door” that saved the character Rose in the film.
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Ratliff, Laura. “An Immersive Titanic Exhibit Opens Near Miami: Tickets, Dates, Details and More.” Time Out Miami, February 4, 2026. https://www.timeout.com/miami/news/this-immersive-titanic-exhibit-just-opened-right-outside-of-miami-020326.
“Titanic: An Immersive Voyage” has opened in Boynton Beach (less than an hour from Miami), turning one of history’s most over-familiar tragedies into a walk-through experience that’s part museum, part time machine. The show focuses on the details that typically get lost between Hollywood romance and the headline everyone knows. You’ll revisit the ship’s glamour and the catastrophe, but the exhibit also widens the frame to include the bigger cast around the sinking: Titanic’s sister ships, Olympic and Britannic; the rescue ship Carpathia; and the Californian, the vessel that famously remained nearby as the crisis unfolded. It even gives the iceberg its own origin story, tracing its journey from its “birth” in the polar region to its dissolution in the Atlantic after the disaster.
RMS Olympic Arrives In New York on Maiden Voyage, 21 June 1911 Source: U.S. Library of Commerce/Wikimedia Commons Public Domain
Picture this: a massive ocean liner, built to wow the world with luxury crossings between Southampton and New York, somehow powers through world wars, collisions, and economic crashes. That’s the story of RMS Olympic, the first of the famous trio from White Star Line sisters to the infamous Titanic and the short-lived Britannic. Launched in 1910, she hit the waves in 1911 as the biggest ship afloat, packed with grand staircases, lavish dining rooms, and enough space for over 2,000 passengers chasing comfort over speed. Fans flocked to her maiden voyage, but early bumps set the tone for a bumpy ride ahead.
When the Titanic was built, her owners famously described her as “unsinkable”. A few days into her maiden voyage, an iceberg in the North Atlantic famously proved them wrong. But what if we could make ships that really are unsinkable? And what if we could predict exactly how long a hazardous iceberg will last before it melts? These are the premises of two separate papers published independently this week by Chunlei Guo and colleagues at the University of Rochester, and by Daisuke Noto and Hugo N Ulloa of the University of Pennsylvania, both in the US. The Rochester group’s paper, which appears in Advanced Functional Materials, describes how applying a superhydrophobic coating to an open-ended metallic tube can make it literally unsinkable – a claim supported by extensive tests in a water tank. Noto and Ulloa’s research, which they describe in Science Advances, likewise involved a water tank. Theirs, however, was equipped with cameras, lasers and thermochromic liquid crystals that enabled them to track a freely floating miniature iceberg as it melted.
George Washington (1732–99) by Gilbert Stuart Photo: Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Although today is referred to as “President’s Day” it is not a federal holiday by that name. It is officially designated as Washington’s Birthday under federal law. There was a movement to combine both Washington and Lincoln’s birthday (since they occur days apart) or honor the office of president. That never came to be. Instead in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed and came into force in 1971. That shifted most federal holidays to a Monday if it fell during the week. Washington’s Birthday name was not changed and so under federal law it is still Washington’s Birthday. However, many states issue their own proclamations celebrating not only Washington but Lincoln and others from their own state. Advertisers have caught on as well. So today many call it President’s Day but who it commemorates beyond George Washington is up to the state governors.
The unity of Government, which constitutes you one people, is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize.
President George Washington, Farewell Address, 19 September 1799.
Al Capone mug shot, May 16 1929, Chicago, Illinois Source: FBI
On 14 February 1929, the world was shocked by a massacre that took place in Chicago’s North Side. Gang warfare had become part of life in Chicago during the 1920’s as gangs jockeyed for control of the lucrative illegal trades in alcohol, gambling, and prostitution. The massacre that took place would make political leaders realize that Chicago was in serious trouble. And of one the most notorious of them was Al Capone.
Al Capone had risen to power over the years by taking over his rival’s crime rackets by force. In 1924 16 gang related murders were recorded and continued to grow each year. Since the problem was deemed a local and state issue, the U.S. federal government had little jurisdiction to investigate. While the bootlegging was a violation of federal law, none of the other crime operations were. Capone had pretty much bought control of Chicago through bribing police officers, judges, and politicians. Even if someone got elected on the promise to go after him, it was difficult with so many already on his side.
One of Capone’s major rivals was the Irish gangster George “Bugs” Moran who ran the bootlegging operation of a garage at 2122 North Clark Street. Gunmen dressed as police officers entered the garage and pretended to arrest them. The fake cops lined up the seven men facing the wall and opened fire killing them all (one did survive but died afterwards). At least 70 rounds of ammunition were used in the massacre. Moran was not there but he and others quickly blamed Al Capone, but he was conveniently in Florida at the time. No one was ever brought to trial for the murders and to this day remains one of the biggest unsolved crimes in history.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre ended any major opposition to Capone in Chicago. The North Side gang never recovered its power or place though Moran kept some control of it before leaving the city and his gang behind in the 1930’s. Capone was now the undisputed boss of the Chicago syndicate and was dubbed as Public Enemy No. 1 by the press. The massacre got the attention of federal authorities who began a grand jury to look into it. Capone did not appear to testify as ordered in March 1929 but did later resulting in his arrest for contempt of court. He was out on bond when down in Philadelphia he was arrested in May for having concealed weapons. He was sentenced to prison but ran his operation from there until he was released on good behavior nine months later. He would later be convicted of contempt of court in February 1931 and sent to Cook County Jail for six months.
The next phase of the action against Capone was to hit him in his operations and to investigate his sources of money for tax purposes. The famous Eliott Ness and his team tried to strike directly by raiding and shutting down his operations. The other operation was the investigation of the sources of his income. Special Agent Frank Wilson and others in the Internal Revenue Service did what is called forensic accounting to find out exactly how much Capone was earning from his illicit operations. It meant a lot of tracking down information and getting witnesses to provide key information, but it paid off. Wilson was able to show that Capone was failing to report his income as required by law and thus get him indicted and later convicted of tax evasion. To anyone watching, it must have been surreal. While everyone applauds Ness and his Untouchables, it was ultimately Capone’s failure to pay his taxes that got him sent to jail. He never recovered his place with the Chicago outfit and ultimately, because of syphilis, became an invalid. He was released from jail in 1939 and died a recluse in his Florida home in 1947. Public Enemy No I was no more.
Shrine of St. Valentine in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland Photo: Blackfish (Wikimedia Commons)
Valentine’s Day is used by many to show their affection or love for someone they care about. It has spawned an industry for greeting card makers, candies, and of course flowers. However, there is a real religious component as many Christian denominations celebrate it as feast day, commemoration, or optional for the local diocese (such as the Catholic Church). Valentine was the name of many Christian martyrs in the early Church resulting in them all being remembered for their acts of sacrifice for the faith. Some denominations, such as Eastern Orthodox Church, celebrate a particular St. Valentine on two different days.
The association with romantic love could be linked to an ancient Roman festival has been made but there is no evidence of any link. Most seem to believe the link began with Chaucer’s Parlemont of Foules where he indicates birds choose their mates on St. Valentine’s Day although 14 Feb might not be the day Chaucer was referring to. Other poems made the association of love and St. Valentine’s Day in the medieval period and English Renaissance. For those who needed love verses but lacked the ability to compose them, publishers started offering them. Then putting them on paper and sending them became possible. Paper valentines became very popular in 19th century England resulting in their industrial production. They became popular in the United States as well. With such cards being popular, you needed other things to accompany a card. Roses and chocolates became popular, likely due to skillful marketing to associate them with the day. And so, Valentine’s Day became a very major day for greeting card companies, chocolate makers, and sellers of flowers (roses being the most popular flower for the day).
But Who Was Saint Valentine?
Saint Valentine is a Christian martyr who died in the 3rd century on April 14 but owing to the confusion there were at least three people named Saint Valentine, his actual history is lacking. One Saint Valentine was a priest and physician in Rome who was martyred in 270 AD under the reign of Claudius II Gothicus (reigned 268-270 AD). He was buried on the Via Flaminia and a basilica was reportedly put over it by Pope Julius I. Archaeological excavations have shown that a found evidence of the tomb. During the thirteenth century his relics were moved to the Church of Praxedes near the Basilica of St. Mary Major where they are today. A small church built near the Flaminian Gate (today called Porta de Popolo) was called in the twelfth century “the Gate of St. Valentine” adding more weight to this Saint Valentine.
The second Saint Valentine was reportedly the bishop of Terni, Italy (Interamna at the time). He too was arrested and martyred during the same emperor. However, it is not clear whether he was executed in Rome or in Terni. Some argue that St. Valentine I and Saint Valentine II are the same person and the accounts got jumbled up. There has been confusion in the past with two people who became saints sharing the same name. Usually, they have something extra added to differentiate (St. John of the Cross vs. St. John of Damascus). It is possible that there were two men named Valentine, one a priest in Rome and the other in Terni. We simply have no way of knowing.
The third St. Valentine was martyred in Africa along with his companions during the same period and possibly under the same emperor. In this case, there is nothing further known at all. Just a mention of it and no one can say for sure whether this is true or not. With three St. Valentine’s all claiming to have suffered martyrdom, all the church can say is that they died as martyrs for their faith. In 1969 St. Valentine was removed from the general Roman calendar making the commemoration of his feast day optional. As in the case of all saints so designated, it is up to the local bishops to decide whether to it observed. For example, the feast of St. Patrick is a solemnity in Ireland and in the diocese of New York but not elsewhere. St. Valentine is still considered a martyr by the Catholic church.
February by Leandro Bassano,1595/1600 Public Domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
February is the second month, and its name comes from a Roman purification ritual called Februarius which took place during the month. February is the shortest month with 28 days but 29 in leap years. Due to shorter number of days, a full moon does not always occur. A February full moon is sometimes referred to as the Snow Moon due to the amount of snow in the month. Native Americans sometimes referred the month as Hunger Moon due to limited supplies during winter. While still winter in the northern hemisphere, it is still summer in the southern.
February is also known for winter prognostication and the most well-known is Punxsutawney Phil. If the gopher sees his shadow, winter will last six weeks. He is rated to be accurate 40% of the time by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It has become a major event with people trekking to in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every February. The origins of using a groundhog for forecasting winter comes from Germans who used badgers back in Germany before settling in the U.S. Since there are no badgers here, groundhogs became the substitute.
For many Catholics and Christians, February 2 is a very important date on the liturgical calendar. Called Candlemas or Presentation of the Lord, it marked two events: the presentation of Jesus in the temple and the ritual purification of Mary. Candles are brought to the mass to be blessed. Candles represent Christ being the light of the world and to give light during the year. When he is presented in the temple to the prophet Simeon, he was taken in the arms and blessed.
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Luke 2:22-40)
The Spring Festival/Chinese Lunar New Year takes place during February and celebrated in East Asia. Millions celebrate it with fireworks, candles, and lanterns along with families gathering for a major feast. Parades, special dances, and performances of all kinds take place during this period. Valentines Day (always February 14) is a day set aside to show your love for that special someone in your life. What perhaps started out as a simple way to honor those we love has morphed into a major commercial event. The February flowers are violet (to signify loyalty, faithfulness and watchfulness) and the primrose (to let someone know you cannot be without them). Of course, roses are the unofficial flower since Valentine’s Day on 14 February usually means a lot of roses are purchased for wives and girlfriends.
Why Do We Need a Leap Year?
When the old Roman calendar was updated to include both January and February, it meant the February was now the last month of the year. To fit into the calendar, it meant that the month could only have 28 days so that a thirteenth month could be fit in. That caused problems as you might guess, so Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar in 46 BC (named for him of course) which abolished the thirteenth month and included a leap year every fourth year where it would be 29 days. This made it fit into the calendar much better (though there was a discrepancy that would be found later that required a new calendar to fix). When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582, this was incorporated into it.
Colorised photo of Ned Parfett, best known as the “Titanic paperboy”, holding a large newspaper about the sinking, standing outside the White Star Line offices at Oceanic House on Cockspur Street near Trafalgar Square in London SW1, April 16, 1912. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Mike Reiss, who has been involved with The Simpsons for years, recalls taking a submersible to the Titanic wreck in a Reader’s Digest article. Stockton Rush, who later perished on the infamous dive a year later that took his and others, was the pilot. Reiss describes the descent as boring, with nothing to see, and the craft buffeted by currents. They reached the wreck, had a few minutes to observe and take pictures, then returned to the surface. Reiss does not fully agree with the official inquiry blaming Rush for inattention to safety, arguing that it took time to reach the moon despite terrible disasters that did not stop the program.
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Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol. Public Domain (via Wikipedia)
On January 16, 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, banning (except for industrial and religious uses) the sale, manufacture, and importation of alcohol. It was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933.
In the 19th century, temperance movements arose to address alcoholism, public drunkenness, and related social problems like gambling and prostitution. This religious-based movement gained support in many states with laws curtailing alcohol sales. It soon became national, calling on Congress to impose a nationwide ban. In 1917, Congress passed the 18th Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. All but two states (Connecticut and Rhode Island) ratified it, though a few did so after the required number had been met.
A separate act, the Volstead Act, gave the Department of the Treasury enforcement power. It was vetoed by President Wilson, but Congress overrode the veto. The Supreme Court ruled in Dillon v. Gloss (1921) that Congress could set a ratification deadline. Controversy arose over the phrase “intoxicating liquor,” as many thought it applied only to hard liquor, not beer or wine. However, it was enforced as a total ban, leading to lax enforcement in many states due to its unpopularity. On January 17, 1920, the United States became a dry country.
Small-time bootlegging and smuggling from Canada, Mexico, or Cuba quickly emerged. Criminal syndicates and gangs in large cities launched their own operations, becoming wealthy and dangerous. They amassed enough money to bribe police, judges, and politicians. Ruthless gangs in Chicago and elsewhere fought lethally, killing rivals and sometimes innocent bystanders.
By the end of the 1920s, Prohibition was widely seen as a failure, having replaced alcohol’s social dangers with worse problems. A countermovement for repeal grew and was adopted by the Democratic Party in 1932, backed by presidential candidate Franklin Roosevelt. Congress proposed repeal in February 1933, requiring ratification by state conventions rather than legislatures. Ratification was swift, completed by December 5, 1933.
Henderson Daily Dispatch (Henderson, N.C.), December 5, 1933 U.S. Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/sn91068401 Public Domain
The repeal allowed states to ban alcohol if desired. A few did so initially, but none do now. Instead, most states let counties and cities decide on alcohol sales restrictions. The speakeasy era ended. Al Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion, and the Mafia, having earned enormous sums during Prohibition, turned to a then-small city in Nevada for its next major source of wealth.
Titanic Wreck Bow Image: Public Domain (NOAA:http://www.gc.noaa.gov/images/gcil/ATT00561.jpg)
A full 3D scan of Titanic will result in the ability to explore Titanic without visiting the wreck itself according to a report at Earth.com. The project by Magellan and Atlantic productions has collected 715,000 deep-sea images of the wreck in striking clarity. The scan will allow researchers to really look at Titanic in a whole different way. Using all the data about Titanic from blueprints and other things, the 3D replica can be used to watch exactly what happened as the ship collided with the iceberg and see in detail about its sinking.
Quite remarkable technology. It will allow people who attend exhibitions to experience Titanic in a whole new way.
The sinking of the Greek passenger steamer Himara near South Evia on January 19, 1947, claimed at least 383 lives and has gone down in history as the “Greek Titanic.” Previously named Hertha, the vessel was handed over to Greece from Germany following WWII as part of war reparations.
Cleveland’s Great Lakes Science Center will offer a new way for guests to immerse themselves in one of history’s most iconic disasters with “TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition.” The exhibition, opening May 21, features over 200 artifacts recovered from the site of the shipwreck, life-size reconstructions of rooms on the Ship of Dreams and a virtual reality experience billed as “the most detailed and complete VR tour of Titanic ever created, including areas of the Ship that weren’t previously visible to the public.”
A major Titanic exhibition is set to come to Liverpool in 2026. Titanic in Focus: White Star Line Hotel, will run from January 8 to March 10 and is set to be held in the former White Star Line headquarters, which is now the White Star Line Hotel. The White Star Line headquarters is the building where the liner was planned, managed, and intimately connected to the city’s maritime history.
On top of injuries from the wreck, the frigid temperature of the northern Atlantic Ocean resulted in many losing their lives to hypothermia. According to the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the water was 28°F—just below freezing, but kept liquid by the high concentrations of sea salt. To illustrate this fact, the Titanic Museum installed an exhibit that allows visitors to put their hands inside a container with 28ºF water. Multiple videos capture visitors trying their best, but giving up just a few seconds later. Those who held a little longer reported feeling a burning sensation on their hands.
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