March: The Japanese launch an offensive in central and south China. - Austrian-born economist Friedrich Hayek publishes his book The Road to Serfdom (in London).

March 1: USS Tarawa (CV-40) and USS Kearsarge (CV-33) are laid down. - An anti-fascist strike begins in northern Italy.

March 2: Balvano train disaster: A train stalls inside a railway tunnel outside Salerno, Italy; 521 choke to death. - The 16th Academy Awards ceremony is held, the first Oscar ceremony held at a large public venue, Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Casablanca (directed by Michael Curtiz), wins the Best Picture award.

March 3: The Order of Nakhimov and the Order of Ushakov are instituted in the USSR.

March 4: In Ossining, New York, Louis Buchalter, the leader of 1930s crime syndicate Murder, Inc., is executed at Sing Sing, along with Emanuel Weiss, and Louis Capone.

March 6: Soviet Army planes attack Narva, Estonia, destroying almost the entire old town.

March 9: Soviet Army planes attack Tallinn, Estonia.

March 10: In Britain, the prohibition on married women working as teachers is lifted. - Resistance leader Joop Westerweel is arrested while returning to the Netherlands having escorted a group of Jewish children to safety in Spain.

March 12: The Political Committee of National Liberation is created in Greece.

March 15: Battle of Monte Cassino: Allied aircraft bomb the German-held monastery and an assault is staged. - The National Council of the French Resistance approves the Resistance programme. - In Sweden, the law of 1864 that criminalizes homosexuality is abolished.

March 17: The Nazis execute almost 400 prisoners, Soviet citizens and anti-fascist Romanians at Rîbnit,a.

March 19: German forces occupy Hungary in Operation Margarethe.

March 18: The last eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy kills 26 and causes thousands to flee their homes.

March 20: RAF Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade's bomber is hit over Germany, and he has to bail out without a parachute from a height of over 4,000 meters. Tree branches interrupt his fall and he lands safely on deep snow.

March 23: Members of the Italian Resistance attack Nazis marching in Via Rasella, killing 33.

March 24: Ardeatine massacre: 335 Italians are killed, including 75 Jews and over 200 members of the Italian Resistance from various groups, in Rome. - In the Polish village of Markowa, German police kill Józef and Wiktoria Ulm, their six children and eight Jews they were hiding. - The "Great Escape": 76 Royal Air Force prisoners of war escape by tunnel "Harry" from Stalag Luft III this night. Only three. two Norwegians and a Dutchman, return to the UK; of those recaptured, fifty are executed. (source: Wikipedia)