March is an often-underrated month – Christmas is over, so is veganuary, and even those looking forward to Valentine’s Day will need something new to anticipate. Well, March is a pretty cool month and there are plenty of London Hotels Special Offers to get you to the city, as well as a heap of interesting facts to get you feeling excited about it.
2 March 1902
Both literature-lovers and parents alike will be interested to know that Dr Seuss, masterful creator of stories like The Grinch and Green Eggs and Ham, was born on this March day in history. Don’t worry – his parents didn’t name their new born baby Dr, nor was their last name Seuss. That was his pen-name and came later – his real name is Theodor Geisel. If you are particularly interested in illustration, then head to Granary Square in King’s Cross and visit the House of Illustration. Though it isn’t a residence for any Dr Seuss illustrations, it is a wonderful display of other illustrators from around the world and you can find the permanent exhibit of British illustrator Quentin Blake, who brought the likes of The Twits and James And The Giant Peach to colourful life. Alternatively, if childhood relics are more your thing, head to the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green – a fun-filled, informative activity for both children and adults.
5 March 1981
This day in history marks the day when the first British ZX81 computer sold over a million units. It was launched by Clive Sinclair, and it cost £70 – anyone who has paid a visit to the Apple store on Regent’s Street or in Covent Garden will know that this is a bargain in 2020, though a hefty sum back in the 80s!
7 March 1876
Alexander Graham Bell, aged 29 at the time, patented his new invention – the telephone – on this day in history… and how far technology has come since then! He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, but lived in London prior to his patenting in America while he worked with his father. He also happened to be born on 3 March 1846 – so March was a good month for Mr Bell!
17 March 461AD
Many think fondly of the 17 March annually. It is often regarded as a day of celebration, cheer-sing pints of Guinness and merry festivities – AKA St Patrick’s Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick. This is an Irish cultural and religious celebration which often involves some green clothing and a lot of merriment and dancing. In London, for instance, there is a massive, free festival at Trafalgar Square. However, not everyone realises why these festivities take place on this particular March day. Well, the reason is that it is the death date of Saint Patrick, the namesake of this jovial occasion as well as the patron saint of Ireland.
21 March 2006
On this March day in history, Twitter was created in San Francisco, California. If you think about how embedded this little birdy app has become in everyday society, from the fact that the president of the United States of America is one of the most active people on the platform, to the way hashtags can transform a movement from an idea into full blown societal disruption. Though only launched in July 2006, Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams completed its creation a few months earlier in March. If this sort of modern invention interests you, you ought to visit Exhibition Road’s Science Museum in South Kensington. This museum is a prime example of the influence of technology on humanity, and the intricate influence these sorts of socio-technological developments have on the world as we know it. From the creation of Twitter to the success of the MRI machine, this museum shows a fantastic range of material from years gone by right up until the present.
22 March 1963
One of the UK’s most iconic bands, The Beatles, released their first album on this March day in history: Please Please Me which included hits Love Me Do and of course the album’s namesake, Please Please Me. Given the absolutely flabbergasting, revolutionary success of this boy band from Liverpool and that they recorded the whole thing in a day in EMI’s London studio, the fact that this was their first ever album is pretty significant. It was top of the charts for thirty weeks! Its cover was meant to be a picture of the band in front of the insect house at London Zoo, but they were denied the rights to do so and so instead their famous low-angle multi-staircase shot was taken in the EMI offices in London’s Manchester Square. There are tours of London you can do where you can see the iconic imagery from The Beatles’ album covers, like take a snap whilst walking across Abbey Road. If this is of interest to you, head to St John’s Wood station in North London, and make your way to Beatles Coffee Shop.
26 March 1830
London visitors may have heard of the smash-hit musical The Book of Mormon showing at Prince of Wales Theatre near Chinatown. The Montcalm guests should make a theatre-trip a top-priority on their stay, along with a Montcalm Afternoon Tea. However, how many people (especially those who have yet to see The Book of Mormom) know about the day of 26 March 1830? Well, it is the day the Book of Mormon – as in, the religious sacred text allegedly discovered by Egbert B Grandin – was announced in Palmyra in Wayne County, New York. The texts were said to be buried in New York hillside, containing previously unknown prophecies of the first Americans who had fled from the Tower of Babel.
A walk through Shoreditch High Street will sort out your shopping needs, a trip to the Montcalm Shoreditch Spa will sort out your aching feet after a day of shopping, the hotel bar will make sure you are always armed with a delicious cocktail, and this list will ensure you are extra excited to be doing those things during the wonderfully interesting month of March!
