8 March 2026
► EVENTS ON 8 March;
On this day in 1925 in Melbourne, Victoria, radio station 3UZ was founded by electrical engineer, O J Nielsen, commenced broadcasting, and became the city’s first commercial station.
In 1948, several RAAF DC 3 aircraft dropped food supplies to the Queensland outback towns of Charters Towers and Winton, which were experiencing a shortage caused by a long running railway strike.
In 1965 Southern Tasmania’s worst bushfires for 30 years threatened Moogara and Uxbridge in the Derwent Valley, and Osterley and Strickland in the central highlands. Firefighters from Fingal to the Arve Valley were on alert with an extreme risk of the worst bushfires since “Black Friday” of 1934.
In 1966 The Soviet space probe Venera 3 crashed on the planet Venus and became the first spacecraft to reach another planet’s surface.
In 1973 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland – The Whiskey Au Go Go nightclubfire occurred at 2.10 a.m. when the building was firebombed. The loss of 15 lives made this Australia’s worst mass murder until the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.
In 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a Boeing 777 carrying 239 people, disappeared over the Indian Ocean, having diverted for unknown reasons during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
► ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES ON THIS DATE
BORN: Cyd Charisse, in 1922, Amarillo, Texas, U.S.A. She became an actress and dancer, frequently paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Her films include Singin’ In The Rain (1952), The Band Wagon (1953) and Silk Stockings (1957). She died in 2008.
BORN: Lynn Redgrave, in 1943, Marylebone, London, England. She was a screen and stage actress whose films include Tom Jones (1963), and Georgy Girl (1966) She died in 2010
BORN: George Michael Dolenz, Jr., alias Micky Dolenz, in 1945, Los Angeles, California U.S.A. He became an actor, musician, television director and radio personality; best known as a member of the 1960s pop band The Monkees.
BORN: Margaret Annemarie Battavio alias Little Peggy March, in 1948, Lansdale, Pennsylvania U.S.A. She became a pop singer primarily remembered for her 1963 million seller I Will Follow Him, which she recorded at the age of 14. She turns 78 today.
BORN: Laura Main, in 1981, Aberdeen, Scotland. She is an actress best known for her role as nurse Shelagh Turner in the BBC drama series Call The Midwife. She turns 46 today.
DIED: Billy Eckstine, in 1993, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A., aged 78. He was a ballad singer and bandleader of the swing era. He also had some minor hits during the 1950s, and continued to record into the 1990s.
DIED: John Ewart, in 1994, Sydney, New South Wales, aged 66. He was an actor of stage, radio, television and film, who appeared in hundreds of Australian radio, film and television productions.
DIED: Adam Faith, alias Terence Nelhams-Wright, in 2003, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England, aged 62. He was a teen idol of the early 1960s, singer, actor and financial journalist.
DIED: Wendy Hughes, in 2014, Sydney, New South Wales, aged 61. She was an award-winning Australian actress of stage and screen, whose career extended over 40 years.
DIED: George Martin, in 2016, Wiltshire, England, aged 90. He was a record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and audio engineer sometimes referred to as “The Fifth Beatle” due to his extensive involvement in the production of the Beatles’ earlier albums.
Today’s photo: Huonville, just over the mountain range (in the background) from the Derwent Valley.
Today’s Playlist :
| TRACK | RELEASE YEAR | PLAY TIME | LAST PLAYED |
| Gary Anderson – A Real Good Time | 2026 | 06:05 | |
| Highway 95 – Bartender | 2026 | 06:10 | |
| Kane Vincent – Tokyo | 2026 | 06:14 | |
| Little Peggy March – I Will Follow Him Little Peggy March, born this day in 1948 in Lansdale, Pennsylvania USA | 1963 | 06:19 | 8/3/2024 |
| Bobby Valentine & Lauren Elizabeth- Two Sides To Every Story | 2026 | 06:25 | |
| Conor Owens – Texas Tornado | 2025 | 06:27 | 16/5/2025 |
| Acker Bilk – Can’t Smile Without You | 06:31 | 12/11/2021 | |
| Vintage Vinyl Hank Williams – Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw | 1952 | 06:35 | 9/5/2021 |
| Carrie Talarico – One Perfect Picture | 2026 | 06:38 | 20/2/2026 |
| For A Listener: Beatles – Ob La Di Ob La Da | 1968 | 06:43 | 4/3/2022 |
| David Hammerschlag – One Certain Thing | 2026 | 06:47 | 6/3/2026 |
| Diamond Classic – From the L P “South Of The Border” Charting on this day 1966 Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass – South Of The Border | 1964 | 06:52 | 13/2/2026 |
| Denise Blum – Fahnen auf em Mond | 2026 | 06:54 | 27/2/2026 |
| Kathy Carver – Bingo Player | 2026 | 07:05 | 22/2/2026 |
| COUNTRY ROAD + Greg Champion & Anne Fraser – Ororroo Waltz | 07:10 | 6/9/2024 | |
| + Graeme Clarke – Always My Best Friend | 2019 | 07:13 | 5/1/2025 |
| For A Listener: Byrds – Turn Turn Turn | 1965 | 07:18 | 19/12/2025 |
| Adam Faith – Someone Else’s Baby Adam Faith, died this day in 2003 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire UK, aged 62 | 1960 | 07:24 | 22/9/2023 |
| John Inman – Are You Being Served John Inman, died this day in 2007 in Paddington, London UK, aged 71 | 07:26 | 28/6/2024 | |
| Vintage Vinyl Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra – La Paloma | 1958 | 07:31 | 4/9/2020 |
| Anastasia Lee & Celesta da Vinci – Swan Song (Tchaikovsky) | 2026 | 07:34 | 22/2/2026 |
| Victoria Eman – Lieve Hilda, lieve Oma (Dear Hilda Dear Grandma) | 2026 | 07:37 | |
| Diamond Classic – From the L P “People” Charting on this day 1966 Barbra Streisand – People | 1964 | 07:43 | 13/2/2026 |
| Randy C Moore – Forget Me Not | 2026 | 07:46 | 20/2/2026 |
| Ashey Cook – The Great Outback | 07:51 | 5/5/2023 | |
| John Williamson – Cootamundra Wattle | 07:54 | 27/7/2025 | |
| Chillin’ – Straight Into Your Heart | 2026 | 08:05 | 22/2/2026 |
| For A Listener: Buddy Williams & Ivy Somerfeld – Let’s Grow Old Together | 08:11 | 7/9/2025 | |
| COMFORT ZONE + Demis Roussos – My Friend The Wind | 08:14 | 6/10/2024 | |
| + Edward Woodward – Wednesday’s Child | 08:18 | 24/11/2024 | |
| Vintage Vinyl Pat Boone – Ain’t That A Shame | 1955 | 08:30 | 17/7/2016 |
| Don Costa Orchestra – Baby Elephant Walk | 08:35 | 2/8/2019 | |
| Behind the Sea – Kiss Kiss Moi | 08:39 | 27/2/2026 | |
| Diamond Classic – From the L P “The Best of Hermans Hermits” Charting on this day 1966 Hermans Hermits – Silhouettes | 1965 | 08:43 | 13/2/2026 |
| Diamond Classic – From the L P “Help” Charting on this day 1966 Beatles – You’re Going To Lose That Girl | 1965 | 08:45 | 13/2/2026 |
| Joy Adams – Hug | 2026 | 08:48 | 27/2/2026 |
| Chase Stevens – As Good As It Gets | 2024 | 08:52 | 3/1/2025 |