March 27: NCAA Basketball Tournament Begins 1939
First NCAA Basketball Tournament
A member of the Kansas Jayhawks drives against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Midwest Regional Final at Edward Jones Dome on March 25, 2012 in St Louis. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
March Madness dates back to 1939, when the first NCAA men's basketball tournament was held. The University of Oregon beat Ohio State in the first championship game on March 27, 1939, with a low score of 46-33. Eighteen teams participated in the first year of the tournament - currently 68 teams play. UCLA holds the record for the most tournament championships, with 11 titles. The first women's NCAA basketball tournament took place in 1982.
Also on This Day in History:
1987 AZT Drug for AIDS Patients
Dr. Jerome Horowitz created the AZT drug while searching for a cancer treatment. The FDA approved the drug on March 20, 1987 - a week before this report from "World News." Zidovudine (AZT) slows down the spread of HIV.
1997 Inside Heaven's Gate
After cult's mass suicide, details emerge about castration and UFO obsessions. Police in San Diego had discovered 39 bodies at the Heaven's Gate commune on March 26, 1997.
Famous Birthdays
1942 Michael York
1963 Quentin Tarantino
1969 Kevin Corrigan
1970 Mariah Carey
1970 Elizabeth Mitchell
1971 Nathan Fillion
1975 Fergie
1982 Iman Crosson
1988 Brenda Song
1988 Jessie J
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