- 597 BC Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king
Assassination of Valentinian III
455 Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III is assassinated in Rome by the bodyguards of General Flavius Aetius in revenge for ordering the general's death in 454
- 1079 Iran adopts the Solar Hijri calendar
- 1190 York (England) Pogrom: Jews seek refuge in Clifford's Tower, which is then besieged by a mob; about 150 people are massacred or commit suicide rather than submit to Christian baptism
- 1249 The Servite Order is officially approved by Cardinal Raniero Capocci, papal legate in Tuscany
- 1322 The Battle of Boroughbridge takes place in the First War of Scottish Independence
- 1345 Holy Spirit glides above fire in "The Miracle of Amsterdam" (legend)
5th Council of the Lateran
1517 Pope Leo X holds the last session of the Fifth Council of the Lateran, convoked to restore peace between Catholic rulers and assert the authority of Pope
Magellan Reaches the Philippines
1521 Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Philippines, landing on Homonhon Island after crossing the Pacific Ocean
Battle of Khanwa
1527 Battle of Khanwa: Mughal forces led by Babur defeat a Rajpat confederacy led by Rana Sanga, aided by Mughal artillery. Afterwards Babur has a large pile built of enemy heads.
- 1621 Native American chief visits colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts
- 1641 General Court of Election declares Rhode Island a democracy and adopts a new constitution
- 1660 English Long Parliament disbands
- 1689 The 23rd Regiment of Foot or Royal Welch Fusiliers is founded. In 2004 it merged with the Royal Regiment of Wales to form the Royal Welsh Regiment.
- 1730 William IV Prince of Orange installed as Stadtholder of Drenthe
Treaty of Vienna
1731 Treaty of Vienna signed by Prince Eugene of Savoy, Count Sinzendorf and Count Gundacker, Thomas Stahremberg and the British envoy to Vienna, Sir Thomas Robinson.
- 1769 Louis-Antoine de Bougainville's expedition of two ships completes first French circumnavigation of the world arriving in Saint-Malo, France (also carried 1st woman to circumnavigate the world, Jeanne Baré) [1]
- 1792 Denmark becomes the first nation to ban the transatlantic slave trade, for financial reasons. Doesn't go into effect until 1803 causing a frenzy of activity amongst slave traders who even receive financial support. An estimated 120,000 enslaved Africans were transported from Africa to the West Indies aboard vessels flying the Danish flag. [1]
1792 King Gustav III of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the opera and dies on March 29
- 1802 1st US Military Academy at West Point is established through Congressional act (opened July 4, 1802)
- 1802 US Army Corps of Engineers established (2nd time)
- 1815 Willem I proclaimed King of the Netherlands, including Belgium
- 1827 "Freedom's Journal" is the first US newspaper owned and operated by African Americans and begins publishing in New York City
- 1829 Ohio authorizes high school night classes
- 1830 London's re-organised police force (Scotland Yard)
- 1830 New York Stock Exchange slowest day ever (31 shares traded)
Darwin Arrives in the Falklands
1834 Charles Darwin, aboard HMS Beagle, anchors in the recently British-acquired Falklands Islands for the first time
- 1836 Constitution of the Republic of Texas approved, legalises slavery
- 1857 Stefano Ronchetti-Monteviti's opera "Pergolese" premieres at La Scala in Milan, Kingdom of Lombardy
- 1861 Arizona Territory votes to leave the Union (US Civil War)
- 1861 Confederate government appoints commissioners to Britain
Sam Houston Evicted
1861 Edward Clark becomes Governor of Texas, replacing Sam Houston, who is evicted from the office for refusing to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy (US Civil War)
- 1862 Battle at Pound Gap, Kentucky: Confederates separate battles
- 1865 Battle of Averasboro North Carolina (1,500 casualties)
Antiseptic Surgery
1867 Joseph Lister first outlines the discovery of antiseptic surgery in an article in "The Lancet"
Revels 1st Senate Speech
1870 Hiram R. Revels makes 1st official speech by an African American in the US Senate
- 1871 1st fertilizer law enacted
- 1872 1st English FA Cup Final: Wanderers defeat Royal Engineers, 1-0, with Morton Betts scoring the winner at Kennington Oval, London
- 1876 Nelly Saunders & Rose Harland fight 1st female boxing match (NY)
1882 U.S. Senate ratifies the Geneva Convention of 1864, legitimatizing the International Red Cross and the American Red Cross
- 1883 Susan Hayhurst becomes 1st US woman graduate of a pharmacy college
Thaïs
1894 Jules Massenet's opera "Thaïs" premieres in Paris, includes piece “Méditation” for violin and orchestra
Songs of a Wayfarer
1896 Gustav Mahler conducts premiere of his "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen" (Songs of a Wayfarer), leading the Berlin Philharmonic and Dutch baritone Anton Sistermans as soloist
American League Reorganized
1900 AL meets in Chicago, Ban Johnson announces AL league will be Chicago White Stockings, Washington Senators, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Blues, Boston Americans, Philadelphia Athletics and Baltimore Orioles
- 1900 Arthur Evans rediscovers the Bronze Age city of Knossos in Crete, home of the legendary Minotaur
- 1907 First 1st-class cricket game between NSW & Western Australia
- 1910 Barney Oldfield uses a Benz to break the existing records at Daytona Beach Road Course (131.25mph)
- 1911 Stanley Cup, Dey's Arena, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators beat Port Arthur Bearcats (ON), 13-4
- 1915 British battle cruisers Inflexible & Irresistible hit mines in Dardanelles
- 1915 Federal Trade Commission organizes
- 1916 James Barries' "Kiss for Cinderella" premieres in London
- 1916 US & Canada sign migratory bird treaty
Grand Duke Michael Defers
1917 Russian Grand Duke Michael, brother of Tsar Nicholas II defers acceptance of the Russian throne [OS Mar 3]
- 1918 Geoffrey O'Hara's "K-K-K-Katy" song published
- 1920 1 Acre Park also known as Baby Park in the Bronx renamed Melrose Park
- 1921 Britain signs a trade agreement with the USSR and sends a trade mission to Moscow: this goes against the US, who in the same month refused to sign a trade agreement
- 1922 Egypt achieves independence from Britain, but British troops remain
- 1922 WKY-AM in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma begins radio transmissions
- 1923 Hugo von Hofmannsthal's "Der Unbestechliche" premieres in Vienna
Mussolini Annexes Fiume
1924 The free port of Fiume is formally annexed by Mussolini's fascist regime.
1st Liquid-Fueled Rocket
1926 Robert H. Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket, goes 184' (56 meters)
- 1929 WHP-AM in Harrisburg PA begins radio transmissions
- 1930 USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) floated out to become a national shrine
- 1931 Genootschap Onze Taal (Our Language) organizes (Netherlands)
- 1933 Adolf Hitler names Hjalmar Schacht as President of Bank of Germany
Appointment of Interest
1933 Hans Luther resigns as president of the Reichsbank and is appointed German ambassador to the United States
- 1934 Academy Award gold statuette is first called an Oscar in print by Sidney Skolsky
- 1934 US Congress passes Migratory Bird Conservation Act
German Rearmament
1935 Adolf Hitler orders German rearmament in violation of the Treaty of Versailles
- 1938 Temple defeats Colorado to win 1st NIT
- 1939 Hungary annexes republic of Karpato-Ukraine
- 1939 NHL record 10 goals in 1 period-NY Rangers (7), NY Americans (3) & a record 26 points in the 3rd period
- 1940 German air raid on British fleet base Scapa Flow
- 1941 Blizzard hits North Dakota & Minnesota killing 60
- 1941 National Gallery of Art opens in Washington, D.C.
- 1943 Ships Elin K (Norway) and Zaanland (Netherlands) torpedoed by German U-boats and sink
- 1944 French Vichy Internal minister Pierre Pucheu sentenced to death for treason
- 1945 Würzburg, Germany is 90% destroyed, with 5,000 dead, in only 20 minutes by British bombers
- 1947 Convair Liner, 1st US twin-engine pressurized airplane, tested
Billie Holiday Released
1948 Jazz musician Billie Holiday is released early from Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia due to good behavior
- 1949 KFMB TV channel 8 in San Diego, CA (CBS) begins broadcasting
- 1950 1st annual National Book Awards
- 1952 1870 mm rain in Cilaos, Island of Reunion (world record)
Sports History
1953 AL rejects St Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck's request to move his team to Baltimore
- 1955 Josephine Kroesen appointed as 1st Dutch female judge
Event of Interest
1955 President Eisenhower upholds the use of atomic weapons in case of war
- 1957 Toronto Maple Leafs tie NHL record 37 points beating NY Rangers 14-1
- 1959 Iraq & USSR sign economic and technical treaty
- 1960 Dedication of National Observatory at Kitt Peak, in the Quinlan Mountains of the Arizona-Sonoran Desert, Tohono O'odham Nation lands of Arizona dedicated
- 1962 1st launching of Titan 2-rocket
- 1962 US Super-Constellation disappears above Pacific Ocean, kills 167
- 1964 Green Bay Packers halfback Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras are reinstated in NFL after 1 year suspension for betting on football games
- 1964 KCOY TV channel 12 in Santa Maria, California (CBS) begins broadcasting
Economic Opportunity Act
1964 LBJ asks Congress to pass Economic Opportunity Act as part of his War on Poverty
- 1966 "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." star David McCallum receives huge welcome in London
Launch of Gemini 8
1966 Gemini 8 launched with Neil Armstrong and David R. Scott aboard, conducts the 1st docking of two spacecraft in orbit, flight aborted after critical system failure with the crew returned safely to Earth
- 1967 Pirate Radio Station 333 (Radio Britain) ship breaks down
- 1968 General Motors produces its 100 millionth automobile, an Oldsmobile Toronado
- 1968 My Lai massacre occurs when American soldiers kill ~400 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, in one of the most controversial incidents of the Vietnam War
- 1969 Boston Bruins scores a NHL record 8 goals in 1 period
- 1969 Viasa DC-9 crashes at Maracaibo's Grano de Oro airport, killing 155
- 1970 Oxford University Press and Cambridge University press co-publish The Old Testament of the New English Bible, and Complete New English Bible, incorporating the New Testament first published in 1961
- 1970 WNIN TV channel 9 in Evansville, Indiana (PBS) begins broadcasting
- 1971 13th Grammy Awards: Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and the Carpenters win
- 1971 KDCD TV channel 18 in Midland, TX (IND) suspends broadcasting
Music History
1972 Singer James Brown performs two shows for over 1,000 detainees awaiting trial at the Adolescent Remand Shelter on Rikers Island, NYC
- 1973 OPEC discusses raising prices to offset decline of U.S. dollar value
- 1974 1st performance at new Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee
- 1975 US Mariner 10 makes 3rd & final fly-by of Mercury
Harold Wilson Resigns
1976 British Prime Minister Harold Wilson announces his resignation
Event of Interest
1977 US President Jimmy Carter pleads for a Palestinian homeland
- 1978 Amoco Cadiz spills 223,000 tons of crude oil off French coast
Event of Interest
1978 Red Brigade kidnaps former premier Aldo Moro in Italy, 5 killed
- 1978 Soyuz 26 returns to Earth
- 1978 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- 1978 US Senate accepts Panama Canal treaty
- 1979 CBS-TV airs "Wings Over the World" with Paul McCartney
- 1983 Smallest crowd of 1,814 attend NBA Cavaliers vs. NY Nets game at Cleveland Coliseum
- 1984 Gunmen kidnap William Buckley, CIA station chief in Beirut
- 1984 South Africa & Mozambique sign non attack treaty
- 1985 Associated Press correspondent Terry Anderson taken hostage in Beirut, Lebanon
Sports History
1985 Two-time Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain is convicted of embezzlement and drug trafficking; sentenced to 25 years but conviction later reversed
- 1988 Chemical attack on Kurdish town of Halabja by Iraqi forces kills 5000 civilians - largest ever chemical weapons attack
- 1988 Federal grand jury indicts North & Poindexter in Iran-Contra affair
- 1988 North Ireland Protestant fires on Catholic funeral, 3 killed
- 1988 US sends 3,000 soldiers to Nicaragua's neighbor Honduras
- 1991 Members of Irish Gay & Lesbian Organization march in NYC parade
- 1991 NJ Net coach Bill Fitch is 4th coach to win 800 NBA games
- 1991 NY Lotto pays $33.3 million to one winner (#s are 18-21-32-33-35-38)
Plane Crash
1991 Seven members of Reba McEntire's band, and the road manager, are killed in a plane crash; one of two private jets being used by the group clipped a mountain near San Diego, California shortly after take-off, pilot and co-pilot also
- 1994 Moravcik forms Slovakia government
- 1995 Manhattan upsets 4th seeded Oklahoma 77-67
- 1995 Mississippi House of Representatives formally abolishes slavery & ratifies 13th Amendment of US Constitution [1]
- 1995 World best 7th wkt stand 461 by Bhupinder Singh Jr & P Dharmani
- 1996 Montreal Canadien's 1st game in their new arena (Bell Center)
- 1997 NJ Devils' Dave Andreychuk is 26th NHL to score 500 goals
- 1997 Sandline affair: On Bougainville Island, soldiers of commander Jerry Singirok arrest Tim Spicer and his mercenaries of the Sandline International.
John Paul II Asks for Forgiveness
1998 Pope John Paul II asks God for forgiveness for the inactivity and silence of some Roman Catholics during the Holocaust
- 2003 Largest coordinated worldwide vigil takes place as part of global protests against the Iraq War
- 2005 Israel officially hands over Jericho to Palestinian control.
- 2006 The United Nations General Assembly votes overwhelmingly to establish the UN Human Rights Council.
Sports History
2008 Dale Jarrett retires from points racing after the 2008 Food City 500
- 2008 Rock Musical "Next to Normal" by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey premieres Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre in New York (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2010) [1]
- 2010 Parts of the Kasubi Tombs, architectural treasure and burial site of the Buganda kings, burns down in Kampala, Uganda
Latin Music Legends
2011 U.S. Postal Service issues a set of five "Latin Music Legends" stamps, including one of Carlos Gardel
Film & TV History
2012 George Clooney and other several prominent participants, including Martin Luther King III, are arrested outside the Sundanese Embassy for civil disobedience
- 2012 Turkish NATO helicopter crashes into a house killing ten people in the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan
- 2013 24 Pakistani Army soldiers are killed in Rawalpindi after their bus falls down a ravine
- 2013 A €10 billion Cyprus bailout plan will wipe out 10% of the citizens' bank deposits
- 2013 Wales routs England by a record 30-3 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff to retain their Six Nation Rugby Championship; Welsh winger Alex Cuthbert scores 2 tries and fullback Leigh Halfpenny lands 4/4 penalties
- 2014 Voters in Crimea vote overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and rejoin Russia amid international condemnation of its design
Event of Interest
2015 Google commemorate Anna Atkins's 216th birthday with a Google Doodle image representing her cyanoprint work
- 2016 US college student Otto Warmbier is sentenced to 15 years hard labour for trying to steal a political poster, in Pyongyang, North Korea
Event of Interest
2017 US President Donald Trump's second travel ban is blocked by 2 federal courts
Event of Interest
2018 Asia's second-richest person, Hong Kong's Li Ka-Shing, announces his retirement at 89
- 2018 Indian actor Irrfan Khan reveals he has been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour
- 2019 Beached dead whale found to have 88 pounds of plastic inside it, including 40 pounds of plastic bags, in Mabini, Philippines
- 2020 COVID-19 study by London Imperial College showing migration approach could lead to 250,00 deaths in UK, over 1 million in US, prompts strategy changes from both countries
- 2020 COVID-19: France orders a national lockdown, US recommends meetings 10 or less, 6 counties in San Francisco and surrounding counties told to "shelter in place"
- 2020 Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 2,997 points, or 12.9%, its largest single-day point loss and its second-largest percentage drop
- 2020 Global infections and deaths from COVID-19 overtake those in China for the 1st time, 86,000 vs 80,860 infections, 3,241 vs 3,208 deaths according to John Hopkins Uni
- 2020 Major League Baseball suspends remainder of Spring Training and delays start of regular season in response to COVID-19 pandemic; return dependent on recommendations by Centers for Disease Control
- 2021 French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal win the Pritzker Prize for architecture
- 2021 Gunman shots and kills eight people at three different spas in Atlanta, Georgia
- 2021 Israeli researchers reveal the rediscovery of 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls, the first found in 60 years, left by Jews fleeing Romans in "Horror Cave," Israel
- 2022 After 20 seasons as Fox's NFL lead broadcast team, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman join ESPN as new lead commentators of Monday Night Football
- 2022 British-Iranians Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori return to the UK after being detained for five and six years on spying charges [1]
Zelenskyy Addresses Congress
2022 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses US Congress remotely pleading for further aid against the Russian invasion [1]
- 2022 US Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time since 2018 by a quarter of a point to help ease rising price inflation [1]
- 2023 Banking jitters continues as US Wall Street banks agree to deposit US$30 billion in First Republic Bank as its stock plummets in the wake of the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank
Pension Reform
2023 Emmanuel Macron’s government uses special powers to force through pension reform, raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, amid widespread protests [1]
- 2023 Houston Zoo announces their oldest resident Mr Pickles (90) is finally a father, with Mrs Pickles (53), the parents of three rare baby radiated tortoises, named Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeño [1]
Japan and South Korea Hold Talks
2023 South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold their first talks since 2011 in Tokyo, marking a milestone in relations between the two countries [1]
- 2025 A fire caused by pyrotechnic devices at a nightclub hosting a concert in Kocani, North Macedonia, kills at least 59 people and injures 155 others [1]
- 2025 Asian Film Awards: Payal Kapadia’s "All We Imagine as Light" wins Best Film, Best Director Yoshida Daihachi, acting awards to Sean Lau and Shahana Goswami [1]
