2002: The Trial of Slobodan Milosevic Begins
On February 12, 2002, the war crimes trial of Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic began at The Hague. The defendant died before a sentence was...
1997: Bodies of Heaven’s Gate Cult Members Discovered After Mass Suicide
On March 26, 1997, police found the bodies of 39 Heaven’s Gate members who had committed suicide believing that the Hale-Bopp comet was a...
1917: Russia’s February Revolution Begins
On March 8, 1917, the female factory workers of Petrograd began striking and rioting in response to food shortages and government oppression. Other Petrograd...
1461: Edward IV Deposes Henry VI in Wars of the Roses
On March 4, 1461, Edward, Duke of York, was crowned king of England, ending 62 years of Lancastrian rule. The Yorkists would rule England...
1977: Hanafi Muslim Gunmen End Siege in Washington, DC
On March 11, 1977, Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, leader of the Nation of Islam splinter group Hanafi Movement, ended a three-day siege of three buildings...
1990: Nelson Mandela Released From Prison
On February 11, 1990, South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk freed anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. Mandela had spent 27 years in prison.
Mandela Goes...
1773: American Patriots Carry Out Boston Tea Party
On Dec. 16, 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and destroyed their cargo of tea, taking another...
1983: Reagan Delivers “Star Wars” Speech
On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan proposed the development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a space and ground-based defense system to intercept...
1971: Charles Manson and Followers Sentenced to Death
On March 29, 1971, a jury sentenced Charles Manson and three members of his “Family” to death for murdering actress Sharon Tate and seven...
1737: First St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in America
On March 17, 1737, Boston became the first American city to celebrate the feast day of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint.
St. Patrick’s Day Comes...
