Unix Timestamp: 1016150400
Friday, March 15. 2002, 12:00:00 AM UTC


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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Arab Spring: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain declares a three-month state of emergency as troops from the Gulf Co-operation Council are sent to quell the civil unrest.ref name=BBCBahr15Mar
The King of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa declares a three month state of emergency following the 2011 Bahraini protests. //english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/03/20113151296156152.html (Al Jazeera)

Saturday, March 15, 2008

A weapons depot near Tirana, Albania is hit by multiple explosions, killing at least 11 people and injuring around 300. //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7298341.stm (BBC News)
Tibet Autonomous Region authorities give protesters until March 17 to surrender. The Central Tibetan Administration government in exile reports 30 confirmed deaths. //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7297911.stm (BBC News)
A gun factory explosion in Gërdec, Albania, kills more than 30. Over the following week, Albania, Kosovo, and some surrounding countries supply and support Gërdec's population with food, blood, etc.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

France's SNCF inaugurates the LGV Est route between Paris and Strasbourg. //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6450973.stm (BBC)
Researchers discover that the polar ice cap at Planum Australe, the south pole of Mars, is thick enough to cover the planet with water if melted. //news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070315-mars-water.html (National Geographic)

Monday, March 15, 2004

The new Spanish Government announces that it will withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq.

Saturday, March 15, 2003

Hu Jintao becomes President of the People's Republic of China, replacing Jiang Zemin.

Monday, March 15, 1999

Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon.
In Brussels, Belgium, the Santer Commission resigns over allegations of corruption.

Tuesday, March 15, 1994

U.S. troops are withdrawn from Somalia.

Wednesday, March 15, 1989

Israel hands over Taba to Egypt, ending a seven-year territorial dispute.

Saturday, March 15, 1986

Hotel New World disaster: a six-story building collapses, trapping 50 people beneath the rubble 33 are killed.

Friday, March 15, 1985

Vice-President Jose Sarney, upon becoming vice president, assumes the duties of president of Brazil, as the new president Tancredo Neves had become severely ill, the day before. Sarney would be become Brazils first civilian president in 21 years, upon Neves' death 21 April.

Wednesday, March 15, 1978

Somalia and Ethiopia signed a truce to end the Ethiopian-Somali War.

Tuesday, March 15, 1977

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti and the PBS opera series "Live from the Met" both make their American television debuts. Pavarotti stars in a complete production of Puccini's "La Boheme".

Monday, March 15, 1976

Togo recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
Harold Wilson resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Rubin Hurricane Carter is retried in New Jersey.
North Korea recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

Saturday, March 15, 1975

In Brazil, the Estado da Guanabara (State of Guanabara) merges with the state of Rio de Janeiro, under the name of Rio de Janeiro. The state's capital moves from the city of Niterói to the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Sunday, March 15, 1970

The Expo '70 World's Fair opens in Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Friday, March 15, 1968

U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy enters the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
Vietnam War ndash My Lai massacre: American troops kill scores of civilians. The story will first become public in November 1969 and will help undermine public support for the U.S. efforts in Vietnam.

Monday, March 15, 1965

President Lyndon B. Johnson makes his We Shall Overcome speech.

Sunday, March 15, 1964

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor marry (for the first time) in Montreal.

Thursday, March 15, 1962

Évian Accords: France and Algeria sign an agreement in Évian-les-Bains ending the Algerian War.
Katangan Prime Minister Moise Tshombe begins negotiations to rejoin the Congo.
"Un premier amour", sung by Isabelle Aubret (music by Claude-Henri Vic, text by Roland Stephane Valade), wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1962 for France.

Thursday, March 15, 1956

The Broadway musical "My Fair Lady" opens in New York City.

Saturday, March 15, 1952

16 – 73 inches (1,870 mm) of rain falls in Cilaos, Réunion, the most rainfall ever in one day.

Saturday, March 15, 1947

Hindus and Muslims clash in Punjab.

Friday, March 15, 1946

French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion become overseas départements of France.
Clement Attlee promises independence to India as soon as they can agree on a constitution.
The Soviet Union and Switzerland resume diplomatic relations.

Thursday, March 15, 1945

The 17th Academy Awards ceremony is held, broadcast via radio for the first time. Best Picture goes to "Going My Way".

Monday, March 15, 1943

Saturday, March 15, 1941

Richard C. Hottelet is arrested by the Gestapo on suspicion of espionage. He is eventually released in July as part of a prisoner exchange.

Wednesday, March 15, 1939

Princess Fawzia of Egypt marries Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran.
German troops occupy the remaining part of Bohemia and MoraviaCzechoslovakia ceases to exist. The Ruthenian region of Czechoslovakia declares independence as Carpatho-Ukraine.
Hungary invades Carpatho-Ukraine final resistance ends on March 18.

Tuesday, March 15, 1938

Soviet Union announces officially that Nikholai Bukharin has been executed.

Thursday, March 15, 1928

March 15 incident: Japanese government crackdown on socialists and communists.

Sunday, March 15, 1925

The Phi Lambda Chi fraternity (original name The Aztecs) is founded on the cus of Arkansas State Teacher's College in Conway, Arkansas (now the University of Central Arkansas).

Wednesday, March 15, 1922

Egypt having gained nominal independence from the United Kingdom, Fuad I becomes King of Egypt.

Monday, March 15, 1920

The Ruhr Red Army, a communist army 60,000 men strong, is formed in Germany.

Saturday, March 15, 1919

The American Legion forms in Paris.

Thursday, March 15, 1917

N.S.) (March 2, O.S.) ndash Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates his throne for his son. This is considered to be the end of the Russian Empire.

Wednesday, March 15, 1916

April ndash The light switch is invented by William J. Newton and Morris Goldberg.
President Woodrow Wilson sends 12,000 United States troops over the U.S.-Mexico border to pursue Pancho Villa the 13th Cavalry regiment enters Mexican territory.
The SS ''Sussex'' is torpedoed, resulting in the Sussex pledge.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien marries Edith Bratt (they would serve as the inspiration for the fictional characters Lúthien and Beren).
The last Emperor of China, Yuan Shikai, abdicates the throne and the Republic of China is restored.
Mexican Revolution: The U.S. 7th and 10th Cavalry regiments under John J. Pershing cross the border to join the hunt for Villa.

Friday, March 15, 1907

March 16 ndash Elections to the new Parliament of Finland are the first in the world with woman candidates, as well as the first elections in Europe where universal suffrage is applied. Nineteen women are elected.

Thursday, March 15, 1900

The Gold Standard Act is ratified, placing the United States currency on the gold standard.

Friday, March 15, 1895

in County Tipperary, Ireland, Bridget Cleary is killed by her husband, believing her to be a fairy changeling.

Tuesday, March 15, 1892

The Liverpool Football Club is founded by John Houlding, the owner of Anfield. Houlding decides to form his own team after Everton leaves Anfield in an argument over rent.

Sunday, March 15, 1891

Jesse W. Reno patents the first escalator at Coney Beach.

Friday, March 15, 1889

A German naval force shells a village in Samoa, destroying some American property three American warships enter the Samoan harbor and prepare to fire on the three German warships found there. Before guns are fired, the 1889 Apia cyclone blows in and sinks all the ships, American and German. A compulsory armistice is called because of the lack of warships.

Thursday, March 15, 1888

Start of the Sikkim Expedition. A British military expedition to expel the Tibetans from northern Sikkim.

Thursday, March 15, 1877

1877 Australia v. England series: The first Test cricket match is held between England and Australia.

Saturday, March 15, 1873

The Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity is founded at the Massachusetts Agricultural College.

Wednesday, March 15, 1848

The start of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.

Wednesday, March 15, 1843

Victoria, British Columbia, is founded by the Hudson's Bay Company as a trading post and fort.

Wednesday, March 15, 1820

April ndash Hans Christian Ørsted discovers the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
Maine is admitted as the 23rd U.S. state.

Sunday, March 15, 1818

First Seminole War: General Andrew Jackson and his American army invade Florida.

Wednesday, March 15, 1815

Joachim Murat, King of Naples declares war on Austria in an attempt to save his throne, starting the Neapolitan War.

Sunday, March 15, 1812

Luddites attack the wool processing factory of Frank Vickerman in West Yorkshire.

Thursday, March 15, 1781

American Revolution ndash Battle of Guilford Court House: American General Nathanael Greene loses to the British.

Sunday, March 15, 1744

France declares war on Great Britain.

Tuesday, March 15, 1672

Charles II of England issues the Royal Declaration of Indulgence, suspending execution of penal laws against Protestant nonconformists.ref name=Cassell's Chronology

Wednesday, March 6, 1493 (Julianian calendar)

Christopher Columbus returns to Spain from his first voyage of discovery.

Sunday, March 7, 1311 (Julianian calendar)

Completion of Lincoln Cathedral in England. With the spire reaching around 525 feet (160 m) it becomes the world\'s tallest structure (surpassing the Great Pyramid of Giza, which held the record for almost 4,000 years), a record it holds until the spire is blown down in 1549.
A committee of 21 Englishbarons draw up a series of ordinances, which substitute ordainers for the King (Edward II) as the effective government of the country.

Sunday, March 14, 493 (Julianian calendar)

Theodoric the Great allies with the Franks and marries Audofleda, sister of Clovis I. He also marries his own female relatives to princes or kings of the Burgundians, Vandals and Visigoths. Establishing a political alliance with the Germanic kingdoms in the West.
Emperor Xiao Wen Di starts adopting a sinicization policy as well as various reforms. He marries Feng Qing, she becomes empress of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Clovis I marries the Burgundian princess Clotilde, age 18, she is brought up in the Catholic faith and is the daughter of king Chilperic II. Her father is murdered in the same year by his brother Gundobad.
Odoacer is invited to a banquet organised in order to celebrate the peace treaty. During the festivities, Odoacer is killed by Theodoric the Great. His body is skillfully sliced in half in full view of his guests. A massacre of Odoacer's soldiers and supporters follows.

Thursday, March 14, 351 (Julianian calendar)

Emperor Constantius II elevates his 25-year-old cousin Constantius Gallus to Caesar at Sirmium (Pannonia). He arranges a marriage with his sister Constantina and puts him in charge of the Eastern Roman Empire. Constantius marches West with a large army (60,000 men) to fight against Magnus Magnentius.
Source: Wikipedia