Dirty Dick, real name Nathaniel Bentley (c. 1735 – 1809), was an English merchant known for his filthy appearance. Once nicknamed "the beau of Leadenhall Street", in his late thirties Bentley became parsimonious and stopped cleaning himself and his shop. He and his shop became well known and were lampooned in the press. People visited the outlet to see the squalor and noted that he was polite and had impeccable manners. Rumours circulated that he had not washed since his fiancée had died on their wedding eve and that he had locked the dining room, complete with the wedding feast, and left it to moulder. Bentley moved out of his shop in 1804 and its contents were sold off. A publican purchased some of the contents, including mummified rats and cats, and used them to decorate his pub, which he renamed Dirty Dicks. Bentley died in Scotland. His story was known by the writer Charles Dickens, and Bentley's locked dining room may have inspired the locked room of Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. (Full article...)

Doing surgery on a grape

• ... that they did surgery on a grape (pictured)?
• ... that Elvis the Pelvis got rickets from hibernating?
• ... that sardines had engines?
• ... that Robert Uzgalis made the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight?
• ... that French girls premiered on a livestream?
• ... that Tarzan is currently an advisor for higher education?
• ... that there's a term?
• ... that Krispy Kream is not allowed to sell doughnuts?
• ... that a fashion designer expressed his career frustrations with a golden shower?
• ... that Allah made sure that Queen Elizabeth II was in bed by 19:15?

Mette Frederiksen

• The Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (pictured), remain the largest party after the Danish general election, with no political bloc winning a majority of seats.
• In Italy, voters reject a reform of the judicial system in a constitutional referendum.
• A Colombian Aerospace Force Lockheed C-130 crashes during take-off in Puerto Leguízamo, killing 70 people.
• In mathematics, Gerd Faltings is awarded the Abel Prize for his work in arithmetic geometry.

April 1: April Fools' Day; Iranian Islamic Republic Day (1979)

The first Apple, Inc. logo

• 1346 – Hundred Years' War: John, Duke of Normandy, laid siege to the town of Aiguillon.
• 1922 – Under the South Seas Mandate, Japan set up a government in Koror, precipitating large-scale Japanese settlement in Palau.
• 1976 – Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer, Inc. (first logo pictured).
• 2001 – An American Lockheed EP-3 and a Chinese Shenyang J-8 collided in mid-air off Hainan, resulting in an international dispute between the two countries.

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The Duke of Windsor inspecting German troops

The 1937 tour of Germany by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor was opposed by the British government, which feared that Nazi Germany would use the visit for propaganda. After Edward VIII's abdication in December 1936, his brother George VI became king. Given the title of Duke of Windsor, Edward married Wallis Simpson in June 1937. He appeared to have been sympathetic to Germany in this period and announced his intention to travel there privately to tour factories. He promised the British government that he would keep a low profile, and the tour went ahead between 12 and 23 October. The Windsors visited factories, many of which were producing materiel for the war effort, and the Duke inspected German troops (pictured). They dined with prominent Nazis, including Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Göring, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Albert Speer, and also had tea with Adolf Hitler at his house at Berchtesgaden. (Full article...)

Kim Petras

• ... that Kim Petras (pictured) was described as the "world's youngest" person to transition?
• ... that the first Agender Pride Day took place months after a 27-year-old Oregon resident was legally recognised as agender?
• ... that a textile cooperative that helps to lift trans women out of poverty was named after activist Nadia Echazú?
• ... that sixteen countries fully recognize a non-binary gender marker for all individuals?
• ... that Sharifa Yazmeen, a transgender Egyptian-American theatre director, was the inaugural winner of the Barbara Whitman Award?
• ... that the novel We Are Green and Trembling was inspired by a 17th-century explorer who was born as a woman but lived as a man?
• ... that the trans woman Hannah Nokes was profiled in 1936 after getting electricity in her house?
• ... that a benefit concert for the trans community paid tribute to Alice Litman, who took her life after being denied gender-affirming care?
• ... that Marsha P. Johnson once stated that there were "no straight people"?

Mette Frederiksen

• The Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (pictured), remain the largest party after the Danish general election, with no political bloc winning a majority of seats.
• In Italy, voters reject a reform of the judicial system in a constitutional referendum.
• A Colombian Aerospace Force Lockheed C-130 crashes during take-off in Puerto Leguízamo, killing 70 people.
• In mathematics, Gerd Faltings is awarded the Abel Prize for his work in arithmetic geometry.

March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility; Farmworkers Day in various U.S. states

TAROM Flight 371

• 1146 – French abbot Bernard of Clairvaux preached a sermon to a crowd at a council in Vézelay, with King Louis VII in attendance, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade.
• 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan and members of his crew participated in the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines.
• 1910 – Six English towns amalgamated to form a single county borough called Stoke-on-Trent, the first union of its type.
• 1995 – TAROM Flight 371 (pictured) crashed near Balotești, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
• 2023 – A tornado caused the collapse of a venue hosting a sold-out concert in Belvidere, Illinois, United States, resulting in one death and 48 injuries.

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Alysa Liu at the 2025 World Championships

The 2025 World Figure Skating Championships were held from March 26 to 30, 2025, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union, the World Figure Skating Championships are considered the most prestigious event in figure skating. Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The competition determined the entry quotas for each skating federation to the 2026 Winter Olympics. Ilia Malinin of the United States won the men's event for the second time, while Alysa Liu (pictured), also of the United States, won the women's event while accomplishing a personal-best score in the short program and free skating routines. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the pairs event, earning their second title, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States won the ice dance event for the third consecutive year. (Full article...)

Te Ahi Tupua

• ... that Te Ahi Tupua (pictured) is reportedly the largest 3D-printed sculpture in the world?
• ... that Minnesota's national-championship quarterback Babe LeVoir became the commander of US aircraft-carrier athletics in the Pacific during World War II?
• ... that a purported "Clinton plan" cited by Trump officials came from Russian intelligence material later described as likely disinformation?
• ... that the album Duetos, despite receiving mixed reviews, sold more than 100,000 copies within three weeks of release?
• ... that Jade Jones, Great Britain's first Olympic gold medallist in taekwondo, now competes as a boxer?
• ... that a reviewer called a Justin Timberlake song a "clunky jungle-as-sex metaphor"?
• ... that designs for the 1932 Broadway production of Alice in Wonderland mirrored the original novel's illustrations "down to the smallest prop"?
• ... that winter snows were so deep in Castelluccio di Norcia that residents dug tunnels to reach the church?
• ... that a "banana woman" opposed a "banana miracle"?

Mette Frederiksen

• The Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (pictured), remain the largest party after the Danish general election, with no political bloc winning a majority of seats.
• In Italy, voters reject a reform of the judicial system in a constitutional referendum.
• A Colombian Aerospace Force Lockheed C-130 crashes during take-off in Puerto Leguízamo, killing 70 people.
• In mathematics, Gerd Faltings is awarded the Abel Prize for his work in arithmetic geometry.

March 30: Land Day in Palestinian communities (1976)

George I of Greece

• 1730 – The Author's Farce, by Henry Fielding, premiered at the Little Theatre in London.
• 1861 – British chemist William Crookes published his discovery of thallium using flame spectroscopy.
• 1863 – George I (pictured) became King of the Hellenes.
• 1921 – The Australian Air Corps was disbanded, to be replaced the following day by the Australian Air Force.
• 1950 – Usmar Ismail began shooting Darah dan Doa, widely recognised as the first Indonesian film.
• 2009 – The Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan, was attacked and held for several hours by 12 gunmen, resulting in 16 deaths and 95 injuries.

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The Goldfinch is a painting of a chained goldfinch by Carel Fabritius, a Dutch Golden Age artist. Signed and dated 1654, it is now in the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands. The work is a trompe-l'œil oil painting on panel measuring 33.5 by 22.8 centimetres (13.2 by 9.0 in) that was once part of a larger structure, perhaps a window jamb or a protective cover. A common and colourful bird with a pleasant song, the goldfinch was used in Italian Renaissance painting as a symbol of Christian redemption and the Passion of Jesus. The Goldfinch is unusual for Dutch Golden Age paintings in the simplicity of its composition and use of illusionary techniques. After Fabritius was killed in the gunpowder explosion that destroyed much of the city of Delft in 1654, the painting was lost for more than two centuries before its rediscovery in Brussels. It plays a central role in the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and also in its film adaptation. (Full article...)

Michael Gove

• ... that UK MP Michael Gove (pictured) won a televised quiz show before entering politics?
• ... that the freighter Hippocampus was sunk by fruit?
• ... that costume designer Gwen Wakeling crafted Shirley Temple's on-screen image by working on 14 of her films?
• ... that the melody of "Fly-Day Chinatown" was said to have "the soaring wings of a phoenix"?
• ... that Kathleen Weil-Garris Brandt once attributed a New York City statue to Michelangelo?
• ... that one of Indonesia's largest charities was established by a group of journalists in response to a local famine?
• ... that Francis Scobell prevented Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun from killing a coachman?
• ... that one Legends of Tomorrow episode is named after a classic Western film?
• ... that Cuban swimmer Rafael Polinario had to defect to Canada instead of Spain after Fidel Castro's brother got on his plane?

Mette Frederiksen

• The Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (pictured), remain the largest party after the Danish general election, with no political bloc winning a majority of seats.
• In Italy, voters reject a reform of the judicial system in a constitutional referendum.
• A Colombian Aerospace Force Lockheed C-130 crashes during take-off in Puerto Leguízamo, killing 70 people.
• In mathematics, Gerd Faltings is awarded the Abel Prize for his work in arithmetic geometry.

March 29: Boganda Day in the Central African Republic (1959); Martyrs' Day in Madagascar (1947)

Terracotta Army

• 845 – Viking expansion: Viking raiders, possibly led by the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok, plundered and occupied Paris, holding the city for a large ransom.
• 1823 – Joaquín de Oreamuno led a coup d'état that overthrew Rafael Francisco Osejo, attempting to restore allegiance to the Mexican Empire.
• 1931 – Authorities held an inquest at New Town, Tasmania, into the deaths of a woman and two children who were fatally poisoned after eating smooth toadfish.
• 1974 – A group of farmers in the Chinese province of Shaanxi discovered a vast collection of terracotta statues (pictured) depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.

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Ian Fleming

Octopussy and The Living Daylights is the fourteenth and final James Bond book written by Ian Fleming (pictured). The book is a collection of short stories, published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape on 23 June 1966, after Fleming's death in August 1964. The book originally contained two stories, "Octopussy" and "The Living Daylights"; later editions also included "The Property of a Lady" and subsequently also "007 in New York". The stories first appeared in different publications. Many elements from the stories are taken from Fleming's own interests and experiences, including climbing in Kitzbühel in Austria, wartime commando deeds, and the sea life of Jamaica. He used the names of friends and acquaintances for characters in the stories. Other elements from the stories have been used in the Bond films made by Eon Productions, including the background for the titular character in the film Octopussy. (This article is part of a featured topic: Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and short stories.)

Portrait of Marie Salmon

• ... that Marie Salmon (pictured) was condemned to be burned at the stake for a crime she didn't commit, but narrowly avoided execution by claiming she was pregnant?
• ... that Yokohama's articulated tourist buses feature a matte metallic blue livery inspired by the city?
• ... that Ukrainian author Osyp Turiansky's works were suppressed in his homeland?
• ... that a reviewer called "Until the End of Time" "excessively bland"?
• ... that the current defense minister of Yemen Taher al-Aqili was injured in a landmine explosion while serving as chief of staff?
• ... that Montana voters in 1972 chose to keep the death penalty, allow for gambling to be legalized, have a bicameral legislature, and ratify a new constitution?
• ... that photographer John Humble used harsh late afternoon light to flatten the Los Angeles landscape?
• ... that there have been two unsuccessful proposals to make Curitiba Pride intangible cultural heritage?
• ... that "cannibalism, group sex, and snail orgies" hindered a tax avoidance scheme by the son of Tommy Ball?

Mette Frederiksen

• In Denmark, the Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (pictured), remain the largest party after a general election, with no political bloc winning a majority of seats.
• A Colombian Aerospace Force Lockheed C-130 crashes during take-off in Puerto Leguízamo, killing 70 people.
• In mathematics, Gerd Faltings is awarded the Abel Prize for his work in arithmetic geometry.
• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final.

March 28: Earth Hour (20:30 local time, 2026)

Bust of Pertinax

• 193 – The Praetorian Guard assassinated Roman emperor Pertinax (bust pictured) and sold the imperial office in an auction to Didius Julianus.
• 1646 – Irish Confederate Wars: Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty, signed the First Ormond Peace for the Confederates in exchange for greater freedom of religion.
• 1968 – Colonel Sun, written by Kingsley Amis, was published, becoming the first James Bond novel published after the death of Ian Fleming in 1964.
• 1999 – Kosovo War: Serbian police and special forces killed around 93 Kosovo Albanians in the village of Izbica.

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Men's trophy for the 2016 Boat Race

The Boat Races 2016 (also known for sponsorship reasons as The Cancer Research UK Boat Races) took place on 27 March 2016. The Boat Race is an annual set pf side-by-side rowing races between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge along a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) stretch of the River Thames in south-west London. For the first time in the history of the event, the men's, women's and both reserves' races were held on the Tideway on the same day. Trials for the race took place on the Championship Course in December 2015, and the selected crews took part in several practice races in the build-up to the main event. The weigh-in for the men's and women's races took place on 1 March 2016, with both Cambridge's men and women the heavier crews. Pre-race betting had Cambridge's men and Oxford's women as favourites. The men's race (trophy pictured) was won by Cambridge by two and a half lengths, taking the overall record in the event to 82–79 in their favour. (Full article...)

Apumanque Mall

• ... that the Apumanque Mall (pictured) is the oldest shopping mall in Chile?
• ... that the Mayor of Paris has suggested adding the name of Alice Sollier, the first Black French woman to qualify as a medical doctor, to the Eiffel Tower?
• ... that J Dilla worked on Donuts, which was released three days before his death, in the hospital?
• ... that the 1945–1948 Patriarch of the Universal Gnostic Church René Chambellant later became a Member of Parliament in the Central African Republic?
• ... that The Inklings suggests that J. R. R. Tolkien was jealous of C. S. Lewis's admiration of Charles Williams?
• ... that after being asked to resign due to his cancer, ambassador Ahmad Soedarsono responded that he wanted to die on duty?
• ... that the Chinese Australian Herald was distributed as far away as London, the Pacific Islands, and the Philippines?
• ... that Sachio Ashida rebuilt a guided missile computer and repurposed it for his experiments on brain tissue?
• ... that FC Barcelona refused to play a Copa del Rey game in 2000?

Colombian Lockheed C-130

• A Colombian Aerospace Force Lockheed C-130 crashes (aircraft pictured) during take-off in Puerto Leguízamo, killing 70 people.
• In mathematics, Gerd Faltings is awarded the Abel Prize for his work in arithmetic geometry.
• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final.
• In association football, the Confederation of African Football overturns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final originally won by Senegal, declaring Morocco the winner of the tournament.

March 27: Day of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania (1918)

Washington Metro rolling stock

• 1625 – Charles I became King of England, Scotland and Ireland.
• 1941 – World War II: A group of Serbian-nationalist officers of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force carried out a coup d'état after Yugoslavia joined the Axis powers.
• 1976 – The Washington Metro (rolling stock pictured), the second-busiest rapid transit system in the U.S., opened to commuters.
• 2015 – Himeji Castle, the largest and most visited Japanese castle, re-opened after five years of restoration work.

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Life restoration of Massospondylus

Massospondylus is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur that lived in southern Africa during the Early Jurassic, between 201 and 184 million years ago. It was described by Richard Owen in 1854 and is one of the first dinosaurs to have been named. Although the original fossils were destroyed in London during a bombing raid in World War II, a plethora of specimens have since been assigned to the genus, making it one of the best-known sauropodomorphs from the Early Jurassic. The genus contains two valid species, M. carinatus and M. kaalae. It was 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 ft) long, with a long neck and tail, a small head, and a slender body. It moved on two legs and was probably a plant-eater. Clutches of eggs have been found, some of which contained embryos. Individuals accelerated or slowed down their growth depending on environmental factors such as food availability. The oldest known specimen was around 20 years of age. (Full article...)

Twisted Tea cans

• ... that Twisted Tea (cans pictured) was rebranded after being sued for trademark infringement?
• ... that Asma Nadia, who has travelled to 72 countries, has published dozens of books – including one with tips for Muslim travellers?
• ... that Maxentius was the last Roman emperor in the 4th century to reside in Rome?
• ... that Navajo American mathematician Thomas Storer invented one of the standard notations for compactly and precisely describing string figures?
• ... that a bride's farewell can be sung in Romanian traditional music as a lament – sometimes also played instrumentally as "the bride's sorrow"?
• ... that Rin Kurusu did not pursue voice acting earlier because she was already in an idol group?
• ... that Te Waihorotiu railway station is named after a now-covered stream that flows beneath Queen Street in Auckland, New Zealand?
• ... that Roger J. Landry attended both Harvard College and the Pontifical North American College with his identical twin brother?
• ... that a minigame in Rhythm Heaven Megamix allows players to feed turnips to a goat?

Gerd Faltings

• In mathematics, Gerd Faltings (pictured) is awarded the Abel Prize for his work in arithmetic geometry.
• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final.
• In association football, the Confederation of African Football overturns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final originally won by Senegal, declaring Morocco the winner of the tournament.
• In Nigeria, a series of suspected Boko Haram bombings leaves 26 people dead and 146 others injured in Maiduguri, Borno State.

March 26: National Science Appreciation Day in various U.S. states

Saladin

• 1169 – Saladin (depicted on coin) was inaugurated as vizier of Egypt.
• 1896 – An explosion at the Brunner Mine in New Zealand killed 65 coal miners in the country's deadliest mining accident.
• 1974 – A group of peasant women in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, surrounded trees in order to prevent loggers from felling them, giving rise to the Chipko movement.
• 1991 – Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked by four Pakistani terrorists and diverted to Changi Airport.

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King Henry VI

The Loveday of 1458 was a ritualistic reconciliation between warring factions of the English nobility at St Paul's Cathedral on 25 March 1458. It followed the start of the Wars of the Roses in 1455 and was the result of long negotiations initiated by King Henry VI to resolve the lords' rivalries. The result of these efforts was a settlement of some grievances and a public display of friendship. A procession went from Westminster Palace to St Paul's, with adversaries walking together, holding hands. Contemporaries varied in their views of the accord. Some wrote verses expressing hope that it would lead to new-found peace and prosperity; others were more pessimistic. In the long run, the King's Loveday and its agreements had no long-lasting benefit. Within a few months, petty violence between the lords had broken out again. Historians debate who—if anyone—gained from the 1458 Loveday, as the war it was intended to prevent was only deferred. (Full article...)

Relief of Maat

• ... that a stained-glass depiction of the Relief of Maat (pictured) has decorated Yale Law School's dining hall since 1930?
• ... that Mary Hannay Foott's best-known poem was inspired by the true story of two men who disappeared in the Australian outback in 1877?
• ... that the Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex has a naturally formed "fountain of youth" from which visitors can drink?
• ... that Mabel Forrest wrote poetry that combined the Australian bush landscape with symbols of witchcraft and Celtic mythology?
• ... that Tennyson once quoted Catullus 96 to Thackeray while they dined?
• ... that Ethan Sanchez was nearly named "Diego Maradona Sanchez" by his father, but his mother's anesthesia wore off in time for her to dismiss the idea?
• ... that Soviet anarchists believed that a dictatorship was a necessary part of a transition towards anarchy and communism?
• ... that Aubrey Bowser worked as a porter at the New York Stock Exchange before becoming a published writer?
• ... that a KonoSuba PlayStation game features an "Underwear Judgement" system?

Maikel García

• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final (tournament MVP Maikel García pictured).
• In association football, the Confederation of African Football overturns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final originally won by Senegal, declaring Morocco the winner of the tournament.
• In Nigeria, a series of suspected Boko Haram bombings leaves 26 people dead and 146 others injured in Maiduguri, Borno State.
• Denis Sassou Nguesso is proclaimed the winner of the Republic of the Congo presidential election.

March 25: Feast of the Annunciation (Christianity); Bangladesh Genocide Remembrance Day

Scotia, part of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition

• 708 – Constantine was selected as one of the last popes of the Byzantine Papacy.
• 1655 – Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovered Titan, the largest natural satellite of Saturn.
• 1776 – American Revolutionary War: American Patriot forces in Georgia conducted a raid on Tybee Island, with the primary goal of capturing runaway slaves seeking refuge with the British.
• 1903 – The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (ship pictured) anchored in the South Orkney Islands with the intention of establishing the first weather station in Antarctic territory.
• 2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the presidential vote days earlier, were arrested, including opposition leader Alyaksandr Kazulin.

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Dan Balan

"Despre tine" (Romanian for 'About You') is a dance-pop song by the Moldovan band O-Zone, released as a single by Media Services in Romania around December 2002. Written and produced by the band's founder Dan Balan (pictured), it was included on a reissue of their second studio album Number 1 (2002) and later on their third studio album DiscO-Zone (2003). "Despre tine" was recorded in September 2002 at the MOF Records studio with the assistance of Bogdan Popoiag. Following the international success of O-Zone's 2003 single "Dragostea din tei", "Despre tine" was re-released in select European markets in August 2004. At the MTV Romania Music Awards 2003, "Despre tine" won Best Song and Best Dance. It also received a nomination for Best Dance-Pop Song at the Radio România Actualități Awards the same year. It topped the Romanian Top 100 in 2003 and reached number one in Norway in 2004. The song was certified double gold in Romania and gold in France. (Full article...)

Flag of the Indian Communist Party

• ... that the Indian Communist Party distinguished itself from the Communist Party of India by using a yellow hammer and sickle on its flag (pictured)?
• ... that Queen Plaisance was chastised for carrying on with another woman's husband in a letter from the pope?
• ... that Tujiaaspis had a single pair of ridge-like fins that may have been the precursors to human arms and legs?
• ... that an International Booker Prize–nominated author has also won several awards as an actress?
• ... that the book Nightingales argues against the theory that Florence Nightingale was a lesbian?
• ... that a former police officer who shared a cell with Jeffrey Epstein had been convicted of a quadruple murder?
• ... that lemon trees inspired a Spanish tourist train?
• ... that both of Lorinda Roland's parents, maternal grandparents, and maternal aunts were actors?
• ... that some Greenlanders wear "MAGA" hats reading "Make America Go Away"?

Maikel García

• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final (tournament MVP Maikel García pictured).
• In association football, the Confederation of African Football overturns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final originally won by Senegal, declaring Morocco the winner of the tournament.
• In Nigeria, a series of suspected Boko Haram bombings leave 26 dead and 146 injured in Maiduguri, Borno State.
• In Kazakhstan, voters approve a new constitution in a referendum.

March 24: World Tuberculosis Day

Cover of the 1921 Women's Olympiad

• 1882 – German physician Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen that causes tuberculosis.
• 1900 – Robert Anderson Van Wyck, mayor of New York City, broke ground for a new underground Rapid Transit Railroad that would link Manhattan and Brooklyn.
• 1921 – The inaugural Women's Olympiad (cover pictured), the first international women's sports event, opened at the International Sporting Club of Monaco in Monte Carlo.
• 1976 – The Argentine military, led by Jorge Rafael Videla, deposed President Isabel Perón in a coup d'état, establishing a military junta known as the National Reorganization Process.
• 2015 – The co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 deliberately crashed the aircraft, an Airbus A320, in a mass murder–suicide in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board, including himself.

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Ethan Hawke (born 1970) is an American actor, author and filmmaker whose career on screen and stage has spanned over four decades. Known for his versatile range of roles—often in art films—and collaborations with director Richard Linklater, he made his film debut in Explorers (1985) and gained fame with Dead Poets Society (1989), Reality Bites (1994), Gattaca (1997) and Great Expectations (1998). He was nominated for Academy Awards for his roles in Training Day (2001), Boyhood (2014) and Blue Moon (2025), as well as for screenwriting two films from the Before trilogy (1995–2013), in which he also starred. Hawke saw commercial success with Sinister (2012), The Purge (2013), The Magnificent Seven (2016) and the Black Phone films (2021–2025). He made his Broadway debut in 1992 in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull and was nominated for a Tony Award in 2007 for his performance in Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia. Hawke has authored five books and has four children from his two marriages. (Full article...)

Pellenes nigrociliatus

• ... that the jumping spider Pellenes nigrociliatus (pictured) makes a silk curtain across the entrance of the snail shell that it uses as a nest?
• ... that advertising material for an Indonesian film included an entire chapter of the Quran?
• ... that J. Verne Smith sold tires before becoming a state senator?
• ... that the construction of the Downtown Line required diverting the Singapore River?
• ... that Edward W. Hawthorne once called his research "a personal vendetta against ignorance"?
• ... that the Cristero Museum faced demolition even though it is located within a UNESCO site?
• ... that young-adult novelist Moa Backe Åstot also owns reindeer?
• ... that during the siege of Castelnaudary the defenders were caught off guard while eating – and won?
• ... that Neil Robertson once missed a tournament after setting his sat-nav to Barnsley instead of Barnsley?

Maikel García

• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final (tournament MVP Maikel García pictured).
• In association football, the Confederation of African Football overturns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final originally won by Senegal, declaring Morocco the winner of the tournament.
• In Kazakhstan, voters approve a new constitution in a referendum.
• Denis Sassou Nguesso is proclaimed the winner of the Republic of the Congo presidential election.

March 23 Pakistan Day (1956)

Battle of Uhud

• 625 – The Muslim army under Muhammad suffered a defeat against the Quraysh in the Battle of Uhud (depicted).
• 1839 – An earthquake struck central Burma, causing significant damage and killing an estimated 300 to 400 people.
• 1919 – Benito Mussolini and his supporters founded the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, the predecessor of the National Fascist Party.
• 1991 – The Sierra Leone Civil War began with the invasion of the Revolutionary United Front, in an attempt to overthrow President Joseph Saidu Momoh.
• 2021 – A container ship ran aground and obstructed the Suez Canal for six days.

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Resident Evil logo

Chris Redfield is a character in Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan), a survival horror video game series created by the Japanese company Capcom. He was introduced as one of the two playable characters of the original Resident Evil, which was released on March 22, 1996, appearing with his partner Jill Valentine as members of the Raccoon Police Department's Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) unit. Chris and Jill fight against the Umbrella Corporation, which creates zombies and other bio-organic weapons through bioterrorism. Later, the pair become founding members of the United Nations' Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA). Chris is the protagonist in several Resident Evil games, novels, and films, and has also appeared in other game franchises. In later games, his features were based on New Zealand model Geordie Dandy. Critics have been polarized in their discussions of Chris, and several publications consider him one of the sexiest video game characters. (Full article...)

Anke Gowda displaying a book from his collection

• ... that an Indian sugar-factory timekeeper (pictured) founded a library with more than two million books?
• ... that the Delta River is likely older than the mountain range it cuts across?
• ... that Carlos Meléndez ran for both president and vice president in the 1903 Salvadoran presidential election?
• ... that the 1955 play Twelve Angry Men is often confused with a later version based on the 1957 film?
• ... that the nearly 3,000-year-old Temple of Awwam was the site of a suicide bombing in 2007?
• ... that, when Jim Fletcher appeared as Jay Gatsby in Gatz, his father – a physician with no acting experience – portrayed Gatsby's father?
• ... that the Vau i Dejës Hydroelectric Power Station generated more than half of Albania's electricity soon after its completion?
• ... that Charles Thau carried a machine-gun bullet in his cheek for six years after the Battle of Berlin before a dentist discovered it?
• ... that the song "Highness" has been compared to a pillow fight?

Maikel García

• The entire Cuban electrical grid fails amid the United States oil blockade.
• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final (tournament MVP Maikel García pictured).
• In association football, the Confederation of African Football overturns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final originally won by Senegal, declaring Morocco the winner of the tournament.
• In Kazakhstan, voters approve a new constitution in a referendum.

March 22:

Comet Hale–Bopp

• 106 – The Bostran era, the official era of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea, began.
• 1765 – The Parliament of Great Britain passed the Stamp Act, requiring that many printed materials in the Thirteen Colonies in British America carry a tax stamp.
• 1934 – In golf, the first Masters Tournament was held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, United States.
• 1943 – World War II: Almost the entire population of the village of Khatyn, in present-day Belarus, were massacred by Ukrainian and Belarusian Nazi collaborators.
• 1997 – Comet Hale–Bopp (pictured) reached its closest approach to Earth at 1.315 AU.

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Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) was an English composer best known for his operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert. Among his early works were a ballet, a symphony, a cello concerto and a one-act comic opera, Cox and Box, which is still widely performed. He wrote his first opera with Gilbert, Thespis, in 1871. The impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte in 1875 engaged Sullivan to write the music for a one-act piece, Trial by Jury, with a libretto by Gilbert. Its box-office success led the partners to create 12 full-length comic operas, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Sullivan's only grand opera, Ivanhoe, though initially successful in 1891, has rarely been revived. His works include 24 operas, 11 major orchestral works, 10 choral works and oratorios, 2 ballets, incidental music to several plays, and numerous church pieces, songs, and piano and chamber pieces. His hymns and songs include "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and "The Lost Chord". (Full article...)

Frontispiece to a forty-hadith manuscript

• ... that works in the forty-hadith genre (example pictured) were produced based on a hadith promising special treatment on Judgement Day?
• ... that the Awlad al-Imam were venerated for their knowledge and legacy, but none of their works have survived?
• ... that the Canal of Zubaidah, built on the order of a queen, provided water to Hajj pilgrims for over a thousand years?
• ... that American academic Intisar A. Rabb was inspired by a Supreme Court blog to launch an online portal containing Sharia texts?
• ... that one scholar read the film Para Perintis Kemerdekaan as offering a "revolutionary Islam" that seeks to emancipate women?
• ... that "Japan's most renowned Islamic scholar" once wrote a light novel and a manga?
• ... that the Jordan-based fashion company Shukr sells clothing named after prominent Muslim women?
• ... that people in the Indian subcontinent eat a sweet dish resembling a bird's nest during Ramadan?
• ... that Raşit Küçük, a biographer of Muhammad, earned his doctorate exploring love?

Maikel García

• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final (tournament MVP Maikel García pictured).
• In association football, the Confederation of African Football overturns the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final originally won by Senegal, declaring Morocco the winner of the tournament.
• More than 100 people are killed by a Pakistani airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan.
• Denis Sassou Nguesso is proclaimed the winner of the Republic of the Congo presidential election.

March 21: Harmony Day in Australia; Oltenia Day in Romania

Alcatraz Island

• 1556 – Thomas Cranmer, a former archbishop of Canterbury and one of the founders of Anglicanism, was burned at the stake for heresy in Oxford, England.
• 1844 – The Baháʼí calendar, used in the Baháʼí Faith, began.
• 1963 – The Federal Bureau of Prisons closed Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on Alcatraz Island (pictured) in San Francisco Bay, California.
• 1983 – In the West Bank, a number of Palestinian girls complained of breathing difficulties due to strange odors, leading to accusations of poison gas.
• 2006 – Jack Dorsey sent the first message on the social-media network Twitter.

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Robert Poore (20 March 1866 – 14 July 1938) was an Anglo-Irish cricketer and British Army officer. He featured most prominently in first-class cricket playing county cricket for Hampshire, where he gained a reputation as a batsman. Poore also played first-class cricket in India for the Europeans in the Bombay Presidency Matches. He began his military service in the Volunteer Force with the 3rd (Royal Wiltshire Militia) Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment. From there, he transferred to the 7th Hussars. Poore served in the Second Matabele War in Southern Africa and later in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, during which he was seconded to the Mounted Military Police and served as provost marshal at Army Headquarters Pretoria. Decorated with the Distinguished Service Order during the war, Poore served in the First World War between 1914 and 1918, commanding the Jhansi Brigade of the British Indian Army, for which he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. (Full article...)

Alide Topp between 1865 and 1878

• ... that the pianist Alide Topp (pictured) once responded to claims that women lacked the "biceps of a man" for great music by stating she broke her pianos as well as any man?
• ... that the first writing system for Tlingit, a Native American language, was based on the Cyrillic alphabet?
• ... that some players who obtained Stardew Valley illegally were so impressed they planned to buy it?
• ... that a 1987 referendum to repeal Mississippi's unenforceable interracial marriage ban was opposed by more than 48 percent of voters?
• ... that VTuber Clear Usui is the ambassador of Japan's satellite navigation system?
• ... that Kaija Saariaho's Quatre instants have been described as "a quasi-operatic monologue" in "erotic, extreme territory"?
• ... that Peter Suder said that the toughest basketball player he had faced was a National Football League player?
• ... that King Binnya Ran launched a war against Ava after his sister fled the Ava capital?
• ... that Courtaud, an infamous man-eating beast described as a "terrible and horrible wolf", was named for its stumpy tail?

Maikel García

• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States in the final (tournament MVP Maikel García pictured).
• More than 100 people are killed by a Pakistani airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan.
• At the Academy Awards, One Battle After Another wins six Oscars, including Best Picture.
• German philosopher Jürgen Habermas dies at the age of 96.
• Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

March 20: Eid al-Fitr (Islam, 2026); Longtaitou Festival in China (2026); Nowruz (2026)

Eyjafjallajökull

• 1602 – The Dutch East India Company, the first company to issue stock, was established.
• 1854 – The Republican Party was founded in Ripon, Wisconsin, by politicians opposing the Kansas–Nebraska Act and the expansion of slavery in the United States.
• 1890 – Emperor Wilhelm II dismissed Otto von Bismarck as the chancellor of the German Empire.
• 1926 – Chiang Kai-shek initiated a purge of communist elements within the National Revolutionary Army in Guangzhou, China.
• 2010 – Eyjafjallajökull (pictured) in Iceland began a series of volcanic events, later disrupting air travel across Europe.

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Hilary near peak intensity off Mexico

Hurricane Hilary was a large and intense Pacific hurricane in August 2023 that brought torrential rainfall to the Pacific Coast of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, resulting in widespread flooding. It was the eighth named storm, sixth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the active and highly destructive 2023 Pacific hurricane season. Hilary originated from a tropical wave south of Mexico on August 16, and became a hurricane a day later. It underwent rapid intensification, reaching maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) on August 18, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Thousands of people evacuated to shelters as ports closed along the Pacific Coast of Mexico. In anticipation of "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding", the National Hurricane Center issued its first-ever tropical storm warning for Southern California, extending from the Mexico–U.S. border to just north of Los Angeles. Death Valley National Park closed for two months. (Full article...)

Alide Topp between 1865 and 1878

• ... that the pianist Alide Topp (pictured) once responded to claims that women lacked the "biceps of a man" for great music by stating she broke her pianos as well as any man?
• ... that the first writing system for Tlingit, a Native American language, was based on the Cyrillic alphabet?
• ... that some players who obtained Stardew Valley illegally were so impressed they planned to buy it?
• ... that a 1987 referendum to repeal Mississippi's unenforceable interracial marriage ban was opposed by more than 48 percent of voters?
• ... that VTuber Clear Usui is the ambassador of Japan's satellite navigation system?
• ... that Kaija Saariaho's Quatre instants have been described as "a quasi-operatic monologue" in "erotic, extreme territory"?
• ... that Peter Suder said that the toughest basketball player he had faced was a National Football League player?
• ... that King Binnya Ran launched a war against Ava after his sister fled the Ava capital?
• ... that Courtaud, an infamous man-eating beast described as a "terrible and horrible wolf", was named for its stumpy tail?

Maikel García

• The World Baseball Classic concludes with Venezuela defeating the United States for the championship and Maikel García (pictured) is awarded MVP.
• At the Academy Awards, One Battle After Another wins six Oscars, including Best Picture.
• German philosopher Jürgen Habermas dies at the age of 96.
• Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final.

March 19: Saint Joseph's Day (Western Christianity)

March of the Family with God for Liberty

• 1563 – The Edict of Amboise was signed, ending the first war in the French Wars of Religion and inaugurating a period of official peace that lasted until 1567.
• 1808 – King Charles IV of Spain was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Ferdinand VII as a result of the Tumult of Aranjuez.
• 1964 – Between 300,000 and 500,000 Brazilians attended the March of the Family with God for Liberty (pictured), in protest against the government of João Goulart and against communism.
• 1979 – The American cable television network C-SPAN, covering government proceedings and public-affairs programming, was launched.
• 2008 – The gamma-ray burst GRB 080319B was observed, setting a record for the farthest event from Earth observable with the naked eye.

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The Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State, in the Flatiron District of Manhattan in New York City, is used by the First Department of the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division. The original three-story building, at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and 25th Street, was designed by James Brown Lord in 1899. A six-story annex to the north, designed by Rogers & Butler, was completed in 1955, as was a renovation of the original structure. The courthouse's facade, made primarily of marble, originally had 21 sculptures, of which one was removed in 1955. The building's roof also contains the sculpture NOW by Shahzia Sikander, and its annex includes a Holocaust memorial by Harriet Feigenbaum. The courthouse was renovated in the 1980s and the 2000s; its architecture has received largely positive commentary. The Appellate Division Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its facade and interior are both New York City landmarks. (Full article...)

FRA DOTX 219

• ... that data collected by FRA DOTX 219 (pictured) have been used in investigations of train derailments?
• ... that an eight-track EP lasting less than nine minutes was re-released ten years after the death of its performer in a fire?
• ... that shortly after the publication of Women Without Men in Iran, it was banned and its author imprisoned?
• ... that, when Canada's Star Channel closed with three hours' warning, some cable companies resorted to pirating a competitor's signal?
• ... that Stephanie Scott's favourite colour became a symbol of national remembrance across Australia following her murder in 2015?
• ... that the families of the neighboring Benjamin Hammar House and Samuel Dyer House shared both meals and tools while they restored their historic homes?
• ... that "Now all the woods are sleeping" is an 1865 Catherine Winkworth translation of a 1647 evening song once mocked as foolish by Frederick the Great?
• ... that the Fuente de Petróleos includes self-portraits of its architect and sculptor as oil workers?
• ... that Bum was known to club other dogs with his leg stump?

Paul Thomas Anderson

• At the Academy Awards, One Battle After Another wins six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson (pictured).
• German philosopher Jürgen Habermas dies at the age of 96.
• Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final.
• Mojtaba Khamenei is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.

March 18: Feast day of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (Christianity)

House with Chimaeras

• 1608 – Susenyos I was formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia.
• 1793 – Andreas Joseph Hofmann proclaimed the Republic of Mainz, becoming the first republican state in Germany.
• 1901 – The construction of the House with Chimaeras (pictured) commenced in Kyiv.
• 1921 – Russian Civil War: Bolshevik forces suppressed a rebellion of sailors and civilians in Kronstadt.
• 2015 – Gunmen attacked the Bardo National Museum in Tunisia, killing 24 people.

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The Corleck Head is a 1st or 2nd century AD three-faced Irish stone idol discovered in Drumeague in County Cavan c. 1855. It may have been buried, perhaps about 900–1200 AD, possibly due to its paganism and association with human sacrifice. Its dating is based on its iconography, similar to that of contemporary Celtic art artefacts. It is believed to depict a Celtic god and was intended to be placed on top of a larger shrine. The head is carved from a single block of limestone into three simply described faces, each with similar features, including protruding eyes, thin and narrow mouths and enigmatic expressions. The faces may depict all-knowing, all-seeing gods representing the unity of the past, present and future. The head is assumed to have been intended for ceremonial use on the nearby Corleck Hill, a major religious centre at the time and a site for celebration of the Lughnasadh, a pre-Christian harvest festival. It is on permanent exhibit at the National Museum of Ireland. (Full article...)

Return of the Mayflower

• ... that Franklin D. Roosevelt was so impressed by the companion paintings Return of the Mayflower (pictured) and Surrender of the German Fleet to the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow that he commissioned smaller versions for his own private collection?
• ... that violinist Sol Babitz, a pioneer in historically informed performance, was twice evicted by the police from meetings of the American Musicological Society?
• ... that some green beer is colored with spirulina algae?
• ... that United States interference almost prevented a Canadian skier from competing for Venezuela at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
• ... that a YouTuber pays cash bounties for his friends to hunt him down in Minecraft?
• ... that Caroline Jones wore different charity clothes every day in 2015 after her mother died?
• ... that Stephen Foster's best-selling song "Old Uncle Ned" made little money for him due to the many pirated publications circulating in the marketplace?
• ... that the author Pipiet Senja likened her proselytization through teaching and writing to spreading a virus?
• ... that the locomotive Mataró was placed on a monument and fell?

Paul Thomas Anderson

• At the Academy Awards, One Battle After Another wins six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson (pictured).
• German philosopher Jürgen Habermas dies at the age of 96.
• Chilean architect Smiljan Radić Clarke is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final.
• Mojtaba Khamenei is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.

March 17: Saint Patrick's Day (Christianity); Anniversary of the Unification of Italy (1861)

British evacuation of Boston

• 1337 – Edward the Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom.
• 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the evacuation of the city's British garrison (depicted).
• 1891 – The transatlantic steamship Utopia accidentally collided with the battleship HMS Anson in the Bay of Gibraltar, sinking in less than twenty minutes and killing 562.
• 1957 – A plane crash on the slopes of Mount Manunggal killed Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay and 24 others.
• 2011 – First Libyan Civil War: The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973, authorizing military intervention in Libya to protect civilians.

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Yan Ruisheng is a 1921 Chinese silent film directed by Ren Pengnian, starring Chen Shouzi and Wang Caiyun. A docudrama based on the murder of Wang Lianying the previous year, it follows a young man named Yan Ruisheng who kills a courtesan to steal her jewellery. When the crime is discovered, he and his accomplices flee, but Yan is captured and executed. China's first full-length feature film,Yan Ruisheng was produced as domestic short films were becoming increasingly common. It emphasized accuracy to real life in its casting and setting; the stars were chosen based on their physical resemblance to those involved, while extensive use of location shooting allowed scenes to be set in places associated with the murder. A commercial success upon release, the critical reception of its technical aspects was positive but the subject matter was challenged and the film faced several calls for banning.The film is thought to be lost. (Full article...)

Shorty Gallagher

• ... that there was a decades-long search for a photograph of Shorty Gallagher (pictured)?
• ... that, by establishing diplomatic missions like an embassy in Fiji, the Philippine government hopes to play a bigger role in international politics?
• ... that the head of one piano department called Lucie Stern "the rarest talent of any child I ever heard"?
• ... that a carnival group in Brazil plays songs by the Beatles in carnival march rhythms?
• ... that Francisco Batista, the brother of ousted president Fulgencio Batista, fled to the Palm Beach Biltmore immediately after the Cuban Revolution and stated "We'll be back after the trouble is over"?
• ... that a review of Chronicles from the Siege called it "a meditation on the endurance and fragmentation of Palestinian life under siege"?
• ... that the Shaker leader Rebecca Landon said in 1842 that she experienced a vision that warned that the United States would face divine judgment for practicing slavery?
• ... that a 2018 data breach at British Airways was traced to just 22 lines of injected JavaScript on its payment pages?
• ... that in 1988 a young nun was kidnapped from her convent by her own family?

Smiljan Radić Clarke

• The Winter Paralympics close in northern Italy.
• Chilean Smiljan Radić Clarke (pictured) is awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final.
• Mojtaba Khamenei is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.
• Flooding in Kenya leaves at least 43 people dead.

March 16

Samoset greeting the Pilgrims

• 597 BC – Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II captured Jerusalem and installed Zedekiah as King of Judah.
• 1621 – Samoset, a member of the Abenaki tribe, walked into Plymouth Colony and greeted the Pilgrims in English (depicted).
• 1960 – African American civil rights activists in Savannah, Georgia, conducted a sit-in, commencing the Savannah Protest Movement.
• 2001 – A series of bomb blasts in the city of Shijiazhuang, China, killed 108 people.
• 2002 – Sofia Gubaidulina's Johannes-Ostern was premiered in Hamburg, together with her Johannes-Passion, by soloists, choirs and orchestras from the Mariinsky Theatre and the NDR.

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Coin depicting Zenobia as empress

Zenobia (c. 240 – c. 274) was the queen of the Palmyrene Empire. Her husband Odaenathus became king in 260 and elevated Palmyra's power in the Near East by defeating the Sassanians and stabilizing the Roman East. After his assassination, she became the regent of her son Vaballathus and held de facto power throughout his reign. In 270, Zenobia launched an invasion which brought most of the Roman East under her sway, culminating with the annexation of Egypt. In reaction to Roman emperor Aurelian's campaign in 272, Zenobia declared Palmyra's secession from Rome, naming her son emperor and assuming the title of empress. The Romans were victorious after heavy fighting; the queen was besieged in her capital and captured by Aurelian. He exiled her to Rome, where she spent the remainder of her life. Zenobia fostered a multicultural and intellectual environment in her court, which was open to scholars and philosophers. Her biography has inspired historians, artists and novelists. (Full article...)

Quincy Market's central building

• ... that Boston's Quincy Market (building pictured), once described by the city's mayor as an "eyesore", later became more popular than Disney World?
• ... that after divorcing her husband, Winifred Lewellin James was required to report to a police station each time she went more than 5 miles (8 km) from her home?
• ... that a fuel-tax evasion scheme in Mexico involves importing fuels under unrelated customs categories?
• ... that Steve Potter fired his father?
• ... that an independent panel reviewing research conducted by the National Cold Fusion Institute found no evidence that cold fusion had occurred?
• ... that the Salem Methodist Church in Harlem operated a boxing club in its basement?
• ... that the current mayor of Nagoya once operated a computer shogi program that won a world championship?
• ... that two-thirds of the New York production staff for Melania requested to be omitted from the credits?
• ... that the novelist Rosa Praed believed that she and her medium were the reincarnations of an ancient Roman slave girl and slave mistress?

Jasprit Bumrah

• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final (player of the match Jasprit Bumrah pictured).
• Mojtaba Khamenei is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.
• Flooding in Kenya leaves at least 43 people dead.
• The Winter Paralympics open in northern Italy.
• The Rastriya Swatantra Party and its prime ministerial candidate Balen Shah win a landslide victory in the Nepalese general election, called after the Gen Z protests.

March 15: Ides of March; Night of Power (Shia Islam, 2026); Laetare Sunday (Western Christianity, 2026)

Empress Theodora

• 856 – Byzantine emperor Michael III overthrew the regency of his mother Theodora (pictured) to assume power for himself.
• 1783 – George Washington delivered a speech to Continental Army officers in Newburgh, New York, asking them to support the supremacy of the Congress of the Confederation, defusing a potential coup.
• 1874 – France and Vietnam signed the Second Treaty of Saigon, further recognizing the full sovereignty of France over Cochinchina.
• 1921 – Talaat Pasha, the main perpetrator of the Armenian genocide, was assassinated by Soghomon Tehlirian.
• 1990 – Iraqi authorities hanged Iranian freelance reporter Farzad Bazoft on charges of spying for Israel.

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Illustration of the value of π

The number π (pi) is a mathematical constant, approximately equal to 3.14159, that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It is an irrational number, meaning that it cannot be expressed exactly as a ratio of two integers, though it is sometimes approximated as ⁠22/7⁠. Its decimal representation never ends, nor does it enter a permanently repeating pattern. The digits of π appear to be evenly distributed, but no proof of this conjecture has been found. It appears in many formulae in mathematics and physics, and for thousands of years mathematicians have computed its value with increasing accuracy. Since the late 20th century, mathematicians and computer scientists have extended the decimal representation of π to many trillions of digits. Many equations from trigonometry and geometry rely on π, especially those concerning circles and spheres. A transcendental number, π is one of the most widely known mathematical constants. (Full article...)

Mã Pí Lèng Pass

• ... that it took nearly two years to cut a road into a cliff during the building of Mã Pí Lèng Pass (pictured) in Vietnam?
• ... that Bernhard Waldenfels discussed "black holes of everyday life" in a book subtitled Challenges of Phenomenology?
• ... that the actresses in Night King visited a nightclub and spoke with mama-sans to prepare for their roles?
• ... that Daniel van der Meulen was dispatched to Saudi Arabia to urge Arab nations not to ally with Nazi Germany?
• ... that the Prison Mathematics Project brought a professor from Italy to an American prison to celebrate Pi Day?
• ... that John F. Kennedy asked fast-food entrepreneur Harry Akin to lead the desegregation of United States restaurants?
• ... that the rewrites to The Massacre were so extensive that the original writer briefly asked for his name to be removed?
• ... that, at the first five Ball Hockey World Championships, the Czech Republic men's team reached four finals?
• ... that Xalavier Nelson Jr. developed games with "eye-catching" titles such as Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator and An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs?

Jasprit Bumrah

• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final (player of the match Jasprit Bumrah pictured).
• Mojtaba Khamenei is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.
• Flooding in Kenya leaves at least 43 people dead.
• The Winter Paralympics open in northern Italy.
• The Rastriya Swatantra Party and its prime ministerial candidate Balen Shah win a landslide victory in the Nepalese general election, called after the Gen Z protests.

March 14: Sikh New Year's Day; White Day in parts of East Asia; Pi Day

Catherine Cornaro

• 1489 – Catherine Cornaro (pictured), Queen of Cyprus, was forced to abdicate and sell the administration of the island to the Republic of Venice.
• 1593 – Japanese invasions of Korea: A force of 3,000 Korean soldiers successfully defended Haengju Fortress against 30,000 Japanese invaders.
• 1885 – The Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed Savoy opera, debuted at the Savoy Theatre in London.
• 1945 – The Royal Air Force first used the Grand Slam, a 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) earthquake bomb, on a strategic railway viaduct in Bielefeld, Germany.
• 1991 – Escondida, one of the most productive copper mines in the world, was officially inaugurated.

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Dick Wolf

Swift Justice is an American detective drama television series created by Dick Wolf (pictured) and Richard Albarino that aired for one season on UPN from March 13 to July 17, 1996. It follows former Navy SEAL Mac Swift (James McCaffrey), a private investigator who was fired from the New York City Police Department. He receives support from his former partner Detective Randall Patterson (Gary Dourdan) and his father Al Swift (Len Cariou). Episodes were filmed on location in New York. Critics noted its emphasis on violence, specifically in the pilot episode's opening sequence, comparing it to the crime drama The Equalizer (1985–1989) and the 1988 film Die Hard. UPN canceled the program after receiving complaints from viewers, advertisers, and critics of its violent scenes. Wolf considered the cancellation a mistake due to the show's good ratings. The series was praised for its visuals and McCaffrey's performance, but criticized as being either too violent or formulaic. (Full article...)

Aitape Skull

• ... that the Aitape Skull (pictured) may be part of the remains of the oldest known tsunami victim?
• ... that Kim Chwajin was imprisoned for three years for freeing his family's slaves?
• ... that the galaxy CDG-2 is over 99.9% dark matter, one of the highest proportions discovered?
• ... that in his autobiography, openly gay footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger criticises high-profile players for promoting gay rights while working in countries where homosexuality is illegal?
• ... that it took 61 years to identify the killer of Mary Theresa Simpson?
• ... that, although Self's fifth studio album was cancelled, its songs were still used in television commercials?
• ... that football player LeShun Daniels Sr. and his best friend were teammates in junior high school, high school, college, and the NFL?
• ... that two victims of the 2023 San Pedro de la Paz railway accident worked at a school that had previously lost two other teachers in a train collision?
• ... that Toby Fox's video game Undertale was given to Pope Francis?

Jasprit Bumrah

• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final (player of the match Jasprit Bumrah pictured).
• Mojtaba Khamenei is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.
• Flooding in Kenya leaves at least 43 people dead.
• The Winter Paralympics open in northern Italy.
• The Rastriya Swatantra Party and its prime ministerial candidate Balen Shah win a landslide victory in the Nepalese general election, called after the Gen Z protests.

March 13

Battle of Lissa

• 1811 – Napoleonic Wars: A British frigate squadron defeated a much larger squadron of French and Italian frigates and smaller vessels in the Battle of Lissa (depicted) in the Adriatic Sea.
• 1888 – The eruption of Ritter Island triggered tsunamis that killed up to 3,000 people on nearby islands.
• 1986 – Claiming the right of innocent passage, the American warships Yorktown and Caron entered Soviet territorial waters in the Black Sea.
• 2013 – Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as Pope Francis, making him the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere.

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Obverse of the five-pound piece

The Young Head coinage consists of the issues of British coins with an obverse bust of Queen Victoria first used in 1838 while she was still a teenager. The bust was designed by William Wyon and remained on some British coins until 1887, by which time she was almost 70 years of age and had ceased to resemble her depiction. The young queen sat for Wyon in August and September 1837. Wyon then created his coinage portrait of her, which was approved in February 1838, and production began later that year. Some of the new coins had reverses by Wyon, others by Jean Baptiste Merlen. The new issue produced generally favourable reactions, especially the Una and the Lion reverse used for the five-pound piece. The Young Head portrait was finally replaced by the Jubilee bust in 1887. Wyon's Young Head bust was reproduced on coins for British dependencies and imitated on private issues of tokens. Both the portrait and the Una reverse appeared on British commemorative coins in 2019. (Full article...)

Andrew Ranken

• ... that The Pogues once had a one-handed drummer (pictured)?
• ... that the Colección de Lenguas Indígenas includes the only written records of three languages that have since died out?
• ... that Alfonso Quiñónez Molina suddenly becoming President of El Salvador before the 1919 election was described as a "mixed blessing"?
• ... that the estate of Jeffrey Epstein has lost up to 80 percent of its estimated monetary value since 2019?
• ... that Jerauld George Wright was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his "brilliant" navigation during a 2,000-mile (3,200 km) overwater flight that lasted almost 25 hours?
• ... that the Japanese truckmakers Hino and Fuso are merging into Archion following an emissions-fraud scandal that caused a delay of more than one year?
• ... that Go-Rilla Means War by Crystal Z Campbell was inspired by a kung fu judge?
• ... that a scene from an episode of Ted took about 30 takes to complete due to Scott Grimes repeatedly making his co-stars laugh?
• ... that John Comfort Fillmore perceived a "cosmic connection" between the music of Native Americans and music composed by Richard Wagner?

Jasprit Bumrah

• In cricket, the Men's T20 World Cup concludes with India defeating New Zealand in the final (player of the match Jasprit Bumrah pictured).
• Mojtaba Khamenei is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.
• Flooding in Kenya leaves at least 43 people dead.
• The Winter Paralympics open in northern Italy.
• The Rastriya Swatantra Party and its prime ministerial candidate Balen Shah win a landslide victory in the Nepalese general election, called after the Gen Z protests.

March 12

Süleyman Demirel

• 1088 – Odo of Châtillon was elected as the 159th Pope of the Catholic Church.
• 1913 – At a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill, Lady Denman, wife of Governor-General Lord Denman, announced that the future capital of Australia would be called Canberra.
• 1940 – The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed, ending the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union.
• 1971 – The Turkish Armed Forces executed a "coup by memorandum", forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel (pictured).
• 2006 – U.S. Army soldiers gang-raped a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdered her along with her family members.

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FA Cup trophy presented in 1876

The 1876 FA Cup final was an association football match between Wanderers F.C. and Old Etonians F.C. on 11 March 1876 at the Kennington Oval in London. The Wanderers had won the FA Cup (trophy used at the time pictured) twice, while the Etonians were playing their second consecutive final. Both teams had conceded only one goal in the four earlier rounds of the competition. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, the second consecutive FA Cup final to finish level and require a replay. John Hawley Edwards scored for the Wanderers, but the Etonians equalised with a goal credited in modern publications to Alexander Bonsor. A week later, the teams met again at the same venue. The Etonians were forced to make several changes to their line-up due to players being unavailable, and the Wanderers won 3–0. Charles Wollaston and Thomas Bridges Hughes scored a goal apiece in a five-minute spell before half-time, and Hughes added the third early in the second half. (This article is part of a featured topic: Wanderers F.C.)

Populus Denver

• ... that the facade of Populus Denver (pictured) has been compared to a "cheese grater"?
• ... that Dalmatius was murdered by his soldiers during a massacre that killed nearly all the male members of the Constantinian dynasty?
• ... that news of the deadliest cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere took a month to reach authorities?
• ... that Israel Keyes buried "murder kits", containing weapons and supplies, years before using them in his crimes?
• ... that the character designer for Drill Dozer had his wife model with two roll cakes on her head to create the main character's hair?
• ... that Harold Orlob was not credited as a composer of the 1909 hit song "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" until he sued in 1947?
• ... that The Mosquito Bowl is based on a college football game played before the battle of Okinawa?
• ... that a painting by Adelaide Ironside modelled its depiction of Christ on the Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi?
• ... that the commissioner of the New York City Department of Bridges did not classify the High Bridge as a bridge?

Mojtaba Khamenei

• Mojtaba Khamenei (pictured) is elected Supreme Leader of Iran following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei.
• Flooding in Kenya leaves at least 43 people dead.
• The Winter Paralympics open in northern Italy.
• Israel and the United States launch strikes on Iran, killing senior officials and sparking a wider war.
• A Lockheed C-130 Hercules of the Bolivian Air Force crashes into a road in El Alto, killing more than 20 people.

March 11

Premiere poster of Rigoletto

• 1851 – The first performance of Verdi's Rigoletto took place at La Fenice in Venice (poster pictured).
• 1993 – The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Janet Reno as the first female United States attorney general.
• 2007 – Georgian authorities accused Russia of orchestrating a helicopter attack in the Kodori Valley, in the breakaway territory of Abkhazia.
• 2010 – During the inauguration of Chilean president Sebastián Piñera, earthquakes registering 6.9 and 7.0 M_w struck the O'Higgins Region near the city of Pichilemu, causing widespread damage.
• 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the COVID-19 virus epidemic a pandemic.