It happened one 21 March
1804 : Enactment of the Civil CodeOn March 21, 1804, the Civil Code was promulgated by Napoleon Bonaparte. It established the rules for all persons and property as well as relations between persons. It also served as a basis for civil law rules of many other European countries. Although it has been profoundly changed today, it remains the basis of French civil right. |
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1960 : Sharpeville MassacreOn 21 March 1960, the South African police opened fire on a group of peaceful demonstrators against the pass laws, in the township of Sharpeville, in Vereeniging, near Johannesburg. 69 people were killed and 186 injured. This led to the establishment of a state of emergency, the banning of the ANC and Pan African Congress. |
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1963 : Alcatraz closedOn 21 March 1963 the federal prison of Alcatraz, also known as "The Rock", closed. Located in the San Francisco Bay, it was known for being the safest U.S. prison : no prisoner could never escape. |
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1963 : Selma to Montgomery marchOn March 21, 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. led a march for civil rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, under the protection of the army, sent by President Johnson to avoid another Bloody Sunday as in March 7, 1965. |
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1980 : Boycott of the Olympics in MoscowOn March 21, 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced that the U.S. boycotted the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. |
Latest news : 21 March
World Poetry Day On March 21 we celebrate World Poetry Day since 1999 at the initiative of UNESCO to promote learning and publishing poetry in the world. |
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International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination On March 21, we observe the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a UN initiative in commemoration of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 when a peaceful demonstration was quelled by police in South Africa in this township. |
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Norouz On this day we celebrate Nowruz, the first day of the Persian calendar or the Bahá'í calendar. This is a traditional celebration in Iran and in the Kurdish world and the Turkish world. |
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Truant's Day in Poland |
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Mother's Day in many Arab countries |
Quote of the day : 21 March
Napoleon Bonaparte In politics stupidity is not a handicap. |
Birthdays : 21 March
Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer (1685) | |
Benito Juárez, Mexican politician (1806) | |
Modest Mussorgsky, Russian composer (1839) | |
Éric Rohmer, French director (1920) | |
Walter Gilbert, American physicist, Nobel Laureate (1932) | |
Michael Heseltine, English politician (1933) | |
Françoise Dorléac, French actress (1942) | |
Marie-Christine Barrault, French actress (1944) | |
Timothy Dalton, English actor (1946) | |
Sabrina Le Beauf, American actress (1958) | |
Gary Oldman, American actor (1958) | |
Ayrton Senna, Brazilian racing driver (1960) | |
Matthew Broderick, American actor (1962) | |
Rosie O'Donnell, American actress and TV producer (1962) | |
Xavier Bertrand, French politician (1965) | |
Maxim Reality, English musician (The Prodigy) (1967) | |
Greg Ellis, English actor (1968) | |
Nick Baines, English musician (Kaiser Chiefs) (1978) | |
Kevin Federline, American dancer (1978) | |
Rani Mukerji, Indian actress (1978) | |
Marit Bjørgen, Norwegian cross country skier (1980) | |
Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballer (1980) | |
Deryck Whibley, Canadian musician (Sum 41) (1980) | |
Lee Cattermole, English footballer (1988) |
They left us one 21 March
Pocahontas, Native american personality (1617) | |
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French painter (1805) | |
Guadalupe Victoria, President of Mexico (1843) | |
Michael Redgrave, English actor (1985) | |
Robert Preston, American actor (1987) | |
John Ireland, Canadian actor (1992) | |
Ludmila Tcherina, French dancer (2004) |
Tip of the Day : 21 March
Keep beautiful fruits in your basketTo keep beautiful fruits in a basket of fruits, add a cork to absorb excess moisture. |
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