On this day: March 18
March 18 has been an eventful day throughout history, with significant events shaping the world we live in today. Let’s take a look at some of the key events that have occurred on this day.
1766 – The British Parliament Repeals the Stamp Act
On March 18, 1766, the British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, which had been a source of controversy and protest in the American colonies. The act had imposed a tax on all paper documents in the colonies, leading to widespread opposition and protests. The repeal of the Stamp Act was a significant victory for the colonists and helped to pave the way for the American Revolution.
1922 – Mahatma Gandhi is Sentenced to Six Years in Prison
On March 18, 1922, Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, was sentenced to six years in prison for sedition. Gandhi had been a vocal critic of British rule in India and had called for nonviolent resistance to British rule. His imprisonment only served to galvanize support for the independence movement and further solidify Gandhi’s status as a national hero.
1965 – Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov Performs the First Spacewalk
On March 18, 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov made history by becoming the first person to perform a spacewalk. Leonov spent 12 minutes outside his spacecraft, floating in the vacuum of space and tethered to his spacecraft by a 5.35-meter-long umbilical cord. The spacewalk was a major milestone in the history of space exploration and paved the way for future missions outside of spacecraft.
1990 – The Largest Art Theft in US History
On March 18, 1990, two thieves stole 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. The stolen pieces included paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Degas, with an estimated value of over $500 million. To this day, the theft remains unsolved, and the stolen artworks have never been recovered.
2003 – The United States Invades Iraq
On March 18, 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces, invaded Iraq in what would become the start of the Iraq War. The invasion was justified by the belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, although no such weapons were ever found. The war would last for over eight years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of soldiers and civilians and the destabilization of the region.
2011 – The Syrian Civil War Begins
On March 18, 2011, protests against the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad erupted in the city of Daraa, marking the beginning of the Syrian Civil War. The conflict has since spiraled into a devastating and complex war that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more. The war continues to this day, with no end in sight.
Conclusion
March 18 has been a day marked by significant events throughout history, from political upheavals to major scientific achievements. These events have shaped the world we live in today and serve as a reminder of the importance of understanding and learning from the past.
