This day in history: 18 march

978: Edward the Martyr, King of England, was murdered at Corfe Castle, allegedly on the orders of his stepmother Aelfryth.
1314: Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake in Paris.
1848: The Revolutions of 1848 began in Milan, with revolutionaries expelling the Austrian garrison after five days of intense street fighting.
1871: The Paris Commune was declared, marking a radical socialist and revolutionary government that briefly ruled Paris.
1921: The Treaty of Riga was signed between Poland and Soviet Russia, ending the Polish-Soviet War and defining their borders.
1944: Nazi Germany launched Operation Margarethe, occupying Hungary to prevent its defection from the Axis powers during World War II.
1990: East Germany held its first and only free parliamentary elections before reunification with West Germany.

1925: The Tri-State Tornado struck southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwestern Indiana, killing nearly 700 people. It remains the deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
1937: The New London School explosion in Texas claimed the lives of nearly 300 people, mostly children, making it the worst school disaster in U.S. history.
1942: The War Relocation Authority was established, leading to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
1963: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that state courts must provide legal counsel to defendants who cannot afford an attorney.
1974: The Arab oil embargo against the United States was lifted after five months, ending a significant energy crisis.
1990: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston experienced the largest art heist in U.S. history, with 13 pieces valued at over $500 million stolen by thieves impersonating police officers.

1860 – Japanese Delegation to the U.S.: A delegation sent by Japan’s Shogunate arrived in San Francisco aboard the Kanrinmaru, symbolizing early diplomatic efforts by Japan during its modernization period.
1926 – March 18 Massacre (China): Amid anti-warlord and anti-imperialist demonstrations in Beijing, Chinese troops killed 47 protesters and injured over 200. This event, referred to by writer Lu Xun as the “darkest day since the founding of the Republic,” highlighted tensions between foreign powers and Chinese sovereignty during the warlord era.
1946 – First Female Police Officers in Japan: Sixty-three women became Japan’s first female police officers, marking a significant step toward gender equality in law enforcement.
2000 – Presidential Election in Taiwan: Chen Shui-bian, a pro-independence leader, was elected president of Taiwan, ending the Nationalist Party’s 55-year rule and marking a pivotal moment in Taiwan’s modern political history.

1895 – Migration to Liberia: On this day, 200 free African Americans set sail from Savannah, Georgia, to Liberia. This migration was part of broader efforts by freed Black individuals to establish a new life in Africa, reconnecting with ancestral roots and escaping systemic racism in the United States.
2003 – Patent for Railroad Safety System: Gaetano D. Brooks, an inventor of African descent, received a patent for improving the railroad vehicle safety shunt system. This highlights contributions by Africans and the diaspora to technological advancements.
2025 – Peace Talks in Angola: Direct peace negotiations between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and M23 rebels began in Luanda, Angola. These talks aimed to address ongoing tensions and conflicts involving accusations against Rwanda for supporting the insurgent group.