This day in history: 27 march

1306: Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland at Scone Palace. He later secured Scottish independence at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
1625: King James I of England (also James VI of Scotland) died. His son, King Charles I, ascended to the throne, later losing the English Civil War and being executed by Parliament.
1941: A military coup in Belgrade overthrew the Yugoslav government, which had recently signed an agreement with Nazi Germany. This revolt disrupted Hitler’s plans for the invasion of Russia during World War II.

1794: The U.S. Congress authorized the establishment of the U.S. Navy, marking a pivotal moment in American military history.
1836: During the Texas Revolution, Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna ordered the execution of 342 Texian prisoners at Goliad, Texas, in what became known as the Goliad Massacre.
1866: U.S. President Andrew Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which was later overridden by Congress and became a precursor to the 14th Amendment.
1912: The first cherry blossom trees were planted in Washington, D.C., a gift from Japan that symbolized friendship between the two nations and initiated the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

1927: During the Northern Expedition in China, U.S. and British ships bombarded Nanjing to evacuate foreign citizens amidst riots by the Chinese population.
1933: Japan officially withdrew from the League of Nations after the organization condemned its invasion of Manchuria. This marked Japan’s increasing isolation and militarization leading up to World War II.
1943: The Battle of Komandorski Islands occurred during World War II. U.S. forces intercepted Japanese attempts to resupply their troops in the Aleutian Islands, marking a significant naval conflict.
1946: Following World War II, Chinese Communists and Nationalists vied for control of strategic towns and Japanese surrender locations, while the Nationalists utilized U.S. support to airlift troops into northern cities.

1867: African Americans staged one of the first recorded organized protests against segregation on Charleston streetcars in South Carolina. This act of resistance during Reconstruction marked an early fight for civil rights.
2007: Toyin Agbetu, founder of the Ligali Pan-African human rights organization, staged a one-man protest at Westminster Abbey during an event commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of British slavery. He criticized the lack of apology for the atrocities of slavery and called out the hypocrisy of the event, attended by prominent figures such as Queen Elizabeth II and the British Prime Minister.
2007: A fire caused by a petrol spill in Kaduna State, Nigeria, resulted in the tragic deaths of over 90 people.