This day in history: 28 march

1566: The foundation stone of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, was laid by Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
1842: The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra held its first concert under conductor Otto Nicolai, establishing one of Europe’s most prestigious musical institutions.
1930: The Turkish city of Constantinople officially changed its name to Istanbul, marking a significant cultural and historical transition.
1939: The Spanish Civil War ended as Madrid fell to Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces after a three-year siege. This marked the consolidation of Franco’s rule in Spain.
1941: During World War II, the Italian fleet was defeated by British forces at the Battle of Cape Matapan near Greece.
1854: Britain and France declared war on Russia, initiating the Crimean War.

1513: Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sighted Florida, claiming it for Spain and naming it La Florida (“land of flowers”).
1797: Nathaniel Briggs received a patent for the washing machine, marking a significant advancement in domestic technology.
1898: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Wong Kim Ark that children born in the U.S. to foreign parents are American citizens, establishing an important precedent for birthright citizenship.
1963: Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic horror film The Birds premiered, becoming a classic of the genre.
1964: The Good Friday Earthquake struck Alaska with a magnitude of 9.2, making it the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America.
1979: The Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurred in Pennsylvania, resulting in a partial meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor. It remains the worst nuclear accident in U.S. commercial history.
1986: Lady Gaga, renowned singer-songwriter and actress, was born in New York City.

1737: In India, the Marathas, led by Bajirao I, defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Delhi, marking a significant shift in power during the decline of the Mughal Empire.
1959: The People’s Republic of China declared March 28 as “Serfs Emancipation Day,” commemorating the suppression of the Tibetan uprising and the abolition of serfdom in Tibet following the Dalai Lama’s escape to India.
1876: In Japan, the government outlawed the wearing of swords, symbolizing the end of samurai traditions as part of modernization efforts during the Meiji Era.
1903: Tokyo saw its first beer garden open in Azumabashi, Sumida Ward, reflecting cultural changes during Japan’s industrialization.
2020: During the COVID-19 pandemic.

1900: The War of the Golden Stool (Yaa Asantewaa War) began in the Asante Kingdom (modern-day Ghana). This was the final conflict between the British and the Asante people, sparked by British demands to sit on the sacred Golden Stool, a symbol of Asante sovereignty. Yaa Asantewaa, a queen mother, led the resistance against British colonial forces.
1960: In South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) called for a nationwide stay-at-home protest in response to the Sharpeville Massacre, where police had killed 69 peaceful protesters opposing apartheid pass laws.
1962: Nelson Mandela arrived in Bamako, Mali, during his clandestine travels to garner support for the armed struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
1994: In South Africa, African National Congress security guards killed dozens of Inkatha Freedom Party protesters during escalating political tensions as apartheid ended.
2024: A tragic highway accident occurred in Limpopo, South Africa, when a bus carrying Christian pilgrims from Botswana crashed, killing 45 people.