24th March 1944: The ‘Great Escape’ takes place from Stalag Luft III, a German prisoner-of-war camp in Lower Silesia
Prisoners had worked in shifts to dig a tunnel known as "Harry" that was over 100 metres long and equipped with ventilation systems and ...
24 Mar 0s
23rd March 1540: Waltham Abbey in Essex became the last abbey to be dissolved under Henry VIII
Abbot Robert Fuller surrendered the abbey and its property on 23 March 1540, and within just a few years all the buildings except for the parish nave had been demolished or had collapsed due to ...
23 Mar 0s
22nd March 1895: The Lumière brothers stage their first film screening in Paris
Put on for an audience of 200 invited attendees at the “Society for the Development of the National Industry”, the reaction to the moving black-and-white pictures caught the brothers by ...
22 Mar 0s
21st March 1871: Otto von Bismarck formally appointed first Chancellor of the German Empire
Under Bismarck’s leadership, domestic policies sought to consolidate German unity and reduce opposition to the new state while foreign policy focused on maintaining stability in Europe and preventing conflicts that could threaten the new empire, by establishing a system of alliances that isolated ...
21 Mar 0s
20th March 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte begins his Hundred Days as ruler of France following his escape from Elba
Napoleon sought to consolidate his rule by promising reforms and peace in Europe, but the powers of the Seventh Coalition including Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia declared him an outlaw and he was defeated at the Battle of ...
20 Mar 0s
19th March 1882: First stone laid for the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
The first stone of Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica was ...
19 Mar 0s
18th March 1921: Kronstadt Rebellion ends following a final assault by Bolshevik forces
On 7 March 1921, the Red Army launched an attack on Kronstadt across the frozen Gulf of Finland. The battle lasted for nearly two weeks, with heavy casualties on both ...
18 Mar 0s
17th March 1861: Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy under the rule of Victor Emmanuel II
The Italian parliament convened in Turin to proclaim the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy under Victor Emmanuel II, previously King of Sardinia, who was declared the first King of ...
17 Mar 0s
