8 March in history

7 events that happened on 8 March, from 1010 to 1971.

International day

International Women's Day

Celebrated since the early twentieth century and adopted by the United Nations in 1977, International Women's Day recognises women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements while calling for gender equality worldwide.

  1. ✦ Anniversary of the day

    1010 CE 1,016 years ago

    Ferdowsi completes the 'Shahnameh'

    After some thirty years' work, the poet Ferdowsi finished his epic of the kings of Iran, around 50,000 couplets long. Written in Persian with few Arabic words, it is Iran's national epic.

  2. 1702 CE 324 years ago

    Anne becomes queen on the death of William III

    William III died after a fall from his horse, and his sister-in-law Anne succeeded. During her reign England and Scotland united as Great Britain in 1707.

    ScotlandEngland

  3. 1817 CE 209 years ago

    New York brokers form the New York Stock and Exchange Board

    Brokers adopted a constitution and rented rooms on Wall Street, building on the Buttonwood Agreement of 1792. Their exchange became the New York Stock Exchange.

    New York

  4. 1910 CE 116 years ago

    Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first licensed woman pilot

    The Aéro-Club de France issued licence no. 36 to the French aviator. She set altitude records before dying in a crash in 1919.

  5. 1917 CE 109 years ago

    Protests in Petrograd begin the February Revolution

    On International Women's Day (23 February Old Style), women textile workers protesting about bread shortages began strikes that spread across the city. Within a week Tsar Nicholas II had abdicated.

    Russian EmpireFebruary RevolutionNicholas IIPetrograd

  6. 1942 CE 84 years ago

    Japanese forces occupy Rangoon

    Japanese troops entered Burma's capital, abandoned by the British. The loss cut the Burma Road supply route to China, and by May Japan controlled most of Burma.

    Burma

  7. 1971 CE 55 years ago

    Joe Frazier beats Muhammad Ali in the 'Fight of the Century'

    At Madison Square Garden, Frazier won a unanimous decision after knocking Ali down in the 15th round. It was Ali's first professional defeat.

March

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