Osun Defender History Corner: March 10 In Focus

Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.

March 10, 241 BC

The Roman fleet sank 50 Carthaginian ships in the Battle of the Aegates Islands, leading to the end of the First Punic War.

March 10, 1528

Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet reached Guam during his circumnavigation of the globe.

March 10, 1629

Charles I dissolved the Parliament of England, beginning the period known as the Eleven Years’ Tyranny.

March 10, 1783

The last naval battle of the American Revolutionary War took place off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

March 10, 1804

Louisiana was officially incorporated as a territory of the United States.

March 10, 1848

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was ratified, ending the Mexican-American War and granting the United States extensive territories in the Southwest.

March 10, 1876

Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call, saying “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

March 10, 1910

China’s Qing Dynasty was overthrown following the Wuchang Uprising, leading to the establishment of the Republic of China.

March 10, 1922

Mahatma Gandhi was arrested in India for sedition, leading to widespread protests and civil disobedience campaigns.

March 10, 1933

Nevada became the first U.S. state to regulate gambling, legalizing casino gambling.

March 10, 1945

The United States Army Air Forces firebombed Tokyo, resulting in the deadliest single air raid of World War II.

March 10, 1952

Fulgencio Batista staged a coup in Cuba, overthrowing President Carlos Prío Socarrás and establishing himself as the de facto leader.

March 10, 1969

James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

March 10, 1980

Martial law was declared in Poland in response to the Solidarity movement, leading to widespread arrests and crackdowns on dissent.

March 10, 1990

Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so.

March 10, 2006

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached Mars and entered orbit around the planet.

March 10, 2015

Terry Pratchett, the British author known for his Discworld series, passed away.

March 10, 2016

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan died at the age of 94.

March 10, 2019

An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board.

In 2020, Italy imposed a nationwide quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming one of the first countries in Europe to do so.

Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on March 10. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.