18 March 1565

A Thursday in history

Weekday

Thursday

Season

Spring (N. Hemisphere)

Century

16th century

Records

413

  1. 2019

    Syrian civil war: The U.S. Air Force carried out an airstrike in al-Baghuz Fawqani, killing as many as 80, a disputed number of whom were civilians.

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  2. 2015

    Gunmen attacked the Bardo National Museum in Tunisia, killing 24 people.

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  3. 2005

    As per a court order, the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo, an American woman who suffered brain damage, was removed at the request of her husband, fueling a worldwide debate on euthanasia.

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  4. 1996

    The deadliest fire in Philippine history broke out at a nightclub in Quezon City, causing 162 deaths.

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  5. 1990

    Unidentified thieves stole thirteen works of art collectively valued at $500 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (pictured) in Boston, Massachusetts.

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  6. 1985

    The first episode of the soap opera Neighbours was broadcast on the Seven Network, later becoming the longest-running drama in Australian television history.

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  7. 1977

    The punk group the Clash released their first single, "White Riot", described as their "most controversial song" due to its lyrics about class economics and race.

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  8. 1970

    U.S. postal workers began an eight-day strike after Congress raised their wages by only 4 percent despite increasing its own pay by 41 percent.

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  9. 1969

    Vietnam War: The United States began secretly bombing the Sihanouk Trail in Cambodia, used by communist forces to infiltrate South Vietnam.

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  10. 1965

    Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov ventured outside the Soviet spacecraft Voskhod 2, becoming the first person to walk in space.

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  11. 1959

    Tibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded the monastery, inflicting severe destruction and killing hundreds of Buddhist monks.

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  12. 1925

    The deadliest tornado in U.S. history spawned in Missouri and traveled more than 219 miles (352 km) across Illinois and Indiana, leaving one of the longest continuous tornado tracks ever recorded.

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  13. 1921

    Russian Civil War: Bolshevik forces suppressed a rebellion of sailors and civilians in Kronstadt.

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  14. 1915

    First World War: In one of the largest naval battles of the Gallipoli campaign, Ottoman forces sank three Allied battleships and severely damaged three others.

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  15. 1906

    Romanian inventor Traian Vuia became the first person to fly a heavier-than-air monoplane (pictured) with an unassisted takeoff.

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  16. 1901

    The construction of the House with Chimaeras (pictured) commenced in Kyiv.

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  17. 1892

    Canadian governor general Lord Stanley of Preston pledged to donate an award to Canada's top-ranked amateur ice hockey club, now known as the Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.

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  18. 1838

    The British soldier-explorer John Wood came close to rediscovering the ancient Greco-Bactrian city of Ai-Khanoum in modern Afghanistan.

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  19. 1793

    Andreas Joseph Hofmann proclaimed the Republic of Mainz, becoming the first republican state in Germany.

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  20. 1608

    Susenyos I was formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia.

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  21. 1277

    Charles I of Anjou acquired a claim on the Kingdom of Jerusalem in exchange for a significant sum of money.

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  22. 1241

    First Mongol invasion of Poland: Mongol forces defeated the Polish armies of Sandomierz and Kraków at the Battle of Chmielnik.

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  23. 363

    A fire began in Rome that resulted in the destruction of the Temple of Apollo Palatinus.

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Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.