Important events have occurred on 20 March in the past that have transformed the futures of different domains and regions of the world. Here is a chronological look at 10 of those events.
Formation of the Dutch East India Company – 1602
The United Dutch East Indian Company, usually called the VOC, was founded on this day and given a monopoly over all Dutch maritime trade with Asia. It became the world’s first true multinational corporation and helped drive Europe’s long era of colonial trade in spices, silk and porcelain.
Walter Raleigh released from the Tower of London – 1616
After more than a decade imprisoned in the Tower, Sir Walter Raleigh was set free by King James I to lead a gold-hunting expedition to Guiana. The venture failed badly and later contributed to his execution, showing how quickly royal favour could turn.
British Parliament passes the Boston Port Act – 1774
This law, the first of the so-called Intolerable Acts, shut Boston harbour until the city paid for the destroyed tea from the Boston Tea Party. The harsh punishment united many colonists against British rule and helped spark the American Revolution.
Napoleon enters Paris and begins the Hundred Days – 1815
Having escaped from Elba, Napoleon Bonaparte returned triumphantly to Paris, beginning his final period of power known as the Hundred Days. The episode ended with defeat at Waterloo and permanent exile on St Helena.
Birth of the Republican Party in the United States – 1854
Opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, mostly former Whigs who hated the spread of slavery, gathered in Ripon, Wisconsin to form the Republican Party. Future leaders including Abraham Lincoln soon joined, changing the shape of American politics forever.
First commercial AC power plant in the US – 1886
William Stanley’s alternating-current station started supplying electricity commercially in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The success proved AC could carry power efficiently over long distances and became the basis of today’s electrical grids.
US cabinet agrees war with Germany is inevitable – 1917
After German U-boats sank three more American merchant vessels, President Woodrow Wilson consulted his cabinet. They decided war could no longer be avoided, clearing the path for the United States to join the First World War.
Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway – 1995
Members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released deadly sarin nerve agent on Tokyo’s underground trains during rush hour. The attack killed 13 people and injured thousands more, exposing the dangers of chemical terrorism by non-state actors in a major city.
Start of the Iraq War invasion – 2003
US-led coalition forces, including troops from Britain, Australia and Poland, began the ground invasion of Iraq after initial airstrikes. The operation toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime within weeks but triggered years of conflict and instability across the Middle East.
Vaughan Gething becomes Wales’ First Minister – 2024
Vaughan Gething was confirmed as the new leader of the Welsh Government, making him the first Black person to head a national government anywhere in Europe. His appointment was seen as an important step forward for diversity in UK politics.
