March 21 has brought historic marches, poetic revelations, and milestones in the fight against discrimination.
Byzantine Emperor Heraclius personally carried what was believed to be the True Cross back to Jerusalem after recovering it from the Persians. The event is celebrated in several Christian traditions.
Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, was burned at the stake for heresy under Queen Mary I. He dramatically thrust his hand into the fire first, as it had signed his recantation.
France adopted the Napoleonic Code, a comprehensive set of civil laws that replaced the patchwork of feudal laws. The Code influenced legal systems across Europe and Latin America.
Otto von Bismarck was appointed the first Chancellor of the newly unified German Empire. His political skill had orchestrated unification through 'blood and iron.'
Germany launched its massive Spring Offensive on the Western Front, the last major German attempt to win World War I. Initial successes were reversed, and Germany sought an armistice by November.
South African police killed 69 Black protesters and wounded 180 others at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid pass laws in Sharpeville. The massacre drew international condemnation.
Martin Luther King Jr. led over 3,000 marchers from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand voting rights. The march, protected by federalized National Guard troops, led to the Voting Rights Act.