Historic Event: 28th of March Spotlighted in the Chronicles of Time
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March 28: A Fateful Day in History
March 28 AD 37: A New Emperor Ascends
Gaius Germanicus, better known as Caligula, steps into Rome as the emperor.
March 28, 193: The End of an Era
Pertinax meets his fate after refusing the Praetorian Guard's demands for bribes
In the latter half of March AD 193, Roman Emperor Pertinax teeters on the brink of life. Having been crowned by the Praetorian Guard three months prior, he seemed the ideal candidate for the job. A former army officer and a governor of various provinces, Pertinax was a 66-year-old veteran who offered the much-needed military and financial discipline for Rome.
At first, Pertinax excelled, showing not only kindness and integrity, but also sound financial management and concern for the public welfare. However, the Praetorian Guard had other plans. They demanded generous compensation for positioning him on the throne, and they were outraged when he refused to pay up.
The final blow came on March 28 when approximately 200 armed soldiers stormed into the palace. Hoping to win them over with words, Pertinax made an appearance, only to be met with the first of many vicious sword-thrusts. Eventually, the soldiers beheaded him and displayed his head on a spear.
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To add insult to injury, the Praetorians auctioned the imperial throne to a wealthy senator, Didius Julianus, for 25,000 sesterces per man. Julianus promptly enjoyed the dinner prepared for Pertinax only a few hours prior and, according to historian Cassius Dio, took the opportunity to play dice. | Written by Dominic Sandbrook
March 28, 1566: A New City is Born
Jean de Vallette, the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, decides that Malta needs a new city after enduring a long Ottoman siege. He lays the foundation stone for his new settlement, which is later named Valletta in his honor.
March 28, 1863: A Tactical Defeat Turned Retreat
The Battle of Glorietta Pass: Confederate troops temporarily won against Union forces, but were forced to withdraw after losing their supply train, putting an end to plans to conquer New Mexico.
March 28, 1868: The Fall of Cardigan
James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, met his end at Deene Park, his Northamptonshire home, after sustaining injuries from a fall from his horse. In the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaklava in 1854, he led the charge.
March 28, 1910: Making History on the Wings
French inventor Henri Fabre achieved the first successful seaplane flight when he took off from the Etang de Berre near Marseilles, flying for 1,650 feet over water.
March 28, 1941: Fate of the Italian Fleet Decided
The Royal Navy wreaked havoc on the Italian fleet during the Battle of Cape Matapan. For the loss of just one aircraft, the British inflicted severe damage on the Italians, sinking three cruisers, two destroyers, and badly damaging a battleship.
March 28, 1942: Lübeck Awaits Its Destiny
Lübeck suffers from the RAF's first mass bombing raid over Germany
On the night of March 28, 1942, 234 RAF bombers set out for Nazi-occupied Europe, with their sights set on the Hanseatic port of Lübeck. Arthur Harris, the indomitable commander of RAF Bomber Command, had chosen Lübeck as the target for his new area bombing strategy. The result was devastation. The first wave of bombs destroyed buildings, and the second reduced most of the city to a vast inferno. Thousands of structures were destroyed, hundreds of lives were lost, and 15,000 people were left homeless.
In Germany, the Nazi leadership acknowledged the attack's heavy impact on the populace's morale. | Written by Dominic Sandbrook
March 28, 1979: Three Mile Island
Radioactive steam escapes into the atmosphere after a water pump fails at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
March 28, 1979: Thatcher's Grand Gamble
The vote of no confidence narrowly passes, prompting a general election
The House of Commons was abuzz with tension at 10:00 pm. After three grueling years, Labour Prime Minister Jim Callaghan faced a vote of no confidence, instigated by his Conservative adversary, Margaret Thatcher. If they lost, it meant a general election - and with high probability, a Thatcher premiership.
The lobbies buzzed with whispers as governments whips momentum-shifted. Bystanders reportedly observed an almost imperceptible thumbs-up from the first government whip to reach the clerk's table, triggering a roar of triumph from the Labour benches. With the Tories rallying and the result hanging in the balance, Callaghan had won by the narrowest of margins. The election was on. | Written by Dominic Sandbrook
Source:https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timeline/ad37/day/march_revolution
https://www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-Pertinax-Roman-emperor
https://www.military-today.com/operations/Glorietta_Pass.htm
https://www.history.com/news/charge-of-the-light-brigade
https://www.history.com/news/henri-fabre-worlds-first-seaplane-flight
https://www.history.com/news/battle-of-cape-matapan-world-war-ii
https://www.britannica.com/event/Glorietta-Pass-Battle
https://www.britannica.com/topic/De-Vallette-Jean-Paul
https://www.history.com/news/luebbecks-destruction-during-wwii
https://www.britannica.com/event/Three-Mile-Island-nuclear-accident-Pennsylvania-US-1979
https://www.britannica.com/event/1979-British-general-election
- Despite the financial crisis caused by the Praetorian Guard's relentless pressure for bribes, Pertinax, the Roman Emperor, who had a background in military and fiscal disciplines, managed to demonstrate sound financial management and concern for public welfare.
- In the midst of the aviation industry's early development, French inventor Henri Fabre made history on March 28, 1910, by achieving the first successful seaplane flight over water, pioneering a new era in transportation.
- The politics of war-and-conflicts influenced decision-making in finance and industry, as the General News reported that the Royal Navy inflicted severe damage on the Italian fleet during the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941, a result that significantly impacted both parties' economic and military investments.
