Today (March 10)
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March 10 The Duckport Canal was constructed by Union forces during the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. Ordered built in late March 1863 by Major General Ulysses S. Grant, the canal stretched from the Mississippi River near Duckport, Louisiana, to New Carthage, Louisiana, and utilized a series of bayous for much of its path. It was intended to provide a water-based supply route for a southward movement against Confederate-held Vicksburg, Mississippi (area map shown), as high water levels made overland travel difficult. The digging was done by 3,500 soldiers from Grant's army and was finished on April 12. The next day, the levee separating the canal cut and the river was breached, and water flowed into the canal. Trees in the bayous and water levels as low as 6 inches (15 cm) hampered the use of the canal, and the project was abandoned on May 4. Only one vessel ever passed from the river to New Carthage through the canal. After a lengthy siege, Vicksburg surrendered on July 4. (Full article...)
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March 10: Harriet Tubman Day in some parts of the United States
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March 10
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Tomorrow (March 11)
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March 11 The 1876 FA Cup final was an association football match between Wanderers F.C. and Old Etonians F.C. on 11 March 1876 at the Kennington Oval in London. The Wanderers had won the FA Cup (pictured) twice before, while the Etonians were playing their second consecutive final. Both teams had conceded only one goal in the four earlier rounds of the competition. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, the second consecutive FA Cup final to finish level and require a replay. John Hawley Edwards scored for the Wanderers, but the Etonians equalised with a goal credited in modern publications to Alexander Bonsor. A week later, the teams met again at the same venue. The Etonians were forced to make several changes to their line-up due to players being unavailable, and the Wanderers won 3–0. Charles Wollaston and Thomas Bridges Hughes scored a goal apiece in a five-minute spell before half-time, and Hughes added the third early in the second half. (This article is part of a featured topic: Wanderers F.C.)
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March 11 Twenty-five venues hosted the events of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. For the first time in the history of the modern Olympic Games, the diving, gymnastics, swimming, and water polo competitions were held indoors. These Games have since been nicknamed the "Austerity Games" for the tight control of costs at a time when the United Kingdom was still under rationing. All of the venues were already in place and required only temporary modifications. The organizing committee decided not to build an Olympic Village; foreign athletes were instead housed in makeshift camps at military bases and colleges around London, while local athletes were told to stay at home. The Empire Stadium (pictured), later known as Wembley Stadium, was chosen as the main venue. The Empress Hall (later Earls Court Exhibition Centre) and the Empire Pool (later Wembley Arena) were later reused as venues of the 2012 Summer Olympics. (Full list...)
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March 11
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In two days (March 12)
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March 12 Obverse of the five-pound piece The Young Head coinage consists of the issues of British coins with an obverse bust of Queen Victoria first used in 1838 while she was still a teenager. The bust was designed by William Wyon and remained on some British coins until 1887, by which time she was almost 70 years of age and had ceased to resemble her depiction. The young queen sat for Wyon in August and September 1837. Wyon then created his coinage portrait of her, which was approved in February 1838, and production began later that year. Some of the new coins had reverses by Wyon, others by Jean Baptiste Merlen. The new issue produced generally favourable reactions, especially the Una and the Lion reverse used for the five-pound piece. The Young Head portrait was finally replaced by the Jubilee bust in 1887. Wyon's Young Head bust was reproduced on coins for British dependencies and imitated on private issues of tokens. Both the portrait and the Una reverse appeared on British commemorative coins in 2019. (Full article...)
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March 12
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In three days (March 13)
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March 13 Swift Justice is an American detective drama television series created by Dick Wolf (pictured) and Richard Albarino which aired for one season on UPN from March 13 to July 17, 1996. It follows former Navy SEAL Mac Swift (James McCaffrey), a private investigator who was fired from the New York City Police Department. He receives support from his former partner Detective Randall Patterson (Gary Dourdan) and his father Al Swift (Len Cariou). Episodes were filmed on location in New York. Critics noted its emphasis on violence, specifically in the pilot episode's opening sequence, comparing it to the crime drama The Equalizer (1985–1989) and the 1988 film Die Hard. UPN canceled the program after receiving complaints from viewers, advertisers, and critics of its violent scenes. Wolf considered the cancellation a mistake due to the show's good ratings. The series was praised for its visuals and McCaffrey's performance, but criticized as being either too violent or formulaic. (Full article...)
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March 13 There are eleven extant species of hystricids, members of Hystricidae, a family of herbivorous mammals in the order Rodentia commonly referred to as Old World porcupines. The Old World porcupines range in size from the long-tailed porcupine, which measures 48 cm (19 in) plus a 23 cm (9 in) tail, to the crested porcupine (example pictured), at 93 cm (37 in) plus a 17 cm (7 in) tail. Found in Southern Europe, the Levant, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, Old World porcupines generally inhabit shrublands, grasslands, forests, and savannas. The eleven species of hystricids are divided into three genera: Atherurus, which contains two species, the African and Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine; Hystrix, which contains eight species in three subgenera; and Trichys, which contains only the long-tailed porcupine. (Full list...)
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In four days (March 14)
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March 14 The number π is a mathematical constant, approximately equal to 3.14159, that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It is an irrational number, meaning that it cannot be expressed exactly as a ratio of two integers, though it is sometimes approximated as 22/7. Its decimal representation never ends, nor does it enter a permanently repeating pattern. The digits of π appear to be evenly distributed, but no proof of this conjecture has been found. π appears in many formulae in mathematics and physics, and for thousands of years, mathematicians have computed its value with increasing accuracy. Since the late 20th century, mathematicians and computer scientists have extended the decimal representation of π to many trillions of digits. Many equations from trigonometry and geometry rely on π, especially those concerning circles and spheres. A transcendental number, π is one of the most widely known mathematical constants. (Full article...)
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March 14: Sikh New Year's Day; White Day in parts of East Asia; Pi Day
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March 14
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In five days (March 15)
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March 15 Zenobia (c. 240 – c. 274) was queen of the Palmyrene Empire. Her husband Odaenathus became king in 260 and elevated Palmyra's power in the Near East by defeating the Sassanians and stabilizing the Roman East. After his assassination, she became the regent of her son Vaballathus and held de facto power throughout his reign. In 270, Zenobia launched an invasion which brought most of the Roman East under her sway, culminating with the annexation of Egypt. In reaction to Roman emperor Aurelian's campaign in 272, Zenobia declared Palmyra's secession from Rome, naming her son emperor and assuming the title of empress. The Romans were victorious after heavy fighting; the queen was besieged in her capital and captured by Aurelian. He exiled her to Rome, where she spent the remainder of her life. Zenobia fostered a multicultural and intellectual environment in her court, which was open to scholars and philosophers. Her biography has inspired historians, artists and novelists. (Full article...)
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March 15: Ides of March; Night of Power (Shia Islam, 2026); Laetare Sunday (Western Christianity, 2026)
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March 15
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In six days (March 16)
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March 16 Yan Ruisheng is a 1921 Chinese silent film directed by Ren Pengnian, starring Chen Shouzi and Wang Caiyun. A docudrama based on the murder of Wang Lianying the previous year, it follows a young man named Yan Ruisheng who kills a courtesan to steal her jewellery. When the crime is discovered, he and his accomplices flee, but Yan is captured and executed. China's first full-length feature film,Yan Ruisheng was produced as domestic short films were becoming increasingly common. It emphasized accuracy to real life in its casting and setting; the stars were chosen based on their physical resemblance to those involved, while extensive use of location shooting allowed scenes to be set in places associated with the murder. A commercial success upon release, the critical reception of its technical aspects was positive but the subject matter was challenged and the film faced several calls for banning.The film is thought to be lost. (Full article...)
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March 16 The 78th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 2005 and took place on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 24 categories. Televised in the United States by ABC, the ceremony was produced by Gilbert Cates and directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Jon Stewart hosted the show for the first time. Crash won three awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included Brokeback Mountain, King Kong, and Memoirs of a Geisha, with three each. The telecast garnered more than 39 million viewers in the United States. (Full list...)
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March 16 The featured picture for this day has not yet been chosen. In general, pictures of the day are scheduled in order of promotion to featured status. See Wikipedia:Picture of the day/Guidelines for full guidelines. | |
In seven days (March 17)
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March 17 The Corleck Head is a 1st or 2nd century AD three-faced Irish stone idol discovered in Drumeague in County Cavan c. 1855. Its dating to the Iron Age is based on its iconography, which is similar to that of contemporary northern European Celtic art artefacts. Most archaeologists believe that it probably depicts a Celtic god and was intended to be placed on top of a larger shrine. The head is carved from a single block of limestone into three simply described faces. They each have similar features, including protruding eyes, thin and narrow mouths and enigmatic expressions. The head's dating and cultural significance are difficult to establish. The faces may depict all-knowing, all-seeing gods representing the unity of the past, present and future. The head is assumed to have been intended for ceremonial used on the nearby Corleck Hill, a major religious centre during the late Iron Age and a site for celebration of the Lughnasadh, a pre-Christian harvest festival. (Full article...)
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March 17: Saint Patrick's Day (Christianity); Anniversary of the Unification of Italy (1861)
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March 17
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