March 01

In 1796, amid the upheaval of the Batavian Revolution, the Dutch state seized control of the financially troubled Dutch East India Company. The company had been established in 1602 and held a global trade monopoly spanning Asia, Africa, and Europe. Years of war, mismanagement, and declining profits left the company on the brink of collapse. Nationalization dissolved its private shareholders and placed its assets under the Batavian Republic's authority. This action marked the end of the world's first public limited company and reflected the era's shift towards centralized state power. It also foreshadowed modern approaches to colonial administration and public enterprise.

On March 1, 1946, the Bank of England became the first central bank in the world to be nationalised, as part of the postwar Labour administration's programme of economic reform. Share capital was transferred to the Treasury, and a new governance structure was introduced to align monetary policy with national reconstruction efforts. State control aimed to facilitate funding for welfare initiatives and industrial redevelopment. This landmark move reshaped central banking and influenced economic policy in the UK for decades.

On March 1, 1947, the International Monetary Fund officially opened for business in Washington, D.C., following its establishment at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. The IMF's mission was to foster international monetary cooperation, stabilize exchange rates, and provide short-term financial assistance to member countries. Early efforts focused on postwar reconstruction and preventing competitive devaluations. Over time, the IMF expanded its role in global financial stability and economic development.