March 10

Jean Calas, a French Huguenot merchant, was accused of murdering his son and subjected to brutal torture before dying on March 10, 1762. His tragic and unjust execution exposed deep flaws in the French judicial system and prevalent anti-Protestant sentiment. Enlightenment writer Voltaire took up Calas’s cause, investigating the case and mobilizing public opinion through pamphlets and letters. His advocacy led to a posthumous exoneration of Calas in 1765 and fueled broader movements for civil liberties and judicial reform. The Calas affair became a landmark struggle for human rights in pre-revolutionary France.

On March 10, 1979, approximately 15,000 Iranian women and girls gathered outside the Courthouse of Tehran to participate in a three-hour sit-in protest. This demonstration formed part of the International Women's Day activities calling for gender equality and political representation following the Iranian Revolution. Participants chanted slogans demanding women's rights and legal reforms in the newly established Islamic Republic. The protest highlighted tensions between traditionalists and reformers over the role of women in society. Despite facing pressure from authorities, the women maintained a peaceful sit-in, drawing international attention to their cause. Their actions helped shape subsequent debates on women's legal status, education, and workforce participation in Iran. The 1979 protests remain a landmark in the history of Iranian women's activism.