March 17

Events - Wars & Conflicts

45 BC

In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda.

Julius Caesar secures his last victory at the Battle of Munda, crushing the remaining Pompeian resistance in Spain.
By 45 BC the Roman civil war had spread across the republic. At Munda in southern Spain, Caesar's legions faced the forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger. The battle was fiercely contested, but Caesar's veterans ultimately prevailed, routing the Pompeian troops. This decisive victory eliminated the last organized resistance to Caesar's rule. It marked the culmination of Caesar's military campaign and secured his unchallenged position in Rome.
45 BC Julius Caesar Pompeian Titus Labienus Pompey the Younger Battle of Munda
1400day.year

Turko-Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus.

Timur, the Turko-Mongol conqueror, captures and sacks Damascus during his 1400 Middle Eastern campaign.
In March 1400 the armies of Timur, also known as Tamerlane, reach Damascus after sweeping through Persia and Mesopotamia. The city falls after a brief siege, and Timur orders a large-scale massacre of its inhabitants. Major landmarks, including mosques and caravanserais, are plundered or destroyed. The sack deals a crushing blow to the Mamluk Sultanate's prestige. Damascus remains under Timur's shadow until his forces withdraw. The event underscores the brutality of Timur's conquests and reshapes power dynamics in the Middle East for decades.
1400 Turko-Mongol Timur sacks Damascus
1776day.year

American Revolution: The British Army evacuates Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, after George Washington and Henry Knox place artillery in positions overlooking the city.

British forces evacuate Boston, concluding the Siege of Boston after colonial artillery is positioned on Dorchester Heights.
During the American Revolution, General George Washington orchestrates a bold plan to break the British hold on Boston. Colonel Henry Knox transports captured artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights overlooking the city. On March 17, 1776, the British realize their vulnerable position and withdraw by sea to Halifax. The evacuation ends an eight-month siege and grants the patriots their first major strategic victory. The success boosts colonial morale and solidifies Washington's reputation as a capable commander. Control of Boston provides a symbolic and logistical advantage to the revolutionary cause.
1776 American Revolution British Army evacuates Boston Siege of Boston George Washington Henry Knox place artillery
1860day.year

The First Taranaki War begins in Taranaki, New Zealand, a major phase of the New Zealand Wars.

The First Taranaki War erupts in New Zealand over disputed land sales, marking a significant phase in the New Zealand Wars.
On March 17, 1860, conflict ignites in New Zealand’s Taranaki region when disputes over the sale of Māori land at Waitara lead to armed confrontation. British colonial forces clash with local Māori fighters led by Wiremu Kingi. The war becomes the first major engagement of the New Zealand Wars, highlighting tensions over sovereignty and land rights. Battles like Waireka set a pattern of frontier warfare characterized by sieges and guerilla tactics. The conflict disrupts local communities and has lasting social consequences. Its outcome shapes subsequent colonial policy and negotiations with Māori iwi.
1860 First Taranaki War Taranaki New Zealand Wars
1942day.year

Holocaust: The first Jews from the Lvov Ghetto are gassed at the Belzec death camp in what is today eastern Poland.

On March 17, 1942, the first mass gassings of Jews from the Lvov Ghetto took place at Belzec death camp, marking a horrific escalation in the Holocaust.
As part of Nazi Germany’s Operation Reinhard, Belzec death camp began systematic mass murder on March 17, 1942. Prisoners from the Lvov Ghetto were transported in cattle cars and forced into gas chambers on arrival. This marked the transition from shootings to industrialized extermination methods using carbon monoxide. Thousands were killed in a single day, with victims later buried in mass graves. The atrocities at Belzec exemplified the Final Solution’s deadly efficiency and the depths of human cruelty during World War II.
1942 Holocaust Lvov Ghetto Belzec death camp
1945day.year

The Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, Germany, collapses, ten days after its capture.

Ten days after Allied forces captured it, the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen collapsed on March 17, 1945, underscoring the ferocity of the final days of WWII in Europe.
The Ludendorff Bridge, a crucial Rhine crossing near Remagen, was seized by US troops on March 7, 1945, accelerating Allied advances. Despite efforts to reinforce its structure, continuous shelling and heavy traffic weakened its foundations. On March 17, 1945, the bridge suddenly buckled and collapsed, sending vehicles and soldiers into the river below. Over a dozen soldiers were killed, but the Allies had already secured the eastern bank, hastening Germany’s defeat. The bridge’s fall highlighted both the strategic value of infrastructure and the desperation of the crumbling Third Reich.
1945 Ludendorff Bridge Remagen
1973day.year

The Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph Burst of Joy is taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family, which came to symbolize the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War.

Photograph titled 'Burst of Joy' captures a former POW reunited with his family at Tan Son Nhut Airport. This Pulitzer Prize–winning image comes to symbolize the conclusion of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
On March 17, 1973, photographer Slava 'Sal' Veder captured an emotional scene at Tan Son Nhut Airport in Saigon. Airman Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm embraces his wife and daughters after being released from imprisonment in North Vietnam. The photograph, later titled Burst of Joy, highlights intense relief and happiness in a single frame. It was published widely in American newspapers and magazines, resonating with the public. The image won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. It came to symbolize the end of America's direct involvement in the Vietnam War and the power of photojournalism.
1973 Pulitzer Prize Burst of Joy prisoner of war Vietnam War
1988day.year

Eritrean War of Independence: The Nadew Command, an Ethiopian army corps in Eritrea, is attacked on three sides by military units of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in the opening action of the Battle of Afabet.

In 1988, during the Eritrean War of Independence, Eritrean People's Liberation Front fighters launched a daring three-sided assault on the Ethiopian Nadew Command at Afabet. This opening action of the Battle of Afabet marked a turning point in the struggle for Eritrean self-determination.
By March 17, 1988, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) had grown into a formidable force. At Afabet, EPLF units executed a coordinated encirclement of the Nadew Command, an Ethiopian army corps. The three-sided assault caught Ethiopian forces off guard, leading to heavy casualties. Control of the Afabet railway junction gave the EPLF a strategic advantage in supply routes. The victory boosted morale among Eritrean insurgents and undermined Ethiopian military confidence. The Battle of Afabet became a symbol of the EPLF’s military prowess and a turning point in the independence war.
Eritrean War of Independence Ethiopian Eritrea Eritrean People's Liberation Front Battle of Afabet
1992day.year

Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires: Car bomb attack kills 29 and injures 242.

In 1992, a powerful car bomb destroyed the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 and wounding 242.
On March 17, 1992, a car bomb detonated outside the Israeli Embassy on Argentina’s Calle Arroyo in Buenos Aires. The explosion ripped through the embassy facade, causing extensive damage to nearby buildings. Emergency crews rescued survivors amid the rubble, but 29 people lost their lives and 242 were injured. This attack marked one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in Argentine history. Although responsibility has never been conclusively assigned, suspicions pointed to international extremist groups. The bombing prompted heightened security measures at diplomatic missions worldwide and deepened Argentina’s investigation into global terrorism networks.
1992 Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires Car bomb
2004day.year

Unrest in Kosovo: More than 22 are killed and 200 wounded. Thirty-five Serbian Orthodox shrines in Kosovo and two mosques in Serbia are destroyed.

In 2004, violent riots swept through Kosovo, killing more than 22 people and destroying dozens of religious shrines and mosques.
Between March 17 and 19, 2004, ethnic violence erupted across Kosovo between Albanian and Serbian communities. Clashes resulted in at least 22 deaths and over 200 injuries, the deadliest since the 1999 conflict. Rioting mobs targeted thirty-five Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo, some of which date back centuries. In retaliation, two mosques in southern Serbia were destroyed by fire. International peacekeepers struggled to contain the violence, highlighting ongoing tensions after the region’s UN administration. The unrest underscored the fragile coexistence of ethnic groups and the challenges in securing lasting peace in Kosovo.
2004 Unrest in Kosovo Serbian Orthodox Kosovo mosques Serbia
2016day.year

Rojava conflict: At a conference in Rmelan, the Movement for a Democratic Society declares the establishment of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.

In 2016, Kurdish-led groups declared the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria at a conference in Rmelan, formalizing Rojava’s autonomous administration.
On March 17, 2016, representatives of Kurdish, Arab, and other groups gathered in Rmelan, a city in northeastern Syria. They announced the establishment of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, also known as Rojava. The federation was designed to implement a multiethnic, decentralized political system under the Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM). It aimed to enshrine gender equality, grassroots democracy, and minority rights in post-civil-war Syria. This political milestone followed years of armed conflict against ISIS and Syrian government forces. While the federation’s autonomy remains contested, it represents a unique experiment in local self-governance in the Middle East.
2016 Rojava conflict Rmelan Movement for a Democratic Society Democratic Federation of Northern Syria