421day.year
Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto.
In 421, the city of Venice was founded with the dedication of the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto on the Rialto islet.
According to tradition, on March 25, 421, refugees from mainland Italy gathered on the marshy islets of the Venetian lagoon. They built the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, dedicating their new settlement to Saint James. This modest wooden church marked the humble origins of Venice. Over centuries, the community evolved into a maritime republic that dominated Mediterranean trade. The annual feast of Saint James commemorated the foundation, linking modern Venice to its early roots. Today, the Rialto area remains the beating heart of the city, with the famous Rialto Bridge nearby.
421
Venice
San Giacomo di Rialto
Rialto
1894day.year
Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C.
Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, began its journey from Ohio to Washington, D.C. in 1894.
In March 1894, unemployed laborer Jacob Coxey led a caravan of workers known as Coxey’s Army from Massillon, Ohio.
They marched over 500 miles to demand relief jobs during the severe economic depression of the Panic of 1893.
The protesters carried a petition urging the federal government to authorize public works to reduce unemployment.
Along the route, Coxey’s Army attracted supporters and media attention, highlighting widespread hardship.
When they reached Washington, D.C. in May, some participants were arrested for trespassing on the Capitol grounds.
Coxey’s march set a precedent for future mass protests and became a symbol of grassroots activism.
1894
Coxey's Army
Massillon, Ohio
1965day.year
Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile (80 km) march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
Martin Luther King Jr. leads civil rights activists on a four-day, 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, demanding voting rights.
In March 1965, over 600 civil rights marchers embarked from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest racial disenfranchisement.
Led by Martin Luther King Jr., the 50-mile journey spanned four days under hostile conditions and severe resistance.
Their display of nonviolent determination galvanized national awareness of segregation and voting barriers.
Media coverage of attacks on peaceful demonstrators prompted federal action.
The march directly influenced the passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year.
1965
Civil rights
Martin Luther King Jr.
their 4-day 50-mile (80 km) march
Selma
Montgomery, Alabama
1988day.year
The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
The Candle demonstration in Bratislava marks the first mass protest against Czechoslovakia’s communist regime in the late 1980s.
On 25 March 1988, thousands of citizens in Bratislava lit candles and gathered to peacefully protest Czechoslovakia’s authoritarian government.
Dubbed the Candle demonstration, it was the first large-scale public dissent since the 1968 Prague Spring.
Participants demanded human rights, freedom of expression, and an end to political oppression.
Despite pervasive secret police surveillance, the event grew into a powerful symbol of civil courage.
It inspired subsequent protests that culminated in the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
1988
Candle demonstration in Bratislava
Czechoslovakia