March 28

Events - Politics & Government

AD 37day.year

Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.

Caligula formally accepted the supreme titles of the Principate from the Senate, marking his consolidation of power as Roman emperor.
On March 28, AD 37, the Roman Senate officially bestowed the titles of the Principate upon Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, known as Caligula. This act affirmed his position as sole ruler and perpetuated the imperial system established by Augustus. The Principate blended republican forms with monarchical authority, granting emperors vast powers while maintaining nominal senatorial oversight. Caligula’s acceptance was seen as a ceremonial affirmation of stability after Tiberius’s reign. Despite the Senate’s endorsement, his subsequent rule would become infamous for extravagance and autocracy. This event highlighted the evolving relationship between the emperor and the Senate. It also set the stage for Caligula’s dramatic and controversial leadership. Historians view this moment as pivotal in the transition from principled republican façade to overt imperial rule.
AD 37 Roman emperor Caligula Principate Senate
193day.year

After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Didius Julianus.

Praetorian Guards assassinated Emperor Pertinax and infamously auctioned the imperial throne to the highest bidder, Didius Julianus.
On March 28, 193, discontented members of the Praetorian Guard stormed the imperial palace and murdered Emperor Pertinax. In a shocking display of power, they held an auction for the Roman throne, inviting bids from prominent senators and nobles. Didius Julianus emerged as the highest bidder, offering a massive donative to the guard. His accession underscored the Guard’s unprecedented influence in imperial politics. The Senate reluctantly confirmed Julianus as emperor, but his reign was met with widespread outrage and instability. The episode plunged Rome into chaos and undermined the legitimacy of the imperial office. It also prompted rival generals, including Septimius Severus, to challenge Julianus’s rule. This infamous auction became a lasting symbol of the excesses of Roman militarized politics.
193 assassinating Pertinax Praetorian Guards Didius Julianus
364day.year

Roman Emperor Valentinian I appoints his brother Flavius Valens co-emperor.

Emperor Valentinian I elevated his brother Flavius Valens to co-emperor, securing imperial rule over the Eastern provinces.
On March 28, 364, Valentinian I appointed his younger brother Flavius Valens as co-emperor. The decision aimed to strengthen administrative control over the vast Roman Empire and deter usurpation. Valentinian remained based in the western capital, Milan, while Valens governed from Constantinople in the East. This arrangement established the permanent division of imperial authority between east and west. Both emperors pledged mutual support to defend the frontiers against external threats such as Germanic tribes and Sassanid Persia. Their cooperation laid groundwork for coordinated military campaigns and internal stability. However, rivalries and external pressures would later test this joint rule. The co-emperorship model persisted throughout the later empire, shaping its political structure.
364 Valentinian I Flavius Valens emperor
1566day.year

The foundation stone of Valletta, Malta's capital city, is laid by Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Jean Parisot de Valette lays the foundation stone for Valletta, setting the stage for Malta’s storied capital.
On March 28, 1566, Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, ceremonially laid the cornerstone of Valletta on the Sciberras Peninsula. The new city was designed by military engineers to withstand future Ottoman sieges after the Order’s victory in 1565. Built with a grid street plan and massive bastioned fortifications, Valletta represented cutting-edge defensive architecture of the Renaissance. Construction attracted masons, artisans, and laborers from across Europe, transforming the rocky peninsula into a strategic stronghold. Over the following decades, the city grew with grand palaces, churches, and public squares at its core. Valletta’s planning and construction symbolized the Order’s resilience and maritime power in the Mediterranean. Today, the city stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a testament to 16th-century military ingenuity. Valette himself passed away before its completion, but his legacy endures in Malta’s enduring capital.
1566 Valletta Malta Jean Parisot de Valette Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
1795day.year

Partitions of Poland: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a northern fief of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, ceases to exist and becomes part of Imperial Russia.

The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is absorbed into Imperial Russia during the final Partition of Poland, ending its autonomy.
On March 28, 1795, amid the Third Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the northern duchy of Courland and Semigallia ceased to exist as a Polish fief and was formally annexed by the Russian Empire. This act followed earlier partitions by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, which had progressively dismantled the commonwealth. The absorption of Courland ended centuries of semi-independent rule under local dukes. Russian administrators swiftly integrated the region into their provincial system, imposing new laws, taxes, and officials. Many local nobles fled or swore allegiance to Catherine the Great to retain some privileges. The loss of Courland symbolized the final collapse of Polish sovereignty and a shift in Baltic power dynamics. Peasant communities faced serfdom reforms and changes in land ownership under Russian governance. The former duchy became the Courland Governorate, reshaping the region’s political and cultural landscape.
1795 Partitions of Poland Duchy of Courland and Semigallia fief Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Imperial Russia
1801day.year

Treaty of Florence is signed, ending the war between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples.

The Treaty of Florence is signed, officially ending the war between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples.
On March 28, 1801, representatives of the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples concluded the Treaty of Florence, bringing an end to hostilities in southern Italy. The agreement followed the French occupation of Naples under General Championnet and a subsequent Neapolitan revolt. Under the treaty’s terms, King Ferdinand IV recognized the loss of certain territories and agreed to pay indemnities to France. In return, France promised to withdraw its forces and respect the remaining Neapolitan kingdom. The treaty marked a momentary stabilization in the Italian peninsula during the turbulent French Revolutionary Wars. However, Naples would soon be reshaped by the rise of Napoleon and the creation of the Parthenopean Republic. International observers saw the Treaty of Florence as emblematic of France’s dominant position in Europe at the time. The agreement influenced later diplomatic negotiations leading up to the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.
1801 Treaty of Florence French Republic Kingdom of Naples
1946day.year

Cold War: The United States Department of State releases the Acheson–Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.

In 1946, the Acheson–Lilienthal Report proposed international control of nuclear energy to prevent proliferation during the early Cold War.
In March 1946, political scientist David Lilienthal and Secretary of State Dean Acheson co-authored a report on atomic energy governance. The Acheson–Lilienthal Report proposed establishing an International Atomic Development Authority under United Nations oversight. Its aim was to ensure peaceful use of nuclear power while preventing national weapons programs. The report influenced the subsequent Baruch Plan presented to the UN General Assembly. Cold War tensions and distrust between the US and USSR led to the plan's rejection. Despite its failure, the report laid the groundwork for later nonproliferation treaties and agencies.
1946 Cold War United States Department of State Acheson–Lilienthal Report nuclear power
1959day.year

The State Council of the People's Republic of China dissolves the government of Tibet.

In 1959, the Chinese State Council officially dissolved Tibet's traditional government, consolidating Communist Party control over the region.
Following a Tibetan uprising earlier in March 1959, the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued a resolution to abolish Tibet's government. This measure ended the centuries-old Kashag administration and the Dalai Lama's political authority. Chinese Communist officials moved to integrate Tibet into the new socialist state apparatus. The decision prompted the Dalai Lama's flight to India and the establishment of a government in exile. Beijing subsequently established the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1965 with direct Communist Party oversight. The dissolution of Tibetan self-rule remains a central issue in Sino-Tibetan relations and international human rights debates.
1959 State Council of the People's Republic of China dissolves the government of Tibet
1969day.year

Greek poet and Nobel Prize laureate Giorgos Seferis makes a famous statement on the BBC World Service opposing the junta in Greece.

In 1969, Greek Nobel laureate poet Giorgos Seferis publicly condemned the military junta in Greece during a broadcast on the BBC World Service.
On March 28, 1969, the celebrated poet and diplomat Giorgos Seferis used a BBC broadcast to protest the ruling Greek military junta. Seferis, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1963, quoted from his own poetry to subtly criticize the regime. His statement was the first public condemnation of the dictatorship by a figure of international stature. The broadcast energized the Greek opposition and resonated with audiences at home and abroad. Despite government censorship, tapes of the speech were circulated clandestinely within Greece. Seferis’s bold intervention underscored the power of art and letters as tools for political dissent.
1969 Nobel Prize Giorgos Seferis BBC World Service
1978day.year

The US Supreme Court hands down 5–3 decision in Stump v. Sparkman, a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization and judicial immunity.

In a landmark 1978 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld judicial immunity in Stump v. Sparkman, a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization. The decision sparked debate over judges' authority and civil rights.
On March 28, 1978, the United States Supreme Court delivered its decision in Stump v. Sparkman by a 5–3 vote. The case centered on a lower court judge who authorized the involuntary sterilization of a young woman without her knowledge or consent. In its majority opinion, the Court ruled that judges are protected by judicial immunity when performing their official duties, even if those actions violate constitutional rights. The dissenting justices argued that the judge's conduct was a gross abuse of power and should not be shielded by immunity. The ruling generated widespread controversy, raising questions about the balance between judicial protection and accountability. This case remains a pivotal example of the limits of civil redress against alleged judicial misconduct.
1978 US Supreme Court Stump v. Sparkman sterilization judicial immunity
1979day.year

The British House of Commons passes a vote of no confidence against James Callaghan's government by one vote, precipitating a general election.

On March 28, 1979, the British House of Commons narrowly passed a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister James Callaghan's government by a single vote, triggering a general election.
By the narrowest of margins, the British House of Commons voted 311-310 against the government led by Prime Minister James Callaghan on March 28, 1979. This defeat of a supply motion effectively served as a vote of no confidence. The loss forced Callaghan to request the dissolution of Parliament and call a general election. Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher capitalized on economic discontent and Labour's perceived mismanagement. The subsequent election resulted in a Conservative landslide victory, ushering in Thatcher's premiership and a new era in UK politics. This dramatic turnaround reshaped Britain's political landscape and marked a shift in public sentiment.
British House of Commons vote of no confidence James Callaghan general election
1990day.year

United States President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal.

On March 28, 1990, President George H. W. Bush posthumously awarded Olympic legend Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal, honoring his historic achievements and enduring legacy.
On this day in 1990, President George H. W. Bush presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the family of Jesse Owens, nearly half a century after his Olympic triumphs. Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, became a global icon challenging racial barriers and Nazi propaganda. The posthumous honor recognized his athletic excellence and his role in civil rights history. Ceremonial speeches highlighted Owens's courage, resilience, and inspirational impact on future generations of athletes. The award underscored America's commitment to acknowledging past injustices and celebrating individuals who embody the nation's ideals. Jesse Owens's legacy continues to inspire athletes and advocates around the world.
1990 George H. W. Bush Jesse Owens Congressional Gold Medal