27th March 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicated Venice and all its population. 1625 - Charles I, ascended the English throne, with the title "Charles, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland..." Yes, he also claimed the title King of France. 1713 - Britain gained Menorca and Gibraltar under the […]

26th March 1812 - An earthquake destroyed Caracas, Venezuela. 1827 - German composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna. 1934 - The driving test was introduced in the United Kingdom. 1973 - The London Stock Exchange allowed women on to the trading floor for the first time in the institution's 200 year history. 1979 - […]

25th March 1306 - Robert the Bruce became King of Scotland. 1807 - The Slave Trade Act "An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade" was signed. It made slave trading illegal throughout the British Empire. "Slavery is still practised in new forms that today affect millions of men, women and children across the […]

24th March 1944 - 76 prisoners of war begin breaking out of Stalag Luft III. This was later dramatized in the movie The Great Escape. 1972 - The United Kingdom imposed "Direct Rule" over Northern Ireland.

23rd March 1603 - Queen Elizabeth I of England died. 1895 - The first official match played by women took place at Crouch End in London. (Nettie Honeyball had placed an advert in the press and persuaded about 30 young women to join the British Ladies Football Club. It wasn't a resounding success, but during […]

21st March 1960 - More than 50 people were killed in the South African township of Sharpeville when police opened fire on a "peaceful" protest. The death toll rose to 69 and the number of injuries to 180.