Historic Event from March 16: Occurrences and Milestones

Let's Take a Peek at Some History

16th of March - A Day Complied with Tradition

Gotta say, this day's had quite a history, didn't it? From bloody battles to speeches that changed the world, it's no slouch. Here are a few events that went down on this date, and boy, they're quite the hoot!

1309 A.D.

Robert the Bruce mustered his troops at good ol' St Andrews for his first parliament meeting. Now, you might be thinking, "So what, man? What's the big deal?" Well, this shindig was all about declaring the independence of their kingdom, and you better believe that ol' Bruce believed he was the man to rule it. Sounds like quite the power move to me!

1322 A.D.

A right royal dust-up took place at Boroughbridge in Yorkshire. The royalist forces, led by the dapper Sir Andrew Harcla, brought the rebel army, led by the Earls of Lancaster and Hereford, to their knees. Sadly, Hereford didn't survive and Lancaster paid the ultimate price for his rebellion, getting executed outside his own castle at Pontefract. I guess it wasn't a good day to be a rebel, eh?

1457 A.D.

László Hunyadi, one of Hungary's finest, was beheaded in Buda. I guess even the best of the best can't escape the axe, huh?

1563 A.D.

Lawmakers in Elizabethan England came together to discuss a bill focusing on punishing folks who dabbled in the dark arts. I guess they had some serious issues with witchcraft back in the day, huh?

1660 A.D.

The Long Parliament decided to dissolve itself, which then paved the way for the election of the Convention Parliament. Can you guess what happened next? If you said the Restoration of King Charles II, you're spot on! But does this mean the party's over, you might ask? Nah, mate, there's plenty more where that came from!

1751 A.D.

Born on this very day was good ol' James Madison. Ever heard of him? He was the fourth president of the United States of America. So, once again, we see history being made on the 16th of March!

1968 A.D.

Oh boy, this one's a doozy. As many as 500 Vietnamese civilians were brutally murdered by US troops at My Lai, South Vietnam. God, war is such a pain in the arse, isn't it? It's a damn shame that such tragedies occur, but remember what they say: history repeats itself. Keep your eyes open, and yeah, here's some reading on the Vietnam War if you're curious.

Want More History, Mate?

I can't get enough of the good stuff myself! If you're interested in history and want to know more about what took place around this date, here are a few more events that might tickle your fancy.

On March 15, 1626, a dam failure in Potosí, Bolivia, resulted in devastating flooding and environmental damage.
In 1975, Mariner 10 performed its third and final flyby of Mercury, having previously visited Venus and Mercury twice before.
On March 15, 2025, there seems to be no specific historical event for March 16, but modern celebrations like the Irish Festival at Historic St. John's Church take place on this date!

On this significant day, there have been numerous political events shaping history, such as the formation of Scotland's parliament declaring independence in 1309, the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, and the birth of the fourth president of the United States, James Madison, in 1751. Meanwhile, general news worth noting includes the devastating My Lai Massacre in 1968 and the dam failure in Potosí, Bolivia, in 1626.