March 11 marks various important historical occurrences, including the establishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1824, the declaration of independence by Lithuania in 1990, and the removal of presidential term limits in China in 2018. Significant disasters such as the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 2011 also occurred on this date, alongside other notable events from the 20th and 21st centuries.
On March 11, several significant historical events unfolded. In 1824, the U.S. War Department established the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The year 1845 marked the death of John Chapman, popularly known as Johnny Appleseed, in Allen County, Indiana. In 1861, delegates from Southern states convened in Montgomery, Alabama, adopting the Permanent Constitution of the Confederate States of America.
The 20th century witnessed pivotal events, beginning with the first reports of Spanish influenza in the United States in 1918, which eventually claimed up to 22 million lives globally by 1920. In 1930, former President William Howard Taft became the first individual to be interred in Arlington National Cemetery. The year 1942 saw Gen. Douglas MacArthur evacuate the Philippines under orders from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, leaving behind numerous troops.
Mikhail Gorbachev emerged as the new leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, marking a generational change in power. Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, signaling the beginning of its disintegration. Janet Reno made history in 1993 by becoming the first female U.S. attorney general.
The devastating Madrid train bombings on March 11, 2004, claimed 191 lives. In the following two years, Slobodan Milosevic died in the Hague during his war crimes trial in 2006, while Michelle Bachelet was inaugurated as Chile’s first female president. Japan experienced a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in 2011, resulting in nearly 15,900 fatalities.
In 2018, China’s legislature removed presidential term limits, enabling Xi Jinping to potentially serve for life. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, a crisis that would ultimately result in over 2.5 million deaths worldwide. In 2022, Russian forces detained Melitopol’s mayor, Ivan Fedorov, who was released five days later.
March 11 has witnessed numerous historically significant events throughout the years, including the establishment of critical U.S. governmental bodies, monumental moments in global politics, and catastrophic natural disasters. From the Confederate Constitution’s adoption in 1861 to China’s constitutional changes in 2018, this date underscores profound shifts in governance and societal structure. It reflects the complexity of historical narratives, illustrating both progress and tragedy across different eras.
Original Source: www.upi.com
