1306: Robert the Bruce crowned king of Scotland
Robert the Bruce, crowned Scottish king at Scone this day in 1306, freed Scotland from English rule, winning the decisive Battle of Bannockburn (1314) and confirming Scottish independence in the Treaty of Northampton (1328).
1807: British Parliament abolishes the slave trade throughout the British Empire; the penalty of £120 per slave was introduced for ship captains
One of the first groups in Britain to organize an opposition to slavery in the Empire was the “Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade”, formed in 1787. Twenty years later they found themselves with a large group in the British parliament that supported their ideals, finding slavery an abhorrent blight upon humanity.
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1931: In the so-called “Scottsboro Boys” case, nine young Black men were taken off a train in Alabama, accused of raping two white women; after years of convictions, death sentences, and imprisonment, the nine were eventually vindicated.
1949: The film Hamlet, starring Laurence Olivier, won five Oscars. It was the first British film to win an Academy Award.
1957: 6 countries founded the European Economic Community. The EEC’s establishment was an important step towards European integration and the creation of the European Union (EU).
1965: Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights activists completed their march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama; two previous marches had been halted by local police.
1975: King Faisal of Saudi Arabia is assassinated by his nephew. Despite the king’s dying wish that the life of the assassin be spared, Faisal bin Musaid was publicly executed on June 18, 1975.
1988: Thousands of people join the first peaceful demonstrations against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia The Candle Demonstration was brutally dispersed by the Police but was the first step towards the Velvet Revolution that resulted in the establishment of democracy in the country.
1988: The Balleny Islands in Antarctica experienced an 8.1 magnitude earthquake, which became the strongest earthquake in the continent.
1996: The EU banned all British beef exports due to the risks of carrying “mad cow disease.”
1997: Lagos State Obas and leading chiefs, rather infamously, declare support for Sani Abacha’s government at a public rally.
1999: The 13-year-old singer Charlotte Church became the youngest artist to enter the American top 30 album chart.
2014: Chad, the only country with Arabic as the official language that is not a member of the Arab League applies for membership with the endorsement of Egypt.
2017: The world’s largest banana split was made in Innisfail, Australia.
The feat was achieved with the use of 40,000 bananas and was an incredible 5 miles (8 km) long!
2006: Today in Nigeria’s history, Obasanjo’s led administration agreed to hand war crimes fugitive, Charles Taylor to Liberia
Births on This Day, March 25
Elton John, 77 years
Sir Elton Hercules John is a British singer, born this day in Pinner, United Kingdom. A pianist and composer, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s and for his lasting impact on the music industry, his music, and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. He is 77 years old today.
Aretha Franklin (25 March 1942 – 16 August 2018)
Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, born on this day in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. She was a songwriter and pianist. Referred to as “Queen of Soul”, Rolling Stone twice named her the greatest singer of all time. With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. She died at the age of 76.
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