The Act in Conditional Restraint of Annates is passed by the English parliament on March 21, 1532 as an initial tactic to threaten the Pope by suspending the payment of annates to Rome but allowed for a small portion to still be sent to Rome, with the rest redirected to the Crown, if a papal annulment of King Henry VIII marriage wasn't granted within a year.
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What Happened Today in History on March 21
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on March 21st. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Sharpeville massacre in South Africa occurs as police open fire on a crowd of approximately 5,000 demonstrating against apartheid, resulting in at least 91 people killed and 238 people wounded. Many people were shot in the back as they fled from the police. More
The Alcatraz Federal Prison in San Francisco Bay closes. The first batch of 137 prisoners had arrived at Alcatraz on August 11, 1934 from the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. During its 29 year history, Alcatraz held some of the most dangerous civilian prisoners, including Al Capone and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz”. More
U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States was boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. Despite Carter's efforts to recruit allies, several key nations, including Britain and France, did not join the boycott. In the end, 65 nations skipped the games.
In retaliation for the American-led boycott, the Soviet Union and 14 of its allies boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. The boycott's effectiveness remains debated among historians. The Soviet Union did not withdraw from Afghanistan until 1989, and some feel the action harmed athletes more than it influenced Soviet policy. In a 2025 AP News article, President Carter reflected on the boycott, stating he considered it "a bad decision".
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, becomes independent after 106 years of German and South African rule, Namibia is a country in Southern Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, Zimbabwe lies less than 660 feet (200 meters) away along the Zambezi River near Kazungula, Zambia. Namibia's has a reported 2025 population of over 3 Million, its capital and largest city is Windhoek.
The first public tweet is sent by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, The message was: "just setting up my twttr". The tweet was sent at 9:50 PM. At the time, Twitter was still in its early stages and known as "Twttr".