Roman Emperor Pertinax, was assassinated on March 28, 193 CE, by the Praetorian Guard after a short 87-day reign. He was attempting to institute reforms to bring financial stability and military discipline. His assassination led to the "Year of the Five Emperors".
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On This Day in History: March 28
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on March 28th. 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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James I of Scotland was released from English custody on March 28, 1424 after 18 years of captivity, following the Treaty of Durham, returning to Scotland to claim his throne with his wife, Joan Beaufort, a cousin of the English King in England. He was crowned at Scone on May 21, 1424.
He faced high ransom costs and resentment from nobles, which coupled with his harsh centralized rule led to his assassination on February 21, 1437. Queen Joan had managed to escape the attack and successfully protected her son, James II who was six years old and went on to succeed James I, under a regency council established by Joan during his minority. James II was crowned at Holyrood Abbey. The assassins, led by James I's uncle Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, were executed after their failed attempt to seize power.
Scotland entered a period of power struggles between powerful nobles, Despite the chaos taking place during his minority, James II later continued his father’s work, strengthening royal authority and tackling powerful, rebellious families.
Ivan IV, Tsar of Russia, known as Ivan the Terrible dies on March 28, 1584 after a reign of 41 years. More
A new French labor law was passed on March 28, 1919, restricting bakers from working from 10 pm to 4 am. The new labor law had an unintended consequence, it forced a cultural shift away from the traditional French boule, which took hours to prepare, to the baguette, a long, narrow, bread that could be prepared in a fraction of the time.
The new law, “la fabrication du pain” made the French baguette eventually become commonplace, and today the baguette is protected as a part of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list.
The three year Spanish Civil War comes to an end as the Republican defenders of Madrid surrender and the victorious Nationalists entered the capital city on March 28, 1939. It is estimated that up million lives were lost in the most devastating conflict in Spanish history. General Francisco Franco went on to rule Spain as a ruthless dictator until his death in 1975 when Spain finally became a democracy. More
The Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear reactor, near Middletown, Pa., partially melts down on march 28, 1979. This was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history. A combination of equipment malfunctions, design-related problems and worker errors led to TMI-2’s partial meltdown and very small off site releases of radioactivity. More