Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.
What Time is It? It is flow of a sandstorm that will on each day compress somewhere into a structure – sandstone, selected and only remembered in the longue durée.
On Friday, 26 March 1920, Oriel Gray, dramatist and playwright (died 2003)
On Friday, 26 March 1920, The German government asks France for permission to use its own troops against the rebellious Ruhr Red Army, in the French-occupied area.
On Monday, 26 March 1945, WWII: The Battle of Iwo Jima officially ends, with the destruction of the remaining areas of Japanese resistance.
On Wednesday, 26 March 1980, A mine lift cage at the Vaal Reefs gold mine in South Africa falls 1.2 miles (1.9 kilometers), killing 23.
On Monday, 26 March 1990, Finance Minister Senator Peter Walsh makes unflattering remarks about poll-driven policies having undermined the careful work of Cabinet’s Economic Review Committee and declines to stay in the Ministry.
On Monday, 26 March 1990, The 62nd Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, with Driving Miss Daisy winning Best Picture.
On Sunday, 26 March 1995, The Schengen Agreement, easing cross-border travel, goes into effect in several European countries.
On Friday, 26 March 2010, Sam Leach wins the Archibald Prize for portraiture for his painting of musical comedian Tim Minchin.
On Friday, 26 March 2010, The ROKS Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 personnel, sinks off the country’s west coast, killing 46. In May, an independent investigation blames North Korea, which denies the allegations.
On Thursday, 26 March 2015, Data retention laws require phone and Internet providers to store metadata for two years.
Images Citations in Composite: ID 17208541 © Anhong | Dreamstime.com; ID 35001957 © DiversityStudio1 | Dreamstime.com; ID 156394527 © Gerd Zahn | Dreamstime.com
Neville Buch