What’s Happening Today?

National Tree Planting Day (Uganda). The holiday was established to raise awareness of the importance of fighting deforestation. Uganda is a country with rich natural resources. Uganda's tropical forests are home to a vast number of species, including endangered ones. Sadly, over the last decades Uganda has been losing its forest, and deforestation has become a matter of great concern. Uganda has lost about two-thirds of its forests over the past two decades. It deforestation continues at its current rate, the country will have lost all its forests by 2050. The rapid rate of deforestation is attributed to increased urbanization, rapid growth of population, expanding farmland, and climate change.

World Tuberculosis Day It is observed on March 24 each year and is designed to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease. In 2018, 10 million people fell ill with TB, and 1.5 million died from the disease, mostly in low and middle-income countries. This also makes it the leading cause of death from an infectious disease.

What Happened Today?

1. In 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground, spilling some 11 million gallons (41 million litres) of oil into Prince William Sound in Alaska and creating the largest oil spill in U.S. history up to that time.

2. In 2002, Film stars Denzel Washington and Halle Berry became the second and third African Americans to win Academy Awards (Oscars) for performances in leading roles.

3. In 2016, Serbian politician Radovan Karadžić was found guilty of committing war crimes, including genocide, during the civil war that followed Bosnia and Herzegovina's split from Yugoslavia in 1992; he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Birthdays

1. 1874 – Harry Houdini, Hungarian -American illusionist and stunt artist famous for his disappearing acts.

2. 1965 – The Undertaker, professional American wrestler.

Sources: Wikipedia, checkiday & anyday.com