Whatcâ¬â?cs Happening Today?

The International Day of the Unborn Child. This holiday is observed on March 25. It was established by Pope John Paul II to coincide with the Feast of the Annunciation. John Paul II viewed the day as "a positive option in favour of life and the spread of a culture for life to guarantee respect for human dignity in every situation".

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. This is a United Nations international observance designated in 2007 to be marked on 25 March every year. The day honours and remembers those who suffered and died as a consequence of the transatlantic slave trade, which has been called "the worst violation of human rights in history", in which over 400 years more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims.

Independence Day (Greece). The celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821, less commonly known as Independence Day, takes place in Greece, Cyprus and Greek diaspora centers on 25 March every year, coinciding with the Feast of the Annunciation. The day is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus. 

What Happened Today?

1. In 1807, the UK abolished Slave Trade. The British House of Commons had passed a law forbidding the capture or transport of slaves and it became law on This Day, 1807, Offending captains were fined £100 per slave found onboard their ships (although this could lead to slaves being thrown overboard).

2. In 1975, Saudi Arabia King Faisal Assassinated. King Faisal was fatally wounded by his nephew Prince Faisal Ibu Musaed when he fired 3 shots directly at the king from a pistol during a royal audience. Prince Faisal bin Musaed was later found guilty of the murder of his uncle and was beheaded in public in the capital Riyadh.

3. In 1994, US troops withdrew from Somalia. The US had entered to perform limited peacekeeping operation " Restore Hope " during the civil war which had caused a major famine. They had been forced to leave when the warlord General Mohamed Farrah Aididhis militia attacked Pakistan and US Army troops.

Birthdays

1. 1942 - Aretha Louise Franklin, American singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, and civil rights activist.

2. 1947 câ¬â?? Sir Elton John, British singer, songwriter, pianist and composer

Sources: Wikipedia & thepeoplehistory.com

Picture credit: The Independent (UK)