March 29th

Two Chechen suicide bombers detonate their devices in the Moscow underground. 40 people died in the attack allegedly carried out by so-called “black widows”, or Islamist Chechen female suicide bombers.

Hamas formally took over the Palestinian government.

Ireland becomes the first country to ban smoking in all workplaces. Contrary to initial concerns, the ban had no adverse economic effects, and soon several other countries passed similar legislation. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoke is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally.

Israel declared Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat an enemy and sent tanks and armored personnel carriers to fully isolate him in his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

Wayne Gretzky of the New York Rangers scored the last of his National Hockey League record 894 goals in a home game against the New York Islanders.

Democratic presidential front-runner Bill Clinton acknowledged experimenting with marijuana "a time or two" while attending Oxford University, adding, "I didn't inhale and I didn't try it again.".

Chinese farmers discover the Terracotta Army near Xi'an, 8,000 clay warrior statues buried to guard tomb of China's 1st emperor Qin Shi Huang.

The last U.S. troops left South Vietnam.

A jury in Los Angeles recommended the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers for the 1969 Tate-La Bianca murders. (The sentences were later commuted.).

Jack Paar hosted NBC's "Tonight Show" for the final time.

After a 4½ year trial Nelson Mandela is acquitted of treason in Pretoria.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for passing nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union.

Capt Robert Scott, storm-bound in a tent near South Pole, makes last entry in his diary "the end cannot be far".

Edmund Barton is elected Prime Minister in Australia's first parliamentary election.

The Knights of Columbus was chartered in Connecticut.

The North America Act was passed by the British parliament, creating the dominion of Canada.

For the first time in recorded history, Niagara Falls stopped flowing. An ice jam in the Niagara River above the rim of the falls caused the water to stop.

Ludwig van Beethoven (24) has his debut performance as pianist in Vienna.

John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, was born in Charles City County, Va.

The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded.