Tokyo Subway Attack March 20, 1995 Members of Aum Shinrikyo religious group release sarin gas in five coordinated attacks on Tokyo subways. Thirteen people are killed and thousands more were injured. The motive for the attacks is still unclear, although some speculate that the leader of the group, Shoko Asahara, was tr...

Iraq War Begins March 19, 2003 The Iraq War begins. U.S. President George W. Bush announced, "...coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger." The U.S. began bombing Iraq the following day. The war ended in 2011.

Arab Oil Embargo Ends March 18, 1974 The Arab Oil Embargo on the U.S. is ended. It had started the previous October when OAPEC (Arab members of OPEC plus Egypt and Syria) declared an oil embargo on the U.S., Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.K. for supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The embargo target...

Iraq War - Hussein Given 48-Hour Deadline March 17, 2003 U.S. President George W. Bush gives Saddam Hussein and his two sons, Uday and Qusay Hussein, 48 hours to leave Iraq or face war. Delivered in a televised address, the ultimatum aimed to avoid war, but was rejected by Iraq, leading to the invasion on March 20.

Vietnam War - My Lai Massacre March 16, 1968 U.S. troops kill between 300 and 500 unarmed civilians in My Lai, South Vietnam. Twenty-six soldiers were charged with criminal offenses, but only platoon leader Lieutenant William Calley Jr. was convicted. He was found guilty of killing 22 villagers and given a life sentenc...