Major Events of March 1968: Key Historical Moments from the Month
Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from March 1968 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.
Major Events of March 1968: Key Historical Moments from the Month
- 01 Mar 1968 NBC Announces Star Trek's Return: In an unprecedented on-air announcement, NBC confirmed that the groundbreaking science fiction series Star Trek would return, a moment significant for television and pop culture.
- 02 Mar 1968 Soviet Submarine K-129 Sinks: Tragedy struck when the Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129, a Golf II-class vessel, sank in the North Pacific Ocean approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of Hawaii, resulting in the loss of all 98 crew members.
- 03 Mar 1968 Embassy Bombings in The Hague: On March 3, 1968, diplomatic tensions escalated as the embassies of Greece, Portugal, and Spain were bombed in The Hague, Netherlands, marking a significant act of political violence during a turbulent period in European history.
- 04 Mar 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. Announces Poor People's Campaign: Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. publicly announces plans for the Poor People's Campaign, a major initiative aimed at addressing economic justice and poverty across racial lines in the United States.
- 05 Mar 1968 East L.A. Student Walkouts Begin: The historic East L.A. walkouts commenced, with thousands of Hispanic students protesting educational inequality and systemic discrimination in the Los Angeles school system. These walkouts, a pivotal moment in the Chicano civil rights movement, demanded better educational opportunities, cultural representation, and an end to institutional racism.
- 06 Mar 1968 East L.A. Walkouts: Student Protest for Educational Equality: The first of the historic East L.A. Walkouts occurred, with thousands of Hispanic students walking out of several high schools in East Los Angeles, California. This pivotal moment in the Chicano civil rights movement was a powerful demonstration against educational inequality and systemic discrimination.
- 07 Mar 1968 Soviet Submarine K-129 Sinking: The Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 sinks in the North Pacific Ocean in a tragic incident that results in the loss of all 98 crew members, representing a significant maritime disaster during the Cold War period.
- 08 Mar 1968 Polish Political Crisis Erupts: The first student protests mark the beginning of the 1968 Polish political crisis, a significant moment of social and political upheaval in communist-era Poland.
- 09 Mar 1968 10th Grammy Awards Ceremony: The 10th Grammy Awards ceremony was held, celebrating outstanding musical achievements. The 5th Dimension's 'Up, Up and Away' and The Beatles' 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' were among the notable winners, with the latter receiving multiple awards for its groundbreaking musical innovation.
- 10 Mar 1968 Battle of Lima Site 85 in Laos: During the Vietnam War, a significant military engagement took place at Lima Site 85, resulting in the largest single ground combat loss for the United States Air Force. Twelve American service members were killed during this covert operation in Laos, underscoring the complex and clandestine nature of the conflict.
- 11 Mar 1968 ASCII Encoding Mandate: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson issues a directive requiring all federal government computer purchases to support the ASCII character encoding standard, a pivotal moment in standardizing digital communication.
- 12 Mar 1968 Mauritius Gains Independence from United Kingdom: Mauritius was granted independence from British rule shortly after midnight, with a flag-raising ceremony held in Port Louis, the capital. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam became the first Prime Minister of Independent Mauritius, and John Rennie was appointed as the first Governor-General of the newly independent nation.
- 13 Mar 1968 Mauritius Gains Independence: The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius achieved independence from British colonial rule, marking a significant milestone in its political history. This event represented the continued decolonization process in the mid-20th century and the emergence of new sovereign states.
- 14 Mar 1968 Dugway Proving Ground Nerve Gas Leak: A significant nerve gas leak occurred at the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Ground near Skull Valley, Utah, raising serious environmental and public safety concerns about military chemical weapons testing.
- 15 Mar 1968 My Lai Massacre during Vietnam War: American troops kill scores of civilians in the My Lai Massacre, a tragic event that would significantly undermine public support for U.S. military efforts in Vietnam when the story becomes public in November 1969.
- 16 Mar 1968 My Lai Massacre: During the Vietnam War, American troops from Charlie Company committed a horrific war crime in the Son My district, systematically killing between 350-500 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, including men, women, and children. This brutal massacre became a pivotal moment in public perception of the Vietnam War, exposing the extreme violence and moral failures of military operations.
- 17 Mar 1968 Anti-Vietnam War Protest in London: A demonstration in London's Grosvenor Square against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War escalates into violence, with 91 people injured and 200 demonstrators arrested, reflecting the growing global opposition to the conflict.
- 18 Mar 1968 U.S. Congress Repeals Gold Reserve Requirement: The United States Congress officially repealed the long-standing requirement that U.S. currency must be backed by gold reserves, marking a significant shift in monetary policy and signaling the end of the traditional gold standard.
- 19 Mar 1968 Lima Site 85 Overrun by North Vietnamese and Laotian Troops: On March 19, 1968, North Vietnamese and communist Laotian troops successfully attacked and overran a secret US radar facility located on a mountaintop in Laos, a significant military engagement during the Vietnam War.
- 20 Mar 1968 End of Gold Standard in US Currency: On March 20, 1968, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a landmark bill that removed gold backing from U.S. paper money, fundamentally transforming the American monetary system and paving the way for a fiat currency approach.
- 21 Mar 1968 Battle of Karameh: The Israeli Defense Forces launched an attack on the village of Karameh in Jordan, engaging in a significant military confrontation with Jordanian and Palestinian forces.
- 22 Mar 1968 Uprising in South Yemen: An uprising occurred in South Yemen, reflecting the complex political landscape and ongoing struggles for power and independence in the Arabian Peninsula during the late 1960s.
- 23 Mar 1968 Walter Fauntroy: First DC Congressional Delegate: Reverend Walter Fauntroy made history by becoming the first non-voting congressional delegate representing Washington, D.C., a significant milestone in the city's political representation.
- 24 Mar 1968 Tragic Aer Lingus Flight 712 Disaster: On March 24, 1968, Aer Lingus Flight 712, traveling from Cork to London, crashed near Tuskar Rock off the coast of County Wexford, Ireland. The devastating accident resulted in the loss of all 61 passengers and crew members on board. The incident remains one of the most significant aviation tragedies in Irish history, prompting extensive investigations into the cause of the crash.
- 25 Mar 1968 US Nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site: The United States conducts a nuclear weapons test at the Nevada Test Site, continuing Cold War-era nuclear weapons development and testing programs.
- 26 Mar 1968 LBJ Declines Presidential Re-election: In a historic televised address to the nation, President Lyndon B. Johnson shocked the American political landscape by announcing he would not seek re-election. This decision was heavily influenced by the escalating Vietnam War, growing public dissent, and internal Democratic Party tensions.
- 27 Mar 1968 Suharto Becomes President of Indonesia: In a significant political transition, General Suharto officially succeeded Sukarno as the President of Indonesia, marking the end of Sukarno's 'Guided Democracy' era and the beginning of Suharto's 'New Order' regime. This moment represented a major shift in Indonesian political leadership and would shape the country's trajectory for the next three decades.
- 28 Mar 1968 Death of Edson Luís de Lima Souto: Brazilian high school student Edson Luís de Lima Souto was killed by military police during a student protest, marking a pivotal moment in the resistance against Brazil's military dictatorship. His death became a catalyst for widespread public demonstrations and increased opposition to the authoritarian regime.
- 29 Mar 1968 Czechoslovakia Presidential Election Process: The political landscape of Czechoslovakia was evolving, with General Ludvik Svoboda's presidential election process being finalized and discussed, signaling potential political changes in the country.
- 30 Mar 1968 Ludvik Svoboda Elected Czechoslovak President: General Ludvik Svoboda was elected President of Czechoslovakia during a critical period of political reform known as the Prague Spring, marking a significant moment in Czechoslovak political history.
- 31 Mar 1968 LBJ Announces Decision Not to Seek Re-election and Limits on Vietnam War: President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a televised address announcing a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy and his political future. He declared a halt in bombing North Vietnam and stunned the nation by stating he would not seek re-election, marking a pivotal moment in the Vietnam War and American political landscape.