In History, Today on March 8

Italy placed the entire Lombardy region and 14 other provinces under quarantine in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, marking one of the first major lockdowns in Europe.

The European Central Bank announced it would phase out its bond-buying program, a significant step in unwinding the monetary stimulus measures implemented during the Eurozone crisis.

International Women's Day was marked by the 'Day Without a Woman' strike in the United States, where women were encouraged to take the day off work to highlight their economic power and contributions.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, sparking one of the largest and most perplexing aviation mysteries in history.

The first International Women's Day was celebrated as an official holiday in several countries, including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia.

The government of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq adopts a new official flag.

A new constitution was signed in Iraq, marking a significant step in the country's political reconstruction following the 2003 invasion by the United States and its allies.

The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the conviction of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma City bombing.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an "evil empire" in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals.

The compact disc (CD) was publicly demonstrated for the first time by Philips and Sony.

The first U.S. combat troops arrived in Vietnam, marking a significant escalation in American involvement in the Vietnam War.

Egypt reopened the Suez Canal after the Suez Crisis.

The United States Supreme Court ruled in McCollum v. Board of Education that religious instruction in public schools is unconstitutional.

The Japanese captured Rangoon, Burma, during World War II.

The Spanish Communist Workers' Party was founded.

The February Revolution began in Russia, leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of the Russian Empire.

The French aviator Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman in the world to receive a pilot's license.

Susan B. Anthony testified before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee arguing for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote.

The New York Stock Exchange was founded, establishing a formalized system for trading stocks and securities.

Queen Anne ascended the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland following the death of King William III.

John Casor becomes the first legally recognized slave in what would become the United States after a court in Virginia rules in favor of his owner, Anthony Johnson, in a civil case.

Johannes Kepler discovered the third law of planetary motion, which states that the square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.

Spanish explorer Diego García de Palacio writes the first account of the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copán, located in present-day Honduras. His record is one of the earliest written descriptions of a major ruined site of the Mayan civilization, contributing to European awareness of the advanced cultures of the New World.

The Battle of Dunbar took place, marking the beginning of the Second War of Scottish Independence. English forces, under the command of John de Warenne, defeated the Scottish army led by John Comyn, and Andrew Moray.

Hypatia, a renowned philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer in Alexandria, was murdered by a mob of Christian zealots. Her death marked a significant moment in the decline of Hellenistic philosophy and the rise of religious intolerance in the late Roman Empire.