TODAY IN HISTORY: MARCH 17

 

March 17

March 17th is a day of great significance for millions of people around the world. It is the feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and is celebrated as St. Patrick's Day. This holiday has become synonymous with Irish culture, green clothing, parades, and of course, lots of festivities.

The origins of St. Patrick's Day can be traced back to the early 17th century. It commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and the death of Saint Patrick, who is credited with bringing Christianity to the island. Although not originally a public holiday, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into a global celebration of Irish heritage and culture.

The celebrations associated with St. Patrick's Day have become iconic, characterized by parades, music, dance, and the color green. Cities around the world, especially those with large Irish communities, go all out to mark this special day. The most famous of these parades takes place in Dublin, Ireland, where over half a million people come together to celebrate their Irish heritage.

One of the unique aspects of St. Patrick's Day is the symbol of the shamrock. According to legend, Saint Patrick used the three-leaved clover to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. Today, wearing a shamrock has become a way of showing pride in Irish heritage on this special day.

In addition to parades and symbols, St. Patrick's Day is also associated with traditional Irish music and dance. Traditional Irish instruments such as the fiddle, bodhrán, and tin whistle can be heard in pubs and streets as people come together to enjoy the lively tunes. Irish step dancing, with its quick footwork and precise movements, is also a popular feature of St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

St. Patrick's Day has also become an occasion for people to indulge in Irish food and drink. Traditional Irish dishes such as corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, and colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale) are enjoyed by many. Guinness, the famous Irish stout, is also a popular choice for those looking to toast to the occasion.

Beyond the parades and festivities, St. Patrick's Day also provides an opportunity for people to learn about Irish history and culture. Many museums, libraries, and cultural institutions organize events and exhibitions to educate the public about Ireland's rich heritage. People can explore Irish folklore, literature, art, and even visit historical sites associated with St. Patrick and Irish history.

While St. Patrick's Day is primarily associated with Ireland, its popularity has spread far beyond the Emerald Isle. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have embraced this holiday and hold their own vibrant celebrations. In the United States, for example, major cities with large Irish communities, like Chicago and Boston, dye their rivers and fountains green and host parades that attract millions of spectators.

One of the reasons for the widespread appeal of St. Patrick's Day is the sense of camaraderie it creates. Regardless of whether one has Irish heritage or not, St. Patrick's Day is a time where people come together, wear green, and celebrate the joy and spirit of Irish culture. It is a day to be jovial, to share laughter and good times with friends and family.

In recent years, however, the celebrations have been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Many cities have had to cancel or modify their St. Patrick's Day events to ensure the safety of their communities. Nonetheless, virtual celebrations and online events have emerged, allowing people to still connect and commemorate the day in a different way.

In conclusion, St. Patrick's Day is a day of immense cultural significance, celebrating the life of Saint Patrick and Irish heritage. It is a day filled with parades, music, dance, traditional food, and a sea of green attire. The festivities bring people together, regardless of their background, to celebrate Irish culture and enjoy the spirit of camaraderie. And even in the face of challenges, people find ways to adapt and keep the celebrations alive. So, on March 17th, put on your green clothes and join in the festivities to honor the legacy of St. Patrick!

Here are more events from this day:

45 BC – In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda.

180 – Commodus becomes sole emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eighteen, following the death of his father, Marcus Aurelius.

455 – Petronius Maximus becomes, with support of the Roman Senate, emperor of the Western Roman Empire; he forces Licinia Eudoxia, the widow of his predecessor, Valentinian III, to marry him.

1337 – Edward, the Black Prince is made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy in England.

1400 – Turko-Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus.

1776 – American Revolution: The British Army evacuates Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, after George Washington and Henry Knox place artillery in positions overlooking the city.

1805 – The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King of Italy.

1824 – The Anglo-Dutch Treaty is signed in London, dividing the Malay archipelago. As a result, the Malay Peninsula is dominated by the British, while Sumatra and Java and surrounding areas are dominated by the Dutch.

1842 – The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo is formally organized with Emma Smith as president.

1860 – The First Taranaki War begins in Taranaki, New Zealand, a major phase of the New Zealand Wars.

1861 – The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed.

1862 – The first railway line of Finland between cities of Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, called Päärata, is officially opened.

1891 – SS Utopia collides with HMS Anson in the Bay of Gibraltar and sinks, killing 562 of the 880 passengers on board.

1921 – The Second Polish Republic adopts the March Constitution.

1942 – Holocaust: The first Jews from the Lvov Ghetto are gassed at the Belzec death camp in what is today eastern Poland.

1945 – The Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, Germany, collapses, ten days after its capture.

1948 – Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Brussels, a precursor to the North Atlantic Treaty establishing NATO.

1950 – Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley announce the creation of element 98, which they name "californium".

1957 – A plane crash in Cebu, Philippines kills Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay and 24 others.

1958 – The United States launches the first solar-powered satellite, which is also the first satellite to achieve a long-term orbit.

1960 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program that will ultimately lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

1960 – Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 710 crashes in Tobin Township, Perry County, Indiana, killing 63.

1963 – Mount Agung erupts on Bali killing more than 1,100 people.

1966 – Off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, the DSV Alvin submarine finds a missing American hydrogen bomb.

1968 – As a result of nerve gas testing by the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in Skull Valley, Utah, over 6,000 sheep are found dead.

1969 – Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel.

1973 – The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph Burst of Joy is taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family, which came to symbolize the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War.

1979 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel collapses during engineering works, killing two workers.

1985 – Serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka the "Night Stalker", commits the first two murders in his Los Angeles murder spree.

1988 – A Colombian Boeing 727 jetliner, Avianca Flight 410, crashes into a mountainside near the Venezuelan border killing 143.

1988 – Eritrean War of Independence: The Nadew Command, an Ethiopian army corps in Eritrea, is attacked on three sides by military units of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in the opening action of the Battle of Afabet.

1992 – Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires: Car bomb attack kills 29 and injures 242.

1992 – A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%.

2000 – Five hundred and thirty members of the Ugandan cult Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God die in a fire, considered to be a mass murder or suicide orchestrated by leaders of the cult. Elsewhere another 248 members are later found dead.

2003 – Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council, Robin Cook, resigns from the British Cabinet in disagreement with government plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

2004 – Unrest in Kosovo: More than 22 are killed and 200 wounded. Thirty-five Serbian Orthodox shrines in Kosovo and two mosques in Serbia are destroyed.

2016 – Rojava conflict: At a conference in Rmelan, the Movement for a Democratic Society declares the establishment of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.