On this day

12 March in history.

5 moments from 1881 to 1989: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Gandhi during the Salt March, March 1930

1930

Gandhi begins the Salt March. Mahatma Gandhi set out on foot to the sea to make salt in defiance of a British tax. Thousands joined the 24-day walk, a turning point for India's freedom movement.

Wikipedia: Salt March

Photo: Yann ( talk ) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 12 March

  1. Andrew Watson (top centre) with the Scottish team that played England at Hampden Park on the 11 March 1882

    1881

    A football pioneer

    Andrew Watson captained Scotland against England and won 6–1. He is recognised as the world's first black international footballer.

    Wikipedia: Andrew Watson (footballer, born 1856)

    Photo: Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. Low in 1923

    1912

    The first Girl Scouts meet

    Juliette Gordon Low gathered 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia, for the first meeting of what became the Girl Scouts of the USA.

    Wikipedia: Girl Scouts of the USAWikipedia: Juliette Gordon Low

    Photo: Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  3. View from Mount Ainslie Lookout

    1913

    Canberra gets its name

    At a ceremony on a hill in the bush, Lady Denman announced the name of Australia's future capital: Canberra.

    Wikipedia: Canberra

    Photo: The 3B's / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

  4. Tim Berners-Lee

    1989

    The idea for the World Wide Web

    At CERN, Tim Berners-Lee handed in a proposal for linking information across computers. His boss called it "vague but exciting". It became the web.

    Wikipedia: Tim Berners-LeeWikipedia: World Wide Web

    Photo: Summit / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.