British House of Commons votes to make the upper chamber, the House of Lords, 100% elected.

Copyright Law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that parodies of an original work are generally covered by the doctrine of fair use.

Iran and the United Kingdom break diplomatic relations after a row over Salman Rushdie and his controversial novel.

Challenger Disaster: Divers from the USS Preserver locate the crew cabin of Challenger on the ocean floor.

The song "We Are the World" had its international release.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivers his historic "This time the struggle is for our freedom" speech at Ramna Race Course, calling upon the Bengali people to prepare for the freedom struggle ahead.

Bloody Sunday: A group of 600 civil rights marchers are forcefully broken up in Selma, Alabama.

Korean War: Operation Ripper

Cold War: The Soviet Union issues a statement denying that Klaus Fuchs served as a Soviet spy.

World War II: American troops seize the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River at Remagen.

World War II (Prelude to): In violation of the Locarno Pact and the Treaty of Versailles, Germany reoccupies the Rhineland.

Prince William of Wied arrives in Albania to begin his reign.

Roald Amundsen announces that his expedition had reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911.

The City of Lábrea in Amazonas, Brazil was founded. Today, the town is the seat of the Territorial Prelature of Lábrea.

Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for an invention he calls the telephone beating Antonio Meucci by four hours.

American Civil War: Union forces defeat Confederate troops at Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas.

Senator Daniel Webster gives his "Seventh of March" speech endorsing the Compromise of 1850 in order to prevent a possible civil war.

Brazil marines unsuccessfully attack the temporary naval base of Carmen de Patagones, Argentina.

Shrigley Abduction: Ellen Turner is abducted by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a future politician in colonial New Zealand.

Emperor Napoleon I of France wins the Battle of Craonne.

Napoleon Bonaparte captures Jaffa in Palestine and his troops proceed to kill more than 2,000 Albanian captives.

Stephen Tempier, bishop of Paris, condemns 219 philosophical and theological theses.

Emperor Constantine I decrees that the ''dies Solis Invicti'' (sun-day) is the day of rest in the Empire.

Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by his adoptif sons Marcus Aurelius en Lucius Verus.