On this Day in History: March 21

A closer look at the key events on March 21 in history:

In 2006 the world’s first tweet is sent

Co-founder Jack Dorsey tweeted, “Just setting up my twttr” on March 21. The service revolutionized the social networking space. It is now known as X.

In 1990, Namibia becomes independent

A country on the southwest coast of Africa, Namibia was long inhabited by indigenous peoples, until the Portuguese settled in the late 15th century. In 1884, it was annexed by Germany. It was captured by South Africa in World War I. Negotiations for Namibia’s independence started in 1966, but were only successful in 1990, after 1o6 years under foreign control.

In 1970, Earth Day is celebrated for the first time

Earth day is celebrated on different days by different groups. The United Nations officially celebrates it on the vernal equinox, around March 21. The first edition was limited to some cities in the US. Today, Earth Day is observed by about 1 billion people globally.

Alcatraz Island, Penitentiary, San Francisco Bay, California. Don Ramey Logan via Wikimedia Commons

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