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What happened on March 16th?
Crimea "voted" to separate from Ukraine
Matthew Jones
March 16, 2025
2014 Crimea Votes to Secede from Ukraine and Join the Russian Federation
On March 16th, 2014, Crimea held a highly controversial referendum in which the majority of voters supported joining Russia, sparking a major international crisis. The vote was widely criticized for being conducted under duress, with reports of irregularities and allegations of voter intimidation. Ukraine and much of the international community condemned the referendum as neither free nor fair, while Russia’s annexation of Crimea intensified tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and the West.
Crimean citizens vote in the 2014 Crimean referendum on March 16, 2014.
🗞️Today’s Headlines
Everything important that’s ever happened on March 16:
1995 — Mississippi became the last US state to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, officially abolishing slavery nearly 130 years after its original passage.
1968 — US soldiers killed over 500 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai Massacre, a brutal event that sparked outrage and fueled anti-Vietnam War sentiment worldwide.
1945 — US Marines captured the strategic island of Iwo Jima after a month-long battle, providing a crucial base for launching attacks on Japan during World War II.
1921 — The Treaty of Moscow was signed between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Turkey, establishing diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations after centuries of conflict.
1521 — Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippines, where he would later be killed.
🎂 Today’s Birthdays
On March 16, we’re singing to:
James Madison (1751) — 4th president of the United States, known for his key role in drafting the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Josef Mengele (1911) — German physician infamous for his unethical and inhumane medical experiments on prisoners during the Holocaust at Auschwitz.
Jerry Lewis (1926) — Iconic American comedian, actor, and filmmaker celebrated for his slapstick humor and long partnership with Dean Martin.
Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov (1927) — Soviet cosmonaut and the first person to die during a space mission, having tragically lost his life in 1967 during the Soyuz 11 flight.
🪦Who Died Today?
On March 16, we’re saying goodbye to:
Tiberius (37) — Roman emperor whose reign was marked by territorial expansion and political intrigue, leaving a controversial legacy.
Aubrey Beardsley (1898) — English artist renowned for his distinctive black-and-white illustrations that epitomized the Art Nouveau movement.
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