March milestones: Why 18 March is a key date for Mexico

When we look back at the key dates in March, one day stands out, especially for Mexicans: 18 March. It's not just another day on the calendar; it's a date that has witnessed events that changed the course of entire nations. If you're after a quick guide to understand why this day is so significant, or if you simply want to recap (a historical review) the most impactful events, you've come to the right place. Here's our take, as if we were there, on what happened on this day.

1938: The rallying cry for sovereignty that still echoes in Mexico

If there's one event that no Mexican forgets when discussing March milestones, it's the Oil Expropriation. On 18 March 1938, President Lázaro Cárdenas announced to the world, via radio, the nationalisation of the oil industry. Back then, foreign companies were exploiting the crude as if it were their own, ignoring the rulings of Mexican courts. Cárdenas, with a resolve that seems from another era, decreed the legal expropriation of their assets. Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) was born. For many, that was the moment Mexico took its place among truly independent nations. Every 18 March, Mexicans remember that sovereignty isn't asked for; it's exercised.

The world was also in motion: other events on 18 March

But history doesn't stop at borders. If we widen our lens on March's key dates, the 18th is also a significant day in other countries. For example, in 1871, Parisians rose up to create the Paris Commune, that first workers' government which, although short-lived, sowed the seeds for 20th-century social movements. And speaking of historic milestones, in 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first human to float in open space. Imagine it: tethered to his spacecraft by a thin cable, gazing at Earth from the void. It was a giant leap that seems ordinary today, but back then it was pure heroism.

European politics also has its chapter on 18 March. According to well-documented accounts of the time, in 1990, the German Democratic Republic (communist Germany) held its first free elections, a definitive step towards reunification. And going further back, in 1921, the Peace of Riga was signed, ending the war between Poland and Soviet Russia and redrawing the map of Eastern Europe.

Figures who passed and others who arrived

Milestones also mark farewells. On 18 March 1584, Ivan the Terrible, the first Tsar of Russia, passed away – as brutal as he was crucial to his country's history. In the realm of science, the world lost a visionary in 1922: Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, left us on this day. Although the telephone today has evolved beyond recognition, the transformation it brought to human communication is undeniable.

On the flip side, it's also a day that saw brilliant minds born. On 18 March 1837, Grover Cleveland was born – the only US president to serve two non-consecutive terms. And in 1922, the British imprisoned Mahatma Gandhi for sedition, unknowingly fuelling the legend of the man who would liberate India without firing a shot.

A quick guide to other events on 18 March

For trivia lovers or anyone needing a speedy March history review, here's a list of other events that happened on this day worth remembering:

• 1962: France and the Algerian National Liberation Front sign the Evian Accords, which would end the Algerian War of Independence.
• 1937: A school tragedy in New London, Texas, shocks the United States: a gas explosion at a school kills over 300 people, mostly children.
• 1745: Robert Walpole, considered the first British Prime Minister, dies, leaving a lasting political legacy.
• 1922: The US Supreme Court upholds the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women's right to vote – a landmark in the fight for equality.

As you can see, using March milestones as a guide lets us travel through time and connect different eras and cultures. 18 March isn't just the day of the Oil Expropriation in Mexico; it's a reminder that humanity advances through acts of sovereignty, rebellion, exploration, and peace agreements. Next time someone asks you what's special about this day, you'll have the full story to share, like a true expert who's been around the block.