Memory of the day: Egypt reopens the Suez Canal in 1957

CAIRO – 8 March 2022: In the following lines, ET sheds light on the most important world events that took place on March 8.

1010 - Abu al-Qasim al-Firdawsi completes his epic poem Shahnameh, the national epic of Persia.

1576 - Spanish explorer Diego García de Palacio views the first ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copán.

1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion, known as Kepler's laws.

1775 - An anonymous writer, believed by some to be Thomas Paine, publishes the title "African Slavery in America."  It is the first document in the American colonies that calls for the emancipation of slaves and the abolition of slavery.

1930 - Mahatma Gandhi begins civil disobedience to force the United Kingdom to grant independence to India.

1957 - Egypt reopens the Suez Canal, after completing the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Sinai and the Gaza Strip.

1977 - The United Nations General Assembly chooses March 8 to celebrate International Women's Day.