March 18

in History

Rome, Roman EmpireClassical

Caligula Becomes Emperor

Little Boots ascends to rule the Roman world

Following the death of Emperor Tiberius, the Roman Senate annulled his will and proclaimed Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, known by his childhood nickname Caligula, meaning 'Little Boots,' as the new emperor. The young ruler was initially welcomed with joy by a populace tired of Tiberius's dark reign. But Caligula's rule would descend into cruelty and madness, making his very name a byword for tyrannical excess.

37 AD

Kyiv, UkraineEarly 20th Century

1901

House with Chimaeras Built

Kyiv gets its most fantastical building

Construction began on the House with Chimaeras in Kyiv, one of the most extraordinary examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Eastern Europe. Designed by architect Vladislav Horodetsky, the building was adorned with sculptural decorations of mythical creatures, hunting scenes, and exotic animals. The fantastical facade would become one of Kyiv's most beloved landmarks, a testament to the creativity and ambition of the city's early twentieth-century cultural flowering.

1901 AD

Tibetan uprising — Tibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded.

Late 20th Century

1959

Tibetan uprising

Tibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded.

Tibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded the monastery, inflicting severe destruction and killing hundreds of Buddhist monks.

1959 AD