March 28th

193: Roman Emperor Pertinax is assassinated by Praetorian Guards, who then sell the throne in an auction to Didius Julianus. Just like in the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, the second highest bidder got to be Secretary of State.

1930: Constantinople and Angora change their names to Istanbul and Ankara... mostly in an effort to give their creditors the slip.

2006: At least 1 million union members, students and unemployed take to the streets in France to protest the government's new rules on work hours, benefits, and mandatory bathing.