11 MARCH

1947 - Despite the granting of "independence" to the Philippines, the Parity Rights amendment to the 1935 Constitution is ratified, giving American citizens equal rights as Filipinos to exploit the natural resources of the Southeast Asian country; the administration of President Manuel Roxas actively campaigned for the ratification in what has been described as "persuasive harangue" and which will merit him a foiled assasination attempt by a disgruntled barber.

1426 - Thutmose III, Egypt's sixth Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, is believed to have died on this day; his reign has been marked with the the expansion of the Egypt empire, made possible by at least 17 military campaigns that conquered territories ranging from Niya in north Syria to the fourth waterfall of the Nile in Nubia.

1985 - Mikhail Gorbachev becomes premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics following the death of  his predecessor Konstantin Chernenko; Gorbachev will be responsible for a policy of openness or "glasnost" and ... of "perestroika" or deep political and economic reforms that will eventually lead to the dissolution of the communist state almost seven years later.

2006 -  Slobodan Milosevic, the former communist Yugoslav leader who orchestrated the Balkan wars of the 1990s and has been on trial for war crimes in Hague, is found dead inside his prison cell; Milosevic, who likened himself to Ayatollah Khomeini in terms of charisma and leadership, had exhibited uncanny political adroitness that he had always managed to survive serious mistakes and blows until about the time he failed to convince his people that he genuinely won in the 2000 polls.