On March 12

A gas leak caused an explosion in East Harlem, New York City, destroying two apartment buildings and causing eight deaths.

U.S. Army soldiers gang-raped a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdered her along with her family members.

The Turkish Armed Forces executed a "coup by memorandum", forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel (pictured).

General Suharto (pictured) seized power from President Sukarno when the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly sworn him in as acting president of Indonesia.

British diplomat Lord Ismay was appointed the first secretary general of NATO.

Cold War: U.S. president Harry S. Truman proclaimed the Truman Doctrine to help stem the spread of communism.

The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed, ending the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union.

Supported by the Estonian army, Konstantin Päts staged a coup d'état, beginning the Era of Silence.

Mahatma Gandhi began the Salt March (pictured), a 24-day nonviolent walk to defy the British salt tax in colonial India.

The failure of the St. Francis Dam (pictured) northwest of Los Angeles resulted in a flood that killed 400 people.

At a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill, Lady Denman, wife of the governor-general Lord Denman, announced that the future capital of Australia would be called Canberra.

Andrew Watson (pictured) captained the Scotland national football team against England, becoming the world's first black international footballer.

Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Jesuits, were canonized by Pope Gregory XV.

Croatian–Ottoman wars: After the execution of feudal lord Petar Kružić, Croatian forces at Klis surrendered to the Ottoman forces in exchange for their safe passage to northern locations.

Odo of Châtillon was elected as the 159th pope of the Catholic Church.