05 March, 1616 – Nicolaus Copernicus' revolutionary book is banned by the Catholic Church

In the book, Copernicus claimed that the Earth revolves around the sun. The Church maintained Ptolemy's geocentric system. The book is considered a milestone in the history of astronomy.

06 March, 1899 – The painkiller Asprin is registered as a trademark

Acetylsalicylic acid was first isolated in 1897 by German chemist Felix Hoffmann. Today, the medication is sold by Bayer and is on the World Health Organisation's list of essential medicines.

07 March, 1900 – The SS Kaiser Wilhelm becomes the first ship to send wireless signals to shore

The German transatlantic liner was fitted with wireless communication by its owner, Norddeutscher Lloyd, in order to outdo its rival Hamburg America Line.

08 March, 1910 – Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman with a pilot's license

The French aviatrix was also the first woman to fly solo. She died at the age of 36 when her experimental plane crashed at the Le Crotoy airfield in northern France.

09 March, 1959 – The Barbie doll goes on sale

The American toy company Mattel claims that more than one billion Barbie dolls have been sold so far, with about three dolls being sold every second.

10 March, 1876 – The first telephone call is made

Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the words, “Mr Watson, come here – I want to see you” to his assistant, Thomas A. Watson, who was in the next-door room.

11 March, 2011 – The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster strikes Japan

The nuclear meltdowns occurred after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. It was the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.