- 1917: The Russian workers led by the women of Petrograd began a series of strikes that helped topple the Tsarist regime and eventually lead to the Russian Revolution.
- 1921: Spanish communist Dolores Ibárruri, known as "La Pasionaria," gives a moving speech at a Communist Party rally in Madrid, inspiring thousands of workers to join the party and fight for workers' rights.
- 1957: The United Nations officially established March 8 as International Women's Day, following proposals and celebrations of women's rights that began in the early 1900s.
- 1974: The landmark court case known as the "Jane Doe" case, which legalized abortion in the United States, was decided by the Supreme Court in favor of a woman's right to choose an abortion under the due process clause.
- 1975: International Women's Year is declared by the United Nations, emphasizing the importance of gender equality and women's rights.
- 1979: The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the United States Constitution, which guaranteed equal legal rights to women, was defeated after failing to receive the required number of ratifications from state legislatures.
- 2002: The International Criminal Court (ICC), established to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, comes into effect.
- 2014: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying 239 people, mysteriously disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, resulting in the biggest aviation mystery of the 21st century.