Wednesday, March 12, 1947: The Truman Doctrine is announced. The doctrine was created halt the expansion of communism by sending aid to Greece and Turkey. This was the first in a series of reforms that were put in place to counter the expanding Soviet Union.

Thursday, March 12, 2009: Investment banker Bernard Madoff enters a plea of guilty to 11 felony counts including securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, making false statements, perjury, theft from an employee benefit plan, and making false filings with the SEC. Madoff is later sentenced to 150 years in prison

Saturday, March 12, 2011: Following the magnitude 9.0 earthquake the day before, speculation begins over whether a nuclear meltdown is occurring at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Five nuclear plants in the area affected by the earthquake and tsunami declare a state of emergency.