March 28th: National & International Days, Celebrations and Observances

On March 28, millions of homes will go dark at 8:30 PM during Earth Hour. Between now and then, take a look at what's growing in your yard. Those common plants actually support local birds and animals in surprising ways.

Many people snap photos of their candlelit evenings to share online. Why not gather a few friends afterward? Local farms have plenty of fresh ingredients for a simple meal together. The early spring weather makes it perfect for spotting new growth on neighborhood walks.

Your garden could use some native flowers - they're magnets for bees and butterflies. Meanwhile, that power bill sitting on your counter might spark ideas for cutting back. Nothing beats sitting around a table with neighbors though, trading stories about the wild visitors to our backyards.

March 28th links two unexpected moments in science. Each changed our understanding in different ways.

• Back in 1802, Bremen-based astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers made an unplanned discovery. During his regular sky surveys, his telescope caught something unusual - a massive rocky body between Mars and Jupiter. Today we know this asteroid as Pallas, stretching 512 kilometers across and bearing the name of an ancient Greek wisdom deity.
• Years later, in 1979, nuclear power faced its defining moment. The predawn hours at Three Mile Island brought equipment problems no one expected. Around 4 AM, Unit 2's cooling system stopped working, leading to reactor core damage.

Tests showed surprisingly low radiation levels - about what you'd get from a routine chest X-ray. Still, the aftermath proved extensive. Cleanup operations ran until 1993, with costs reaching $1 billion. While Unit 2 remained sealed, Unit 1 kept producing power safely through 2019.

March 28th links five visionaries across time. Henry Schoolcraft arrived in 1793, mapping uncharted territories. His marriage to an Ojibwe woman led him to Lake Itasca, where he traced the Mississippi's beginnings. Today's researchers rely on his field notes about Native American environmental practices.

The stench of 1850s London drove engineer Joseph Bazalgette (1819-1891) to action. He designed sewers that saved the city from cholera and filth. His brick tunnels still carry waste beneath London's streets, now serving eight million people - far beyond their original design.

In 1904, Margaret Tucker was born into a changing Australia. She fought against displacement and taught others about Aboriginal land care. Her advocacy protected sacred areas while proving traditional methods could restore damaged environments.

Dutch physicist Wubbo Ockels (1946-2014) saw Earth's fragility from orbit in 1985. Back home, this view sparked his switch to environmental work. He devoted his later years to designing electric transport and sustainable power systems.

Laura Chinchilla took office in Costa Rica with clear goals. By 2012, she had blocked sport hunting and doubled marine reserves. Her direct approach turned Costa Rica into a model for clean energy use, with forests and wildlife thriving again.