It’s 28 March, and that means it’s time for another edition of Throwback Thursday! Today, we’re taking a look back at three prominent events that went down on this day in history:

1584 – A Terrible Death

After ruling over Russia as its first tsar for 37 years, Ivan IV Vasilyevich – better known as Ivan the Terrible – passed away on this day in 1584.

Born into royalty on 25 August 1530, Ivan was three-years-old when his father, Vasili III, the Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia, died due to blood poisoning. Ivan’s mother, Elena, was to serve as the state’s regent until her son was old enough to assume the throne. However, she would die when he was eight-years-old; her death was said to be as a possible result of assassination via poisoning.

Growing up, Ivan and his brother, Yuri, were left in the hands of noble families (known as “boyars”) who feuded for regency over Russia. By his own account, Ivan and his brother suffered poorly and were neglected by the boyars – whether this was true or not, it cannot be denied that Ivan’s childhood was lacking, and it may have contributed to what he would become in later life.

When he was 16-years-old, full power was transferred to Ivan, who was crowned as the first tsar of Russia in January 1547. Over the course of his 37-year reign, he established himself as a political, economic and cultural reformist (from updating Russia’s legal code to bring the first printing press to the country), he created the first Russian army, and he established trading ties with countries such as England as he expanded his empire.

On the other side of the coin, however, Ivan – while noted for his intelligence and sense of culture – also became a figure synonymous with bloodthirst, violence and rage borne of paranoia and deteriorating mental stability.

He conducted wars with his European neighbours such as Turkey and a coalition consisting of Norway, Sweden and Poland; he ransacked the Russian city of Novgorod because he believed that their nobility, clergymen and citizens were conspiring against him; and he was quick to execute or torture those whom he felt were committing treason – impalement, getting boiled alive, and being drawn and quartered were among the preferred methods of torture if the victims didn’t die in the gas chambers first.

The tsar’s exploits earned him the moniker “Ivan the Terrible”; most famously of these was when he (accidentally or intentionally) killed his son and heir, Ivan Ivanovich, by hitting him on the head with his sceptre following a disagreement.

Ultimately, Ivan the Terrible met his death on 28 March 1584: the 53-year-old suffered a stroke while playing a game of chess with his friend, Bogdan Belsky.

1891 – Weight for It

The World Weightlifting Championships is a huge affair, with hundreds of men and women from around the world competing in 20 categories that test their strength and mettle.

Back in 1891, however, the Championships were a much smaller affair, due to the novelty of weightlifting at the time: over the course of three days, seven men (but no less muscular) from six countries competed in eight categories, but there was no criteria for bodyweight.

Among the contestants was Edward Lawrence Levy of London, England. Levy was a 39-year-old brewer, journalist and teacher who partook in the competition – a month before, he had won the first British Amateur Weightlifting Championship.

On 28 March, Levy won the first edition of the World Weightlifting Championships. He went on to set 14 world records in weightlifting between 1891 and 1894, thus cementing himself as a legendary figure in the sport (which evolved to be more challenging yet inclusive over the next 133 years).

1986 – A Star is Born

Or, in Lady Gaga’s own words, “Mother Monster has arrived!”

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born and raised in New York City, New York on 28 March 1986. Bullied at a young age due to her plump figure, as well as for possessing characteristics considered strange by her peers, she found solace in writing songs and playing the piano – by the age of 14, she was already performing in local clubs and bars.

After studying at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Germanotta experienced some ups and downs: she was signed to Def Jam Records in 2006 – where she originated her stage name, “Lady Gaga”, in homage to “Radio Ga Ga” by Queen – only to be dropped three months later.

While she turned to drugs to cope, Gaga also began to toy with her visual image and live show presentations, foreshadowing her iconic provocative yet high fashion sense and artistry.

In 2007, while signed as a songwriter to Streamline Records (an imprint of Interscope Records), singer Akon noticed Gaga’s vocal abilities when she provided a vocal reference for one of his songs. As a result, he helped kick-start her career by co-signing her to his own record label, KonLive Distribution.

One year later, Gaga released her debut album, “The Fame”’, an eclectic mix of electro-dance, pop and theatricality that highly appealed to teens, young women, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the latter whom Gaga she wanted to shine a spotlight on when she broke into the music industry.

Suffice to say, the self-proclaimed Mother Monster went on to become an international phenomenon. With albums such as “The Fame Monster” and “Born This Way”, acting credits including “Machete Kills” and “A Star is Born” (the latter which garnered her a nod for Best Actress at the Academy Awards), and a unique fashion sense that’s both flamboyant and infamous (meat dress, anyone?), it’s hard to believe that Lady Gaga has done it all yet still continues to succeed – and she’s only 38!