Biological Weapons Convention
The Biological Weapons Convention, the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning the production of an entire category of weapons, entered into force.
In context
- When
- Wednesday, March 26 197551 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 20th century · 1970s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
At a glance
Dates: From 1972-04-10.
Place: Washington, D.C..
Type: treaty and multilateral treaty.
What happened
History While the history of biological warfare goes back more than six centuries to the Siege of Caffa in 1346 CE, [ 1 ] international restrictions on biological warfare began only with the 1925 Geneva Protocol , which prohibits the use but not the possession or development of chemical and biological weapons. [ 2 ] Upon ratification of the Geneva Protocol, several countries made reservations regarding its applicability and use in retaliation. [ 3 ] Due to these reservations,
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), is a disarmament treaty that effectively bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use. The treaty's full name is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction.
March 26 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 1975Biological Weapons Convention
- 1997Heaven's Gate (religious group)
- 1997Rancho Santa Fe, California
- 1998Algerian Civil War
- 1999Jack Kevorkian
- 2005Taiwan
- 2009Tesla Model S
- 2010ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772)
- 2010Torpedo
- 20172017–2018 Russian protests
- 2024Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore)
Also in 1975
- September 15Departments of FranceThe French department of "Corse" (the entire island of Corsica) is divided into two: Haute-Corse (Upper Corsica) and Corse-du-Sud (Southe…
- September 16Mikoyan MiG-31The prototype of the Soviet Mikoyan MiG-31, one of the fastest combat jets in the world, made its maiden flight.
- September 5Squeaky FrommeSqueaky Fromme (pictured), a devotee of Charles Manson, attempted to assassinate U.S. president Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California.
- September 5Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California: Lynette Fromme attempts to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford.
- October 22Venera 9The Soviet uncrewed space mission Venera 9 lands on Venus.
- November 27Provisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional IRA assassinates Ross McWhirter, after a press conference in which McWhirter had announced a reward for the capture of th…
- August 14The Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered in London, the first in its record-breaking run in cinemas, which continues in limited release.
- June 26Federal Bureau of InvestigationTwo FBI agents and a member of the American Indian Movement are killed in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota…
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“Biological Weapons Convention”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/biological-weapons-convention-1975-march-26, accessed October 25, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did Biological Weapons Convention happen?
March 26 1975 — 51 years ago, on a Wednesday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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