The Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted on this day 1284. 

After the defeat and deaths of Llywelyn and Dafydd ap Grufydd, Edward I, had all but conquered Wales militarily and consolidated his position by completing his castle-building program, with Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris, Flint and Rhuddlan forming a defensive ring.  Boroughs were created around these castles and English traders invited to settle.  The Welsh, however, were forbidden to inhabit the boroughs, or to carry arms within their walls. 

Edward then turned his attention to dominating Wales politically and gradually sought to undermine the Welsh legal systems, part of this process was the enactment of The Statute of Rhuddlan, which created laws regarding debt, inquests, pleas, trials, and juries, all in accordance with English common law and administered by Sheriffs.  The statute established the counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, to be governed by the Justice of North Wales, Flintshire to be governed by the Justice of Chester and Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire governed by the Justice of South Wales.  The rest of Wales came under the governance of the Marcher Lords as their reward for their part in defeating Llywelyn and became more or less quasi-independent.  Another significant aspect of the statute involved the Welsh system of dividing property among all male heirs, this was allowed to continue, to prevent the building up of large Welsh-owned landed estates, but illegitimate sons were not permitted to inherit, however if there was no male heir the inheritance could pass to females.  Also, females had the right to a dowry for the first time in Wales. 

Throughout the 14th century, the draconian English rule eased as the Welsh adapted to English domination, with many native Welsh, especially on the Marches, holding positions of importance and many Welsh mercenaries, with their legendary skill with the longbow, finding employment in the campaigns in France.  Yet under the surface, all was not what it seemed, resentment of the English regime was deep rooted and was to resurface on the death of Edward III and the arrival of Owain Glyndwr.   

On this day 1927, J.G.Parry Thomas died attempting to break the Land Speed Record. 

John Godfrey Parry-Thomas was born in Wrexham in April 1884, the son of a vicar.  From an early age, he was fascinated with engineering and studied electrical engineering and by 1908 he had designed an infinite ratio electrical transmission (now viewed to be 70 years ahead of it’s time) which was used in London buses and railcars. Parry-Thomas was also much in demand on government advisory boards during WWI and later became the chief Engineer at Leyland Motors and designed the Leyland Eight luxury motor car, owners of which included the Maharajah of Patiala and Michael Collins, the Irish revolutionary leader.

Thomas then decided to become a professional racing driver and by 1925 had switched his attention to the Land Speed Record, which the following year he broke, driving his car "Babs" at 170mph on Pendine Sands.  However his great rival Malcolm Campbell soon regained it, so on 3rd March 1927,  Thomas arrived back in Pendine, unwell with flu in an attempt to re-take the record, but during the attempt, the car skidded, rolled over, slid along the beach and burst into flames.

Thomas was killed and Babs was buried in the beach.  However in 1969 Babs was dug up and restored by Owen Wyn-Owen an engineering lecturer from Bangor Technical Collage and is now on display at the Pendine Museum of Speed. 

Born this day 1863, in Caerleon. 

Arthur Machen, author and mystic, who is best known for his supernatural fantasy "The Great God Pan", which was described by Stephen King as "Maybe the best horror story in the English language"    

In a referendum held on 3rd March 2011, the people of Wales voted in favor of extending the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales.