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Events on Wednesday 21 March 1804 1
1804Napoleonic Code EnactedFrance adopts its unified civil code under NapoleonOn 21 March 1804, France promulgated the Napoleonic Code, a unified civil code replacing the patchwork of feudal and regional laws across the country. It enshrined legal equality, property rights, and secular civil marriage, and became a model for civil law systems across Europe and Latin America.