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Events on Sunday 3 March 1861 1
1861Emancipation of the Russian serfsTsar Alexander II abolishes serfdomTsar Alexander II issued the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing over 20 million serfs across the Russian Empire. The reform granted peasants personal freedom and land rights, though heavy redemption payments limited its impact. It was one of the largest single acts of social reform in 19th-century Europe.