March 15, 1951

1951David Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool, English politician^[†]

David Patrick Paul Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool, KCSG, KCMCO is a British-Irish politician, formerly a Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party and later Liberal Democrat who has sat as a crossbench member of the House of Lords since 1997 when he was made a life peer. Alton is also known for his human rights work including the co-founding of Jubilee Action, the children's charity, and serves as chair, patron or trustee of several charities and voluntary organisations.

1951Iranian oil industry is nationalized.^[†]

The nationalization of the Iranian oil industry resulted from a movement in the Iranian parliament (Majlis) to seize control of Iran's oil industry, which had been run by private companies, largely controlled by foreign interests. The legislation was passed on March 15, 1951, and was verified by the Majlis on March 17, 1951. The legislation led to the nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) and the formation of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). The movement was led by Mohammad Mosaddegh, a member of the Majlis for the National Front and future prime minister of Iran. The movement to nationalize the oil industry was the reaction to the following concessions made by Iran to foreign powers: the Reuter concession of 1872, the 1901 D'Arcy Concession, the 1933 agreement between the Iranian government and AIOC, and the 1949 Gas-Gulshaiyan Supplemental Oil Agreement. According to the political scientist Mark J. Gasiorowski, the oil nationalization movement had two major results: the establishment of a democratic government and the pursuit of Iranian national sovereignty.