And the latter is certainly a reference to the darkness that fell on Jerusalem when Jesus died on the cross (according to three of four gospels). This "darkness" is not said to be a solar eclipse (it could not be, because it lasted three hours), but we probably are supposed to imagine it as such.
Another reason it couldn't possibly have been a solar eclipse is that Jesus was crucified around the time of Passover, which occurs only at the full moon (as does Easter to this day), but solar eclipses can of course occur only at the new moon.
This doesn't mean it's impossible, simply that it wasn't an eclipse - it could have been a volcano, a nasty storm or any of a dozen other things as well. Solar eclipse is simply the most popularly accepted, if scientifically impossible, answer.
I'm reasonably certain we're supposed to view it as a miracle.
Doesn't seem to fit the trope (not marking a dramatic/supernatural moment, or just "an eclipse happened"):
In the Sci Fi miniseries Tin Man, Azkedelia's evil plan is to cause a permanent solar eclipse.
On Young Dracula, shortly after Ingrid becomes a full vampire and is no longer able to go out in sunlight, there is an eclipse that lasts long enough for her to go out to the movies with her boyfriend and make it back home safely.
The Epic Level Handbook for Dungeons And Dragons has an Eclipse spell: when cast, it creates an opaque disk, sized and positioned perfectly, to block out the sun for five miles around the caster.