This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 20 1945 Nuremberg trials begin Twenty-four high-ranking Nazis go on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II beginning on November 20, 1945. The Nuremberg trials were conducted by an international tribunal made up of representatives from the United States, the Soviet Union, France and Great... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1820 American vessel sunk by sperm whale   Art, Literature and Film History 2003 Music producer Phil Spector charged with murder of actress   Black History 1835 New York Committee of Vigilance founded   Crime 1903 Tom Horn is hanged in Wyoming for the murder of Willie Nickell   European History 1947 Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten 1992 Windsor Castle catches fire   Gay Rights 1999 The first Transgender Day of Remembrance is held   Inventions & Science 1866 Pierre Lallement patents the modern pedal bicycle  1923 Garrett Morgan patents three-position traffic signal   Sports 1982 Cal beats Stanford as band blocks field   World War I 1917 British launch surprise tank attack at Cambrai

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 21 1980 Millions tune in to find out who shot J.R. On November 21, 1980, 350 million people around the world tune in to television’s popular primetime drama “Dallas” to find out who shot J.R. Ewing, the character fans loved to hate. J.R. had been shot on the season-ending episode the previous March 21, which now stands as one of television’s most... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1776 George Washington orders General Lee to New Jersey   Art, Literature and Film History 1934 Ella Fitzgerald wins Amateur Night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater 1976 “Rocky” opens in theaters   Crime 1986 As Iran-Contra scandal heats up, Oliver North shreds documents   European History 1783 Men fly over Paris in hot air balloon   Inventions & Science 1877 "Scientific American" announces Thomas Edison’s "wonderful invention"—the phonograph   Natural Disasters & Environment 1916 Britannic, sister ship to the Titanic, sinks in Aegean Sea   U.S. Presidents 1864 President Lincoln allegedly writes to mother of Civil War casualties

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 22 1963 President John F. Kennedy is assassinated John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated in 1963 while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, but she was beside him, along with Texas Governor John... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1980s 1988 Stealth bomber unveiled   Colonial America 1718 Blackbeard killed off North Carolina   European History 1990 Margaret Thatcher resigns 2005 Angela Merkel becomes Chancellor of Germany   Inventions & Science 1900 First Mercedes goes for a test drive   Sports 1986 Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champ in history   Vietnam War 1972 First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 23

1936 First issue of "Life" is published On November 23, 1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine "Life" is published, featuring a cover photo of the Fort Peck Dam’s spillway by Margaret Bourke-White. Life actually had its start earlier in the 20th century as a different kind of magazine: a weekly humor publication, not unlike... read more

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19th Century 1859 Legendary outlaw Billy the Kid is born

 

Crime 1876 “Boss” Tweed delivered to authorities 1979 IRA member sentenced for Mountbatten’s assassination

 

European History 1499 Flemish imposter executed in London

 

World War II 1940 Romania becomes an Axis “power” 1942 Soviets encircle Germans at Stalingrad

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 24 1859 “Origin of Species” is published "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection," a groundbreaking scientific work by British naturalist Charles Darwin, is published in England on November 24, 1859. Darwin’s theory argued that organisms gradually evolve through a process he called “natural selection.” In natural selection,... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Art, Literature and Film History 1991 Freddy Mercury succumbs to AIDS   Asian History 1999 Ferry sinks in Yellow Sea, killing hundreds   Civil War 1863 Battle of Lookout Mountain   Cold War 1947 “Hollywood Ten″ cited for contempt of Congress   Crime 1928 The first federal prison for women opens in West Virginia 1932 The FBI Crime Lab opens its doors for business 1963 Jack Ruby kills Lee Harvey Oswald 1971 Hijacker and criminal mastermind D.B. Cooper parachutes out of plane 2017 Terrorists attack mosque in Sinai, Egypt   Inventions & Science 1849 John Froelich, inventor of the gas-powered tractor, is born 1974 “Lucy” fossils discovered   Native American History 1807 Mohawk Chief Thayendanegea dies   Sports 1960 Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA rebounds record

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 25 1963 JFK buried at Arlington National Cemetery Three days after his assassination in Dallas, Texas, John F. Kennedy is laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was shot to death while riding in an open-car motorcade with his wife and Texas Governor John... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1876 U.S. Army retaliates for the Little Bighorn defeat   1980s 1986 Iran-Contra connection revealed   21st Century 2000 First International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women   American Revolution 1783 Last British soldiers leave New York   Asian History 1970 Japanese author Yukio Mishima dies by suicide   Crime 1959 The Birdman of Alcatraz asks a court to set him free   European History 1952 “The Mousetrap” opens in London   Inventions & Science 1990 Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge sinks to the bottom of Lake Washington   Natural Disasters & Environment 1950 “Storm of the century” hits eastern U.S.   Women’s History 1960 Mirabal sisters assassinated by Trujillo regime

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 26 1922 Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut In Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first souls to enter King Tutankhamen’s tomb in more than 3,000 years. Tutankhamen’s sealed burial chambers were miraculously intact, and inside was a collection of several thousand priceless objects,... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1950s 1950 Chinese counterattacks in Korea change nature of war   Art, Literature and Film History 1864 “Alice in Wonderland” manuscript is sent as a Christmas present 1942 “Casablanca” premieres in New York   Crime 1933 Vigilantes in California lynch two suspected murderers   Vietnam War 1968 Air Force helicopter pilot rescues Special Forces team   World War II 1941 Japanese task force leaves for Pearl Harbor

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 27 1095 Pope Urban II orders first Crusade On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II makes perhaps the most influential speech of the Middle Ages, giving rise to the Crusades by calling all Christians in Europe to war against Muslims in order to reclaim the Holy Land, with a cry of “Deus vult!” or “God wills it!” Born Odo of Lagery, Urban was... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1746 R.R. Livingston, future Founding Father known as “The Chancellor,” is born   Art, Literature and Film History 1940 Bruce Lee born 1942 Jimi Hendrix born 2005 Aerosmith and 50 Cent headline a $10 million bat mitzvah   Cold War 1954 Accused spy Alger Hiss released from prison   Crime 1978 San Francisco leaders George Moscone and Harvey Milk are murdered   Native American History 1868 Colonel George Custer massacres Cheyenne on Washita River 1949 Maria Tallchief debuts in “Firebird” as the first-ever American prima ballerina   Natural Disasters & Environment 1703 Freak storm dissipates over England   U.S. Presidents 1911 White House housekeeper frets over William Howard Taft’s waistline

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 28 1520 Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Pacific After sailing through the dangerous straits below South America that now bear his name, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan enters the Pacific Ocean with three ships, becoming the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1970s 1973 Arab American autoworkers lead walkout at Chrysler’s Dodge Main plant 1979 Plane crashes over Antarctica   Art, Literature and Film History 1582 William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway 1925 The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting   Crime 1987 Tawana Brawley found with slurs scrawled on her body 1994 Jeffrey Dahmer murdered in prison   European History 1919 Lady Astor becomes MP   Inventions & Science 1895 Duryea Motor Wagon wins first car race in U.S.   U.S. Presidents 1943 FDR attends Tehran Conference   World War I 1914 New York Stock Exchange resumes bond trading

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 29 1981 Actress Natalie Wood drowns On November 29, 1981, the actress Natalie Wood, who starred in such movies as "Rebel Without a Cause" and "West Side Story," drowns in a boating accident near California’s Catalina Island. She was 43 years old. Born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938, in San Francisco, California, Wood... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Art, Literature and Film History 2001 George Harrison, lead guitarist for the Beatles, dies   Civil War 1864 Sand Creek massacre   Cold War 1952 President Eisenhower goes to Korea   Crime 2011 Dr. Conrad Murray receives four-year sentence in Michael Jackson’s death   Exploration 1929 Explorer Richard Byrd flies over South Pole   Invention & Science 1972 PONG released   Middle Eastern History 1947 U.N. votes for partition of Palestine   U.S. Presidents 1963 LBJ forms commission to investigate Kennedy assassination   Vietnam War 1967 Robert S. McNamara resigns as Secretary of Defense   World War II 1942 Coffee rationing begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 30 1886 Folies Bergère stages first revue Once a hall for operettas, pantomime, political meetings and vaudeville, the Folies Bergère in Paris introduces an elaborate revue featuring women in sensational costumes on November 30, 1886. The highly popular “Place aux Jeunes” established the Folies as the premier nightlife spot in Paris. In... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Art, Literature and Film History 1835 Mark Twain is born 1974 “Elton John’s Greatest Hits” reaches #1 2004 “Jeopardy!” contestant’s record winning streak ends   Civil War 1864 Battle of Franklin, Tennessee   Cold War 1981 The United States and U.S.S.R. open talks to reduce intermediate-range nuclear forces   Crime 1989 Female serial killer strikes in Florida   European History 1874 Winston Churchill born   Inventions & Science 1609 Galileo begins observing the moon 1965 Ralph Nader’s “Unsafe at Any Speed” hits bookstores   Natural Disasters & Environment 1954 Meteorite strikes Alabama woman   Sports 1876 First Thanksgiving college football game played   U.S. Government and Politics 1993 Brady Bill signed into law   U.S. Presidents 1950 President Truman refuses to rule out atomic weapons   World War II 1939 U.S.S.R. attacks Finland

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 01 1955 Rosa Parks ignites bus boycott In Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks is jailed for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man, a violation of the city’s racial segregation laws. The successful Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized by a young Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr., followed...  read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1950s 1958 95 die in Chicago school fire   American Revolution 1779 George Washington establishes winter quarters at Morristown   Art, Literature and Film History 1945 Bette Midler is born in Honolulu, Hawaii   Civil War 1862 Abraham Lincoln delivers State of the Union address   Cold War 1959 Antarctica made a military-free continent   European History 1934 Russian revolutionary Sergei Kirov murdered 1990 Chunnel makes breakthrough   Inventions & Science 1913 Ford’s assembly line starts rolling

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 02 2001 Enron files for bankruptcy On December 2, 2001, the Enron Corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York court, sparking one of the largest corporate scandals in U.S. history. An energy-trading company based in Houston, Texas, Enron was formed in 1985 as the merger of two gas companies, Houston Natural... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 21st Century 2006 649-day tree sit-in at the University of California, Berkeley begins   American Revolution 1776 George Washington arrives at the banks of the Delaware 1777 Philadelphia midwife overhears British plans to attack Washington's army   Art, Literature and Film History 1972 The Temptations earn their final #1 hit with “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” 1997 “Good Will Hunting” premieres   Cold War 1954 Joseph McCarthy condemned by Senate 1961 Fidel Castro declares himself a Marxist-Leninist   Crime 1991 William Kennedy Smith’s rape trial begins   European History 1804 Napoleon crowned emperor   Invention & Science 1999 Researchers unravel the genetic code of an entire human chromosome   Middle Eastern History 1971 The United Arab Emirates is formed   Slavery 1859 Abolitionist John Brown is hanged   U.S. Government and Politics 1970 Environmental Protection Agency opens   U.S. Presidents 1823 Monroe Doctrine declared   World War II 1942 Physicist Enrico Fermi produces the first nuclear chain reaction

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 03 1947 “A Streetcar Named Desire” opens on Broadway On December 3, 1947, Marlon Brando’s famous cry of “STELLA!” first booms across a Broadway stage, electrifying the audience at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre during the first-ever performance of Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire." The 23-year-old Brando played the rough, working-class... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1818 Illinois becomes the 21st state   1980s 1984 Explosion kills thousands at pesticide plant In Bhopal, India   Art, Literature and Film History 1979 Eleven people killed in a stampede outside Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio   Cold War 1989 Bush and Gorbachev suggest Cold War is coming to an end   Crime 1989 Five-year-old disappears—abductor is later ID’d by clothing fibers   Inventions & Science 1967 First human heart transplant 1979 Last AMC Pacer rolls off assembly line 1992 First SMS text message is sent   World War I 1912 Armistice signed in First Balkan War

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 04 1991 Hostage Terry Anderson freed in Lebanon On December 4, 1991, Islamic militants in Lebanon release kidnapped American journalist Terry Anderson after 2,454 days in captivity. As chief Middle East correspondent for the Associated Press, Anderson covered the long-running civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990). On March 16, 1985, he was kidnapped... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1867 Oliver Kelley organizes the Grange   1990s 1992 President Bush orders U.S. troops to Somalia   American Revolution 1780 George Washington’s cousin tricks Loyalists 1783 George Washington bids farewell to his officers   Crime 1928 “Irish Godfather” killed by car bomb in St. Paul, Minnesota 1969 Police kill two members of the Black Panther Party 2009 Amanda Knox convicted of murder in Italy   Natural Disasters & Environment 2012 Typhoon “Pablo” kills over 1,000 people in the Philippines   Sports 1997 NBA suspends Latrell Sprewell for attacking coach   World War I 1917 Psychiatrist reports on the phenomenon of shell shock   World War II 1942 Polish Christians come to the aid of Polish Jews

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 05 1945 Aircraft squadron disappears in the Bermuda Triangle At 2:10 p.m. on December 5, 1945, five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers comprising Flight 19 take off from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a routine three-hour training mission. After having completed their objective, Flight 19 was scheduled to take them due east for an...  read more   SPONSORED Save On a Year of The Atlantic Get 25% off a subscription, plus one month free. Navigate the year ahead with journalism that will inform, challenge, and delight. Get Offer 19th Century 1872 The Mary Celeste, a ship whose crew mysteriously disappeared, is spotted at sea 1876 Hundreds die in Brooklyn theater fire   1970s 1978 U.S.S.R. and Afghanistan sign “friendship treaty”   African History 2013 South African president Nelson Mandela dies at 95   American Revolution 1776 Phi Beta Kappa fraternity is founded   Art, Literature and Film History 1984 Eddie Murphy stars in “Beverly Hills Cop”   Crime 1873 The Boston Belfry Murderer kills his first victim   European History 1952 Smog kills thousands in England   Sports 2002 TV producer Roone Arledge dies   U.S. Government and Politics 1933 21st Amendment is ratified; Prohibition ends   Vietnam War 1964 Army Captain awarded first Medal of Honor for action in Vietnam

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 06 1884 Washington Monument completed On December 6, 1884, in Washington, D.C., workers place a nine-inch aluminum pyramid inscribed with “Laus Deo,” meaning praise (be) to God, atop a tower of white marble, completing the construction of an impressive monument to the city’s namesake and the nation’s first president, George Washington....  read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Art, Literature and Film History 1933 “Ulysses” is ruled not obscene 1969 Murder at the Altamont Festival brings the 1960s to a violent end   Civil War 1865 13th Amendment ratified   European History 1921 Irish Free State declared   Natural Disasters & Environment 1907 The Monongah coal mine disaster   Sports 1961 Ernie Davis becomes first Black player to win Heisman Trophy   World War I 1917 The Great Halifax Explosion   World War II 1941 FDR to Japanese emperor: “Prevent further death and destruction”

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 07 1941 Pearl Harbor bombed On December 7, 1941, at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious […]... read more 19th Century 1805 Lewis and Clark temporarily settle in Fort Clatsop 1970s 1975 Indonesia invades East Timor   Art, Literature and Film History 2001 “Ocean’s Eleven” remake opens in theaters   Civil War 1862 Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas   Crime 1982 First execution by lethal injection 1993 Shooter opens fire on Long Island Railroad train 1996 A first-time offender ends up on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List   Early U.S. 1787 Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution   Natural Disasters & Environment 1988 Earthquakes wreak havoc in Armenia   Sports 1989 Sugar Ray Leonard fights Roberto Duran for the third and final time   U.S. Presidents 1941 FDR reacts to news of Pearl Harbor bombing

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 08 1980 John Lennon shot John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles, the rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s, is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. The 40-year-old artist was entering his luxury Manhattan apartment building when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close range...  read more American Revolution 1775 Americans join forces ahead of the siege of Quebec   Art, Literature and Film History 1894 Humorist James Thurber is born 1982 “Sophie’s Choice” premieres in Los Angeles   Asian History 1949 Chinese nationalists move capital to Taiwan   Civil War 1863 President Lincoln issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction   Cold War 1987 Superpowers agree to reduce nuclear arsenals   European History 1542 Mary Queen of Scots born   Inventions & Science 1942 Auto-factory architect Albert Kahn dies   Natural Disasters & Environment 1794 Fire destroys much of New Orleans’ French Quarter 1881 Theater fire kills hundreds in Vienna   Sports 1940 Bears beat Redskins 73-0 in NFL Championship game   U.S. Presidents 1993 NAFTA signed into law   Vietnam War 1969 President Nixon announces Vietnam War is ending   World War I 1914 The Battle of the Falkland Islands 1919 John Maynard Keynes predicts economic chaos from the Treaty of Versailles   World War II 1941 The United States declares war on Japan 1941 Jeannette Rankin casts sole vote against WWII

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 09 1992 U.S. Marines storm Mogadishu, Somalia On December 9, 1992, 1,800 United States Marines arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia, to spearhead a multinational force aimed at restoring order in the conflict-ridden country. Following centuries of colonial rule by countries including Portugal, Britain and Italy, Mogadishu became the capital of an... read more   SPONSORED Save On a Year of The Atlantic Get 25% off a subscription, plus one month free. Navigate the year ahead with journalism that will inform, challenge, and delight. Get Offer 19th Century 1835 The Texan Army captures San Antonio   1990s 1990 Lech Walesa elected president of Poland   Art, Literature and Film History 1854 “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson is published 1983 “Scarface,” starring Al Pacino, opens in theaters   Cold War 1958 John Birch Society founded   Crime 1981 Policeman Daniel Faulkner found dead   European History 1992 Separation of Charles and Diana announced   Inventions & Science 1979 Smallpox is officially declared eradicated   Middle Eastern History 1987 Intifada begins on Gaza Strip   Sports 1934 New York Giants beat Chicago Bears in “Sneakers Game” 2016 World Anti-Doping Agency accuses Russia of widespread cheating at Olympics   Vietnam War 1971 Paris peace talks break down   World War I 1917 Jerusalem surrenders to British troops

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 10 1901 First Nobel Prizes awarded The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace on December 10, 1901. The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives. In his will, Nobel... read more American Revolution 1778 John Jay is elected president of the Continental Congress   Art, Literature and Film History 1830 Emily Dickinson is born 1905 O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” is published 1967 Soul legend Otis Redding dies in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin 2009 “Avatar” makes its world premiere in London   Black History 1950 American diplomat Ralph Bunche receives Nobel Peace Prize   Cold War 1977 Soviets arrest dissidents on United Nations Human Rights Day   Colonial America 1690 First paper currency is authorized in the Colonies   European History 1898 Treaty of Paris ends Spanish-American War   Inventions & Science 1903 Marie and Pierre Curie are awarded Nobel Prize for their work with radium   Sports 1922 Canton Bulldogs claim NFL’s first title   U.S. Government and Politics 1974 Sex scandal leads to political fallout for Arkansas congressman   U.S. Presidents 1920 Woodrow Wilson awarded Nobel Peace Prize   Women’s History 1869 Wyoming grants women the right to vote   World War I 1917 Red Cross is awarded Nobel Peace Prize

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 11 1936 Edward VIII announces his abdication After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He chose to abdicate after the British government, public, and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry the American divorcée Wallis Warfield Simpson. On the evening... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1994 Russian forces enter Chechnya 1997 Kyoto Protocol first adopted in Japan   21st Century 2019 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg named Time’s Person of the Year   American Revolution 1777 British delay Washington’s march to Valley Forge   Art, Literature and Film History 1964 Sam Cooke dies under suspicious circumstances in LA   Cold War 1969 Soviets declare nudity a sign of “western decadence”   Crime 1963 Frank Sinatra Jr. released by kidnappers 1978 Millions stolen from JFK Airport in infamous ‘Lufthansa heist’ 2008 Billionaire conman Bernard Madoff arrested   LGBTQ+ History 1973 Gay rights advocate interrupts Walter Cronkite’s news broadcast   Vietnam War 1961 First U.S. helicopters arrive in South Vietnam   World War I 1915 Yuan Shih-kai accepts Chinese throne   World War II 1941 Germany declares war on the United States 1946 UNICEF founded

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 12 1980 Da Vinci notebook sells for over $5M On December 12, 1980, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at auction for a notebook containing writings by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. The manuscript, written around 1508, was one of some 30 similar books da Vinci produced during his lifetime on a variety of subjects. It... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT African History 1963 Kenya declares independence from Britain   American Revolution 1787 Pennsylvania ratifies the Constitution   Art, Literature and Film History 1913 Stolen “Mona Lisa” recovered in Florence 1967 “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” opens in theaters 1970 “Tears Of A Clown” gives Smokey Robinson & The Miracles their first #1 pop hit   Crime 1868 Vigilantes yank train robbers from jail and hang them 1977 “Saturday Night Fever” premieres in New York 1989 Real estate mogul Leona Helmsley sentenced to prison 1997 14-year-old indicted for school shooting   Inventions & Science 1901 First radio transmission sent across the Atlantic Ocean   Sports 1965 NFL rookie Gale Sayers ties single-game TD record   U.S. Presidents 1963 JFK memorial album sets record for sales   World War II 1937 USS Panay sunk by Japanese

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 13 2000 Al Gore concedes presidential election Vice President Al Gore concedes defeat to George W. Bush in his bid for the presidency, following weeks of legal battles over the recounting of votes in Florida, on December 13, 2000. In a televised speech from his ceremonial office next to the White House, Gore said that while he was deeply... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1776 General Charles Lee captured at Widow White’s Tavern   Art, Literature and Film History 1925 Dick Van Dyke born   Asian History 1937 The Rape of Nanking begins   Civil War 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg   Crime 2000 Texas Seven prison break   Exploration 1577 Explorer Francis Drake sets sail from England   Middle Eastern History 2003 Saddam Hussein captured   Sports 1992 Goaltender Manon Rheaume becomes first woman to play in pro hockey game   U.S. Presidents 1918 Woodrow Wilson arrives in France for peace talks   World War I 1916 Soldiers perish in avalanche as World War I rages   World War II 1942 Joseph Goebbels complains of Italians’ treatment of Jews

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 14 1911 Roald Amundsen becomes first explorer to reach the South Pole On December 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen, born in Borge, near Oslo, in 1872, was one of the great figures in polar exploration. In 1897, he was first mate on a Belgian expedition that... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Civil War 1863 President Lincoln pardons his sister-in-law   Crime 1874 Burglar confesses to high-profile kidnapping case 1982 Woody Harrelson’s father convicted for assassinating a federal judge 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting   Inventions & Science 1900 The birth of quantum theory 1909 Drivers make first test laps at newly laid Indy “Brickyard”   U.S. Presidents 1799 George Washington dies   Vietnam War 1961 President Kennedy announces intent to increase aid to South Vietnam   World War II 1939 USSR expelled from the League of Nations