Today in History

On This Day In History, December 17th

2010 Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire
The Tunisian street vendor self-immolated as a protest against the economic conditions in Tunisia. He died 18 days after at the age of 26. His protest and death were a catalyst for the Tunisian revolution and similar revolutions and protests around the Arab world.

2010 The beginning of the Arab Spring
The multi-country protests and demands for change in the Arab world are thought to have begun with street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in Tunisia. Bouazizi's attempt and death 18 days later was the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution which forced then-president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down from his post.

1989 First episode of The Simpsons aired
The popular American animated series directed by Matt Groening is set in the fictional town of Springfield and it follows the life of the Simpson family.

1903 First flight of the Wright Flyer
The powered aircraft was made by the Wright brothers and was the first such aircraft to take flight.

1790 Discovery of the Aztec calendar stone
Also known as the Stone of the Five Eras, the sculpture was excavated in Mexico City.
 
Births On This Day, December 17th 🎂

1978 Manny Pacquiao
Filipino boxer, politician

1973 Paula Radcliffe
English runner

1936 Pope Francis
Current Pope of the Catholic Church.

1778 Humphry Davy
English chemist, physicist

1770 Ludwig van Beethoven
German pianist, composer

Deaths On This Day, December 17th 🪦

2011 Kim Jong-il
North Korean politician, 2nd Supreme Leader of North Korea

2010 Captain Beefheart
American singer-songwriter

1933 13th Dalai Lama

1830 Simón Bolívar
Venezuelan commander

1273 Rumi
Persian mystic, poet
 

On This Day In History, December 18th

1966 Saturn's Moon, Epimetheus, discovered
One of Saturn's 150 natural satellites or moons, Epimetheus shares its orbit with another moon, Janus. Saturn's largest moon is Titan, which is the only natural satellite in the Solar System with an atmosphere.

1958 World's first communication satellite launched
A product of a highly secretive project, SCORE (Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equipment) was launched aboard the Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Once in orbit, it relayed the first message sent to Earth from space - a short statement by American President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

1912 Piltdown Man Hoax
The announcement by British archeologist Charles Dawson at a conference of the Geological Society of London was received with very little skepticism in the field of paleoanthropology. The discovery of fossilized remains of an unidentified human ancestor in Piltdown, East Sussex, England, was thought to have provided valuable clues about human evolution. It wasn't until 1953 that the Piltdown Man was discovered to be a hoax - with the skull consisting of the jawbones of an orangutan and the cranium of an adult human being.

1892 The Nutcracker makes its debut in St. Petersburg, Russia
The two-part ballet was inspired by German author Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann's novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Even though the ballet's score was composed by the famous Russian composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, it did not get good reviews. It was only in the mid-20th century, that The Nutcracker gained popularity among theatergoers, especially during Christmas time in the United States.

1865 Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution adopted
The first of the 3 Reconstruction Amendments, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. The other two Reconstruction Amendments – the Fourteenth and the Fifteenth Amendments – extended citizenship rights, equal protection of the law, and the right to vote to all Americans irrespective of their "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
 
Births On This Day, December 18th 🎂

1980 Christina Aguilera
American singer-songwriter, producer, actress

1964 Stone Cold Steve Austin
American wrestler, actor, producer

1963 Brad Pitt
American actor, producer

1946 Steven Spielberg
American director

1878 Joseph Stalin
Soviet marshal, politician, 4th Premier of the Soviet Union


Deaths On This Day, December 18th 🪦

2011 Václav Havel
Czech politician, 1st President of the Czech Republic

2008 Mark Felt
American agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

2006 Joseph Barbera
American animator, director, and producer, co-founded Hanna-Barbera

1980 Alexei Kosygin
Soviet politician

1892 Richard Owen
English biologist
 
1719
Thomas Fleet publishes 'Mother Goose's Melodies for Children' in Boston,Mass
1892
Russian composer, Pytor Tchiakovsky's ballet' The Nutcracker' debuts in St Petersburg, Russia. Its the world's most performed ballet
1966
'Dr Seuss's 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas debuts on CBS
1976
2nd remake of movie' A Star is Born' directed by Frank Pierson is released.It stars Barbra Streisand,Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey, Sally Kirkland. It won 1 Oscar for best orignal song' Evergreen' was co written by Streisand{ lyrics} Paul Williams{music}
2011
The last U.S troops wihdraw from Iraq offically ended Iraq War
 
Dec 18th Birthdays:
1707
Charles Wesley- English Methodist leader who wrote hymn'Hark The Herald Angels Sing'
1886
TY Cobb- baseball Hall of Fame outfielder with Detroit Tigers, manager of team 1921-1926
1938
Roger E. Mosely- actor best known TV role' TC' in original TV show Magnum,PI
1946
Steven Speilberg- film director, Jaws, ET,Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Schnidler's List, Jurrasic Park, Saving Pvt Ryan, has 2 directing Oscars for List&Ryan
1963
Brad Pitt actor/ producer- '12 Monkeys, Legends of the Fall ,Thelma&Louise,Meet Joe Black, producer:
The Departed,12 Years a Slave, won best supp actor Oscar for'Once Upon a Time in America
Deaths:
1971
Bobby Jones- U.S. golfer/ course designer,won 13 major titles 69
1992
Mark Goodman U. S producer of TV game shows with Bill Todman' The Price is Right,I've Got a Secret' 77
2008
Mark Felt- U.S. FBI agent who became famously known as' Deep Throat'/whistle blower during the Watergate scandal 95
 
On This Day In History, December 19th

2012 Election of First female President of South Korea
Park Geun-Hye is the eleventh President of South Korea and also holds the distinction of being the first female head of state in Northeast Asia. She assumed office in February 2013.

1984 Hong Kong Treaty Signed
Formally known as the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong, the Sino-British Treaty was signed by Zhao Ziyang of China and Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom in Beijing. The treaty decided the fate of Hong Kong as a territory of China from July 1, 1997.

1972 Apollo 17 returns to Earth
The last mission of the United States Apollo program spent 12 days in space and was the first human spaceflight launched at night from the United States. The three-member crew spent more time orbiting the Moon and on the surface of the Moon than during any other Moon landings. It was also the last time humans set foot on Earth's only natural satellite.

1971 A Clockwork Orange released
The dystopian film was directed by Stanley Kubrick and was based on a novella of the same name by British author, Anthony Burgess. Based in a futuristic London, the film opened with critical acclaim, though the centrality of violence in it drew a lot of mainstream criticism. Today, the movie is considered to be one of the best movies of the 20th century.

1886 Sherlock Holmes' The Adventure of Beryl Coronet begins on this date
The short detective story written by Arthur Conan Doyle and featuring detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend and assistant Dr. Watson began on this date with the theft of 3 precious crystals from a coronet. The story is the 11th in a series of 12 stories contained in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
 
Births On This Day, December 19th 🎂

1980 Jake Gyllenhaal
American actor

1974 Ricky Ponting
Australian cricketer

1967 Criss Angel
American magician

1915 Édith Piaf
French singer-songwriter, actress

1906 Leonid Brezhnev
Soviet politician

Deaths On This Day, December 19th 🪦

2012 Robert Bork
American lawyer, scholar, United States Attorney General

2009 Hussein-Ali Montazeri
Iranian theologian, scholar, activist

2008 Dock Ellis
American baseball player

2000 John Lindsay
American politician, 103rd Mayor of New York City

1848 Emily Brontë
English novelist
 

Holidays and Events on This Day, December 19th 🍹🌴

Chanukah/Hanukkah (first day)- USA

First Day of Hanukkah- Australia, Canada, India, United Kingdom

Hanukkah (Day 1)- Israel

National Heroes and Heroines Day- Anguilla

Remembrance Day for Roma and Sinti killed by Genocide- Germany
 
1843
Charles Dicken's novel' A Christmas Carol' is published sold 6,000 copies
1932
BBC{British Broadcasting Corp} begins transmitting overseas
1957
original Broadway production of Meredith Wilson's musical' The Music Man' opens at Majestic Theatre in NYC ,starring Robert Preston, Barbara Cook,it ran for 1,375 performances. The show won 5 Tony awards, Preston would reprise his role as 'Prof Harold Hill' in the movie version co starring with Shirley Jones
1979
movie' Kramer vs Kramer directed by Robert Benton is released, story of a wife[Meryl Streep} who walks out on her husband{Dustin Hoffman} leaving him to take care of their young son{Justin Harvey} others in cast, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, JoBeth Williams, George Coe movie won 5 Oscars pic/director/actor{Hoffman} supp actress{Streep} screenplay
2012
Park Geun-hye becomes South Korea's 1st female president, 2012-2017, was later impeached& convicted of corruption charges
 
Dec 19th Birthdays"
1915
Edith Piaf- French chanteuse' Little Sparrow,Le Vie En Rose
1923
Gordon Jackson- Scottish actor, 'Upstairs, Downstairs, The Great Escape
1928
Galt MacDermot- Canadian composer of musical'Hair'
1944
Tim Reid- actor best known TV role',DJ' Venus Flytrap' on CBS sitcom' WKRP In Cincinatti'
1980
Jake Gyllenhaal- actor' Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko, Jarhead
Deaths:
1848
Emily Bronte- English novlelist' Wuthering Heights' 30{tuberculosis}
1957
John Van Druten- British playwright'I Remember Mama,I am a Camera' 56
2003
Hope Lange- actress, Bus Stop, Peyton PLace, best known TV role' Carolyn Muir' in NBC sitcom' The Ghost&Mrs.Muir' 68-'70 co starred with Edward Mulhare, won back to back Best Actress{comedy} Emmy awards 70
 
On This Day In History, December 20th

2007 Queen Elizabeth becomes the longest-living British monarch
The previous longest-living monarch - Queen Victoria - died on Jan 22, 1901, when she was 81 years, 7 months, and 29 days old. Queen Elizabeth, who was born on 21 April 1926, turned 81 years, 7 months, and 30 days on this day.

1999 Portuguese transferred the sovereignty of Macau to China
Portugal ruled over the special administrative region of China from the mid-16th century to 1999. Macau has a high degree of independence from China and has control over its legal system, monetary system, and immigration policy.

1989 United States' invasion of Panama begins
Also known as Operation Just Cause, the invasion took place under the leadership of President George H. W. Bush and led to the deposition of the dictator, Manuel Noriega. The invasion ended on January 31, 1990.

1973 Spanish Prime Minister Carrero Blanco assassinated
A confidant of dictator Francisco Franco, Blanco was assassinated by the Basque nationalist and separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or ETA.

1803 Louisiana Purchase completed
The United States was officially handed over the territory of Louisiana by the French. The French regained control of the territory that spans over 15 present-day states and 2 Canadian territories in 1800. In 1762, Spain had taken over the territory.
 

Births On This Day, December 20th 🎂

1976 Aubrey Huff
American baseball player

1966 Matt Neal
English race car driver

1946 Uri Geller
Israeli psychic

1905 Bill O'Reilly
Australian cricketer

1868 Harvey Samuel Firestone
American businessman founded the Firestone Tire, and Rubber Company

Deaths On This Day, December 20th 🪦

1996 Carl Sagan
American astronomer, author

1976 Richard J. Daley
American politician, 48th Mayor of Chicago

1968 John Steinbeck
American author, Nobel Prize laureate

1812 Sacagawea
An American member of the Lewis, and Clark Expedition

1722 Kangxi Emperor
of China
 
1606
English colonists expedition to America with ships Discovery, Godspeed&Susan Constant leave Blackwell, London to find Jamestown,VA
1812
'Grimms Fairy Tales' by Jacob& Wilhelm Grimm is 1st published
1920
comedian/ entertainer, Bob Hope becomes U.S. citizen,he was born in Eltham,England
1957
Elvis Presley is drafted by U.S. Army for a 2yr stint, he did basic training for 6 weeks, sent to Europe with Company D in Freidberg,Germany
1988
movie' Working Girl' directed my Mike Nichols is released, story of an young, ambitious secretary{Melanie Griffith} who tries to out fox her nasty boss{Signorney Weaver} with the help of a guy{Harrison Ford} she was in love with other cast members; Joan Cusak, Alec Baldwin, Phillip Bosco. Carly Simon won Oscar for best orignal song' Let The River Run'
2019
United States Space Force is founded , an armed forces branch dedicated to space warfare
 
Dec 20th Birthdays:
1818
Harvey Firestone- U.S industralist/ founder of Firestone&Tire Comapny with slogan' when the rubber meets the road'
1932
John Hillerman- actor best known TV role' Higgins' in CBS drama'Magnum, PI'
1946
Dick Wolf- TV producer/ creator of NBC police&law series' Law&Order,with its spinoffs
1983
Jonah Hill- actor 'Superbad, Moneyball,The Wolf of Wall Street
Deaths:
1812
Sacagawea- Shonsone Indian interpreter for Lewis&Clark expedtion 24
1968
John Steinbeck- author' Grapes of Wrath' 66
1971
Roy O. Disney- businessman,co- founder of Walt Disney Co with brother Walt 78
1996
Carl Sagan- U. S. scientist/ astronomer/ author' Cosmos, Contact', best known for his research on extraterstrial life 62
2012
Eagle Keys- Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker/coach 89
 
On This Day In History, December 21st

1995 Palestinians take control of Bethlehem
Israeli troops withdrew from the city under the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip signed in September 1995. The city was under a British mandate from 1920 to 1948, and then it was captured by Jordan during the Arab-Israeli War in 1948. Most recently, it was taken over by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967.

1988 Lockerbie Bombing
A bomb exploded on Pan Am Flight number 103 on its way from Frankfurt, Germany, to Detroit, United States, over the Scottish city of Lockerbie. The terrorist attack killed all the passengers and crew on board and 11 people on the ground.

1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination adopted
The human rights convention was adopted by the United Nations member states and was put into force on January 4, 1969. It attempts to eliminate racial discrimination in the world.

1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs released
The movie made by Walt Disney Productions was the world's first full-length animated feature film and it was based on a German fairy tale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm.

1872 Phileas Fogg wins his wager
The fictional character created by French writer Jules Verne for his book, Around the World in Eighty Days, finished circumnavigating the world and reached London to win the wager he had set with his friends. The date also coincides with the publication of the last of the series that ended up becoming the now popular science fiction novel.
 
Births On This Day, December 21st 🎂

1982 Philip Humber
American baseball player

1966 Kiefer Sutherland
English/Canadian actor, director, producer

1940 Frank Zappa
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer

1804 Benjamin Disraeli
English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

1118 Thomas Becket
English archbishop

Deaths On This Day, December 21st 🪦

1963 Jack Hobbs
English cricketer

1945 George S. Patton
American general

1940 F. Scott Fitzgerald
American author

1935 Kurt Tucholsky
German journalist

72 Thomas the Apostle
 
Holidays and Events on This Day, December 21st 🍹🌴

December Solstice- American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Belize, Costa Rica, and 226 other places

Dōngzhì Festival- Taiwan

Hanukkah (Day 3)- Israel

Niyazov Day- Turkmenistan

São Tomé Day- Sao Tome and Principe
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top