Today in History

This day in History December 12th

1901 Marconi sends first wireless transmission over 2000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Poldhu in Cornwall, England, to Newfoundland, Canada

1917 Father Edward Flanagan founds Boys Town

1925 first Motel opens the Milestone Mo-Tel of San Luis Obispo, California

1975 Balcombe Street Siege London England

1988 Clapham Junction Rail Crash South London

2003 Keiko From Free Willy dies
 
1800
Washington,D C is established as capitol of United States
1899
George Bryant in Boston,Mass patents wooden golf tee
1957
at the Cleveland Clinic, Willem Koff &his team removed a dog's heart replaces it with a pneumatic pump which keeps the dog alive for 90 min.
1966
movie' A Man for All Seasons' is released directed by Fred Zimmerman. The movie is based on the play by Robert Bolt. Sir Thomas Moore, highly respected British statesman deals with personal conflict when King Henry VIII rejects Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce,plan to remarry. The movie has all star mostly British cast, Paul Scofield,,Robert Shaw, Wendy Hiller,Vanessa Redgrave, John Hurt, Orson Welles. It won 6 Academy Awards, inc picture, director,actor{Scofield},screenplay{Bolt}
1980
Apple Corp makes its IPO{initial public offering} on U.S. stock market
 

This day in History December 13th

1937 Rape of Nanking

1950 James Dean who is still unknown at that time appears in a Pepsi commercial

1972 Thalidomide victims ( 50's and 60's Sales ) are offered a compensation deal

1995 Brixton Riots London England

2003 Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. forces at a farmhouse in Adwar

2007 Rupert Murdoch buys Dow Jones & Co. which includes The Wall Street Journal
 
1759
The 1st U. S. music store opens in Philadelphia,PA
1920
League of Nations establishes the International Court of Justice in The Hague
1961
The Beatles sign a formal agreement to have Brain Epstein as their manager
1975
SNL{Saturday Night Live} uses for the 1st time tape- delay because comedian,Richard Pryor is the host
1989
movie'Driving Miss Daisy' is released directed by Bruce Beresford. Its based on the stage play by Alfred Ulfry. The story about a black man who is hired to become the chauffeur to a Southern woman,in time becomes her faithful companion. The movie stars, Morgan Freeman,Jessica Tandy,Dan Aykroyd plays Tandy's son The movie won 4 Oscars, picture,actress{Tandy} screenplay,makeup
1990
South African President,FW de Klerk meets with Nelson Mandela to talk about ending apartheid
 
13th December

1577 Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth with his flagship Pelican, plus 4 other ships and 160 men, on an expedition to the Pacific. His other ships were lost or returned home shortly after the voyage began but the Pelican, renamed the Golden Hind, pushed on alone up the coast of Chile and Peru. Continuing northwards, the California coast was claimed in the name of Queen Elizabeth. He crossed the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and eventually returned to Plymouth on September 26th 1580 with treasure worth £500,000. He became the first Englishmen to sail around the world and the Queen knighted him aboard his ship at Deptford, on the river Thames.

1847 Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (under the pseudonym Ellis Bell) was published, as was Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë (under the pseudonym Acton Bell).

1939 The Battle of the River Plate, the first naval battle in the Second World War and the only episode of the war developed in South America. Action by Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles of the New Zealand Division, drove the great German battleship Admiral Graf Spee to seek shelter off Montevideo in Uruguay for repairs to its fuel system.

2013 Prince Harry and his 'Walking With the Wounded' team reached the South Pole. Among those was Sgt Duncan Slater who lost both his legs in a blast in Afghanistan in 2009. The expedition's director said 'We came down here, determined to get 12 men and women, all injured in conflict, to the South Pole, and this is what we have done. The feeling is incredible.'
 
1656
artifical pearls were 1st manufactured by M Jacquin in Paris,they were made of gypsum pellets covered in fish scales
1751
Austria founded the world's 1st military academy, Theresian Miltary Academy
1911
Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen is the 1st person to reach the South Pole
1961
Jimmy Dean's single' Big Bad John' is the 1st country song to receive a gold record
1993
movie' Philadelphia' directed by Jonathan Demme is released. Its one of the 1st main stream films dealing with topic AIDS. The story centers around a young lawyer,Andrew Beckett who works at a top notch law firm in Philadelphia. He is fired,he sues for wrong full termination.
The all star cast Tom Hanks{Beckett}, Denzel Washington plays his atty'Joe", Jason Robards plays one of the partners at the firm,Joanne Woodward plays Andrew's mother. Antonio Bandaras plays Beckett's partner. The film was nominated for 5 Oscars won 2, best actor{Hanks} singer/songwriter, Bruce Springsteen wins for original song'Philadelphia"
2016
Univ of Toronto scientists present findings of the world's oldest water- 2 billion yrs old found in a mine in Canada
 
15th December

1913 Suffragettes caused a dynamite explosion at Holloway Prison where Emmeline Pankhurst and Lady Constance Lytton were detained.

1945 Homecoming Day on the Channel Island of Alderney. The residents of the island of Alderney were evacuated to mainland Britain in 1940. The five year German occupation came to an end on 16th May 1945 but islanders were unable to return immediately after the island was liberated due to the removal of landmines etc. The first group of residents returned on December 15th 1945 to find their homeland much changed.

1982 Reputed to be Robin Hood's tree, the 'Major Oak' in Sherwood Forest, was fitted with a fire alarm.

1982 There were scenes of jubilation as the gates isolating the people of Gibraltar from Spain were opened for the first time in 13 years. There were tight restrictions, which included a ban on any British or foreign tourists crossing.
 
1791
The 1st U. S. law school is established at Univ of Pennsylvania
1944
at an airfield outside of London,England, U.S. Army Capt/bandleader, Glenn Miller boards a single craft plane bound for Paris,France .He was to lead the U.S. Army dance in a performance for U.S. troops.The plane disappears over the English Channel,wreckage was never found. His official military status remains 'missing in action'
1979
Chris Hanley&Scott Abbott develop game board' Trivial Pursuit'
2004
movie,'Million Dollar Baby' directed by Clint Eastwood is released. The story is about an aging fight manager{Eastwood} who decides to take on a new client, young 32 yr old woman{Hillary Swank} He's soon won over by her determination,heart &talent
The movie received 4 Oscars, picture, director, actress{Swank} supp actor,Morgan Freeman who was also the movie narrator
 
1773
colonists in Boston,Mass disguised as Mohawk Indians climbed 3 British tea ships and dumped 342 tea chests into Boston Harbor,they were protesting British tea tax. The tea today would be valued at $1mill. This is considered one of great events in American history
1905
Variety magazine covering everything associated with show business is published
1944
Nazi Germany launches counteroffensive strike against Allies in Belgium,start of the'Battle of the Bulge'
1971
singer, Don Mc Lean's classic song' American Pie' is released,8 min + long
1972
NFL football team,Miami Dolphins end the regular season undefeated at 14-0. In week 5,38 yr old backup QB,Earl Morall replaced starting QB, Bob Greise who was injured. The team wins Super Bowl VII beating Washington 14-7,head coach was Don Shula.
 
This day in History December 17th

1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful man-powered airplane flight

1942 Mass executions of Jews by killing squads and in Poland

1983 Harrods Department Store Bombing

1987 The Simpsons Debuts as a half-hour prime time show
 
1900
The new Ellis Island immigration station is completed at a cost of $15mill
1903
Orville Wright pilots the 1st aircraft flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
1944
U. S. Army end the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. The surviving detainees from the West Coast{ which during the war was defined as a military base} could return to their homes on Jan 2,1945. In 1988, Pres. Ronald Reagan signed a bill for those who suffered awful living condtions with a tax-free ck for $20,000 as an apology from U. S. gov't
1986
Mrs. Davina Thompson made world medical history by having a heart/lung/liver transplant at Papworth hosptial in Cambridge. She died 12 yrs later from lung disease,was 47
1989
"The Simpsons' a full length animated TV show created by cartoonist, Matt Groening debuts on Fox network,its still on the air
2017
French sailor, Francois Gabart sets round the world record for fastest solo navigation around the globe in 42 days ,16 hrs
 
This day in History December 18th

1912 Great Britain -- Piltdown Man
The so-called Piltdown Man thought to be the missing evolutionary link between ape and man is discovered in the Piltdown gravel pit in Sussex, England, by amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson.

In 1953
At an international congress of palaeontologists, the Piltdown Man was first openly called a fraud, and it has since been confirmed that it was indeed a fraud made up of skull parts from humans and an orangutan.

1914 Egypt -- Egypt under the protection of the Crown
Great Britain placed Egypt under the protection of the Crown. The official Press Bureau read, "The suzerainty of Turkey over Egypt is thus terminated, and His Majesty's government will adopt all measures necessary for the defence of Egypt and the protection of its inhabitants and interests."

1927 Poland -- Pilsudski
A plan to kill Pilsudski, President of the Republic of Poland was uncovered by Warsaw police and a suspect was arrested.

1930 Spain -- Revolution
1930 The Northwest coastal provinces of Spain are quiet now after a revolt against the monarchy. Soldiers loyal to the crown subdued the rebels. However, a general labour strike occurred and streetcars were manned by soldiers. Socialist and republican ring leaders fled.
 
1719
Thomas Fleet publishes in U. S. "Mother Goose Melodies for Children'
1916
'Battle of Verdun' longest of WWI ends when Germany is defeated after 9 months of fighting,total deaths over 1 million
1958
Project SCORE{Signal,Communication by Orbiting Relay Equipment} world's 1st communication satellite is launched from Cape Canveral,Fla. A taped broadcast message by Pres. Dwight Eisenhower saying' peace on earth goodwill toward men everywhere'
2018
a meteor explodes into a huge fireball over Bering Sea,10 times the energy of Hiroshima atomic bomb
 
This day in History December 19th

1905 China -- Shanghai Riots
In Shanghai riots, looting, and a partly burned police station were the result of Chinese hatred of Americans and other foreigners. The atmosphere was similar to that which preceded the Boxer rebellion in 1900.

1921 Cuba -- Protesters
Thirty thousand protesters crowded together to denounce the Fordney tax. The demonstrators warned against "ruinous tariffs" on sugar and tobacco and that the United States would destroy all its work in Cuba.

1938 France -- Italy
Approval of France's stern stand against Italian colonialism was shown by sheikhs and Arab chiefs who were protesting in eastern Tunisia. They shouted "Long Live France!" and "Tripoli for us!"

1942 U.S.A. -- Eddie Rickenbacker
World War veteran and daredevil, Eddie Rickenbacker, was pulled out of the Pacific Ocean after being lost at sea for 22 days. He and six other men would have starved to death if they had not caught and eaten a seagull. Rickenbacker was on a special mission in the South Pacific when he went missing.

1956 Great Britain -- Fog
Most of Great Britain, south of a line from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Blackpool has been blanketed in thick fog, with visibility in parts reduced to five yards (4.5 m) in places.
 
1783
William Pitt the Younger becomes youngest British Prime Minister age 24,he served 18 yrs
1854
Allen Wilson of Conn patents sewing machine to sew curving seams
1957
Meredith Wilson's musical'The Music Man' opens at the Majestic Theatre in NYC to rave reviews and huge box office. It starred Robert Preston"Harold Hill', Barbara Cook'Marian Paroo'. The show would run for 1,375 performances. It won 5 Tony awards including, best musical,leading actor{Preston},actress {Cook}.The 1st Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album .Preston would reprise his role in the movie version in '62 opposite Shirley Jones
1984
Scotty Bowman wins his 691st regular season game most wins by a NHL coach.He ended his career coaching 2,146 games. His teams won 9 Stanley Cups,5 with Montreal Canadiens, 3 Detroit Red Wings, 1 Pittsburgh Penquins
2004
the world's largest indoor water park,'Tropical Islands Resort' opens in an old airship hanger near Berlin,Germany
 
This day in History December 20th

1900 Turkey - Women's Role In Turkey
Abdul Homid, leader of Turkey would have liked to see women in his country secluded, but they were getting less so. Turkish women were often more educated than the men and the best Turkish newspaper was edited by females, some of who are authors.

1929 Switzerland - Banking Headquarters
A large Swiss palace, built in 1783 along the Louis XVI style, was to become the new quarters of the Bank of International Settlements. Bankers and officials decided on this location after a meeting in Baden-Baden. Find More What happened in 1929

1933 Greece - Samuel Insull
Chicago business mogul, Samuel Insull was no longer welcome in Greece after January 31. Insull was a fugitive from U.S. justice. He was wanted on charges of embezzlement and his passport had been cancelled by Washington.

1945 Germany - Nuremberg Trials
At Nuremberg, Nazi doctors and soldiers were charged with the cruel and bizarre torture of concentration camp prisoners. Experiments such as shooting poison bullets through the prisoners' legs and oxygen deprivation of prisoners were only a few of the atrocities that were committed. Seven hundred and fifty thousand SS soldiers faced criminal charges for their participation in torturing victims.

1957 U.S.A. - Rockets In Europe
The U.S. wanted defensive rockets placed in Europe by 1959 and it sought to surround the Soviet Union with missiles. Production of 1,500 missiles made cutbacks in the military's home base operations. The U.S. had become nervous since the Soviet Union had placed two Sputniks in orbit.
 
1803
The French flag is lowered in New Orleans to mark the transfer of Louisana Purchase from France to the U.S. for $27 mill
1880
Broadway in NYC is lit by electricity becomes known as 'Great White Way'
1963
The Berlin Wall opens for the 1st time to West Berliners
2007
Queen Elizabeth II becomes the oldest monarch ever in U.K. surpassing Queen VIctoria who lived 81 yrs, 7 months, 29 days
 
This day in History December 21st

1902 Ireland -- Flour Mills
A group of investors planned to spend $5,000,000-$15,000,000 to build flour mills in major cities in Ireland. The Irish flour business was failing due to importing grain from America and other countries.

1913 U.S.A. -- First Cross Word Puzzle
The first crossword puzzle was published, which was created by Arthur Wynne, a Liverpool journalist, and published as a "word-cross" puzzle in the New York World

1923 Turkey -- Strong Porters
In Turkey, their porters are reported to be the strongest men on earth. One porter can carry 100 pounds for 20 miles. They live on a diet of fruit and olives.

1933 Scotland -- Property Crimes
Property crimes with violence had increased in Scotland. In 1929 there were 954 property crimes and by 1932 there were 1528.

1946 Japan -- Tsunami
An undersea earthquake sets off a powerful tsunami that devastates Honshu, Japan sent 20-foot waves which obliterated buildings leaving 2,000 people dead and half a million homeless.
 
1891
The 1st basketball game based on the rules created by basketball inventor, James Naismith was played with 18 students in Springfield ,Mass
1898
scientists,Pierre &wife, Marie Curie discover radium
1937
The 1st full length animated movie' Snow White&The Seven Dwarfs' from Walt Disney animated series is released
1988
Pan Am Flight #103 from London-NYC exploded in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland,all 243 passengers,16 crew members were killed. When the plane was at altitude of 33,000 feet,a bomb which was hidden in an audio cassette player in cargo area detonated. The disaster was believed to be in retaliation for U. S. bomb strikes against Libya in '86. In 2003, Libya finally accepted responsibility but expressed no remorse
2012
song'Gangham Stye by singer PSY became Youtube's 1st video reaching 1 billion views
 
This day in History December 22nd

1906 Canada -- Japanese navy Visit
A visit from the Japanese navy was expected in Vancouver. Officials in Ottawa were informed that three vessels led by Rear Admiral Katouka would visit the following March.

1927 Philippines -- Leper Colony
An institution for saving the children of the Culion leper colony was run by the public welfare commissioner in Manila. The children were watched for signs of leprosy and given schooling.

1932 Spain -- Civil War
War in Spain was causing deep divisions in U.S. politics and it was feared that the war would spark a massive European conflict.

1939 Germany -- Train Crash
Two trains collide in Magdeburg, Germany, killing more than 100 people

1942 Italy -- German Supplies
Although Italy was politically and economically unstable and somewhat of a liability for Germany as a war ally, the Germans supplied Italy with coal, iron, and fuel in return for tanks, planes, weapons, and food.
 
1894
French officer, Alfred Dreyfuss is court martialed for treason which triggers world wide charges of anti-semtisim. He is later vindicated
1910
The 1st U. S. postal stamps are issued
1965
Great Britian sets national maxium road speed limit at 70mph
1967
movie' The Graduate' directed by Mike Nichols is released. The story is about a naive college guy{Dustin Hoffman} who is seduced by middle aged woman{Anne Bancroft} He later falls in love with her daughter{Katherine Ross} Other cast members, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton, Norman Fell, Elizabeth Wilson. This was Hoffman's 1st major starring role,music by Simon&Garfunkel. The movie was nominated for 5 Oscars, won Best Director
2001
American Airlines flight # 93, from Paris- Miami passenger Richard Reid tried to blow the plane up with explosives hidden in his shoes.. He struggled to get the fuse going other passengers noticed and restrained him
He plead guilty to 8 terriorism crimes,sentenced to life in prison
 

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