On December 13 1974, Malta became a republic. While the European island had already been independent for a decade, the transformation into a republic signified overcoming one of the biggest obstacles in achieving some form of conciliation with Britain. Nevertheless, it would be a further five years before British forces would leave the island and … Continue reading December 13 1974 Malta Becomes a Republic

On December 12th 1948, fourteen members of the Scots Guard massacred twenty four Malaysian civilians and set fire to their village, in the Batang Kali Massacre. The massacre is commonly seen as part of the lead up to the Malayan Emergency which lasted from June 1960 to July 1960. The Malayan Emergency was essentially a … Continue reading December 12 1948 Batang Kali Massacre Malaysia

Historical Events 1869: Wyoming becomes the first state to adopt woman suffrage. 1898: In France, the Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Spanish-American War and granting the United States its first overseas empire. 1901: The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. 1902: … Continue reading December 10 Historical Events and Birthdays

On December 9th 1953, General Electric, announced that all communist employees would be discharged from the company. The act is part of the period of US history known as the Second Red Scare, when US society and particularly the government was afraid of a Communist invasion of the US. The period is also widely known … Continue reading December 9 1953 General Electric Sacks All Communist Employees

December 8th 1854 marked Pope Pius IX's official dogmatisation of the doctrine of Immaculate Conception; an important act, as it is often the key belief that separates Catholicism and Protestantism, among other doctrines. Such an act had been hinted at previously, by such popes as Pope Sixtus IV, who declared the feat of the Immaculate … Continue reading December 8 1854 Dogma of Immaculate Conception

On December 7th 1941, arguably the most memorable event of World War II occurred; the attack on Pearl Harbor. A surprise Japanese aerial attack on the US port of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the moment is seen as the entry point of the United States into World War II. At that point, it had been … Continue reading December 7 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor

On December 6th 1921, The Anglo-Irish Treaty effectively separated Ireland from the United Kingdom. The treaty ended the three year war for independence that gave birth not only to Ireland as a free state, but also the infamous IRA, which still continues today in a more unofficial form. The Irish War of Independence was a … Continue reading December 6 1921 Irish Free State Treaty Signed

On December 6th 1969, about 300,000 people showed up for a rock-and-roll concert at the Altamont Speedway in Livermore, California. The free concert was set up by the Rolling Stones as a Woodstock-type show and included Santana, Tina Turner, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. However, … Continue reading December 6 1969 Altamont Concert Marks End of 60s Era

On December 5th 1925, the silent Russian film, The Battleship Potemkin was released. It has been recognised as a hugely influential film, not only on contextual Russian and Communist society, but also on filmmakers, with homage and references to it found in movies like The Godfather and The Untouchables. The film depicts the Battleship Potemkin … Continue reading December 5 1925 Russian Film Battleship Potemkin Released

On December 5th 1952, The Abbott and Costello Show premiered on American television. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made 52 half-hour films for television, incorporating many of their best burlesque routines. Their original names were William Alexander Abbott and Louis Francis Cristillo. After their final film, Dance with Me, Henry (1956), Abbott and Costello went … Continue reading December 5 1952 Abbott and Costello Show Premieres

On December 2nd 1961, five years to the day after the unofficial beginning of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro announced in a national broadcast that the Cuban government had officially undertaken Communism as its core set of beliefs. While Castro had already forged ties to other Marxist-Leninist countries since 1959, including the Soviet Union and … Continue reading December 2 1961 Fidel Castro Announces Communism In Cuba

On December 2nd 1956, the Cuban Revolution began when Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and eighty other men landed on the Eastern shore of Cuba in a Mexican-bought yacht. The true revolution is not recognised as having occurred until December 1959, when US-supported Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled Havana on New Year’s Eve. The landing was … Continue reading December 2 1956 Cuban Revolution Begins