On December 20th 1917, the first Soviet security organisation, Cheka, was founded. While the KGB is the stereotypical Soviet secret police in modern society, the Cheka were the first of its kind, created by Lenin in 1917 in order to stabilise Russian society after the Bolshevik Revolution and the dismantling of the Russian monarchy. Cheka's … Continue reading December 20 1917 Creation of Russia’s Cheka security service
Category: Daily History
On This Day In History
December 19 1984 Britain and China sign Hong Kong return agreement
On December 19th 1984, in the Hall of the People in Beijing, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang signed an accord committing Britain to give Hong Kong back to China in 1997. In return, China incorporated terms pledging a 50 year continuation of Britain’s capitalist system. Hong Kong, a small peninsula … Continue reading December 19 1984 Britain and China sign Hong Kong return agreement
December 18 1961 “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” reaches number 1
On December 18th 1961, The Lion Sleeps Tonight hit number one on the Billboard Charts. It was an instant classic that endured to become one of the most successful pop songs of all time. Few realise, however, that its true originator saw only a minuscule portion of the song's massive profits. The story began in … Continue reading December 18 1961 “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” reaches number 1
December 17 1903 Wright brothers make first powered flight
On December 17th 1903, the first successful flight of the Wright Flyer took place. One of the biggest milestones in the evolution of commercial air flight, the Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, and the result of the Wright Brothers' decade-long interest in aeronautical flight. The Wright Flyer underwent two separate flights at Kitty … Continue reading December 17 1903 Wright brothers make first powered flight
December 16 1775 Jane Austen born
On December 16th 1775, English novelist Jane Austen was born, the seventh of eight children of a clergyman in a country village in Hampshire, England. Jane was very close to her older sister, Cassandra, who remained her faithful editor and critic throughout her life. The girls had five years of formal schooling, then studied with … Continue reading December 16 1775 Jane Austen born
December 15 1874 Hawaiian King Kalakaua visits USA
On December 15th 1874, Hawaiian King David Kalakaua became the first reigning king to visit the United States. King Kalakaua visited President Ulysses S Grant at the White House. David Kalakau, the last king of Hawaii, was born in Honolulu in 1836. He was the son of a high chief, and was educated at the … Continue reading December 15 1874 Hawaiian King Kalakaua visits USA
December 14 1977 Saturday Night Fever premieres in Los Angeles
On December 14th 1977, Saturday Night Fever had its world premiere at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The film made a star out of 23 year old John Travolta, and propelled the already famous Bee Gees to superstardom that had rarely or has since been achieved. Well-cast, well-acted and well-directed, Saturday Night Fever received … Continue reading December 14 1977 Saturday Night Fever premieres in Los Angeles
December 13 1925 Dick Van Dyke born
On December 13th 1925, Dick Van Dyke was born in West Plains, Missouri. The classic “nice guy” actor would became famous for his roles in such movie classics as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as well as the popular 1960s TV sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. Van Dyke, who was reared in … Continue reading December 13 1925 Dick Van Dyke born
December 12 1901 Marconi sent first trans-Atlantic radio broadcast
On December 12th 1901, Italian physicist and radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi was successful in sending the first radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean, refuting detractors who told him that the curvature of the earth would limit transmission to 200 miles or less. The message, simply the Morse-code signal for the letter "s", travelled more than … Continue reading December 12 1901 Marconi sent first trans-Atlantic radio broadcast
December 11 1936 Edward VIII abdicates British throne
On December 11th 1936, after ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII was the first English monarch to freely abdicate the throne. He chose to abdicate after the British government, public, and the Church of England condemned his choice to marry the American divorcée Wallis Warfield Simpson. On the evening of December 11, he … Continue reading December 11 1936 Edward VIII abdicates British throne
December 10 1901 First Nobel Prizes awarded
On December 10th 1901, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. 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 directed that the bulk of his … Continue reading December 10 1901 First Nobel Prizes awarded
December 9 1992 Prince Charles and Princess Diana announce seperation
On December 9th 1992, British Prime Minister John Major announced the formal separation of the egotistical and big-eared Prince Charles, and the beautiful and popular Princess Diana. Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne, and his wife, the overwhelmingly more gracious and admired Princess Diana, had for years been the subject of … Continue reading December 9 1992 Prince Charles and Princess Diana announce seperation
December 8 1980: John Lennon murdered
On December 8th 1980, John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s, was 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 with … Continue reading December 8 1980: John Lennon murdered
December 7 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
On December 7th 1941, at 7:55 am Hawaii time, a swarm of 360 Japanese war planes appeared out of the clouds above the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. then descended on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and … Continue reading December 7 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
December 6 1976: Kitty O’Neil new women’s land speed record
On December 6 1976, professional and deaf stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil set the land-speed record for female drivers at the Alvord Desert in southeastern Oregon,. The record hovered around 400 mph; O'Neil's two-way average speed was 512.710 mph. (The rules that govern land-speed records require that a driver make two passes across a measured course, one … Continue reading December 6 1976: Kitty O’Neil new women’s land speed record
December 5 1945: Flight 19 disappears over Bermuda Triangle
On December 5th 1945, at about 2:00 pm, Flight 19, comprising five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers, left the Fort Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a routine three-hour training mission. They never returned. Two hours after the flight began, the leader of the squadron, who had been flying in the area for more than … Continue reading December 5 1945: Flight 19 disappears over Bermuda Triangle
December 4 1952: London’s Great Smog
On December 4th, 1952, the "Great Smog" in London caused up to 12 000 deaths, and became the motivator behind a string of laws passed in Britain restricting the use of various fossil fuels hazardous to the atmosophere. The distinct fogginess of London has been around since the Industrial Revolution of the late 17th century. … Continue reading December 4 1952: London’s Great Smog
December 3rd 1854 Eureka Stockade Australia
On December 3rd 1854, the Eureka Stockade, commonly seen as the birth of Australian democracy, took place. It was the result of built up dissatisfaction amongst miners in Australia. The stockade was built on Bakery Hill, in Ballarat, and was manned by 150 miners on December 3 when 276 police attacked, resulting in the deaths … Continue reading December 3rd 1854 Eureka Stockade Australia
December 2 1804 Napoleon declares himself Emperor of France
On December 2nd 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte became the first Emperor of France in a thousand years. The previous Emperors were Charlemagne's Carolingian Dynasty during the 8th and 9th centuries AD. Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself Emperor Napoleon I at the Notre Dame in Paris. Napoleon had served as First Consul to France, and effective French leader, … Continue reading December 2 1804 Napoleon declares himself Emperor of France
December 1 1998 First World AIDS Day
On December 1st 1998, the first World AIDS Day was observed, dedicated to raising awareness of the global AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care … Continue reading December 1 1998 First World AIDS Day
November 12 1980 Voyager I flies near Saturn
On November 12th 1980, more than three years after its launch, the U.S. planetary probe Voyager 1 edged within 77,000 miles of Saturn, the second-largest planet in the solar system. The photos, beamed 950 million miles back to California, stunned scientists. The high-resolution images showed a world that seemed to confound all known laws of … Continue reading November 12 1980 Voyager I flies near Saturn
November 11 1918 World War I ends
On November 11th 1918, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, the Great War ended.At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France.The First World War left nine million … Continue reading November 11 1918 World War I ends
November 10 1969 Sesame Street debuts
On November 10th 1969, "Sesame Street," a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, made its broadcast debut. "Sesame Street," with its memorable theme song ("Can you tell me how to get/How to get to Sesame Street"), went on to become the most widely viewed children's … Continue reading November 10 1969 Sesame Street debuts
November 9 1938 Nazis launch Kristallnacht
On this day in 1938, in an event that would foreshadow the Holocaust, German Nazis launch a campaign of terror against Jewish people and their homes and businesses in Germany and Austria. The violence, which continued through November 10 and was later dubbed "Kristallnacht," or "Night of Broken Glass," after the countless smashed windows of … Continue reading November 9 1938 Nazis launch Kristallnacht
November 8 1793 Louvre Museum opens
On November 8th 1793, after more than two centuries as a royal palace, the Louvre is opened as a public museum in Paris by the French revolutionary government. Today, the Louvre's collection is one of the richest in the world, with artwork and artefacts representative of 11,000 years of human civilisation and culture. The Louvre … Continue reading November 8 1793 Louvre Museum opens
Craig Hill 