On January 1st 1959, facing a popular revolution spearheaded by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the island nation. Amid celebration and chaos in the Cuban capitol of Havana, the U.S. debated how best to deal with the radical Castro and the ominous rumblings of anti-Americanism in Cuba. The U.S. … Continue reading January 1 1959 Batista Outed By Castro

On January 25th 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond was discovered during a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Weighing 1 1/3 pounds, and christened the "Cullinan," it was the largest diamond ever found. Frederick Wells was 18 feet below the earth's surface when he spotted a flash of … Continue reading January 25 1905 World’s Largest Diamond Found

On January 23rd 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company rolled out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs, now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees. The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities … Continue reading January 23 1957 Wham-O Produces First Frisbees

On January 22nd 1973, the US Supreme Court ruled in Roe v Wade that women, as part of their constitutional right to privacy, can terminate a pregnancy during its first two trimesters. Only during the last trimester, when the fetus can survive outside the womb, would states be permitted to regulate abortion of a healthy … Continue reading January 22 1973 Supreme Court Legalises Abortion

On January 20th 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 US captives held at the US embassy in Teheran, Iran, were released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis. On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, outraged that the U.S. government had allowed … Continue reading January 20 1981 Iran Hostage Crisis Ends

On January 5th 1933, construction started on the Golden Gate Bridge, as workers began excavating 3.25 million cubic feet of dirt for the structure’s huge anchorages. Following the Gold Rush boom that began in 1849, speculators realized the land north of San Francisco Bay would increase in value in direct proportion to its accessibility to … Continue reading January 5 1933 Golden Gate Bridge Construction Begins

On January 4th 1999, for the first time since Charlemagne's reign in the ninth century, Europe had a common currency, when the "Euro" debuts as a financial unit in corporate and investment markets. Eleven European Union (EU) nations , representing some 290 million people, launched the currency in the hopes of increasing European integration and … Continue reading January 4 1999 Euro Becomes European Currency

On December 30th 1922, in post-revolutionary Russia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation (divided in 1936 into the Georgian, Azerbaijan, and Armenian republics). Also known as the Soviet Union, the new communist state was the successor to the Russian Empire and … Continue reading December 30 1922 USSR Established

On December 23rd 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cut off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in Arles, France. He later documented the event in a painting titled Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. Today, Van Gogh is regarded as an artistic genius and his masterpieces … Continue reading December 23 1888 Van Gogh Chops Off Ear

On December 22nd 1956, a baby gorilla named Colo entered the world at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, becoming the first-ever gorilla born in captivity. Weighing in at approximately 4 pounds, Colo, a western lowland gorilla whose name was a combination of Columbus and Ohio. He was the daughter of Millie and Mac, two gorillas … Continue reading December 22 1956 First Gorilla Born In Captivity

On December 21st 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York exploded in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, as well as 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. A bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player detonated in the cargo area when the plane was at … Continue reading December 21 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 Explodes Over Lockerbie

On December 15th 1916, the French defeated the Germans in the World War I Battle of Verdun. The Battle of Verdun, was recorded as being fought from 21 February to 19 December 1916 around the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in northeast France. It was one of the most important battles in World War I on the … Continue reading December 15 1916 Battle of Verdun

On December 14th 1503, Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame), one of the world's most famous publishers of prophecies, was born. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Since the publication of this book, which has rarely been out of print since his death and has always … Continue reading December 14 1503 Birth Of Nostradamus

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