On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes 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 an altitude … Continue reading December 21, 1988 – Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland
Tag: United States
December 18, 1865 – Slavery abolished in America with adoption of 13th Amendment
Following its ratification by the requisite three-quarters of the states earlier in the month, the 13th Amendment is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution, ensuring that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Before the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and other leaders of the anti-slavery Republican Party sought not to … Continue reading December 18, 1865 – Slavery abolished in America with adoption of 13th Amendment
December 17, 1903 – The Wright brothers make the first sustained, controlled flights in a powered aircraft.
Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight. Orville and Wilbur Wright grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and developed an interest in aviation after learning of … Continue reading December 17, 1903 – The Wright brothers make the first sustained, controlled flights in a powered aircraft.
December 16, 1773 – The Boston Tea Party
In Boston Harbor, a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded three British tea ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The midnight raid, popularly known as the “Boston Tea Party,” was in protest of the British Parliament’s Tea Act of 1773, a bill designed to save the faltering East India Company by … Continue reading December 16, 1773 – The Boston Tea Party
December 13, 1925 – Dick Van Dyke, American actor, singer, and dancer was born
Richard Wayne Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925 in West Plains, Missouri. He went on to become an actor, comedian, writer, singer, and dancer, whose award-winning career has spanned seven decades. He grew up in Danville, Illinois. His family line traces back to Mayflower passenger John Alden.He is the older brother of actor Gerry Van Dyke. His … Continue reading December 13, 1925 – Dick Van Dyke, American actor, singer, and dancer was born
December 12, 1953 – Charles (Chuck) Yeager becomes the first person to travel two and a half times the speed of sound
Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager was born on 13 February 1923 in Myra, West Virginia. After joining the army at age 16 and training as an aircraft mechanic, he was then selected for flight training. His service record during WWII was impeccable, becoming an "ace-in-a-day" after shooting down five enemy aircraft in a single mission. Yeager … Continue reading December 12, 1953 – Charles (Chuck) Yeager becomes the first person to travel two and a half times the speed of sound
December 9, 1941 – Australia formally declares war on Japan
On the morning of 7 December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. This one act changed the direction of World War II. Despite the success of the Japanese in their aim of crippling the US navy, the … Continue reading December 9, 1941 – Australia formally declares war on Japan
December 7, 1941 – Pearl Harbor bombed
At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow … Continue reading December 7, 1941 – Pearl Harbor bombed
December 6, 1907 – 361 miners are killed in the US’s worst coal mining disaster
West Virginia, USA, once had the reputation for the highest mine death rate of any of the states. Large scale coal operations began in Marion County, WV, in the 1880s. Between 1890 and 1912, regulation of mining conditions in West Virginia was poor, and the state's mining industry saw numerous deadly coal mining accidents. The … Continue reading December 6, 1907 – 361 miners are killed in the US’s worst coal mining disaster
December 1, 1955 – Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man
Rosa Parks' stand off with an Alabama bus driver in 1955 turned into a wider movement that fought against segregation and inequality. African-Americans had wilfully violated the segregation of public transport before Rosa Parks, even in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, where 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested nine months earlier for the same crime of … Continue reading December 1, 1955 – Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man
November 26, 1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes modern Thanksgiving holiday
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill officially establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. The tradition of celebrating the holiday on Thursday dates back to the early history of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, when post-harvest holidays were celebrated on the weekday regularly set aside as “Lecture Day,” a midweek church meeting where topical sermons were presented. … Continue reading November 26, 1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes modern Thanksgiving holiday
November 23, 1936 – First issue of “Life” is published
On November 23, 1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine Life is published, featuring a cover photo of the Fort Peck Dam's spillway by Margaret Bourke-White. Life actually had its start earlier in the 20th century as a different kind of magazine: a weekly humor publication, not unlike today’s The New Yorker in its use of tart cartoons, humorous … Continue reading November 23, 1936 – First issue of “Life” is published
November 22, 1963 – President John F. Kennedy is assassinated
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, but she was beside him, along with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, for a 10-mile motorcade through the streets of downtown Dallas on … Continue reading November 22, 1963 – President John F. Kennedy is assassinated
November 19, 1863 – Abraham Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in American history. In fewer than 275 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly reminded a war-weary public why the Union had to fight, and win, the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought … Continue reading November 19, 1863 – Abraham Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address
November 13, 1982 – Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedicated in US
Near the end of a weeklong national salute to Americans who served in the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C. after a march to its site by thousands of veterans of the conflict. The long-awaited memorial was a simple V-shaped black-granite wall inscribed with the names of the 57,939 Americans who died in … Continue reading November 13, 1982 – Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedicated in US
China, America and the insecurities that threaten the world
Originally Published by Independent Australia
Ukraine deploys gay men to scare off Russians
Ukraine is planning to march large numbers of gay men into Crimea in hopes of scaring off Russian soldiers currently occupying the territory. According to local reports this “gay army” will be unarmed and its mission will be to act as flamboyantly homosexual as possible, causing the deeply prejudiced occupying force to flee back to … Continue reading Ukraine deploys gay men to scare off Russians
Obama nominates Oprah as ambassador to Russia
President Obama nominated Oprah Winfrey to serve as ambassador to Russia today. In a written statement, the White House said the veteran broadcaster has been selected to replace Russian policy expert Michael McFaul, who announced last week that he was stepping down after little more than a year on the job. "Oprah Winfrey is an … Continue reading Obama nominates Oprah as ambassador to Russia
Court rules Obama kids’ bedtimes unconstitutional
In a case fraught with major parental implications, a federal appeals court has overturned the bedtimes for Malia and Sasha Obama as chosen by the president and first lady, calling them "unconstitutional" and "totally unfair." "This decision is novel and unprecedented," said White House press secretary Jay Carney. "It undermines not just Barack and Michelle's … Continue reading Court rules Obama kids’ bedtimes unconstitutional
Court orders Justin Bieber to stop making music
A court in Canada has ordered teen pop sensation Justin Bieber to stop making music for the next three years as restitution for a recent assault charge. In a plea deal with the prosecution today, 19-year-old Bieber agreed to refrain from touring or recording new material in exchange for keeping himself out of jail. The … Continue reading Court orders Justin Bieber to stop making music
President Obama says America is fed up with the spoiled brat antics of Justin Bieber so I am deporting him back to Canada
If President Obama gets his wish, little Justin Bieber will be sitting in his mom's Canadian home by Valentine's Day. The president has stated that he is sick and tired of getting thousands and thousands of complaints from good, hard-working, red-blooded Americans asking him to do something about the horrible attitude that Justin Bieber has … Continue reading President Obama says America is fed up with the spoiled brat antics of Justin Bieber so I am deporting him back to Canada
Canada to release over 6,000 illegal aliens into North Dakota
The Canadian government has informed President Obama that they are getting ready to release 6,391 illegal aliens from the United States into North Dakota. A spokesperson for the Canadian government said that some of the illegal immigrants had been sitting in Canadian jails for as long as 9 years. A Minnesota individual who said his … Continue reading Canada to release over 6,000 illegal aliens into North Dakota
Modern day American dream is an out of court settlement
Drawing on national polling data and extensive personal interviews, social scientists confirmed that the concept of the American Dream, the widely held aspiration among U.S. citizens of achieving financial security and personal happiness, now consists entirely of receiving a substantial out-of-court settlement. “Whereas achieving the American Dream once meant rising to a stable position of … Continue reading Modern day American dream is an out of court settlement
Britain could miss out on crazy, pointless war with China, says important American
Cuts to Britain’s armed forces mean the country will be ‘left on the sidelines’ when America invades China. Robert Gates, former US defence secretary, stressed that Britain would no longer be America’s ‘full crazy partner in war’. He said: “Your military will be dropping food from its only helicopter while the US Marines are surging … Continue reading Britain could miss out on crazy, pointless war with China, says important American
Japan to launch unarmed practice missile towards North Korea
The Saki News Agency is reporting that the government of Japan has decided to give North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a bit of his own medicine. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that his country will be launching what it calls an unarmed practice missile toward North Korea. The missile is a standard, universal type … Continue reading Japan to launch unarmed practice missile towards North Korea
Craig Hill 