Saturday, December 21, 2024

December 21: This Day in History

 






Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!



On this day in 1620, 103 Mayflower pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in present day Massachusetts. In 1835 on this day, the HMS Beagle (with Charles Darwin aboard) sailed into Bay of Islands (New Zealand). On this day in 1866, Native American warriors killed Lieutenant Colonel William Fetterman and eighty soldiers. It was the biggest and most significant massacre of American armed forces at the time until Custer and the Little Big Horn almost one decade later. Scientists Pierre & Marie Curie discovered radium on this day in 1898. In 1919 on this day, J. Edgar Hoover deported anarchists and feminist Emma Goldman to Russia. Nepal changed it's status from a British protectorate to an independent nation on this day in 1923. On this day in 1958, Charles De Gaulle won a term lasting seven years as the first President of Fifth French Republic. In 1969 on this day, Thailand announced plans to withdraw troops from South Vietnam. Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland  on this day in 1988. On this day in 1991, 11 of the 12 Soviet republics proclaimed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The 11 republics were Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. They signed an agreement creating the CIS. Just days later, seeing the writing on the wall that marked an end to his power, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced that he was stepping down from his position. The Soviet Union had effectively ceased to exist and passed into history. In 1995, the city of Bethlehem formally passed from Israeli to Palestinian control. In 1998 on this day, the first vaccine for Lyme disease was approved. On this day in 2001, the Islamic militant group Hamas released a statement declaring that it was suspending suicide bombings and mortar attacks in Israel.   



Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

1163 - Hurricane hits villages in Holland/Friesland, causing floods
1561 - Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, Archbishop of Mechelen, made Cardinal
1582 - Flanders adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is Jan 1 1583
1598 - Battle of Curalaba: The revolting Mapuche, led by cacique Pelentaru, inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile; all Spanish cities south of the Biobio river are eventually taken by the Mapuches, and all conquest of Mapuche territories by Europeans practically ceases, until the 1870s "Pacification of Araucania".
1620 - 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock [OS=Dec 11]
1650 - Johan de Witt installed as Dutch pension advisor of Dordrecht
1784 - John Jay becomes 1st US Secretary of State (foreign affairs)
1788 - Hue Tay Son becomes emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam
1829 - 1st stone arch railroad bridge in US dedicated, Baltimore
1835 - HMS Beagle sails into Bay of Islands (New Zealand)
1844 - The Rochdale Pioneers commence business at their cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement.
1849 - 1st US skating club formed (Phila)
1864 - General Sherman conquers Savannah, Georgia





A picture of a sign indicating the site of the Bozeman Trail in northern Wyoming, not far from the town of Sheridan.



On this day in 1866, Native American warriors killed Lieutenant Colonel William Fetterman and eighty soldiers. It was the biggest massacre of American armed forces by Native Americans until Custer and the Battle of Little Big Horn about a decade later. Local tensions had begun to spike in 1863, after John Bozeman blazed the Bozeman Trail, which established a new route to get to gold in Montana. However, the trail was largely illegal, as it passed through lands which had been promised to the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. Determined to challenge the growing American military presence in their territory, Natives in northern Wyoming under the leadership of Red Cloud and Crazy Horse lured Lieutenant Colonel William Fetterman and his soldiers into a deadly ambush on this day in 1866.  


1890 - Pim Mulier 1st & only trip to "Alvesteddetocht"
1891 - 18 students play 1st basketball game (Springfield College)

Scientists Pierre & Marie Curie discovered radium on this day in 1898.

1900 - Gerhart Hauptmann's "Michael Kramer" premieres in Berlin
1907 - Dutch government of De Master falls due to war budget
Author and Nobel Laureate Gerhart HauptmannAuthor and Nobel Laureate Gerhart Hauptmann 1909 - 1st junior high school established (Berkeley California)
1909 - Clyde Fitch' "City" premieres in NYC
1909 - U of Coopenhagen rejects Cook's claim that he was 1st to North Pole
1910 - Explosion in coal mine in Hulton England, 344 mine workers dies
1912 - Denmark, Norway & Sweden declare neutrality in Comende war
1913 - 1st crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in NY World
1914 - "Tillie's Punctured Romance" 1st six-reel feature comedy debuts
1914 - 1st feature-length silent film comedy "Tillie's Punctured Romance" released. (Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand & Charles Chaplin)
1915 - 10.17" (25.83 cm) of rainfall, Glenora, Oregon (state record)
1918 - Red Sox trade Dutch Leonard, Ernie Shore & Duffy Lewis to Yankees for Ray Caldwell & Slim Love, Frank Gilhooey, Al Walters& amp; $15,000

In 1919 on this day, J. Edgar Hoover deported anarchists and feminist Emma Goldman to Russia. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that labor injunctions & picketing was unconstitutional on this day in 1921. Nepal changed it's status from a British protectorate to an independent nation on this day in 1923.


1925 - Eisenstein's movie Battleship Potemkin premieres in Moscow
First Director of the FBI J. Edgar HooverFirst Director of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover 1925 - Stork Hendry scores 325 for Victoria against NZ
1926 - Soccer team DOS Struggle forms
1929 - 1st group hospital insurance plan offered (Dallas Tx)
1932 - Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, 1st joint movie (Flying Down to Rio)
1932 - Giants sign former outfielder Billy Southworth as a coach
1933 - Dried human blood serum 1st prepared, Univ of Pennsylvania
1933 - Fox Films signs Shirley Temple, 5, to a studio contract
1933 - Newfoundland reverts to being a crown colony of Great Britain
1936 - Bradman's 2nd consecutive Test Cricket duck! Australia all out 80
1937 - 1st feature-length color & sound cartoon premieres (Snow White)
1937 - O'Reilly completes 14-98 for cricket match, NSW v South Aust
1939 - Hitler named Adolf Eichmann leader of "Referat IV B"
1941 - Chicago Bears Ray McLean makes last NFL drop kick for an extra point
1941 - Chicago bears win the NFL championship
1941 - David Diamond's 1st Symphony premieres
Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf HitlerDictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 1941 - German submarine U-567 sinks
1941 - Last NFL drop kick for an extra point (Ray McLean, Chicago Bears)
1942 - US Supreme court declares Nevada separation legal
1944 - Cards' Marty Marion wins NL MVP
1945 - "Billion Dollar Baby" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 219 performances
1945 - Gould/Comden/Green's "Billion Dollar Baby" premieres in NYC
1946 - "If the Shoe Fits" closes at Century Theater NYC after 20 performances
1946 - Earthquake in South Japan, kills 1,086
1946 - Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" premieres
1946 - Morton Gould's "Minstrel Show" premieres in Indianapolis
1948 - O'Neil Place in the Bronx erronously renamed O'Neill Place
1948 - State of Eire (formerly Irish Free State) declares its independence
1949 - Dutch 1st Chamber accept soeveregnty of Indonesia
1950 - Cole Porte's musical "Out of this World" premieres at New Century Theater NYC for 157 perfs
1951 - Joe DiMaggio announces his retirement
1952 - Broadway Tunnel opens in SF
1952 - WSBT TV channel 22 in South Bend, IN (CBS) begins broadcasting
1953 - KOMU TV channel 8 in Columbia, MO (NBC/PBS) begins broadcasting
1957 - Indonesia proclaims end to state of war
French President Charles de Gaulle





French President Charles de Gaulle 







On this day in 1958, Charles De Gaulle won a term lasting seven years as the first President of Fifth French Republic.


1959 - 10th largest snowfall in NYC history (13.7")
1959 - Citizens of Deerfield Ill block building of interracial housing
1959 - Tom Landry accepts coaching job with Dallas Cowboys (stays until 1988)
1961 - Beatles record "Sweet Georgia Brown" & "Ready Teddy"
1961 - JFK & British PM MacMillan meet in Bermuda
1962 - Angolin leaves Comecon
1962 - US & Cuba accord, releases bay of pigs captive
1966 - USSR launches Luna 13; soft-landed in Oceanus Procellarum
1968 - Apollo 8 (Borman, Lovell & Anders) 1st manned Moon voyage
1968 - David Crosby, Stephen Stills & Graham Nash premiere together in Calif
1969 - Diana Ross final TV appearance as a Supreme (Ed Sullivan Show) 



In 1969 on this day, Thailand announced plans to withdraw its 12,000 troops from South Vietnam. Thai forces had gone to Vietnam as part of the Free World Military Forces, a coordinated effort by American President Lyndon B. Johnson to enlist allies for the United States and South Vietnam.



1969 - Vince Lombardi (Redskins) coaches his last football game, losing
1970 - WUTV TV channel 29 in Buffalo, NY (IND) begins broadcasting
1971 - UN Security Council chooses Kurt Waldheim as 4th secretary General
1972 - Soviet Union signs a separate peace with East Germany
1973 - Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, US & USSR meet in Geneva to discuss the Arab-Israeli conflict
1975 - "Hello, Dolly" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 51 performances
1975 - "Very Good Eddie" opens at Booth Theater NYC for 307 performances
1975 - 1st NY Jet to gain 1,000 yards rushing (John Riggins)
1975 - 64th Davis Cup: Sweden beats Czechoslovakia in Stockholm (3-2)
1975 - Madagascar adopts constitution
1975 - Buffalo Sabres set NHL record of 40 points beating Caps 14-2 scoring 5 goals vs Washington Caps in 4:57
1976 - 20th Islander shut-out opponent-Billy Smith 3-0 vs Bruins
1976 - Patricia R Harris named secretary of HUD
1976 - UN General Assembly passes a resolution declaring 1979-Year of Child
1976 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1978 - "Broadway Musical" opens/closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC
1978 - Police in Des Plaines Ill, arrest John Wayne Gacy Jr for murder
1979 - Gary Unger plays in record 914th consecutive NHL game
1979 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1979 - New constitution for Zimbabwe agreed
1980 - Harold Carmichael ends NFL streak of 127 consecutive game receptions
1981 - Cincinnati beats Bradley 75-73 in 7 OTs (NCAA record)
1983 - Musical "Tap Dance Kid" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 669 performances
1983 - NBA Indiana Pacers end a 28 game road losing streak
1983 - NCAA rules rescinded last 2-minute men's basketball free throw rule
1984 - Islander Kelly Hrudy's 1st shut-out win-Whalers 1-0
1984 - USSR launches Vega 2 for fly-by of Halley's Come
1985 - ARCO Anchorage runs aground near Port Angeles, WA
1985 - Alice Miller/Don January wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship
1985 - Heart's "Heart" album goes #1
1986 - 75th Davis Cup: Australia beats Sweden in Melbourne (3-2)
1986 - Amy Alcott/Bob Charles wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship
1987 - 3 white NY teens convicted of manslaughter in death of a black man
1987 - Soyuz TM-4 launches 3 cosmonauts to space station Mir
1987 - Vladimir Titov & Musa Manarov launched
1988 - Drexel agrees guilt to security felonies, pays a $650 million fine
1988 - NY bound Pan Am jumbo jet explodes over Scotland all 258 aboard die
1988 - Vladimir Titov & Musa Manarov return to earth (a year) with Chretien 


Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland (also sometimes known as the Lockerbie Bombing) on this day in 1988. The flight had been heading from London to New York, but instead exploded in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, as well as 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. 





1989 - VP Quayle sends out 30,000 Xmas cards with word beacon spelled beakon
1990 - Steve & Mark Waugh complete 464* partnership for NSW v WA
1991 - 95 share in Madrid Spain $1.3 billion lottery (#47996)
1991 - El Sayid Nosair acquitted of killing Meir Kahane 

On this day in 1991, 11 of the 12 Soviet republics proclaimed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The 11 republics were Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. They signed an agreement creating the CIS. Just days later, seeing the writing on the wall that marked an end to his power, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced that he was stepping down from his position. The Soviet Union had effectively ceased to exist and passed into history.


In 1995, the city of Bethlehem formally passed from Israeli to Palestinian control. In 1998 on this day, the first vaccine for Lyme disease was approved. On this day in 2001, the Islamic militant group Hamas released a statement declaring that it was suspending suicide bombings and mortar attacks in Israel.




1999 - The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid.
2006 - Puzzle Play aired to network Ten, replacing In the Box
2007 - The Schengen Agreement area increases to include 9 European Union member states; Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia on land and sea borders.
2012 - 39 people are killed in violent clashes in Kenya
2012 - The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar reaches the date 13.0.0.0.0
2012 - "Gangnam Style" becomes the first video to reach one billion views on YouTube
2012 - The NHL announces a further cancellation of games until January 14 brining the total number of cancelled games to 625




1620 - The "Mayflower", and its passengers, pilgrims from England, landed at Plymouth Rock, MA.   1849 - The first ice-skating club in America was formed in Philadelphia, PA.   1879 - Ibsen's "A Doll's House" was first performed in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a revised happy ending.   1898 - Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the radioactive element radium.   1909 - McKinley and Washington schools of Berkeley, CA, became the first authorized, junior-high schools in the U.S.   1913 - The "New York World" Sunday edition included a crossword puzzle as an added feature of the "Fun" supplement. It was the first crossword puzzle to be published.   1914 - Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Mack Swain appeared in the first six-reel, feature-length comedy. The film was entitled "Tillie’s Punctured Romance".   1925 - Eisenstein's film "Battleship Potemkin" was first shown in Moscow.   1937 - Walt Disney debuted the first, full-length, animated feature in Hollywood, CA. The movie was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  Disney movies, music and books   1944 - Horse racing was banned in the United States until after the end of World War II.   1945 - U.S. Gen. George S. Patton died in Heidelberg, Germany, of injuries from a car accident.   1948 - The state of Eire (formerly the Irish Free State) declared its independence.   1951 - Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement from major league baseball.   1958 - Charles de Gaulle was elected to a seven-year term as the first president of the Fifth Republic of France.   1968 - Apollo 8 was launched on a mission to orbit the moon. The craft landed safely in the Pacific Ocean on December 27.   1971 - The U.N. Security Council chose Kurt Waldheim to succeed U Thant as secretary-general.   1978 - Police in Des Plaines, IL, arrested John W. Gacy Jr. and began unearthing the remains of 33 men and boys that Gacy was later convicted of killing.   1981 - Cincinnati defeated Bradley 75-73 in seven overtimes. The game was the longest collegiate basketball game in the history of NCAA Division I competition.   1988 - 270 people were killed when Pan Am Boeing 747 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, due to a terrorist attack.   1990 - In a German television interview, Saddam Hussein declared that he would not withdraw from Kuwait by the UN deadline.   1991 - Eleven of the 12 former Soviet republics proclaimed the birth of the Commonwealth of Independent States.   1995 - The city of Bethlehem passed from Israeli to Palestinian control.   1996 - After two years of denials, U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich admitted violating House ethics rules.   1998 - Israel's parliament voted overwhelmingly for early elections. It was the signal to the demise of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line government.   1998 - A Chinese court sentenced two dissidents to long prison terms for attempting to organize an opposition party. A third man was sentenced to 12 years in prison on December 22, 1998.   1998 - The first vaccine for Lyme disease was approved.   2001 - The Islamic militant group Hamas released a statement that said it was suspending suicide bombings and mortar attacks in Israel.   2002 - Larry Mayes was released after spending 21 years in prison for a rape that maintained that he never committed. He was the 100th person in the U.S. to be released after DNA tests were performed.




1620 The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts. 1891 The first basketball game, invented at Springfield College in Massachusetts by James E. Naismith, was played. 1898 Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium. 1913 The first crossword puzzle was printed in the New York World. 1937 Disney's Snow White, the first feature length color and sound cartoon, premiered. 1970 Elvis Presley met with president Richard Nixon in the White House. 1988 A terrorist bomb exploded aboard a Pan Am Boeing 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. 1991 Eleven of the former Soviet republics form the Commonwealth of Independent States. 1995 Palestinians took over the control of the city of Bethlehem.


The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/dec21.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

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