Jerry Waxman
Today in History:December 7
Today in History: December 7:
On Dec. 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched an air raid on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
In 1972, America’s last crewed moon mission to date was launched as Apollo 17 blasted off from Cape Canaveral.
In 1988, a major earthquake in the Soviet Union devastated northern Armenia, killing at least 25,000 people.
Today in History:December 6
Today in History: December 6:
On Dec. 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, abolishing slavery, was ratified.
In 1923, a presidential address was broadcast on radio for the first time as Calvin Coolidge spoke to a joint session of Congress.
Today in History: December 5
Today in History: December 5:
On December 5, 1848, President James K. Polk sparked the Gold Rush of ’49 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.
In 1933, national Prohibition came to an end as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, thus repealing the 18th Amendment.
In 1952, the Great Smog of London descended on the British capital; the unusually thick fog, which contained toxic pollutants
Today in History: December 4
Today in History: December 4:
On Dec. 4, 1991, after being abducted and held for nearly seven years as a hostage by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon,Terry Anderson was released from captivity.
In 1783, Gen. George Washington bade farewell to his Continental Army officers at Fraunces Tavern in New York.
In 1969, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark of the Black Panther Party were shot and killed during a raid by Chicago police.
Today in History: December 3
Excerpts:Today in History: December 3:
In 1947, the Tennessee Williams play “A Streetcar Named Desire” opened on Broadway.
In 2015, Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered the armed services to open all military jobs to women.
Today in History: December 2
Today in History: December 2:
In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France in a coronation ceremony at Notre Dame de Paris cathedral.
In 2018, Israeli police recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bribery charges, adding to a growing collection of legal troubles for the longtime leader.
Today in History: December 1
Today in History: December 1:
In 1955, Rosa Parks, a Black seamstress, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus.
In 1824, the presidential election was turned over to the House of Representatives after none of the candidates (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay) won over 50% of the electoral vote.
Today in History: November 30
Excerpts:Today in History: November 30:
In 1999, an estimated 40,000 demonstrators clashed with police as they protested against the World Trade Organization in Seattle.
In 1936, London’s Crystal Palace exhibition hall was destroyed by a massive fire.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Bill, which required a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases
Today in History: November 29
Today in History: November 29:
On November 29, 1864, a Colorado militia attacked an encampment of Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribal members, killing an estimated 230, in the Sand Creek Massacre.
In 1929, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd, pilot Bernt Balchen, radio operator Harold June and photographer Ashley McKinney made the first airplane flight over the South Pole.
In 1961, Enos the chimp was launched from Cape Canaveral aboard the Mercury-Atlas 5 spacecraft, which orbited earth twice before returning. And More.