King Edward VIII Abdicates the Throne – For Love (1936)
On December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII of Britain formally abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American divorcee. This decision shocked the British Empire and created a constitutional crisis, as Edward chose personal love over royal duty. His brother, Prince Albert, ascended the throne as King George VI, leading Britain through World War II. Edward’s abdication highlighted the evolving tensions between monarchy, tradition, and modern relationships.
UNICEF Is Established (1946)
On this day in 1946, the United Nations General Assembly founded the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to provide emergency aid to children affected by World War II. Over the decades, UNICEF became a beacon of hope for vulnerable children worldwide, working tirelessly on issues like education, health, and child rights. Its work earned it the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.
Kyoto Protocol to Combat Global Warming Is Adopted (1997)
On December 11, 1997, over 150 nations signed the Kyoto Protocol, the first legally binding treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming. This landmark agreement underscored the urgency of climate action and paved the way for later treaties like the Paris Agreement. Despite challenges, the protocol marked a crucial step in international environmental cooperation.
U.S. Superfund to Protect the Environment from Toxic Waste is Created (1980)
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation creating a $1.6 billion “Superfund” to clean up hazardous chemical spills and toxic waste sites. This initiative was a direct response to environmental disasters like the Love Canal contamination in New York. It remains one of the most significant legislative efforts to protect the U.S. environment from industrial pollution.
Lufthansa Heist at JFK Airport (1978)
On December 11, 1978, criminals executed the infamous Lufthansa Heist, stealing nearly $6 million in cash and jewelry from New York’s JFK Airport. It was the largest cash robbery in U.S. history at the time and became legendary, partly due to its portrayal in the film ‘Goodfellas’. The heist symbolized the audacity and reach of organized crime in the late 20th century.
Bernie Madoff Arrested For Devastating Ponzi Scheme (2008)
In 2008, Bernie Madoff, a former Nasdaq chairman, was arrested for orchestrating a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. His fraud wiped out the life savings of thousands, including individuals, charities, and institutions. The scandal exposed significant regulatory failings and led to widespread reforms in financial oversight.
Two Impeached Presidents
or
Two Faces Of Republican Hypocrisy
Two events occurred on December 11th which, taken together, showcase the hypocrisy of members of the Republican party, or taken separately, underscore the hazards of Republican shenanigans.
Part 1: Persecution of President Clinton
On December 11, 1998, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee pushed through three articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton. The tally for the first two articles was 21 for impeachment and 17 against, purely along party lines. For the third article, one Republican joined with the Democrats in voting no.
When the vote went to the floor a week later, 5 Democrats voted along with Republicans to impeach, while 5 Republicans on one article and 12 Republicans on another article joined the Democrats in saying no.
These votes demonstrate the highly partisan nature of Congress at that time.
When the Senate voted in February, 1999, not one Democrat voted guilty on either of the two articles presented. However, 5 Republicans voted not guilty on one article, and 10 Republicans voted not guilty on the other article.
The Senate vote indicates that in general the senators voted according to their party affiliation, and not necessarily according to the merits of the case. When at least 5 Republican senators saw no merit in the case against Clinton, it indicates that the other Republican senators likely voted “Guilty” because their party expected them to vote “Guilty” regardless of the merits of the case or lack thereof.
The intent to impeach President Clinton existed well before there was anything in evidence to impeach him for. When investigation of the Whitewater Affair led to no impeachable offense on the part of President Clinton, the independent counsel Kenneth Starr set out with the express purpose of finding something to impeach President Clinton for.
Kenneth Starr’s continued investigations led to revelations about Bill Clinton’s personal life that had nothing to do with his official duties. When a story emerged that the president had an affair with an intern, Starr used it to embarrass the president, and in the course of doing so, he found that Clinton lied about the affair in a sworn deposition to Congress.
After four years of investigations, this was the “high crime” that the Republican Congress needed to drag the country through impeachment proceedings, ruin the life of an intern, and subject the Democratic president and his family to public humiliation. In the end even Republican senators voted for his acquittal.
Part 2: Promoting The Lies And Crimes Of A Republican President
On December 11, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States put an end to the sitting Republican president’s journey through state and federal courts in his attempt to overthrow an election that he lost. Even the Supreme Court, which was stacked in his favor, found no merit in the president’s case, and refused to hear it.
What brought the 45th president to believe that members of the Judicial branch of the U.S. government would undermine the will of the American voters, undermine the Constitution they were sworn to defend, and turn their backs on the very system that gave them their jobs, to keep him as president?
No other American citizen could ever expect to even be heard in the lower courts with the flimsy, childish case the incumbent president had instructed his lawyers to present. But this president believed he was special, that the laws of the land did not pertain to him. A Republican Congress gave him every reason to believe he was above all laws.
Earlier that same year, the Republican Senate aquitted this Republican president of guilt at his impeachment trial, even though they knew he was guilty. Before the trial, some leading Republican senators even boasted about their intentions to disrupt the trial, ignore all evidence, and vote not guilty no matter what.
The same Kenneth Starr who made it his mission to take down a Democratic president who was mostly innocent, also came to defend a Republican president who was guilty.
The shenanigans of Republican lawmakers and judges, along with the fervent support of a “conservative” media that thrives on distortions and misinformation, has proven to be hazardous to the lives of well-meaning, law-abiding American citizens. Election poll workers have been defamed and doxxed by Republican officials, for example.
At this writing, the same U.S. president who believed he was special has recently been reelected. A Republican Supreme Court has told him that he will be immune from all accusations, and a Republican Congress appears eager to grant him dictatorial powers.
Four years later, on December 11, 2024, Americans are anxious and fearful about what the future holds for them when the same Republican president, who is now a convicted felon and an affirmed sexual predator, returns to the White House soon.
Today in History: December 20
A Look Back At Today, December 20
The Louisiana Purchase was completed.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater.
The United States launched Operation Just Cause.
The United States Space Force was established.
Today in History: December 19
Today in History: December 19
In 1777, General George Washington led an army of more than 12,000 soldiers to Valley Forge.
In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Apollo program.
In 2011, North Korean announced the death of Kim Jong Il and proclaimed Kim Jong Un as the leader.
In 2022, the House Jan. 6 Committee urged the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against the previous president
Today in History: December 18
Today in History: December 18
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was proclaimed in effect.
In 1892, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” publicly premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia; although now considered a classic, it received a generally negative reception from critics.
In 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went on line. (It was taken out of service in 1982.)
In 2011, the last convoy of heavily armored U.S. troops left Iraq, crossing into Kuwait in darkness in the final moments of a nearly nine-year war.
Today in History: December 17
Today in History: December 17
In 1903 The Wright brothers’ flight redefined the possibilities of travel and opened the skies to human exploration.
In 1933 The first NFL championship laid the foundation for professional football’s evolution into a national pastime.
In 1989 “The Simpsons” redefined animated television, blending humor with social commentary to leave an indelible mark on entertainment.
In 1992 NAFTA reshaped North American trade, fostering economic ties while sparking debates on globalization.
In 2014 The U.S.-Cuba rapprochement signaled a pivotal moment in the post-Cold War world, rekindling hopes for reconciliation.
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