TODAY’S HISTORY LESSON – DEC 16
1431 Henry VI of England is crowned King of France.
1598 Seven Year War: Battle of Noryang Point – in the final battle of the war Korean navy decisively defeats the Japanese
1653 Oliver Cromwell takes on dictatorial powers with the title of “Lord Protector.”
1773 Boston tea party incident – Sons of Liberty protesters throw tea shipments into Boston harbour in protest against British imposed Tea Act
1835 A fire in New York City destroys property estimated to be worth $20,000,000. It lasts two days, ravages 17 blocks, and destroys 674 buildings including the Stock Exchange, Merchants’ Exchange, Post Office, and the South Dutch Church.
1913 Charlie Chaplin began his film career at Keystone for $150 a week
1916 Grigori Rasputin assassinated by a group of noble Russian conspirators.
1930 In Spain, a general strike is called in support of the revolution.
1939 The National Women’s Party urges immediate congressional action on equal rights.
1944 Nazi Germany launches a counteroffensive against the Allies in the Ardennes region of Belgium, beginning the ‘Battle of the Bulge’
1949 Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung is received at the Kremlin in Moscow.
1950 President Harry Truman declares a state of National Emergency as Chinese communists invade deeper into South Korea.
1971 End of Indo-Pakistani War The third major conflict between the two countries was fought because of India’s support of Bangladesh’s War of Liberation.
1978 Cleveland becomes the first U.S. city to default since the depression.
1978 Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter’s recognition of China People’s Republic
1983 Riverside CA judge denies cerebral palsy victim Elizabeth Bouviato request to starve herself to death in a county hospital
1988 Political cult leader Lyndon LaRouche convicted of tax, mail fraud
1990 Reverend Jean-Betrand Aristide elected President of Haiti
1998 The United States launches a missile attack on Iraq for failing to comply with United Nations weapons inspectors.
2000 Colin Powell was selected to become the first African-American secretary of state.
2003 President George W. Bush signs the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which establishes the United States’ first national standards regarding email and gives the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce the act.
** history.net, onthisday.com, infoplease.com, timeanddate.com, thepeoplehistory.com, on-this-day.com **
