12 December Topics

December 1: Not a Hot Line – In 1878, a telephone was first installed in the White House.
Beauty, Wit, Charm – In 1919, Lady Astor became the first woman in the British House of Commons.
No President Elect – In 1824, there was no clear candidate for President elected.
Underground – In 1913, the Buenos Aires Metro opened.
Author, Author – In 1886, Rex Stout was born.
Raleigh Institute – In 1865, the school was founded.

December 2: Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness – In 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency opened for business.
Colombian Coke – In 1993, Pablo Escobar was killed in a shootout.
Power Run – In 1956, Fiedel Castro and Che Guevara arrived in Cuba.
Prayer – In 1763, the Touro Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the US, was dedicated.
Separate – In 1823, the Monroe Doctrine was announced to Congress.
Safe Sailing – In 1755, the Eddystone Lighthouse was destroyed.

December 3: Bhopal – In 1984, the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India spewed a huge cloud of noxious gases.
No More Beach Parties – In 1982, Times Beach, Missouri was found to be toxic.
Have a Heart – In 1967, the first heart transplant was performed.
Neon – In 1910, the Paris Motor Show opened with some new sign display.
Battle of the Eureka Stockade – In 1854, the battle takes place.
Jupiter’s Moons – In 1904, another of Jupiter’s moons was discovered.

December 4: The Boss – In 1875, Boss Tweed escaped from prison.
Watch This – In 1791, the first Sunday newspaper was published.
Surf’s Up – In 1969, Greg Noll rode a big wave.
Home on the Grange – In 1867, the Grange was formed.
The King of Burgers – In 1954, Burger King is founded.
Million Dollar Quartet – In 1956, an impromptu jam session took place.

December 5: Off Into the Wild Blue Yonder – In 1945, five US Air Force planes were lost and a rescue plane also went missing.
Twenty-One – In 1933, Prohibition was repealed.
Going, Going, Gone – In 1766, Christie’s Auction House was formed.
Yelling “Fire” in a Crowded Theater – In 1876, a fire at the Brooklyn Theater killed over 300.
Ghost Ship – In 1872, the Mary Celeste was found adrift.
Great Smog – In 1952, London was blanketed in smog.

December 6: Encyclopædia Britannica – In 1768, the first edition of the encyclopedia is released.
Under My Thumb – In 1969, a rock concert ended in murder.
Blood in the Water – In 1956, the Melbourne Olympics became violent.
Boom – In 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax Harbour.
Keep Out – In 1648, Pride’s Purge took place.
Montreal Massacre – In 1998, death visited Montreal.

December 7: The Blue Marble – In 1972, the crew of Apollo 17 took a world-famous picture of Earth.
Can I See That Again? – In 1963, Instant Replay was first used during an Army-Navy football game.
Fireproof – In 1946, the Winecoff Hotel burned.
Cicero – In 43 BC, the Roman statesman was assassinated.
Play Nice – In 1999, RIAA filed a lawsuit against Napster.
Disgruntled Worker – In 1987, PSA Flight 1771 crashed.

December 8: John is Dead – In 1980, John Lennon was murdered.
Library – In 1609, the first continental European public library opened.
Da Bears – In 1940, the Bears and Redskins played football.
Women’s Work – In 1660, Othello opened with a woman playing the part of Desdemona, the first time that happened.
Think Tank – In 1927, the Brookings Institution was formed.
On Strike – In 1962, the NYC Newspaper Strike began.

December 9: NYC’s First Daily – In 1793, Noah Webster began to publish NYC’s first daily newspaper.
Muckraker – In 1935, Walter Liggett was murdered for his belief in a free press.
Doctor? – In 1946, the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials began.
Coal Power – In 1911, the Cross Mountain Mine disaster occurred.
YMCA – In 1851, the first Y in North America opened.
A Charlie Brown Christmas – In 1965, the show first appeared on television.

December 10: Stop! Go! – In 1868, the first traffic signal was used for the railroads.
Giving All – In 1907, a riot broke out in Trafalgar Square against the use of vivisection.
Nobel Prizes – In 1901, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded.
Two Marks – In 1884, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published.
Here He Comes to Save the Day – In 1955, Mighty Mouse Playhouse premiered.
Reconciliation of Sorts – In 1317, the Swedish king held a reconciliation banquet.

December 11: What Would You Do for Love? – In 1936, King Edward VIII of England abdicated to be free to marry Wallis Simpson.
Rewriting History – In 2006, Holocaust revisionists met in Tehran, Iran.
UNICEF – In 1946, UNICEF was established.
Indiana – In 1816, Indiana was admitted to the Union.
King’s Treason – In 1792, King Louis XVI of France was charged with treason.
Rehabilitation – In 1934, Bill W entered rehab.

December 12: Katzenjammer Kids – In 1897, the Katzenjammer Kids first saw print.
Dragon Master – In 1408, the Order of the Dragon was established.
Boom! – In 1862, the USS Cairo sunk.
Ice, Ice, Baby – In 1985, Arrow Air flight 1285 crashed shortly after takeoff.
He Ain’t Heavy – In 1917, Boy’s Town was founded.
Racial Purity – In 1935, Lebensborn e. V. was formed.

December 13: Maximum Insecurity – In 2000, seven violent offenders escaped from the John Connally Unit, a maximum security prison in Texas.
Cheaters – In 2007, the Mitchell Report was released.
Get Rael – In 1973, the Elohim revealed themselves to a human.
Tasman – In 1642, New Zealand was discovered by Europeans.
Nanking Falls – In 1937, the Chinese city fell.
Shooter in Belgium – In 2011, Liège, Belgium was under attack.

December 14: Queen of Gems – In 1656, the first fake pearl was made.
Strong Men; Great Leaders – In 1751, the first military academy was begun in Austria.
Bushidō  – In 1702, the 47 Ronin avenge their daimyo.
Up, Up and Away – In 1782, the Montgolfier brothers took to the air in their flying balloon.
South Pole or Bust – In 1911, Roald Amundsen made it to the South Pole.
Pole of Inaccessibility – In 1958, the distant place was reached.

December 15: James Naismith – In 1891, the game of basketball was invented.
Back Up Is Essential – In 1836, the US Patent Office’s records were lost in a fire.
JFK Assassination – In 1960, an attempt was made on President-elect Kennedy’s life.
Push Comes to Shove – In 1905, the Pushkin House was established to hold Alexander Pushkin’s works.
Bill of Rights – In 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified.
Gone with the Wind – In 1939, the movie premiered.

December 16: Mississippi River Flowed North – In 1811, after a series of earthquakes, the Mississippi river flowed in the opposite direction for a time.
Mr. Music – In 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven was born.
Tea for Two – In 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place.
Protector – In 1653, Oliver Cromwell became the first Lord Protector of the Commonwealth.
Science of Bank Robbery – In 1930, Herman Lamm died.
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel – In 1903, the hotel opened in Bombay.

December 17: Wilbur and Orville – In 1903, the brothers took the Wright Flyer up to the skies.
D’oh – In 1989, The Simpsons premiered.
Decree – In 1807, Napoleon I issued the Milan Decree.
Hot Time in the Old Town – In 1837, the Tsar’s home in St. Petersburg, the Winter Palace, caught fire.
Trendy – In 1892, Vogue’s first issue was published.
Under the Big Top – In 1961, a circus fire occurs in Niterói.

December 18: The Grinch – In 1966, the Dr. Seuss tale came to television for the first time.
Ancient Pueblo Housing – In 1888, Cliff Palace was discovered.
Nuke Power – In 1957, the first nuclear power plant in the US began producing power.
NFL Playoff – In 1932, the Chicago Bears beat the Portsmouth Spartans.
Land of Sweets – In 1892, The Nutcracker was first performed.
Cliff Palace – In 1888, the Mesa Verda abandoned village was discovered.

December 19: Monumental – In 1960, the San Jacinto Monument was declared a National History Landmark.
Believe – In 1918, Ripley began his carton series.
Tiny Tim – In 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol.
What’s Up, Doc? – In 1956, Dr. John Bodkin Adams was arrested.
Presumed – In 1967, Harold Holt was presumed dead.
FIFA World Cup – In 1983, the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen.

December 20: Secret Police – In 1917, Lenin formed the first of a series of secret police, used to terrorize the citizens of Mother Russia.
Cardiff, Wales – In 1955, Cardiff became the capital of Wales.
Petrol on Fire – In 1984, the Summit Tunnel fire began.
Just Wonderful – In 1946, It’s a Wonderful Life was released in New York City.
Flying Tigers – In 1941, the Flying Tigers first saw combat.
We Got the Power – In 1951,  nuclear power was used for the first time.

December 21: Can You Use Ink? – In 1913, Arthur Wynn invented the crossword puzzle.
Norway – In 1962, Norway established its first national park.
Four in One Year – In 69 AD, Vespasian became Emperor of Rome.
Honor – In 1861, the Medal of Honor was instituted.
Cooperatively – In 1844, the Rochdale Society opened their first store.
Thomas Becket – In 1118, he was born.

December 22: March to the Sea – In 1864, General Sherman finished his march into Savannah, Georgia.
First PM – In 1885, Ito Hirobumi became the first Prime Minister of Japan.
Fly Ash – In 2008, the TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant’s dike collapsed.
Under Water – In 1937, The Lincoln Tunnel in NYC was opened.
Heavens! – In 1891, Brucia was discovered.
Nuts – In 1944, General McAuliffe did not surrender.

December 23: Jolly Old Elf – In 1823, Twas the Night Before Christmas was first published.
Survivor, The Real Story – In 1972, the Andes flight disaster finally came to an end.
Tokyo Tower – In 1958, Tokyo Tower was dedicated.
Around the World in Nine Days – In 1986, the Voyager landed at Edwards Air Force Base and completed a non-stop trip around the world.
Another One Bites the Dust – In 679, King Dagobert II was murdered.
For the Rest of Us – In 1997, Festivus was celebrated on television.

December 24: The South Shall Rise Again – In 1865, six men began the KKK, then a simple social club.
Christmas – In 1777, James Cook discovered an uninhabited island in the Pacific.
Shhhhhh! – In 1818, Silent Night was written.
Eggnog Riot – In 1826, a riot broke out at West Point.
Italian Hall Disaster – In 1913, the hall caught fire during a Christmas party.
System Error Leads to Traditional Tracking – In 1955, Sears had a misprint in their ad.

December 25: Mastodons – In 1801, the first complete mastodon skeleton was discovered.
Scone Stone – In 1950, the Stone of Scone was stolen.
It Is Finished – In 1991, the dissolution of the USSR was completed.
Arrival – In 1941, Admiral Nimitz arrived at Pearl Harbor.
White House Visitors – In 1974, Marshall Fields invited himself to the White House.
Christmas – In 354, the holiday finally made it to calendars.

December 26: Kwanzaa – In 1966, the first Kwanzaa was celebrated.
Searching – In 1986, Search for Tomorrow went off the air after more than 35 years.
Zounds! Sounds! – In 1933, a patent was granted for FM radio.
Storming Scandinavia – In 2011, Cyclone Dagmar made landfall.
Thespis – In 1871, Thispis opened at the Gaiety Theatre of London.
From Fun to Horror – In 1811, the Richmond Theatre caught fire.

December 27: Hagia Sophia – In 537, the Hagia Sophia was officially dedicated.
Coming into Port – In 1703, the Methuen Treaty was signed by Portugal and England.
Play Nice – In 1512, the Laws of Burgos were issued.
Man Cave – In 1966, the Cave of Swallows was discovered.
Religious Freedom – In 1657, the Flushing Remonstrance was signed.
Snowfall – In 1836, the deadliest avalanche in the UK took place.

December 28: Child’s Play – In 1973, Akron, Ohio stopped their association with Box Car Derby after cheating became rampant.
Neptune – In 1612, Galileo observed the planet Neptune.
Poor Ben – In 1732, an ad for Poor Richard’s Almanack was run in Ben Franklin’s newspaper.
San Francisco Muni – In 1912, the Municipal Railroad in San Francisco opened.
Ex-Vice President – In 1832, John C. Calhoun resigned.
Fighting for Florida – In 1835, the Seminoles defended their lands.

December 29: The Awakened One – In 1993, the Tian Tan Buddha was consecrated.
Worst in America – In 1876, the Ashtabula Bridge collapsed.
Ooh-La-La – In 1721, Lady Pompadour was born.
Saintly Departure – In 1170, Thomas Becket was assassinated.
Itty Bitty – In 1959, Richard Feynman gave a speech at Caltech.
Light Show – In 2001, a fireworks disaster took place in Lima, Peru.

December 30: Once in a Blue Moon – In 1982, the only total eclipse of a blue moon in the entire century took place.
Countess Bathory – In 1610, the Blood Countess was stopped.
Ted on the Loose – In 1977, Ted Bundy once again escaped from prison.
Not So Special – In 1924, Edwin Hubble announced that we were not alone.
Hat Trick – In 1896, the first hat trick during a Stanley Cup playoff game took place.
Kiss Me – In 1948, Kiss Me, Kate premiered on Broadway.

December 31: Dupont Plaza Hotel – In 1986, three unhappy employees set the hotel on fire.
Quarters – In 1960, the farthing was finished.
Longacre Square – In 1904, New Year’s Eve was celebrated in NYC.
Granted – In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I granted a Royal Charter.
Long Lease – In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a lease.
Manhattan Bridge – In 1909, the bridge opened.