Important Events From This day in History December 10th

  

1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights

The United Nations General Assembly meeting in Paris, France adopts the Universal Declaration on Human Rights which took nearly three years in prepare . Find More What happened in 1948

1981 U.S.A. -- Start of Aids

A mysterious epidemic, consisting of two separate diseases, a form of pneumonia and skin cancer, has been found in 180 patients in 15 states since last July. It has claimed around 75 lives so far in the US and up to 92% of the victims are homosexual men. The unknown condition was eventually named as Aids (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) virus not only restricted to homosexuals and 4,000 were infected in the space of two years.

1901 Sweden -- Nobel Prizes

1901 : The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The Nobel Prizes are funded by a fund created after the death of Alfred Nobel the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives. In his will, Nobel directed that the bulk of his vast fortune be placed in a fund in which the interest would be "annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."

1904 Russia -- Czar Nicholas

Czar Nicholas of Russia addressed Finland's diet (government) and commented, "I observe, that the public tranquility of Finland has been shaken by resistance to my decrees. The past summer was darkened by the murder of the highest representative of imperial power in Finland." The Czar went on to assert that his laws united the empire in general and Finland in particular.

1913 U.S.A. -- prohibition amendment

The Women's Christian Temperance Union marches on Washington D.C. asking the US government to create a prohibition amendment. 18th Amendment / Prohibition Timeline

1920 Ireland -- Martial Law

Following increased Violence during the Irish Revolution the British declare Martial law in Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary.

1929 Scotland -- Robert the Bruce

1929 : Robert the Bruce, a Scottish hero who ruled as king and freedom fighter in Scotland, has had his heart misplaced. This was discovered when Rev. Dr. Christie suggested that Robert the Bruce's heart should be buried in Israel. A shriveled heart was found, but experts said it wasn't't the right heart.

1937 U.S.A. -- Sharks

1937 : A woman spent six hours in shark infested waters and will not tell anyone what made her go overboard. Miss Offut, a passenger aboard the freighter, Lillian Luckenbach, was discovered to be missing by her roommate. When Miss Offut boarded the ship the captain noticed that she was distraught and anxious. The crew rescued the drowning woman and later took her to hospital.

1944 China -- Joint Communist Control

1944 : Chiand Kai-Shek has given his consent to the communists having a share in China's government and military. The communist leaders were seeking a coalition to fend off Japan in Northern China.

1951 Hungary -- Santa Claus

1951 : Santa Claus and angels were banned in Hungary at Christmas this year. Pictures of tractors holding gifts would replace Santa Claus and his elves. It was not entirely clear why communist officials became so provoked at Saint Nick, but it seems that they could use some of his generosity.

1958 U.S.A. -- First US Commercial Jet Flight

1958 : The first domestic passenger jet powered aircraft flight took place in the United States as a National Airlines Boeing 707 flew 111 passengers from New York City to Miami.

1965 U.S.A. -- The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead with Lead guitarist Jerry Garcia play their first concert, at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.

1966 Germany -- Fighters Grounded

Western Germany grounded 700 American-made F-104G Starfighter Planes due to safety concerns. The planes were going to taken out of commission and redesigned after there had been 65 incidents with them.

1967 U.S.A. -- Otis Redding

A plane crash in Madison, Wisconsin, kills soul singer Otis Redding and members of the Bar-Kays band the plane crashed into Lake Monona, several miles from the Madison airport.

1977 U.S.A. -- Fraud

Millionaire and rice seller, Tongsun Park's fate was being debated by Korea and the United States after he was shown to be guilty of fraud and corruption. It was assumed that Korea and the Americans were close to an accord on the matter and that Park would testify in the U.S. and later be returned unharmed to Korea.

1979 UK -- Eddie Kidd

A British Stuntman Eddie Kidd accomplishes a "death-defying" motorcycle leap crossing an 80ft gap over a 50ft sheer drop above a viaduct at the River Blackwater at Maldon, Essex on a 400cc motorcycle.

1979 Japan -- Dollar Exchange Rate

Dollar drops 3.7% to close at 231.25 yen in Tokyo, it's largest single day drop in value against the yen

1983 Argentina -- President of Argentina

Following the collapse of the military junta, Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín who won the democratic elections in October becomes the President of Argentina.

1984 South Africa -- Desmond Tutu

1984 : South African Bishop Desmond Tutu an opponent of apartheid. and ordained the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town receives the Nobel Peace Prize.

1988 Armenia -- Earthquake

Rescue workers have estimated up to 45,000 people have died and a further 500,000 are homeless after the devastating earthquake which ripped through Armenia.

1989 Turkey -- Tourist Destination

Turkey may become a popular tourist destination in the future. Mount Ararat may contain the remnants of Noah's ark and the Turquoise Coast of Turkey may become a popular resort for travellers as well.

1990 UK -- Hostages Returned

The first 100 hostages held in the Gulf for four-and-a-half months landed at Heathrow airport today after their release by Saddam Hussein. The Foreign Office expects the other 300 held since Iraq invaded Kuwait in August to be home by the weekend.

1996 Kenya -- Marry Leakey

Marry Leakey, famous archaeologist and anthropologist, died at age 83. Leakey was widely known for her discovery of fossils in Kenya and Tanzania which she said were evidence of the origin of man.

2001 Brazil -- VOIP Phones

Voice Over Internet Protocol may revolutionize the way Brazilians talk on the telephone. In the past Latin America had been used to exorbitant prices for long distance calls. However, a war between two telephone companies - Embratel and Inelig cut long distance bills by 65%, and the Voice Over Protocol will make calls even cheaper.

2002 Sweden -- Nobel Peace Prize

The former US President Jimmy Carter is presented with the Nobel Peace Prize for his helping to solve the Middle East crisis in the 1970s using diplomacy.

2006 Lebanon -- Protests

2006 : One million Lebanese pro Hezbollah and pro Syria supporters gather in downtown Beirut, protesting against the Western backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

2006 Chile -- Augusto Pinochet dies

Chile's Augusto Pinochet, who ruled from 1973 to 1990, died after suffering a heart attack. He had spent his old age fighting human rights, fraud and corruption charges, and most of his supporters had abandoned him when it came out that he had been stashing money (some $27 million) in secret off-shore bank accounts.

2007 Russia -- Putin suggests that Medvedev is to succeed him

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has backed his First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to replace him as president. 'I fully support this candidacy,' said Comrade Putin. Medvedev was nominated by Putin's United Russia Party and three other pro-Kremlin parties, and was Putin's chief-of-staff, as well as chairman of the gas giant Gazprom. He, like Putin, comes from St. Petersburg.

2008 United States -- Obama calls on Blagojevich to resign

Barack Obama has called on Rod Blagojevich to resign following his arrest on charges of his trying to 'sell' Obama's Senate seat. Mr. Blagojevich, as Governor, has the sole authority to pick Mr Obama's successor as Senator for Illinois. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is revealed as the man who Blagojevich says sent an emissary to him, and offered campaign cash for the seat.

2009 Norway -- Obama receives Nobel Peace Prize

President Obama has said the U.S. must uphold moral standards when waging wars, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize. In his speech in Oslo, he defended the U.S. role in Afghanistan, arguing that the the use of force could bring lasting peace. He also said that his accomplishments were slight compared with other Laureates. Obama was given the prize in October for his 'extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.' Thursday's ceremony in the Norwegian capital came days after he announced he was sending thirty thousand additional soldiers to the war in Afghanistan.

2011 Norway -- Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Three Women

The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (President of Liberia), Leymah Gbowee (Liberian Peace Activist), and Tawakkol Karman (Yemeni Pro-Democracy Campaigner). The three women were awarded the prize for their non-violent efforts to improve women's safety and women's rights to participate in the peace-making process.

2012 Ghana -- Mahama Wins Presidential Election

The results of Ghana's presidential election reported that incumbent John Mahama won with just over fifty percent of the votes, beating out opposition Nana Akufo-Addo. The election was declared free and fair.

2013 United States -- Juno Probe Images

NASA released a movie taken by the Juno satellite as it makes its way towards Jupiter. The video showed the Earth and the Moon, with the Earth spinning and the Moon circling the Earth. The Juno Probe was launched in 2011 and is expected to reach Jupiter in 2016.