Important Events From This day in History December 12

  

1900 Ireland -- Irish Party

In Dublin, Ireland Irish delegates convened to create what they called the "Irish Party" and denounced British atrocities in the Boer War. An applauded John Dillon proposed a resolution passed that "the South African war was entered upon in pursuance of a conspiracy to deprive two free nations of their liberty in the interests of capitalists and mine owners."

1901 England -- Marconi

Marconi sends first wireless transmission over 2000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Poldhu in Cornwall, England, to Newfoundland, Canada . The transmission consisted of the Morse-code signal for the letter "s" which consists of three dots ( ... ).

1913 France -- The Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is recovered Two years after it's theft from the Louvre Museum in Paris in Florence in Italian waiter Vincenzo Peruggia's hotel room.

1946 U.S.A. -- United Nations Headquarters

The millionaire benefactor John D. Rockefella Jr. offers the United Nations a six-block tract of Manhattan real estate for the site of U.N. headquarters, which is accepted by the UN.

1917 Israel -- Jerusalem

Major Vivian Gilbert of the British army revealed the inside story of how Jerusalem fell during the First World War. He said that an army cook was out looking for eggs and was presented with the keys to the city by the mayor. The British won the Holy Land back from the Turks.

1917 France -- Train Derailed

500 French soldiers are killed when their train derails in Modane, France.

1917 U.S.A. -- Boys Town

Father Edward Flanagan founds Boys Town dedicated to the care of at-risk children, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska.

1925 U.S.A. -- First Motel Opens

1925 : The first Motel opens the Milestone Mo-Tel of San Luis Obispo, California as the midpoint stop between Los Angeles to San Francisco and costing $1.25 per night per room, The word Motel was a shortening of the words Motorists and Hotel. A motel allowed the customers to park their car outside their room or chalet.

1937 Italy -- Withdraws from the League of Nations

Benito Mussolini withdrew Italy from the League of Nations and challenged democracies to fight with his army. One hundred thousand fascists stood in the rain and someone shouted, "We are leaving a tumbling temple where there is no talk of peace, but where wars are prepared."

1937 U.S.A. -- U.S. Navy Gunboat Panay

Japanese Aircraft sink the U.S. Gunboat Panay in Chinese Waters, Japan appologises and makes reparations, This happened during Japan's war of Invasion against China and is not part of the second world war.

1944 Germany -- Mass Bombing By Allies

The U.S. 8th and 15th Air Force plus the RAF pummeled Germany in the biggest fighting force that was ever put in the air. Britain had 1,000 bombers and 800 fighters who bombed railways and other targets in Germany.

1956 Africa -- Odongo

The movie "Odongo" revealed more about Africa than any movie before it ever had. Stars like MacDonald Carey, Rhonda Fleming, and a boy named Juma all gave cameo appearances, but the most praise went to the wildlife and scenes of Africa.

1963 India -- Karruppanna Kamraj

1963 : Karruppanna Kamraj became a folk hero in India because he was determined to haul down the Union Jack and create an independent country. Kamraj was uneducated and ended up in a British prison for his seditious political activities, however, he managed the political underground even from jail. He ended up minister of Madras Province, and many wanted him as prime minister, but he did not speak Hindi which is India's main language.

1962 Iceland -- Military Base

Although Iceland is remote and does not have an army or navy, it had become an important military air base since World War II. Iceland's parliament is the oldest government in existence -- it is 1,032 years old.

1963 Kenya -- Independence

Kenya gained its independence from Britain and the Kenya African National Union (KANU) headed by Jomo Kenyatta takes over the country.

1969 Italy -- Milan Bank Bombing

A bomb is exploded in a bank in Milan, Italy 13 people have been killed and more than 100 injured .

1975 Canada -- Firearms Laws

1975 : A federal licensing of all firearms was recommended by the dean of law, Martin Friedland, who works at the University of Toronto. He said that gun users should have to pass a competency test and undergo a criminal record check.

1975 England -- Balcombe Street Siege

A six-day siege has ends peacefully at Balcombe Street in London after four IRA gunmen freed their two hostages and gave themselves up to police.

1980 England -- Leonardo da Vinci Auction

American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at a London auction for a notebook containing writings written around 1508 by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. When it went up for auction again in 1994 Bill Gates bought the Manuscript $30.8 million.

1988 England -- Clapham Junction Rail Crash

Three trains are involved in a collision during morning rush hour at Clapham Junction in south London, with 35 dead and 100 others injured.

1989 East Germany -- Going Forward

It was the first time since World War II that a prominent U.S. government official had gone to East Germany. Secretary of State James Baker met with East and West German politicians and talked about the new political realities since the crumbling of the Berlin Wall on November 9th.

1992 Scotland -- The Princess Royal

The Princess Royal the Queens daughter Princess Anne remarries and becomes Mrs Timothy Laurence after a small family wedding in Scotland

1993 Hungary -- More Chaplains Needed

Atheism is out and religion is with the Hungarian military which has 100,000 soldiers. After years of not having a single army chaplain Hungary wants one chaplain for every 1,000 soldiers. The change came about because a lot of the soldiers are Roman Catholics.