Important Events From This day in History December 13th

  

1972 England -- Thalidomide

1972 : 300 British Thalidomide victims are being offered a compensation deal said to be worth £11.85 million over 10 years which is rejected by the victims. ( Eventually an agreement is reached providing £20.00 million.

Thalidomide became notorious in the mid 50's to early 60's when it was prescribed to pregnant women to ease morning sickness. and was marketed under the names Distaval, Talimol, Nibrol, Sedimide, Quietoplex, Contergan, Neurosedyn, and Softenon.

It was sold in 50 countries around the world and is blamed for causing approximately 10,000 children to be born with severe malformations.

Thalidomide is approved today for the treatment of Leprosy and Multiple Myeloma but strictly controlled in it's use. Find More What happened in 1972

1939 Gone With The Wind Premiers

Gone With The Wind Premiers in Atlanta, Georgia. The movie adapted from the novel by Margaret Mitchell published in 1936. The movie, starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel set in the deep south tells a story of the Civil War and its aftermath from a white Southern viewpoint.

1903 Tibet -- British Control

Great Britain wanted to maintain dominance in Tibet to counteract the Soviet Union's control over Manchuria and other parts of Asia. Tibet would also act as a buffer between Soviet controlled zones and India.

1924 Great Britain -- France Wartime Debt

France's World War I wartime debt to Great Britain amounted to 623,000,000 pounds and the French also owed the United States 798,000,000 pounds. Although the British government was going to approach France about repaying its debts, the British public was skeptical that France would ever pay anything back.

1930 U.S.A. -- Depression and Typhoid

Charlotte Dynn died in Milwaukee of typhoid fever and her family couldn't afford to feed their five remaining children, let alone pay for her funeral. However, during the Christmas season the funeral director, the cemetery's executive, and a pastor all arranged a free funeral for Charlotte.

1937 China -- Rape of Nanking

Japanese forces capture the city of Nanking and Japanese General Matsui Iwane orders the city of Nanking to be destroyed. Japanese troops launched a campaign of atrocities against civilians. including the massacre of an estimated 200,000 and the rape and mutilation of at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages .

1944 France -- Allied Prisoners of War Freed

In Sarreguemines, France one thousand allied soldiers who had been German captives became free as the 39th division stormed their prison. The liberated group included Russian, Polish, Italian, Serbian, and Yugoslavian soldiers who smiled at their new liberty.

1950 U.S.A. -- James Dean

1950 : James Dean who is still unknown at that time appears in a Pepsi commercial, dancing with other teens around a jukebox 5 years before he becomes an icon for the teenage revolution in such films as Rebel Without a Cause

1959 Cyprus -- Archbishop Makarios

1959 : Archbishop Makarios is elected as the first President of the Republic of Cyprus in free elections winning with over 66% of the vote. His vice president is Dr Fazil Kutchuk a leading political figure from the Turkish community.

1966 Saudi Arabia -- King Saud

1966 : King Saud, previous king of Saudi Arabia was overthrown by his brother Fiesal. Saud was ailing and wanted to live in Egypt. Egypt's president, President Abdul Gamel Nasser, who King Saud is suspected of trying to assassinate, allowed the ailing former king to come to Egypt.

1972 China -- Schistosomiesis Epidemic

Near Shanghai in communist China there was an epidemic of schistosomiesis, so of course when two specialists in this illness came to visit from the U.S., they instantly became celebrities. Dr. H. F. Hsu and is wife Dr. S. Y .Li Hsu were medical doctors born in China who became Americans and had not been back to China for 23 years. They received a very friendly reception while sharing their medical knowledge.

1978 U.S.A. -- Susan B Anthony Dollar

1978 : The first Susan B. Anthony ( a key figure in the woman suffrage movement )dollar is minted but is not accepted by the public due to it's very similar appearance to the quarter.

1981 Poland -- Martial Law Imposed

Martial law and a state of emergency is imposed by Poland's military rulers. Leaders of the Solidarity trade union have been placed under arrest for inciting the unrest and the army are on the streets in a massive show of military strength imposing strict censorship and a curfew.

1988 Switzerland -- Yasser Arafat

Following the refusal of the US to grant Yasser Arafat a Visitors Visa the United Nations is convened in Geneva, Switzerland so that PLO chairman Yasser Arafat can address the U.N. General Assembly .

1989 Syria -- Release of Amed Jibril

President Hafez Assad, Syria's president got an order from U.S. President George Bush to expel Amed Jibril or face being cut off from American diplomacy. Jibril was suspected of blowing up Pan Am flight 103 and killing 259 people, most of who were American citizens.

1995 England -- Brixton Riots

Hundreds youths take to the streets at Brixton, in south London attacking police, ransacking shops and burning cars

1996 U.S.A. -- Kofi Annan

The U.N. Security Council chooses Kofi Annan of Ghana to be the United Nations seventh secretary-general.

1996 Ireland -- EU Finance Ministers

1996 : In Dublin, fifteen EU finance ministers debated for eleven hours about imposing fines on EU countries whose poor accounting practices jeopardized EU stability. The new common currency of the EU, the Euro, was to be launched in 1999.

2000 U.S.A. -- Texas 7 Escapees

Seven prisoners escape from the John Connally Unit maximum-security state prison near Kenedy, Texas, they were captured in January and due to them shooting and murdering a police officer during a crime receive the death sentence.

2001 India -- Parliament Attacked

Gunmen have broken through tight security to attack the parliament building in the Indian capital, New Delhi leaving At least 12 dead and 22 injured.

2001 U.S.A. -- Osama bin Laden Video

The Pentagon released a captured videotape of Osama bin Laden in which the al-Qaida leader said the deaths and destruction achieved by the September 11th attacks exceeded his ''most optimistic'' expectations.

2001 U.S.A. -- Pulls Out Of Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty

President George W. Bush served formal notice that the United States was pulling out of the More News and Events From 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia.

2002 European Union -- 10 New Members

Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia are accepted into the European Union and will become members from 1st May 2004.

2003 Iraq -- Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. forces at a farmhouse in Adwar, near his hometown of Tikrit.

2006 Iran -- Deny Holocaust

In Tehran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to a crowd of people who deny the Holocaust ever existed and asserted, 'The Zionist regime will be wiped out the same way the Soviet Union was, and humanity will achieve freedom.' Hostility over this meeting could have sanctions placed on Iran by the United States.

2006 Belgian -- TV prank

Belgians reacted badly to the news that their country had been split in two. It wasn't until later that they were told it was part of a spoof. The Belgian public television station R.T.B.F. ran the bogus report, which said that the Dutch-speaking half of the nation had declared its independence. R.T.B.F. said that the program was meant to stir up debate, and thousands of people made panicked calls. Politicians made a complaint to the station.

2006 United States -- The political manipulation of scientific work

Some ten thousand researchers have signed a statement protesting about political interference in their scientific work. The statement, which includes the backing of fifty-two Nobel Laureates, demands a restoration of scientific integrity in government policy-making and announcements. According to the American Union of Concerned Scientists, a lot of data is being misrepresented for political reasons. Al Gore’s lecture on Climate Change: The Role of Science and the Media in Policy Making took place on the same day, where he said that it was imperative that scientists tell the people what is happening to the world.

2007 U.S.A. -- Wall Street Journal

Rupert Murdoch buys Dow Jones & Co. which includes The Wall Street Journal for $5 billion-plus

2007 U.S.A. -- Mitchell Report

Mitchell Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone by Players in Major League Baseball is released which names 89 Major League Baseball players who are alleged to have used them.

2007 U.S.A. -- Democratic candidates debate in Johnston, Iowa

The Democratic candidates for the presidency have held their last debate before the nominating elections begin with the Iowa caucuses of January 3rd. Their discussion was more polite and genial than their previous encounters. The candidates outlined their positions on issues ranging from the economy to Iraq, trade, energy and human rights. Recent polls in Iowa have shown Barack Obama edging ahead of national frontrunner Hillary Clinton. The participants were: Joe Biden (DE), Hillary Clinton (NY), Barack Obama (IL), Christoper Dodd (CT) and John Edwards.

2007 EU -- Lisbon Treaty

E.U. leaders have signed a treaty in Lisbon that is expected to alter the way in which the 27-nation body operates. The treaty creates an E.U. president, as well as a more powerful foreign policy chief. The document, signed at a ceremony at the city's Jeronimos Monastery, also scraps veto powers in many policy areas. It has been signed as a replacement for the E.U. constitution, which was abandoned in the wake of French and Dutch opposition to it.

2007 Pakistan -- Musharaff takes control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal

2007 : Pervez Musharraf has put the country's nuclear weapons under the control of the president, rather than its prime minister. On issuing an ordinance the president must have it ratified by parliament within six months. This move comes amid concern abroad that the country's nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of Islamist extremists.

2009 England -- Buckingham Palace denies Prince William is taking on more duties

Buckingham Palace has that claims of Prince William taking over a substantial part of the Queen's duties are 'total and utter fabrication.' British Newspapers have reported that the Queen was passing on more tasks to her grandson. One newspaper has said that the monarch is cutting her workload owing to her age. A royal spokesman told the BBC that Prince William was gradually taking on more engagements but there were no plans to by-pass Prince Charles.

2011 Belgium -- Gunman Attacks Liege, Belgium Killing Four

2011 : A gunman fired on the center of Liege in Belgium and killed at least four people while injuring another 123. The man also threw grenades into the city center before he killed himself. The shooter was identified as Nordine Amrani, a 33 year old man who had previous firearms offences.

2012 United States -- TV Ads Volume Law

A law was implemented that would make it mandatory for television advertisements to be played at the same volume level as the main program. The FCC adopted the rules a year prior but allowed a one-year grace period to adjust.

2013 North Korea -- Top North Korean Official Executed

2013 : It was announced by the North Korean media that leader Kim Jong-un's uncle, Chang Song-thaek, was executed for "acts of treachery." It was reported that he confessed to trying to overthrow the government at a military trial and was then executed. Chang had reportedly been a close mentor to Kim Jong-un as he took power in 2011.