December
Dec. 1st - World AIDS Awareness Day – A special day to raise awareness of the sexually transmitted disease of HIV/AIDS, and to remember the individuals who have passed away and who continue to fight living with AIDS. Promoting to one day find a cure.
- Rosa Parks Day – Remembering this African American individual who stood up to segregation by refusing to give up her seat on a public bus. (1955) Dec. 2nd - Manifest Destiny – A special day in United States history remembering when President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the United States should aggressively move toward the West. (1845) - Student Protest at Berkeley – Students at the University of California Berkeley protested by a organizing a massive sit-it to bring awareness of the Free Speech Movement. (1964) Dec. 3rd - Oberlin College Founded - Oberlin College was founded on this day and became the first co-educational college in the United States, where four women were the first in college institution history to earn a Bachelor’s degree. (1833) - Edith Spurlock Sampson – A special day remembering when Edith Spurlock Sampson was sworn in as the first female United States African American judge. (1962) Dec. 4th - Dianne Feinstein – A special day remembering when Dianne Feinstein became the first female mayor of San Fransisco. (1978) - Baseball Association – A special day remembering when the baseball commissioner Kennesaw “Mountain” Landis announces that baseball clubs are allowed to hire and recruit African American players. (1943) Dec. 5th - Ashura – Islamic and Muslim tradition when some individuals celebrate by fasting and others spend this day praying to Allah, “god.” - Fair Housing Practices Law – A special day commemorating when New York city was the first city to legislate against racial or religious discrimination in the housing market. Dec. 6th - St. Nicholas Day – A special Christian holiday of celebrating St. Nicholas by delivering and receiving special gifts and presents. - Finland’s Independence Day - Walter Elias (Walt) Disney’s Birthday – A special day to remember and honor the creator of Disney who was born in Chicago, Illinois. (1901) Dec. 7th - National Remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day – A special day to remember the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and honor the men, women, and children who sacrificed and fought for the United States of America on this beginning of World War II. (1941) - State of Delaware – Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. (1787) Dec. 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception – A special day that is celebrated by individuals who represent the Roman Catholic faith, and honor the Virgin Mary who was conceived without sin. - Bodhi Day - A special day that is celebrated by the Buddhist religion to honor Siddhartha Gautama's attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi tree located in Bodhgaya, India. - Hanukah Begins – A.k.a. the “Festival of Lights.” A special day that is celebrated by individuals who represent the Jewish faith, and remember and honor the past historical members of the Jewish culture lasting for a total of eight days. Dec. 9th - Women’s Baseball League – A special day remembering when the first baseball game of the Women’s Professional Baseball League was played. (1978) - Gay Marriage Legalized in Canada – A special day remembering when the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is constitutional in Canada. (2004) Dec. 10th - Nobel Peace Prize – A special day to remember Alfred Nobel who passed away on this day in the year of 1895. It is now an honorary tradition to establish a Peace Prize to be presented at an award ceremony. (1901). - International Human Right’s Day: A special day to honor the Declaration of human rights established by the United Nations. (1948) - Emily Dickinson’s Birthday – A special day to remember the famous world-renowned poet in historical literature. (1830) Dec. 11th - Declaration of World War II – The United States and Great Britain declared war against Japan. (1941) - UNICEF Anniversary – A special day to celebrate this worldwide organization’s establishment. (1946) Dec. 12th - Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe – A special day individuals who represent the Christian religion honor the Virgin Mary in Mexico City. (1531 c.e.) - Joseph Rainey – A special day remembering the first African American to become a member in the House of Representatives. (1870) Dec. 13th - St. Lucy’s Day – A special day individuals who represent the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox faiths remember and honor the life and accomplishments of the patron saint of the blind who lived in Sweden. - The Battle of Fredericksburg – The Confederate Army won the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg. (1863) Dec. 14th - South Pole – The South Pole was first discovered. (1911) - John Mercer Langston’s Birthday – A special day to honor the first African American Congressman of the state of Virginia. (1829) Dec. 15th - Bill of Rights – The Bill of Rights official historical document was adopted. (1791) - Invention of the Phonograph – Inventor Thomas Edison patented the phonograph. (1877) - Alexandre Gustave Eiffel's Birthday – A special day to remember and honor the French chief engineer of the Statue of Liberty located at New York Harbor. (1879) Dec. 16th - Los Posadas – A special day to remember and reenact Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem with a procession and celebration. - Boston Tea Party Anniversary – A special day to remember the historical event of the Boston Tea Party when a group of Massachusetts patriots rebelled against the British Parliament who taxed the American tea importation. (1773) - Ludwig von Beethoven’s Birthday – A special day to honor the successful life of a world-renowned composer and pianist from Germany. (1770) Dec. 17th - Wright Brother’s Day – A special day to remember the first flight flown by the American aviators/inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright located at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. (1900’s) - Pan American Aviation Day – A special to promote awareness of aviation in the western hemisphere, while administering a more rapid system of communication and cultural development between countries. Dec. 18th - International Migrants Day – The United Nations promotes awareness for individuals to reflect on migrants’ human rights and fundamental freedoms that should be lived worldwide. - The 13th Amendment – The 13th Amendment was adopted on this day abolishing slavery. (1865) Dec. 19th - Carter Goodwin Nelson’s Birthday – A special day celebrating the birth of the “Father of Black History” who was born in New Canton, Virginia. (1875) - Charles Uncles – A special day honoring the first African American “Negro” priest from Baltimore, Maryland to be ordained in the United States. (1863) Dec. 20th - Anti-lynching Statue – The state of Georgia became the first state to become approved to be an anti-lynching state. - “Dreamgirls” – The Broadway show “Dreamgirls” debuted introducing African American successful female stage performers. (1981) Dec. 21st - Winter Solstice – A.k.a the “First Day of Winter.” A special day that is the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. - Invention of the Flashlight – Inventor Lionel Joshua Cowen and owner of the American Eveready Battery Company designed the flashlight assembled with batteries. (1898) Dec. 22nd - WEB Du Bois – The National Institute of Art and Letters elected its first African American member. (1943) - Jules Janssen – The scientist, physicist, and astronomer Jules Janssen decided to fly a hot air balloon to observe a solar eclipse. (1870) Dec. 23rd - Roots Day – A special day for individuals to reflect and discover their own “roots,” cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Creating a celebration of one’s heritage and ancestry. - Feast of Radishes – A special day celebrated by individuals who carve people and animals out of radishes located in Oaxaca, Mexico. Dec. 24th - Christmas Eve – A special day for individuals who sometimes represent the Christian faith celebrate the night before Jesus’ birth. - Noche Buena – A special night when individuals who represent a Mexican, Venezuelan, and Filipino families come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a dinner gathering. Dec. 25th - Christmas Day – A special day for individuals who sometimes represent the Christian faith celebrate the birthday of Jesus. - Crossing of the Delaware River – President George Washington led his United States Army over the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War. (1776) Dec. 26th - Kwanzaa – A special celebration that begins on this day started by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga to promote cultural awareness of African American ethnicity and heritage, which lasts a total of seven days. (1966) - Family Day – A.k.a. “Day of Good Will.” A special day for individuals both children and adults to remember their ancestors located in Namibia. Dec. 27th - St. Stephen’s Day – A special day celebrated by the Christian faith honoring the first martyr of Christianity who received a crown of martyrdom. The Eastern Church celebrates this individual on this special day by gathering at a “ritual table,” where families gather and meat dishes are prepared to eat. - Louis Pasteur’s Birthday – A special day to celebrate the successful life of this French chemist and microbiologist who is famous for creating the process of pasteurization, and creating the vaccinations for anthrax and rabies. (1822) Dec. 28th - Invention of Chewing Gum – William Finley Semple became the first inventor to patent a chewing gum. (1869) - Frederich Chopin’s Birthday – A special day to honor the French composer and pianist who is known for his outstanding piano compositions. (1810) Dec. 29th - Massacre at Wounded Knee – A total of 300 Sioux Native Americans Indians was brutally massacred by the United States Army located at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. (1890) - NCAA – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association is organized in the United States. (1905) Dec. 30th - Eldrick “Tiger” Wood’s Birthday – A special day to celebrate an American born athlete who has become a successful member of the golfing PGA Tour. (1975) - Rizal Day – A special national holiday that is celebrated in the Philippines remembering the tragic day when Metro Manila in the Philippines was bombed and there were fatalities including the passing away of this country’s national hero Jose Rizal. (2000) Dec. 31st - New Year’s Eve – A special day celebrating the last and final day of each year, where individuals celebrate by gathering together at parties and social events. It is a customary tradition for individuals to develop their own New Year’s “resolution” on this day. - Hogmanay – A.k.a “New’s Year’s.” – A special day to celebrate the last and final day of the year similar to New Year’s Eve, where individuals from Scotland gather together in street parties, torch processions, and traditional fire festivals. |