Tag: December

History, Today's history

Dec 27, 1979; Soviet troops invade Afghanistan

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, invasion of Afghanistan in late December 1979 by troops from the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union intervened in support of the Afghan communist government in its conflict with anti-communist Muslim guerrillas during the Afghan War (1978–92) and remained in Afghanistan until mid-February 1989. The war in Afghanistan became a quagmire for what by the late 1980s was a disintegrating Soviet Union. … Continue reading Dec 27, 1979; Soviet troops invade Afghanistan

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Today's history

Dec 24, 1871; Giusseppi Verdi’s “Aida” opera premieres in Cairo, Egypt

Invited by the khedive of Egypt to compose an opera for the new opera house in Cairo, Verdi responded with Aida (libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario by Auguste Mariette, the French Egyptologist, and Camille du Locle, with the collaboration of Verdi), which received its premiere in 1871. Aida combines the heroic quality and spectacle of grand opera with the composer’s penchant for … Continue reading Dec 24, 1871; Giusseppi Verdi’s “Aida” opera premieres in Cairo, Egypt

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Today's history

Dec 21, 1996; Margret Rey

December 21st; on this day in 1996, Margret Rey, who with her husband Hans created the popular “Curious George” children’s books about a mischievous monkey, dies at age 90 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Reys, both German Jews, escaped wartime Europe in 1940 and fled to America. The following year, the first “Curious George” book was published in the United States. Margret Rey was born Margarete … Continue reading Dec 21, 1996; Margret Rey

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Today's history

Dec 15, 1993; Schindler’s List

December 15th. On this day in 1993, Schindler’s List, starring Liam Neeson in the true story of a German businessman who saves the lives of more than a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust, opens in theaters. The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and took home seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was the first Best Director win for Spielberg, … Continue reading Dec 15, 1993; Schindler’s List

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Traditions

Dec 31; New Year’s Eve

New Year eve and every different nation have its unique traditions that often have survived through time, invaders and changes. So here some of them from different places around the world. France: Jour Des Étrennes. The French New Year is celebrated with a special feast called le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre. Presents and kisses are exchanged. January 6 is the end of holidays. A special … Continue reading Dec 31; New Year’s Eve

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Birth Day, Today's history

Dec 31, 1869; Henri Matisse

Matisse was born in 1869 to generations of weavers in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, a northern French town whose woolen mills constituted the main industry. He was raised in nearby Bohain, famous for its luxury fabrics. This early exposure to textiles would shape his visual language: examples from his own collection of carpets and cloths from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East would deeply inform his sense … Continue reading Dec 31, 1869; Henri Matisse

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Today's history

Dec 30, 1968; Led Zeppelin captured live

Within a year, they’d be big. Within two, they’d be huge. And within three, they’d be the biggest band in the world. But on December 30, 1968, the quartet of British rockers preparing for their fifth-ever gig in the United States were using propane heaters to keep themselves and their equipment warm while they waited to go on as the opening act for Vanilla Fudge at a concert in a frigid … Continue reading Dec 30, 1968; Led Zeppelin captured live

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Today's history

Dec 30, 1922; Soviet Union Founded

Creation of the USSR formally proclaimed in Moscow from the Bolshoi Theatre, Soviet Union organized as a federation of RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Belorussian SSR and Transcaucasian SSR. Soviet Union, in full Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik or Sovetsky Soyuz, former northern Eurasian empire (1917/22–1991) stretching from the Baltic and Black seas to the Pacific Ocean and, in its final … Continue reading Dec 30, 1922; Soviet Union Founded

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Today's history

Dec 29, 1916; Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

December 29th and on this day in 1916, James Joyce’s book Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is published in New York. The book had been previously serialized in Ezra Pound’s review The Egoist. James Joyce was born in Dublin, the eldest of 10 children of a cheerful ne’er-do-well who eventually went bankrupt. Joyce attended Catholic school and University College in Dublin, where he learned Dano-Norwegian so he could … Continue reading Dec 29, 1916; Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

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Today's history

Dec 29, 1890; Wounded Knee Massacre

On this day, the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry tried to disarm the members of the Lakota tribe who were camped at the Wounded Knee Creek. During their attempt, a shot was fired and the cavalry massacred over 150 members of the tribe including women and children. Many historians believe that the number of people massacred was much higher. Wounded Knee is near present day Lakota … Continue reading Dec 29, 1890; Wounded Knee Massacre

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