On December 20, 1860, a secession convention in South Carolina voted unanimously to secede from the Union. Fearing that Republican Abraham Lincoln’s administration would appoint antislavery officials who would undermine slavery, slaveholders chose to abandon the Constitution and form their own nation. To justify…
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On December 19, 1776, Thomas Paine published the first of his series of pamphlets titled “The American Crisis” in The Pennsylvania Journal. This work marked a pivotal moment in the American Revolution. Beginning with the now-iconic line, “These are the times that try men’s…
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December 18, 1865, Secretary of State William Seward officially proclaimed the Thirteenth Amendment ratified, officially ending slavery in the United States. Seward’s announcement was especially fulfilling to the New Yorker, who had spent much of his adult life fighting for the end of slavery.…
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On December 16, 1944, the serene winter landscape of the Ardennes forest erupted into chaos as German forces launched a massive surprise assault on Allied troops. This confrontation, known as the Battle of the Bulge, became one of the most critical turning points of…
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The most famous ‘tea party’ ever took place on the evening of December 16, 1773, in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, writes The History Channel, rallied “against British Parliament and protested the Griffin’s Wharf arrival of Dartmouth, a British East…
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In the lively streets of late 19th-century New York City, the air was filled with the enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and sizzling sausages, blending with the vibrant calls of street vendors selling their goods. Among these vendors was Italo Marchiony, an Italian…
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“Gone with the Wind,” one of the most iconic films in cinematic history, premiered on December 15, 1939, at Loew’s Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was a grand spectacle, attended by numerous celebrities, dignitaries, and the film’s cast and crew. The premiere…
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On December 14, 1836, the long-running Toledo War—a peculiar and bloodless boundary conflict between Michigan Territory and Ohio—reached its unofficial end when Michigan delegates convened at the so-called “Frostbitten Convention.” They voted to accept Congress’ proposed terms for statehood, closing a contentious chapter in…
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On December 14, 1903, at the windswept dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first attempt at history. The brothers had dedicated years of meticulous research and experimentation to achieve controlled, sustained flight, and this moment marked the culmination…
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The National Guard, a vital component of American defense and community service, traces its origins to December 13, 1636. On that day, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony took the decisive step of organizing its militia into three regiments. This move, aimed…
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