On December 14, 1542, the crown of Scotland passed to an infant scarcely a week old. Mary Stuart—known to history as Mary, Queen of Scots—became monarch upon the death of her father, James V, a king not yet 31, worn down by military defeat,…
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On December 13, 1623, the small and precarious Plymouth Colony took a step whose significance far exceeded its population or power. That winter, the colony formally established trial by a jury of twelve men, marking the first known adoption of the English common-law jury…
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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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The capture of Saddam Hussein was a pivotal moment in modern history, marking a significant turning point in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. On December 13, 2003, American forces, acting on intelligence information, located and apprehended the former Iraqi president near…
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The winter of 627 opened with an army that should not have existed. After years of catastrophic defeats, territorial losses stretching from Egypt to Syria, and a Persian occupation that once reached the very gates of Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire was expected—by friends and…
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During the late 1910s, while ministering to the homeless of Omaha, Nebraska, Father Edward Joseph Flanagan became interested in young people and their struggle to grow into responsible, productive adults. He wanted to help them improve their lives and soon founded Boys Town on…
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The Root and Branch Petition, presented to the Long Parliament on December 11, 1640, stands as one of the most provocative and destabilizing petitions of the English Reformation era. Signed by an estimated 15,000 Londoners—an extraordinary number for the period—it demanded nothing less than…
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The trial of Louis XVI was a pivotal event during the French Revolution that unfolded in the late 18th century. The revolution, marked by a fervent desire for political and social change, reached a critical juncture when the National Convention, the revolutionary assembly, put…
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On December 11, 2008, Bernie Madoff, a highly regarded Wall Street financier and former Nasdaq chairman, was arrested for orchestrating one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history. As the founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, Madoff faced securities fraud charges after…
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The message was clear on December 10, 1541, stay away from the queen. The day marked one of the grim pieces of Tudor justice when Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham were executed for improper relations with Catherine Howard, the young queen and fifth wife…
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