1966

Today in History 12/26 (Kwanzaa)

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Maulana Karenga with his wife, Tiamoya, behind a table laid out for Kwanzaa circa 2000 (© Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images)(1966) The first Kwanzaa holiday is celebrated
Professor Maulana Karenga develops Kwanzaa in the wake of the deadly Watts riots to help build community among black people. The seven-day nonreligious holiday, inspired by African harvest festivals, focuses on seven principles, such as unity and purpose, to celebrate black culture.
Kwanzaa is a celebration held in the United States and in other nations of the African diaspora in the Americas and lasts a week. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. Kwanzaa has seven core principles. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–67.
Celebrations: UnityCreativityFaithGiving gifts
Observed by: African Americans, parts of African diaspora
Significance: Celebrates African heritage, unity, and culture.
Related to: Pan-Africanism
Date: December 26 to January 1

Kwanzaa candles (Kinara) cartoon-like image
Seven candles in a kinara symbolize the seven principles of Kwanzaa
wiki/Kwanzaa
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(1966) The first Kwanzaa holiday is celebrated.
Also on this day,

1908 | Jack Johnson is first black heavyweight boxing champion
American fighter Jack Johnson, the son of two former slaves, defeats Canadian Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia. The fight lasts 14 rounds until police stop it and the title is awarded to Johnson on a referee’s decision. Johnson will hold the title until 1915 when he’ll lose a grueling fight with a working cowboy.
1972 | Former US President Harry Truman dies at age 88
The 33rd president of the US dies of multiple-organ failure after several weeks in the hospital. His wife, Bess, will opt for a small private burial in their hometown of Independence, Missouri, instead of a state funeral in DC, thinking it a more fitting goodbye for the down-to-earth Truman.
2004 | Indian Ocean earthquake triggers tsunamis
A 9.3 magnitude underwater earthquake off the coast of Sumatra creates huge tsunamis that devastate Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and other areas in the Indian Ocean, killing more than 230,000 people. Many of the countries hit lack tsunami warning systems, so people have little time to escape the deadly walls of water.

Today in History 12/26/17

Former President Harry S. Truman in 1972 (© ullstein bild/Getty Images)(1972) Former US President Harry Truman dies at age 88
The 33rd president of the US dies of multiple-organ failure after several weeks in the hospital. His wife, Bess, will opt for a small private burial in their hometown of Independence, Missouri, instead of a state funeral in DC, thinking it a more fitting goodbye for the down-to-earth Truman.
Harry S. Truman was an American statesman who served as the 33rd President of the United States, taking the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. A World War I veteran, he assumed the presidency during the waning months of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. He is known for implementing the Marshall Plan to rebuild the economy of Western Europe, the establishment of the Truman Doctrine and NATO against Soviet and Chinese communism, and for intervening in the Korean War. In domestic affairs, he was a moderate Democrat whose liberal proposals were a continuation of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, but the conservative-dominated Congress blocked most of them. He used the veto power 180 times, more than any president since then, and saw 12 overridden by Congress; only Grover Cleveland and Franklin D. Roosevelt used the veto so often, and only Gerald Ford and Andrew Johnson saw so many veto overrides. He is the only world leader to have used nuclear weapons in war. He desegregated the U.S. Armed Forces, supported a newly independent Israel, and was a founder of the United Nations.
Lived: May 08, 1884 - Dec 26, 1972 (age 88)
Height: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Party: Democratic Party
TV shows: Truman
Successor: Dwight D. Eisenhower (President)
Education: University of Missouri–Kansas City · University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law · William Chrisman High School
Highlights
  • 1919: After his wartime service, Truman returned to Independence, where he married Bess Wallace on June 28, 1919.

  • 1945: Truman was sworn in as vice president on January 20, 1945.

  • 1945: After serving as a United States Senator from Missouri (1935–45) and briefly as Vice President (1945), he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

  • 1950: On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo attempted to assassinate Truman at Blair House.

  • 1953: When he left office in 1953, Truman was one of the most unpopular chief executives in history.

  • 1957: He testified before Congress to have money appropriated to have presidential papers copied and organized, and was proud of the bill's passage in 1957.


Electoral College 1948
1948 electoral vote results

wiki/Harry_S._Truman
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Today in History 12/24 (Library of Congress Fire)

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Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson building in Washington DC circa 1915 (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-DIG-ds-07072])(1851) Massive fire devastates Library of Congress
A large fire ravages the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, destroying about two-thirds of the collection, including books from Thomas Jefferson’s personal library. Congress will open its wallets to replace the lost volumes over the next several years.
The Library of Congress is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the de facto national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. The Library is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; it also maintains the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia. The Library’s functions are overseen by the Librarian of Congress, and its buildings are maintained by the Architect of the Capitol. The Library of Congress has claims to be the largest library in the world. Its “collections are universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, and include research materials from all parts of the world and in more than 450 languages.”
Address: 101 Independence Ave, Washington, D.C. 20540
Customer service: (202) 707-5000
Founded: 1800 · Washington, D.C., United States
Founder: John Adams
Architects: Paul J. Pelz · John L. Smithmeyer · Edward Pearce Casey · Alfred Easton Poor
Awards: Peabody Award (2012)

Thomas Jefferson Building Aerial by Carol M. Highsmith
Thomas Jefferson Building and part of the John Adams Building (upper-right)
wiki/Library_of_Congress
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(1851) Massive fire devastates Library of Congress.
Also on this day,

1865 | Ku Klux Klan is founded in Tennessee
In the aftermath of the Civil War, several Confederate veterans establish the secret vigilante group to threaten and murder freed blacks and their supporters and to restore white supremacy. The name reportedly is derived from the Greek word for circle, “kyklos.” Soon the KKK will spread to every state in the American South.
1955 | NORAD’s newest mission: Tracking Santa
An ad in a Colorado newspaper gives children Santa’s phone number, but a misprint routes calls to a red phone at the NORAD air defense command center. Strait-laced Col. Harry Shoup adjusts on the fly and tells staff to give the kids Santa’s “current location.” A tradition is born.
1966 | Yule log debuts as a burning log starts a TV holiday tradition
New York’s WPIX, Channel 11, replaces its regularly scheduled programming with Christmas music and a shot of a log burning in a fireplace, shot in Gracie Mansion. Viewers cozy up to their TVs, and a tradition is born that will extend to other TV markets and beyond.

Today in History 12/24/17

Group of men wearing hats with 'KKK' in large letters circa 1870 (Public domain)(1865) Ku Klux Klan is founded in Tennessee
In the aftermath of the Civil War, several Confederate veterans establish the secret vigilante group to threaten and murder freed blacks and their supporters and to restore white supremacy. The name reportedly is derived from the Greek word for circle, "kyklos." Soon the KKK will spread to every state in the American South.
The Ku Klux Klan, commonly called the KKK or simply the Klan, is three distinct movements in the United States that have advocated extremist reactionary positions such as white supremacy, white nationalism, anti-immigration and—especially in later iterations—Nordicism, anti-Catholicism and antisemitism. Historically, the KKK used terrorism—both physical assault and murder—against groups or individuals whom they opposed. All three movements have called for the "purification" of American society and all are considered right-wing extremist organizations.
Founded: 1915
Founders: John C. Lester · J. Calvin Jones · Richard R. Reed · John B. Kennedy · Frank O. McCord · James R. Crowe

KKK night rally in Chicago
KKK night rally in Chicago, c. 1920 - Altar with K eagle in black robe at a meeting of nearly 30,000 Ku Klux Klan members from Chicago and northern Illinois.

wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan
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