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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 12/07 (Long Island Massacre)

Colin Ferguson (center) is led by Nassau County detectives to his arraignment December 8, 1993 (© Mike Albans/AP)(1993) Gunman opens fire on commuter train, killing six
Colin Ferguson pulls out a gun aboard a Long Island commuter train and begins shooting passengers as he walks down the aisle, killing six and injuring 19. Ferguson, who will represent himself at a bizarre trial, will be sentenced to six life terms without parole.
On December 7, 1993, a Long Island Rail Road train pulled into the Merillon Avenue station in Garden City, New York, when passenger Colin Ferguson pulled out a 9mm pistol and started firing at other passengers. He murdered 6 people and wounded 19 others before being stopped by other passengers. Ferguson’s trial was notable for a number of unusual developments, including his firing his defense counsel and insisting on representing himself and questioning his own victims on the stand.
Born: Jan 14, 1958 (age 60) · Kingston, Jamaica
Nationality: American
Spouse: Audrey Warren (m. 1986 – 1988)
Parents: May Ferguson (Mother) · Von Herman Ferguson (Father)
Education: Adelphi University · Nassau Community College · Calabar High School
Date: Dec 07, 1993

Mug shot of Colin Ferguson. by New York State Department of Correctional Services
Mug shot of Colin Ferguson. by New York State Department of Correctional Services
wiki/Long_Island_Rail_Road_massacre
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(1993) Gunman opens fire on commuter train, killing six.
Also on this day,

1941 | Pearl Harbor bombed as Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
In a surprise, early-morning attack, 360 Japanese warplanes bomb the US Pacific naval fleet and in a two-hour assault kill about 2,400 Americans — almost half the casualties are aboard the battleship USS Arizona. The US will declare war on Japan the following day.
1963 | Sports fans watch it all over again for the first time as instant replay debuts
In the Army-Navy football game, TV viewers get something they’ve never seen before: an instant replay of the Army quarterback’s touchdown. Worried this programming innovation will confuse viewers, the announcer explains, “Ladies and gentlemen, Army has not scored again.”
1988 | Massive earthquake wipes out parts of Armenia
An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastates the Republic of Armenia in the USSR. Spitak, a town with about 25,000 residents, is flattened beyond repair, and the death toll throughout Armenia will reach about 45,000 people. The tragedy hits as the Soviet Union is suffering an economic decline, so aid and recovery will be slow.

Today in History 12/07/17

Smoke rises from the battleship USS Arizona as it sinks during a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (© AP)(1941) Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
In a surprise, early-morning attack, 360 Japanese warplanes bomb the US Pacific naval fleet and in a two-hour assault kill about 2,400 Americans — almost half the casualties are aboard the battleship USS Arizona. The US will declare war on Japan the following day.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United States' entry into World War II. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.
Date: Dec 07, 1941

Attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese planes view
Photograph taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island shortly after the beginning of the Pearl Harbor attack. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance. A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Other battleships moored nearby are (from left): Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee (inboard of West Virginia), Oklahoma (torpedoed and listing) alongside Maryland, and California. On the near side of Ford Island, to the left, are light cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, target and training ship Utah and seaplane tender Tangier. Raleigh and Utah have been torpedoed, and Utah is listing sharply to port. Japanese planes are visible in the right center (over Ford Island) and over the Navy Yard at right. U.S. Navy planes on the seaplane ramp are on fire. Japanese writing in the lower right states that the photograph was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry.
wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
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