George Washington

Today in History 12/19 (Sino-British Joint Declaration)

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang in Beijing during the signing ceremony agreement over the Hong Kong handover (© Pierre-Antoine Donnet/AFP/Getty Images))(1984) Britain agrees to give Hong Kong back to China
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang sign an agreement that will end 155 years of British rule over Hong Kong. The agreement stipulates that the island will remain a capitalist economy and residents will enjoy existing freedoms for 50 years.
The Sino–British Joint Declaration is an international bilateral treaty signed between the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom on 19 December 1984 in Beijing. The Declaration stipulates the sovereign and administrative arrangement over Hong Kong after 1 July 1997, when the lease of the New Territories was set to expire according to the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory.
Sino–British Joint Declaration (中英联合声明)
Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong (中华人民共和国政府和大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国政府关于香港问题的联合声明)

Hong Kong Skyline
Hong Kong Skyline
wiki/Sino-British_Joint_Declaration
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(1984) Britain agrees to give Hong Kong back to China.
Also on this day,

1777 | Troops go to Valley Forge as General George Washington leads
The Continental Army commander takes his 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to rest for the winter. However, the beleaguered troops will not get the recuperation they need. Basic supplies, such as food and clothing, will run low. Starvation and exposure will kill about 2,500 soldiers.
1843 | ‘A Christmas Carol’ is published in Britain
The novella by British writer Charles Dickens tells the story of miser Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation to a kinder soul following visits from the ghost of his old business partner and the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The story is an immediate success, and will remain one of Dickens’ most beloved works.
1998 | US President Bill Clinton is impeached
The House of Representatives votes to remove President Clinton from office over charges relating to his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton is just the second US president to be impeached, following Andrew Johnson in 1868. The Senate, however, will vote to acquit Clinton, and he will finish out his second term in office.

Today in History 12/19/17

President Clinton addresses Democratic lawmakers after the House of Representatives voted to impeach him, December 19, 1998 (© Doug Mills/AP)(1998) US President Bill Clinton is impeached
The House of Representatives votes to remove President Clinton from office over charges relating to his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton is just the second US president to be impeached, following Andrew Johnson in 1868. The Senate, however, will vote to acquit Clinton, and he will finish out his second term in office.
The impeachment process of Bill Clinton was initiated by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998, against Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, on two charges, one of perjury and one of obstruction of justice. These charges stemmed from a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Clinton by Paula Jones. Clinton was subsequently acquitted of these charges by the Senate on February 12, 1999. Two other impeachment articles – a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of power – failed in the House.
Start date: Dec 19, 1998
End date: Feb 12, 1999

Congressional Record
Congressional Record from February 12, 1999, showing the end of Clinton's impeachment trial

wiki/Impeachment_of_Bill_Clinton
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Today in History 12/04 (George Washington)

Engraving depicting George Washington bidding farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern in 1783 (© Archive Photos/Getty Images)(1783) George Washington says a tearful farewell to officers
United States Gen. George Washington gathers his men at a tavern in New York City to announce he’s retiring and plans to return to Mount Vernon. Washington is “suffused in tears” as he hugs each officer goodbye. His retirement won’t last long. In a few years, he’ll be elected as the first president of the US.
George Washington was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America and served as the nation’s first President. He commanded Patriot forces in the new nation’s vital American Revolutionary War and led them to victory over the British. Washington also presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which established the new federal government. For his manifold leadership he has been called the “Father of His Country”.
Lived: Feb 22, 1732 – Dec 14, 1799 (age 67)
Height: 6′ 2″
Spouse: Martha Washington (m. 1759 – 1799)
Structures: Mount Vernon
Children: Martha Parke Custis (Daughter) · Frances Custis (Daughter) · Daniel Parke Custis, Jr. (Son) · Daniel Parke Custis Jr (Son)
Buried: Mount Vernon
Highlights
  • 1759: Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis on January 6, 1759, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis.

  • 1774: In July 1774, George Mason arrived at Mount Vernon with a list of resolutions which he and Washington worked overnight to refine.

  • 1787: He appeared at the convention as a delegate from Virginia, and he was unanimously elected its president in 1787.

  • 1789: Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789 at age 57, taking the first presidential oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City.

  • 1779: He died peacefully with Martha calmly composed at the foot of his bed around 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, 1799 at age 67.

George Washington presiding the Philadelphia Convention
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States by Howard Chandler Christy, 1940. Washington, presiding officer, stands at right.
wiki/George_Washington
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(1783) George Washington says a tearful farewell to officers.
Also on this day,

1945 | US joins UN as senate approves US participation in the UN
The Senate votes 65-7 to allow the United States to participate in the newly formed United Nations. The international organization, to be headquartered in New York City, aims to foster cooperation among nations, settle disputes peacefully to prevent wars, and establish wartime rules of conduct.
1956 | Supergroup jams as the ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ records in Memphis
Rockabilly hit-maker Carl Perkins is recording at the Sun Record Studios when he’s joined by up-and-comer pianist Jerry Lee Lewis. Later, stars Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash drop by, and the four musicians begin an impromptu jam session. The first recordings of the session won’t be released for another 25 years.
1991 | American hostage Terry Anderson is freed
Islamic militants free Anderson after nearly seven years of captivity in dismal conditions in Beirut. He is the last and longest-held Western hostage in Lebanon. After his release, Anderson will meet his child, born after his abduction, and win a multimillion-dollar settlement against Iran.

Today in History 12/04/17

World flags at the United Nations headquarters in New York (© Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)(1945) Senate approves US participation in the United Nations
The Senate votes 65-7 to allow the United States to participate in the newly formed United Nations. The international organization, to be headquartered in New York City, aims to foster cooperation among nations, settle disputes peacefully to prevent wars, and establish wartime rules of conduct.
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization tasked to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order. A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations, the organization was established on 24 October 1945 after World War II in order to prevent another such conflict. At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; there are now 193. The headquarters of the UN is in Manhattan, New York City, and is subject to extraterritoriality. Further main offices are situated in Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. The organization is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states. Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict. The UN is the largest, most familiar, most internationally represented and most powerful intergovernmental organization in the world.
Website: www.un.org
Founded: Oct 24, 1945 · Lake Success, NY
Headquarters: New York, NY
Founders: United States · Argentina · Norway · Dominican Republic · Haiti · Guatemala · El Salvador · Denmark
Subsidiaries: World Health Organization · Food and Agriculture Organization · International Monetary Fund · UNICEF · International Telecommunication Union · World Intellectual Property Organization · United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees · World Food Programme · International Maritime Organization · United Nations Environment Programme

UN Member Countries World
Map of the current UN member states by their dates of admission. B 1945 (original members) T 1946–1959 G 1960–1989 O 1990–present Y non-member observer states

wiki/United_Nations
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