THIS MONTH IN HISTORY December
Christopher
Cockerell
Joseph Rainey
henry ford
T
he month of December signifies
the end of a calendar year.
It is also one of the months
that educators look forward
to most, as it represents a welcomed
break and a time of celebration and
reconnecting with loved ones. Let
us take a quick historical look at the
month of December.
King Henry 1 died on December 1,
1135. Also known as Henry Beauclerc,
he was King of England from 1100 to
his death. King Henry was the fourth
son of William the Conqueror and was
educated in Latin and the liberal arts.
The colonial warship, USS Alfred,
became the first vessel to fly the first
American flag or Grand Union Flag,
which was the precursor to the Stars
and Stripes. The flag was first hoisted
by newly appointed Lieutenant
John Paul Jones in the harbour on
the western shore of the Delaware
River at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on
December 3, 1775.
Noah Webster Jr. established New
York’s first daily newspaper, American
Minerva (later known as the Commercial
Advertiser), on December 9, 1793.
He also published the semi-weekly
publication, The Herald, A Gazette for
the country (later known as The New
York Spectator). Webster’s name is
synonymous with spelling in America,
as a result of his popular spelling texts
Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
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Noah Webster
king henry 1
On December 6, 1865, the 13th
Amendment to the United States
Constitution was ratified, abolishing
slavery.
On December 12, 1870, Joseph
Rainey became the first African
American
in
the
House
of
Representatives. He was the second
African American to serve in the House
of Congress and the first person of
colour to serve as presiding officer of
the House of Representatives.
Henry Ford was an American
industrialist, the founder of the Ford
Motor Company, and the sponsor of
the development of the assembly line
technique of mass production. On
December 24, 1894, Ford completed
his first successful gasoline engine.
Today, the Ford estate is estimated at
188.1 billion dollars.
On December 10, 1950, Dr Ralph
Bunche became the first African
American man awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize, for his efforts in mediation
between Israel and nearby Arab
states during the previous year. He
was involved in the formation and
administration of the United Nations.
In 1963, he was awarded the Medal
of Freedom by President John F.
Kennedy.
On December 12, 1955, British
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