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Today (December 18)
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December 18  John Neal American Writers is an 1824–25 work of literary criticism by American writer and critic John Neal (pictured). Published by Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, it is the first history of American literature and the first substantial work of criticism concerning US authors. Using no reference materials, Neal made incorrect assertions about many of the more than 120 authors covered. Scholars nevertheless praise the staying power of his opinions, many reflected by critics decades later. Neal also argued American literature relied too much on British precedent and had failed to develop its own voice. Neal wrote the series in London under the English pseudonym of "Carter Holmes", which convinced few. American Writers was well received in the UK but drew considerable ire in the US, particularly from William Lloyd Garrison. Neal was met with hostility and a fistfight on an 1827 visit to his hometown of Portland, Maine; he relocated there and remained until his death forty-nine years later. (Full article...)
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December 18: National Day in Qatar (1878)  Atlas rocket carrying SCORE
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December 18
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Tomorrow (December 19)
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December 19  SMS Niobe was a light cruiser of the Gazelle class, built for the Imperial German Navy. Launched in 1899, Niobe was armed with ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns and had a top speed of 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph). The ship served as a flotilla leader for torpedo boats, a scout for the fleet, and a station ship with the East Asia Squadron. In World War I, Niobe helped defend Germany's North Sea coast. One of the cruisers permitted Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, Niobe was modernized, but was sold in 1925 to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). Renamed Dalmacija the vessel served until April 1941, when she was captured by the Italians. Renamed again as Cattaro, she served until the Italian surrender in September 1943. Seized by the Germans, she was used in the Adriatic Sea until 19 December 1943, when she ran aground on the island of Silba, and was destroyed by British motor torpedo boats. (This article is part of a featured topic: Ships of the Royal Yugoslav Navy.)
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 Frontispiece to A Christmas Carol
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December 19
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In two days (December 20)
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December 20 .jpg) Carthaginian war elephants, depicted by Bussière The Battle of the Bagradas River was fought in 240 BC, in present-day north-east Tunisia, between a Carthaginian army led by Hamilcar Barca and a rebel force led by Spendius. Carthage was fighting a coalition of mutinous soldiers and rebellious African cities in the Mercenary War, which had started late the previous year in the wake of the First Punic War. Hamilcar left Carthage and evaded a rebel blockade by crossing the Bagradas River (the modern Medjerda River) at its mouth. Two rebel armies marched towards the Carthaginians. When they came into sight Hamilcar ordered a feigned retreat. The rebels broke ranks to chase the Carthaginians and this impetuous pursuit caused them to fall into disorder. Once the rebels had closed, the Carthaginians turned and charged them. The rebels broke and were routed. The Carthaginians pursued, killing or capturing many of the rebels and taking a bridge over the Bagradas. This victory gave Hamilcar freedom to manoeuvre and the operational initiative. (This article is part of a featured topic: Mercenary War.)
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 Russian and U.S. Implementation Force troops
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December 20  Talking Heads The American new wave band Talking Heads recorded 96 songs between 1975 and 1991, twelve of which were not officially released until after their break-up. After leaving art school, Talking Heads released their debut single, "Love → Building on Fire", in early 1977, followed by their debut album, Talking Heads: 77, later that year. While initially not a big hit, the album was aided by the single "Psycho Killer". In 1983, the band parted ways with producer Brian Eno and released their fifth album, Speaking in Tongues. The album contained the band's first and only top ten hit, "Burning Down the House". After Little Creatures (1985), the band released True Stories (1986). Notable songs from the album include one of the group's biggest hits, "Wild Wild Life", and "Radio Head", a song from which the English rock band Radiohead took their name. (Full list...) | |||
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December 20
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In three days (December 21)
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December 21  "Chitty Bang Bang 1", a model for the car in the book Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car is a children's story written by Ian Fleming and illustrated by John Burningham. It was initially published in three volumes, the first of which was released on 22 October 1964, before being published as one book. The story concerns the exploits of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, a car with hidden powers and abilities, and its owners, the Pott family. Fleming, better known as the creator of James Bond, took his inspiration for the subject from a series of aero-engined racing cars called "Chitty Bang Bang" (example pictured), built by Louis Zborowski in the early 1920s. Fleming wrote the book while convalescing after having had a major heart attack; he had created the story as a bedtime story for his son, Caspar. Fleming did not live to see Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang published; he died of a heart attack on 11 August 1964. The story was loosely adapted as the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which in turn was later adapted as a stage musical. (Full article...)
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.jpg) Crew of Apollo 8
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December 21
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In four days (December 22)
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December 22  The Tomb of Antipope John XXIII was created by Donatello and Michelozzo for the Florence Baptistery adjacent to the Duomo. It was commissioned after Antipope John XXIII's death on December 22, 1419, and completed during the 1420s, establishing it as one of the early landmarks of Renaissance Florence. John XXIII had a long history of cooperation with Florence, which had viewed him as the legitimate pontiff during the Western Schism. Its design included figures of the three Virtues in niches, John XXIII's family arms, a gilded bronze recumbent effigy laid out above an inscription-bearing sarcophagus, and a Madonna and Child in a half-lunette, with a canopy. At its completion, the monument was the tallest sculpture in Florence. The tomb monument was the first of several collaborations between Donatello and Michelozzo; attribution of each design element to the artists, as well as interpretations of its design and iconography, have been debated by art historians. (Full article...)
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December 22: December solstice (03:28 UTC, 2023); Yule begins; Dongzhi Festival in China (2023) .jpg) Aerial view of the Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill
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December 22
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In five days (December 23)
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December 23  Skull remains of the Bonn-Oberkassel dog The Bonn–Oberkassel dog was a Late Paleolithic (c. 12,000 BCE) dog whose partial skeletal remains were found buried alongside two humans in Bonn, Germany. Initially identified as a wolf upon its discovery in 1914, its remains were later separated and lost within the University of Bonn's collections. These were reunited in the late 1970s, and the animal was re-identified as an early domestic dog and dated to the Late Glacial Interstadial. It likely suffered and survived canine distemper as a puppy, a disease with an almost 100% fatality rate in wild dogs and wolves. The puppy's survival likely required intensive care from humans, including food, water, and regular cleaning. This may show a close emotional bond between the humans and the dog, and possibly that it was regarded as a pet – perhaps by the humans it was buried alongside. The dog died aged around 7.5 months for unclear reasons; it may have died from natural causes, or have been sacrificed to be buried alongside the humans. (Full article...) |
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December 23: Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca City, Mexico; Festivus  Vincent van Gogh
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December 23  The TARDIS on the set of "The Church on Ruby Road" Since 2005, Doctor Who has aired 19 special episodes on Christmas or New Year's Day. During its original run, from 1963–1989, episodes were occasionally broadcast over holiday periods, but they rarely made mention of the holidays. Once the programme was revived in 2005, special Christmas episodes were produced yearly until 2017. From 2019–2022, the show transitioned to New Year's Day specials instead. The series then returned to Christmas specials once more in 2023. The holiday episodes have proven to be a success with viewers, by bringing in larger viewing figures than regular episodes of the programme. Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television series that airs on BBC One and releases on Disney+. It revolves around an alien called the Doctor who travels with a companion in a time and space machine called the TARDIS. A twentieth special, "Joy to the World", is set to release on 25 December 2024. (Full list...) | |||
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December 23
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In six days (December 24)
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December 24  The aftermath of the bombing The Brinks Hotel bombing in Saigon occurred on December 24, 1964, during the Vietnam War. Two Viet Cong operatives detonated a car bomb under the hotel, which housed United States Army officers. The explosion killed two Americans and injured approximately 60. The Viet Cong commanders had two objectives: to demonstrate their ability to strike in South Vietnam should the United States decide to launch air raids against North Vietnam, and to show the South Vietnamese that the Americans could not be relied upon for protection. The bombing prompted debate within United States President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. Most of his advisers favored retaliatory bombing of North Vietnam and the introduction of American combat troops, while Johnson preferred the existing strategy of training the Army of the Republic of Vietnam to protect South Vietnam from the Viet Cong. In the end, Johnson decided not to take retaliatory action. (Full article...)
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.jpg) Wreckage of the Tangiwai disaster
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December 24
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In seven days (December 25)
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December 25  Trainor in 2014 A Very Trainor Christmas is a Christmas album by Meghan Trainor. Honest OG Recording and Epic Records released it on October 30, 2020. Trainor co-wrote the album with her brothers, Ryan and Justin, among others. It features artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Seth MacFarlane, Trainor's cousins and her father. The album covers Christmas standards such as "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (1951) and "Last Christmas" (1984), as well as six original recordings. Trainor promoted A Very Trainor Christmas with public appearances and televised performances, and by the release of Trainor and MacFarlane's cover of "White Christmas" (1942), which reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. Critical commentary for the album was generally positive; it reached number seven on the US Top Holiday Albums chart. A deluxe edition was released on October 29, 2021, followed by a new version of the album on October 11, 2024. (This article is part of a featured topic: Meghan Trainor albums.)
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December 25: Christmas (Western Christianity; Gregorian calendar); Quaid-e-Azam Day in Pakistan  Halley's Comet
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December 25
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