This date in history

[Jimbuna]

1916 - 1st German air attack on London.

1918 - Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia & Germany abdicates.

1974 - John Lennon's last concert appearance (Elton John concert in Madison Square Garden NYC).

1990 - Margaret Thatcher resigns as Britain's PM, replaced by John Major.

[Jimbuna]

1917 - A Supreme Allied War Council meets at Versailles to define war aims.

1941 - Passenger ship Lurline sends radio signal of sighting Japanese war fleet.

1943 - U-86 sinks in Atlantic Ocean.

[Jimbuna]

1782 - Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence.

1922 - 1st speed test of 1st genuine Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho.

1939 - 21 U boats sunk this month (52,000 ton).

1940 - 32 U boats sunk this month (147,000 ton).

1942 - 109 U boats sunk this month (729,000 ton).

1944 - Biggest & last British battleship HMS Vanguard launched.

[Aktungbby]

1803: Spain cedes its holding, the Louisiana territory, formally to France; Napoleon Bonaparte had gained Louisiana for French ownership from Spain in 1800 under the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, but the treaty was kept secret. Louisiana remained nominally under Spanish control, until a transfer of power to France on November 30, 1803, just three weeks before the formal cession to the United States on December 20, 1803. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed on 30 April by Robert Livingston, James Monroe, and Barbé Marbois in Paris. President Jefferson announced the treaty to the American people on July 4. After the signing of the Louisiana Purchase agreement in 1803, Livingston made this famous statement, "We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives...From this day the United States take their place among the powers of the first rank." Good not to have 'cloud' on that land-title! Before the purchase was finalized, the decision faced Federalist Party opposition; they argued that it was unconstitutional to acquire any territory. Jefferson agreed that the U.S. Constitution did not contain explicit provisions for acquiring territory, but he did have full treaty power and that was enough. A fabulous start: Subsequent acquisitions would round out the anthem's stanza "from sea to shining sea"....[wiki]

[Jimbuna]

1939 - SS-Fuhrer Himmler begins deportation of Polish Jews.

1941 - British cruiser Devonshire sinks German sub Python.

1941 - Japanese emperor Hirohito signs declaration of war.

1943 - FDR, Churchill & Stalin agree to Operation Overlord (D-Day).

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

1941 - British cruiser Devonshire sinks German sub Python.

Actually: On 1 December, Devonshire's sistership Dorsetshire intercepted the German supply ship Python, based on Ultra intelligence. The German ship was refuelling a pair of U-boats—U-A and U-68—in the South Atlantic. The U-boats dived while Python tried to flee. U-A fired five torpedoes at Dorsetshire but all missed her due to her evasive manoeuvres. Dorsetshire fired a salvo to stop Python and the latter's crew abandoned the ship, after detonating scuttling charges. Dorsetshire left the Germans in their boats, since the U-boats still presented too much of a threat for the British to pick up the Germans. Early on the morning of 22 November 1941, Atlantis had been intercepted by HMS Devonshire and sunk in a previous action related to the Dorsetshire/Python incident. The Atlantis survivors were aboard the Python when that vessel was also sunk. ALL these "D-shire" named auxillary ships can get a little confusing. http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW2/2Atlantis.html A must read for any WWII buff regarding a top-secret document captured by the German raider Atlantis regarding the fall of Singapore. Yipes! Atlantis, besides bagging 22 allied ships, had already done some of most serious damage of the war (by the astute Atlantis commander, Bernard Rogge, who understood English and found a green envelope aboard one of his victims

)..."Highly Confidential .... To be Destroyed" its envelope marked to:"The Commander-in-Chief Far East.... To be Opened Personally." This highly sensitive, fascinating, and important document was drawn up by the Planning Division of the War Cabinet. It carried details of RAF units, details of Naval strength, an assessment of the role of Australia and New Zealand. A long appreciation regarding the possibility of Japan entering the war, and copious notes on the fortifications at Singapore. One of this document's most worrying aspects was about the inability of Britain to muster a Fleet to defend Singapore, as the Navy was at full stretch in its struggle with Germany and Italy. It stated that even if Japan attacked Indo China and Siam Britain would not intervene, and that Hong Kong would be abandoned. In short, this document stated that Singapore and Malaya could not survive a concentrated attack by Japan. Vice Admiral Wenneker, the German Naval Attache in Japan read the document, and made this assessment of it:

"Churchill's Cabinet had decided that the British were unable to send a Fleet to the Far East and must avoid "Open Clash" with Japan, until Military cooperation with US was agreed. The British would not go to war even if Japan attacked Thailand or Indo China. Instead efforts would be made to buy off Japan with concessions including abandoning Singapore and making a deal over Malaya."

The original documents were now despatched off to Berlin at the rush. On its arrival there a copy was given to Hitler, who closely studied it, and then sent it off to the Japanese Naval Attache resident in Berlin, Captain Yokoi.
Thus on the 12th. of December 1940, Yokoi sent a message to his Naval Staff in Tokyo:

"I have received from the German Navy, memorandum of the British War Cabinet held on the 15th. of August this year, dealing with operations against Japan. It outlines the main points of the British War Cabinet held on the 15th. of August this year dealing with operations against Japan. It outlines the main points of the British Cabinet decisions that day that Britain was not in a position to resort to war if Japan attacked French Indo China or Siam. That Hong Kong would be abandoned because the existing situation would not allow Britain to send a Fleet to the Far East."

The original copy was handed to Vice Admiral Kondo in Japan, he was at first sceptical of the findings, believing it was a ploy of the British to lull Japan into a false sense of security. But, when learning how the document was captured, he decided to accept the findings as legitimate.
Japan thus had a year's warning before the outbreak of war, that Britain could not defend her Colony at Singapore.

Of some interest is what the document was doing aboard a freighter; and that Churchill knew it was in German hands..

[Jimbuna]

1941 - US Naval Intelligence ceases bugging Japanese consul.

1941 - Japanese Admiral Yamamoto sends his fleet to Pearl Harbor.

1943 - First RSHA (Reichssicherheitshauptamt -Nazi Reich Security Head Office) transport out of Vienna reaches Birkenau camp.

1964 - Ringo Starr's tonsils are removed.

[Aktungbby]

11 Frimaire, Year XIII (1804) Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself emperor; He didn't want to be king' as he did not wish to be 'descended' from any one'! At the moment of the crowning when the Pope said, "Receive the imperial crown...", Napoleon unexpectedly turned and, forestalling the Pope, removed his laurel wreath and crowned himself and then crowned the kneeling Joséphine (wife#1) with a small crown surmounted by a cross, which he had first placed on his own head. His coronation oath:"I swear to maintain the integrity of the territory of the Republic, to respect and enforce respect for the Concordat and freedom of religion, equality of rights, political and civil liberty, the irrevocability of the sale of national lands; not to raise any tax except in virtue of the law; to maintain the institution of Legion of Honor and to govern in the sole interest, happiness and glory of the French people."...After the coronation the Emperor presented the imperial standards to each of his regiments to each of his regiments...[wiki] The ensuing misery to Europe would finally end in 11 years at Waterloo.

[STEED]

December 3, 1988: Edwina Currie sparks outrage with ‘salmonella in most eggs’ claim
She put it down to a slip of the tongue, but the colourful junior health minister’s remarks led to a drastic fall in egg sales and eventually her resignation.

[Jimbuna]

1917 - The Supreme Allied War Council, meeting at Versailles to define war aim, fails to reach an agreement.

1943 - Battle of Monte Cassino, Italy begins.

1944 - Hungarian death march of Jews ends.

1944 - Britain's Home Guard ('Dad's Army') is officially stood down at a special farewell parade in Hyde Park, London.

[Jimbuna]

1829 - Britain outlaws "suttee" in India (widow burning herself to death on her husband's funeral pyre).

1918 - US President Woodrow Wilson sails for Versailles Peace Conference in France, 1st President to travel outside US while in office.

1948 - SS Kiangya hits mine in Whangpoo River, China, sinks killing 2,750 die.

[Jimbuna]

1840 - Napoleon Bonaparte receives a French state funeral in Paris 19 years after his death.

1945 - "Lost Squadron" crashes east of Florida (Bermuda Triangle).

[Jimbuna]

1877 - First recording made of the human voice - Thomas Edison reciting "Mary had a little lamb".

1917 - French munition ship "Mont Blanc" explodes in Halifax, kills 1,700.

1941 - Dutch & British pilots see Japanese invasion fleet at Singapore.

1963 - Beatles begin a tradition of releasing a Christmas record for fans.

[Aktungbby]

1865: The Thirteenth Amendment (Amendment XIII) to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. In Congress, it was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, and by the House on January 31, 1865. The amendment was ratified by the required number of states on December 6, 1865. On December 18, 1865, the Secretary of State, Seward, proclaimed its adoption. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments adopted following the American Civil War. "Lawdy Lawdy free at last, Free at last"...Of course, Union Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Grant must have been 'chagrined' as his: who were only freed after the 13th amendment in December of 1865. When asked why he didn't free his slaves earlier, Grant stated "Good help is so hard to come by these days." ** footnote to history: He probably never actually said that! Grant had freed his only personal servant William James in 1859; the other slaves were owned by his father-in-law on the Dent family farm in Missouri; From 1854 to 1859 Grant managed his father-in-law's farm, White Haven, where a number of slaves lived and worked. Those slaves belonged to Grant's father-in-law, so Grant himself had no legal authority to set them free. (Some of the slaves at White Haven eventually drifted off during the Civil War; any that remained were freed when Missouri's constitutional convention abolished slavery in January 1865.)

[Jimbuna]

1783 - William Pitt the Younger (24) becomes the youngest ever British Prime Minister.

1941 - Imperial Japanese Navy with 353 planes attack US fleet at Pearl Harbour Naval Base, Hawaii, killing 2403 people.

2009 - The memory of my fathers passing.