Today in History: December 19, 1843 Published on this day in history, 1843, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was written under intense financial pressure – his wife was pregnant with their fifth child, his parents and siblings were in need of funds, and he had a large mortgage payment looming. Dickens was also angry over how little money he’d made […]

Today in History: December 18, 1878 John “Black Jack” Kehoe, the last of the Molly Maguires, was hanged on this date in 1878 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, ostensibly for a cold case murder with such flimsy evidence the governor was extremely hesitant to sign the death warrant. In reality, he was to die for encouraging the Irish immigrants working the Pennsylvania […]

Today in History: December 17, 1538 When Pope Paul III excommunicated Henry VIII on December 17, 1538, it hardly came as a surprise. It was simply the inevitable outcome of a political game of cat and mouse between the English throne and the Vatican that dragged on for almost a decade. By the 1520s, Henry was having doubts about his […]

Today in History: December 16, 1960 Park Slope Air Disaster in Brooklyn, NY (1960) was the first of its kind – two airliners trying to make their way through a soupy mess of snow, sleet and fog only to violently collide over New York City, falling to the ground below in a huge fiery explosion of flaming wreckage. The accident […]

This Day In History: December 13, 1545 The Council of Trent, which began on this day in history, 1545, was the Catholic Church taking stock after the drama and challenges presented by Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Despite internal bickering, external dangers and a couple of lengthy interruptions in the proceedings, the council was indispensable in revitalizing – and rehabilitating […]

Today in History: December 12, 1408 The medieval chivalric Order of the Dragon was founded on this day by Sigismund, King of Hungary (who later became Holy Roman Emperor,) and his queen Barbara of Celje. It was similar to other military orders of the time, such as the Order of St. George, that was a distinction granted to those defending […]

Today in History: December 11, 1964 In 1964, Sam Cooke was a rising star in the music world. With hits including “You Send Me” and “Cupid,” Sam was teetering on the brink of superstardom. He had a distinctively smooth, soulful sound that appealed to a wide audience.  Then, quite suddenly, on this day in history, 1964, he was killed. So […]

Today in History: December 10, 1936 On this day in 1936, King Edward VIII became the first British monarch to voluntarily give up the throne. Even more shocking to his subjects, government and family was His Majesty’s reason for doing so – a twice-divorced American woman named Wallis Warfield Simpson. Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David was the […]

Today in History December 9, 1965 One of the most beloved Christmas specials of all time, A Charlie Brown Christmas, debuted on this day in history, 1965. The story begins with a short documentary by producer Lee Mendelson about Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, entitled “A Boy Named Charlie Brown.” The 1963 film featured live, animated Peanuts characters by Bill Melendez, […]

Today in History: December 6, 1921 At the start of the 20th century, Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom, as it had been since the 12th century. And as long as Ireland had been part of the UK, there had always been voices calling for Ireland’s independence. The Anglo-minority in Ireland acted as absentee landlords to the Catholic […]

Today in History: December 5, 2008 Using DNA extracted from blood stains on the emperor’s clothing and bone fragments, on this day in history, 2008, it was confirmed that human remains found in the Urals in 1991 were those of Czar Nicholas II. The findings of this research also proved bone fragments found near Yekaterinburg in 2007 could be conclusively […]

Today in History: December 4, 1942 After the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, the Jews were forced into ghettos, taken away to forced labor or concentration camps, or killed. Homes and businesses belonging to Jews were confiscated, and synagogues were ransacked for valuables and burned to the ground. Many non-Jewish Poles felt sympathy for their Jewish neighbors, and they themselves […]

Today in History: December 3, 1979 The British rock band The Who hadn’t played Cincinnati since 1975, so the excitement level was high among the fans standing outside the Riverfront Coliseum on December 3,1979. For the majority of the fans attending the concert – 14,000 out of the over 18,000 in attendance – tickets were either for festival seating (standing […]

Today in History: December 2, 1777 On this day in history, 1777, Lydia Darragh thwarted a surprise British attack on General Washington and the Continental Army, helping turn the tide of the war. By September 1777, the outlook wasn’t so rosy for the Continental Army. The British emerged victorious in every recent battle and then marched triumphantly into Philadelphia. General […]

Today in History: December 1, 1982 When Michael Jackson began work on what would become the best selling album of all time (by far), “Thriller,” released on this day in history, he did so with a huge chip on his shoulder. He felt strongly that his previous effort, “Off the Wall,” which ended up selling a “measly” 20 million copies […]

Today in History: November 29, 1942 Rationing was a fact of life during World War II throughout many countries in the world, and most attempted to bear it with good humor; but coffee rationing, which started on this day in history in the United States, wasn’t accepted so resolutely. Before the start of the war, Americans were drinking more coffee […]

Today in History: November 28, 1919 American born Nancy, Viscountess Astor, on this day in history, 1919, became the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons. Her husband, Waldolf Astor, was sitting MP for Plymouth Sutton, and when he succeeded to the peerage and took his place in the House of Lords, the Conservative Party elected Lady […]

Today in History: November 27, 2005 When most parents throw a Bat Mitzvah for their daughters, it’s a matter of renting out a room at the local Holiday Inn and hiring a local cover band to provide the music. Not so for 13-year-old Elizabeth Brooks. Her doting daddy David Brooks, CEO of DHB Industries, the leading supplier of body armor […]