December 12th Major News Events

1937 U.S.A. -- U.S. Navy Gunboat Panay

Japanese Aircraft sink the U.S. Gunboat Panay in Chinese Waters, Japan appologises and makes reparations, This happened during Japan's war of Invasion against China and is not part of the second world war.

1944 Germany -- Mass Bombing By Allies

The U.S. 8th and 15th Air Force plus the RAF pummeled Germany in the biggest fighting force that was ever put in the air. Britain had 1,000 bombers and 800 fighters who bombed railways and other targets in Germany.

1956 Africa -- Odongo

The movie "Odongo" revealed more about Africa than any movie before it ever had. Stars like MacDonald Carey, Rhonda Fleming, and a boy named Juma all gave cameo appearances, but the most praise went to the wildlife and scenes of Africa.

1963 India -- Karruppanna Kamraj

1963 : Karruppanna Kamraj became a folk hero in India because he was determined to haul down the Union Jack and create an independent country. Kamraj was uneducated and ended up in a British prison for his seditious political activities, however, he managed the political underground even from jail. He ended up minister of Madras Province, and many wanted him as prime minister, but he did not speak Hindi which is India's main language.

1962 Iceland -- Military Base

Although Iceland is remote and does not have an army or navy, it had become an important military air base since World War II. Iceland's parliament is the oldest government in existence -- it is 1,032 years old.

1963 Kenya -- Independence

Kenya gained its independence from Britain and the Kenya African National Union (KANU) headed by Jomo Kenyatta takes over the country.

1969 Italy -- Milan Bank Bombing

A bomb is exploded in a bank in Milan, Italy 13 people have been killed and more than 100 injured .

1975 Canada -- Firearms Laws

1975 : A federal licensing of all firearms was recommended by the dean of law, Martin Friedland, who works at the University of Toronto. He said that gun users should have to pass a competency test and undergo a criminal record check.

1975 England -- Balcombe Street Siege

A six-day siege has ends peacefully at Balcombe Street in London after four IRA gunmen freed their two hostages and gave themselves up to police.

1980 England -- Leonardo da Vinci Auction

American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at a London auction for a notebook containing writings written around 1508 by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. When it went up for auction again in 1994 Bill Gates bought the Manuscript $30.8 million.

1988 England -- Clapham Junction Rail Crash

Three trains are involved in a collision during morning rush hour at Clapham Junction in south London, with 35 dead and 100 others injured.

1989 East Germany -- Going Forward

It was the first time since World War II that a prominent U.S. government official had gone to East Germany. Secretary of State James Baker met with East and West German politicians and talked about the new political realities since the crumbling of the Berlin Wall on November 9th.

1992 Scotland -- The Princess Royal

The Princess Royal the Queens daughter Princess Anne remarries and becomes Mrs Timothy Laurence after a small family wedding in Scotland

1993 Hungary -- More Chaplains Needed

Atheism is out and religion is with the Hungarian military which has 100,000 soldiers. After years of not having a single army chaplain Hungary wants one chaplain for every 1,000 soldiers. The change came about because a lot of the soldiers are Roman Catholics.

2000 U.S.A. -- Bush v. Gore

The United States Supreme Court hands out it's ruling over the counting of ballets in Florida which allowed Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris's previous certification of George W. Bush as the winner of Florida's electoral votes to stand and effectively ending the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush.

2006 U.S.A. -- Soldier Report

Lance Cpl. Ryan Fleming, home on leave from fighting in Al Anbar province Iraq, spoke to North Aiken Elementary school children about the good and bad experiences he had in that country. The Aiken Standard reported that Fleming as saying, "Insurgents bury bombs under roads and even put them in animal carcasses". The American soldiers are in constant danger from explosives. However, he said the positive part of his job was helping Iraqi kids.

2007 Russia -- Kasparov abandons his race for the Russian presidency

The Russian opposition figure and former world chess champion, Garry Kasparov, will no longer be contesting the presidential election in March. Mr. Kasparov has said that his Other Russia bloc had faced difficulty arranging for its supporters to meet in Moscow (which is an official requirement for his candidacy) . Kasparov has announced that he is abandoning his bid for the presidency, although he did say that 'My electoral campaign finishes tomorrow.'

2008 Switzerland -- Switzerland negates cross-border passport checks

Switzerland is not part of the European Union but has opened its borders to E.U. member states. Under the Schengen Agreement, which Switzerland has signed, cross-border passport checks are to be abolished. The move is the latest in a series of bilateral agreements which the Swiss government has been negotiating with Brussels as a means of not to being isolated from the Eurobloc trade zone. The Swiss people have approved joining the Schengen Agreement by a nationwide referendum.

2011 Tunisia -- Moncef Marzouki Elected President of Tunisia

Moncef Marzouki, a human rights activist and opposition leader, was elected to be President of Tunisia by the Constituent Assembly. Marzouki had been in exile for twenty years and only returned to the country after former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced out of office in January.

2011 United States -- Occupy Protests Block West Coast Ports

Occupy Wall Street protesters along the US West coast blocked three ports in California, Oregon, and Washington, disrupting work in the ports. The protests were deemed successful after several workers at the different ports were sent home over safety concerns. The aim of the protests was to hurt profits of companies that run the harbors, but many truck drivers claim that they were the ones hurt by the protest as they could not deliver and pick up goods for transport.

2012 North Korea -- North Korea Launches Rocket

North Korea successfully launched the Unha-3 long-range rocket defying international warnings. North Korea stated that they were able to place a satellite into orbit, but the international community believed that launch was to disguise testing their long-range missile technology.

2013 Australia -- Court Overturns Australian Capital Territory Gay Marriage Law

An Australian High Court overturned a law that allowed gay marriage in the Australian Capital Territory. The law had been passed by the Australian Capital Territory Parliament in October, but the national government challenged it because it was not consistent with national laws which defined marriage between a man and a woman in 2004. The ruling overturned nearly thirty marriages that had been performed under the law.