December 2011
26 posts
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Dec. 29: Massacre at Wounded Knee (1890)
On this day in 1890, the U.S. Cavalry killed nearly 150 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee, in South Dakota.
Almost a century later, in February 1973, another conflict came to Wounded Knee. Some 200 Oglala Lakota and American Indian Movement (AIM) activists seized the town, capturing the world’s attention for 71 gripping days.
With heavily armed federal troops tightening a cordon around...
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WatchDECEMBER 21: MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS COME ASHORE (1620)
On this day in 1620, the Mayflower pilgrims went ashore for the first time in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.
A few months later, in March of 1621, Massasoit, the chief of the Wampanoag, sat down to negotiate with the ragged group of English colonists.
Hungry, dirty, and sick, the pale-skinned foreigners were struggling to stay alive; they...
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Watch the first 10 minutes of the highly... →
This is sort of history related :)
pbstv:
For PBS Facebook fans only!
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WatchDECEMBER 16: BOSTON TEA PARTY (1773)
Today is the 238th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
On this day in 1773, colonists angry at British officials for refusing to return taxed tea back to Britain boarded three ships, throwing the entire shipload of tea into the Boston Harbor.
This History Detectives episode explores how some mysterious scrawled notes in the margins of a 1775 almanac tell a...
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WatchDECEMBER 14: GEORGE WASHINGTON DIES (1799)
On this day in 1799, at age 67, George Washington died in his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia. Overlooking the Potomac River, George Washington’s estate was restored completely a few years ago. At almost 500 acres, this historic home is located 16 miles south of Washington D.C and open 365 days a year. This WETA clip shows how with the use of...
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WatchDECEMBER 13: SADDAM HUSSEIN CAPTURED (2003)
Eight years ago today, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces, just 9 months after the start of the Iraq War.
This scene from FRONTLINE’s “Bush’s War Part 2” takes you back to the moment the former president was found in a cellar.
Also take a look back with Washington Week episode from that week in 2003.
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WatchDECEMBER 12: FRANK SINATRA BORN (1915)
It’s Frank Sinatra’s birthday! Born in 1915, he would have been 96 this year.
Last year’s Antiques Roadshow’s “Madison, Hour 1” episode showcased an angry 1976 letter from Frank Sinatra to Chicago Daily News columnist Mike Royko.
Its worth: $15,000! The owner’s reaction is priceless.
ourpresidents:
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941— a...
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WatchDECEMBER 8: JOHN LENNON SHOT (1980)
Thirty-one years ago today, former Beatle John Lennon was shot dead outside his apartment building by an unstable fan, Mark David Chapman.
From last year’s American Masters’ “LENNONYC,” here’s a short interview with Earl Slick, a well known guitarist who worked alongside John Lennon on what would become Lennon’s final all-new...
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WatchDECEMBER 7: PEARL HARBOR DAY (1941)
Seventy years ago today, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the catalyst for the United States to enter World War II. The enormity of events on the mainland overshadowed a fascinating story of heroism and intrigue.
History Detectives’ host Eduardo Pagán tells the story of a WWII hero in Hawaii.
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WatchDECEMBER 6: NASA SHOWS HISTORY OF WATER ON MARS (2006)
On this day in 2006, NASA released photographs indicating the presence of water on Mars, taken by a spacecraft called Mars Global Surveyor.
This scene from NOVA’s “Is There Life on Mars?” takes you straight to the moment when the Mars rover Opportunity made its successful landing on the red planet in 2004.
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WatchDECEMBER 5: COLUMBUS DISCOVERS HISPANIOLA (1492)
On this day, Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola, home to both present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The island’s native people, the Táinos, initially welcomed the Europeans, but tensions soon arose.
Less than ten years after their arrival in 1492, Europeans had wiped out most of the native population of the...
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY WALT DISNEY
On this day in 1901, Walt Disney was born. He would have been 110 years old today.
For today’s Video From the Vault, Antiques Roadshow’s Mark Moran appraises an animation cell of “The Three Caballeros,” which was given as a gift by Walt Disney himself!
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WatchDECEMBER 2: FIRST NUCLEAR CHAIN REACTION (1942)
On this day in 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi created the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. The discovery proved to be an early success of the Manhattan Project, a clandestine nuclear research program developed by the United States to create the world’s first atomic bomb. Watch this episode of History Detectives reveal...
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