Ada Wong is a fictional character in Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan), a survival horror video game series created by the Japanese company Capcom. Ada was first mentioned in the original Resident Evil (1996), before being introduced as a supporting character and antiheroine in Resident Evil 2 (1998). The character was initially conceived as a researcher named Linda for the prototype of the second game, but her name was changed to Ada and she was rewritten as a spy and mercenary for the final build to connect its story to that of the original. Over the course of the series, Ada is often hired to steal biological weapons for various organizations, although she betrays her employers on numerous occasions to save protagonist Leon S. Kennedy from dire situations. Ada is featured in several Resident Evil games, novelizations, and films, and has also appeared in other game franchises such as Project X Zone, Teppen, and Dead by Daylight. (Full article...)

• ... that William Plumer Jacobs (pictured) founded Presbyterian College and Thornwell Orphanage?
• ... that the illustrated manuscript Tarif-i Husain Shahi contains a rare depiction of a queen in Islamic art?
• ... that a bulldog from New Zealand was trained to locate wounded soldiers on the battlefields of the Western Front in World War I and guide them back to safety?
• ... that the first biography of the first Japanese woman to earn a college degree was written by her great-granddaughter, who also studied abroad in the U.S.?
• ... that the serial killer Raul Meza Jr., when asked if he was apologetic, replied: "What's the use if a person will not accept it?"
• ... that after a retabulation showed an overtime was needed, Ateneo put its 1930 NCAA basketball championship round game against UST under protest as one of the two referees already left?
• ... that Robert Yelverton Tyrrell became a professor of classics despite spending only six weeks at secondary school?
• ... that the limited study of the Afghani plants Aquilegia gracillima, A. maimanica, and A. microcentra has been blamed on political circumstances?
• ... that the Price Tower was sold for $10 in 2023?

• A series of attacks by the National Liberation Army in the Catatumbo region of Colombia leave more than a hundred people dead.
• A ceasefire agreement is reached to suspend the Israel–Hamas war, involving the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
• American filmmaker David Lynch (pictured) dies at the age of 78.
• South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol is arrested after his declaration of martial law.

January 21: National Hugging Day (United States)

• 1793 – French Revolution: After being found guilty of high treason by the National Convention, Louis XVI was guillotined in Paris.
• 1919 – The First Dáil convened at the Mansion House in Dublin and adopted a declaration of independence calling for the establishment of the Irish Republic.
• 1951 – Mount Lamington, a volcano in Papua New Guinea, erupted (pictured) and killed more than 2,900 people.
• 1972 – Tripura, formerly part of the independent Twipra Kingdom, became a state of India.
• 2017 – Millions of people participated in the Women's March in Washington, D.C., and around the world to advocate for legislation and policies on human rights and other issues.

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The tomb of Kha and Merit is the funerary chapel and burial place of the ancient Egyptian foreman Kha and his wife Merit, in the northern cemetery of the workmen's village of Deir el-Medina. Kha supervised the workforce who constructed royal tombs during the reigns of the pharaohs Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III (r. 1425 – 1353 BC) in the mid–Eighteenth Dynasty of the early New Kingdom of Egypt. He died in his 60s, while Merit died before him in her 20s or 30s. The couple's pyramid-shaped chapel has been known since at least 1818. The tomb was cut into the base of the cliffs. This position allowed the entrance to be quickly buried by debris deposited by landslides and later tomb construction, hiding its location from ancient robbers. Almost all of the contents of the tomb were awarded to the excavators and were shipped to Italy soon after the discovery. They have been displayed in the Museo Egizio in Turin since their arrival, and an entire gallery is devoted to them. (Full article...)

• ... that the white ring on the flag of Okinawa Prefecture (pictured) represents the "O" in "Okinawa"?
• ... that Emirati princess Mahra Al Maktoum invoked the triple talaq to divorce her husband, which is traditionally done only by the husband?
• ... that as many as 35 million soldiers became prisoners of war in World War II, according to some estimates?
• ... that Luigi Mangione was described as "somewhat of an online sex symbol" following his December 2024 arrest?
• ... that the Mseilha Fort is strategically located to overlook the crossing of the Jaouz River near Ras ash-Shaq'a, a promontory in Lebanon?
• ... that Saint Amata of Assisi was interviewed and testified during the process of the canonization of her aunt, Saint Clare of Assisi?
• ... that journalism students at New Mexico State University were willing to work for free to save their newscast on the school's TV station?
• ... that the Rockwell PPS-8 microprocessor had a number of features that made Adam Osborne call it "most unusual" and "difficult to understand"?
• ... that a president of the Oregon Senate crawled along a ledge of the State Capitol to access an unsecured window of the absent governor's office to place bills on his desk?

• Joseph Aoun (pictured) is elected president of Lebanon after a two-year vacancy.
• A series of wildfires in Southern California, United States, leaves at least 10 people dead and forces nearly 180,000 others to evacuate.
• A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Tingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, leaving at least 126 people dead.
• Indonesia becomes a full member of BRICS.
• Justin Trudeau announces his intention to resign as prime minister of Canada.

January 11: Prithvi Jayanti in Nepal

• 1654 – Arauco War: The Mapuche-Huilliche of southern Chile defeated a slave-hunting Spanish army at the Battle of Río Bueno.
• 1693 – The most powerful earthquake recorded in Italy struck the island of Sicily, causing 60,000 deaths and prompting a period of architectural revival.
• 1914 – The Karluk, the flagship of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, sank after being crushed by ice.
• 1964 – In a landmark report (cover pictured), U.S. surgeon general Luther Terry issued a warning that tobacco smoking may be hazardous to health, concluding that it has a causative role in lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and other illnesses.
• 2003 – After Chicago police detective Jon Burge was discovered to have extracted forced confessions from more than 200 suspects, the governor of Illinois commuted the death sentences of 167 prisoners and pardoned four others.

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The Ferrari FF is a grand touring car made by the Italian carmaker Ferrari. Succeeding the 612 Scaglietti, the FF—whose name is an acronym for "Ferrari Four"—was produced between 2011 and 2016 in Ferrari's manufacturing facility in Maranello, Italy. Featuring the body style of a shooting brake, the vehicle made its first public appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2011. Upon its release, the FF was the world's fastest four-seater car and Ferrari's second-fastest grand tourer after the 599 GTO. The FF features a 6.3 L V12 engine, producing a power output of 485 kW (660 PS; 651 hp) and a torque output of 683 N⋅m (504 lb⋅ft) to give the car a top speed of 335 km/h (208 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration of 3.7 seconds. The car has been praised by critics, who call it a "Ferrari for the whole family" and appreciate its design. The FF has received several awards, including Top Gear's Estate Car of the Year in 2011. (Full article...)

• ... that a painting (pictured) by the artist Bichitr shows an Indian emperor preferring a Sufi saint over the king of England and the Ottoman sultan?
• ... that a study of people who reported experiences of alien abduction found that many exhibited characteristics consistent with fantasy-prone personality?
• ... that the My Chemical Romance song "Cancer" was written in eight minutes?
• ... that Ambo Sooloh pledged allegiance to the British government on behalf of all Malays in Singapore?
• ... that a pavilion next to New York City's Ted Weiss Federal Building was canceled due to the discovery of human remains?
• ... that Pocatello mayor Les Purce was the first African-American political officeholder in Idaho?
• ... that the Chapline columbine is generally considered a distinct species, except in Texas, where it is considered a variety of the golden columbine?
• ... that a Portsmouth building was Grade II-listed because Eric Rimmington painted a mural inside it?
• ... that the Glucoboy was advertised as the "first medical device to interface with a Nintendo Game Boy"?

• Joseph Aoun (pictured) is elected president of Lebanon after a two-year vacancy.
• A series of wildfires in Southern California, United States, leaves 5 people dead and forces more than 180,000 others to evacuate.
• A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Tingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, leaving at least 126 people dead.
• Indonesia becomes a full member of BRICS.
• Justin Trudeau announces his intention to resign as prime minister of Canada.

January 10

• 236 – Pope Fabian, said to have been chosen by the Holy Spirit when a dove landed on his head, began his papacy.
• 1812 – New Orleans (pictured), the first steamship on the Mississippi River, arrived at New Orleans to complete its maiden voyage.
• 1929 – Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the first volume of The Adventures of Tintin by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, began serialisation.
• 1993 – The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Atlantic, reached peak intensity.

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Title is the debut major-label studio album by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor (pictured), released on January 9, 2015. Initially a songwriter for other artists in 2013, Trainor signed with Epic Records the following year and began recording material she co-wrote with Kevin Kadish. They drew influence from retro-styled music as they were tired of chasing radio trends. Title includes "All About That Bass", which reached number one in 58 countries, and two other US Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles: "Lips Are Movin" and "Like I'm Gonna Lose You". Reviewers criticized the album's repetitiveness and doubted Trainor's longevity, though some appreciated her wit and audacious attitude. It debuted at number one on charts in the US, Canada and the UK, and spent multiple weeks at the summit in Australia and New Zealand. Title was the ninth-best-selling album of 2015 worldwide. It was supported by the 2015 That Bass Tour and MTrain Tour. (This article is part of two featured topics: Title and Meghan Trainor albums.)

• ... that the soundtrack of Two Stars in the Milky Way (scene pictured), one of the few surviving early Chinese films, has been lost?
• ... that aerospace engineer Nuno Xavier signed the treaty that made São Tomé and Príncipe an independent nation?
• ... that some journalists interpreted Taylor Swift's song "But Daddy I Love Him" as her criticism of her own fans?
• ... that The Bootleggers portrays the illegal alcohol trade during the Prohibition era of the Roaring '20s?
• ... that the Hanta Road on Okinawa was used by both Ryukyuan armies and the U.S. Navy's Perry Expedition?
• ... that political consultant Jim Rivaldo said that moving to San Francisco made him realize that "there were gay lawyers, gay businessmen—a lot of people like me"?
• ... that Aquilegia barykinae is likely more closely related to other species of columbine than to Aquilegia amurensis, which shares its range?
• ... that Mark Smith was a fourth-generation actor who performed in 70 theaters in New York City and on more than 2,000 radio programs?
• ... that the director-screenwriter of Blossoms Under Somewhere joined Telegram groups that sell used lingerie to conduct field research?

• A 7.1-magnitude earthquake (aftermath pictured) hits Tingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, leaving at least 126 people dead.
• Justin Trudeau announces his intention to resign as prime minister of Canada.
• Luke Littler wins the PDC World Darts Championship.
• A spree shooter in Cetinje, Montenegro, kills 12 people and injures 4 others.
• Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen Area.

January 9

• 1797 – War of the First Coalition: The siege of Kehl by Habsburg and Württembergian forces ended when French troops withdrew from their fortifications.
• 1917 – First World War: Troops of the British Empire defeated Ottoman forces at the Battle of Rafa on the Sinai–Palestine border.
• 1972 – The Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a 33-game winning streak, the longest in major American professional team sports.
• 1975 – The Great Storm spawned the first of 45 tornadoes over a three-day period in the Southeastern United States.
• 2011 – In poor weather conditions, Iran Air Flight 277 (aircraft pictured) crashed near Urmia Airport, Iran, killing 78 of the 105 people on board.

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Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. Often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", Presley began his career in 1954 and became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll in the late 1950s. Conscripted in 1958, he relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. In 1968, he returned to live performance in a television special that led to an extended Las Vegas residency and a string of tours. In 1973, he staged the first concert broadcast globally via satellite, seen by around 1.5 billion viewers. Prescription drug abuse severely affected his health, and he died suddenly in 1977. With wide success in many musical genres, Presley is one of the best-selling solo artists in the history of popular music. He won three Grammys, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 36. (Full article...)

• ... that Debra Toporowski (pictured) served simultaneously on the Cowichan Tribes council, on the North Cowichan council, and as acting mayor, before being elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia?
• ... that a musical adaptation of Homer's Odyssey is structured after video-game level progression?
• ... that scholars have suggested that bædlings may have been a third gender in Anglo-Saxon society?
• ... that the FBI's first successful use of silver nitrate to identify fingerprints was in solving the kidnapping of a brewery executive?
• ... that one Tumblr user cursed another for stealing bones for use in curses?
• ... that in 1902 the paramedic student Anna Weisman smuggled fonts to help set up an underground revolutionary publishing house in Saratov?
• ... that debris was carried aloft to an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m) after the 1957 Ruskin Heights tornado?
• ... that Johannes Kaiser was the leading opponent to Liechtenstein's accession to the International Monetary Fund?
• ... that the publication of Paul Creston's saxophone sonata was delayed by a "rat with a toothbrush mustache"?

• A 7.1-magnitude earthquake (aftermath pictured) hits Tingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, leaving at least 126 people dead.
• Justin Trudeau announces his intention to resign as prime minister of Canada.
• Luke Littler wins the PDC World Darts Championship.
• A spree shooter in Cetinje, Montenegro, kills 12 people and injures 4 others.
• Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen Area.

January 8

• 1697 – Scottish student Thomas Aikenhead became the last person in Great Britain to be executed for blasphemy.
• 1904 – Blackstone Library (pictured), the first branch of the Chicago Public Library system, was dedicated.
• 1977 – Three bombs attributed to Armenian nationalists exploded across Moscow, killing seven people and injuring 37 people.
• 1981 – In Trans-en-Provence, France, a local farmer reported a UFO sighting claimed to be "perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time".
• 2011 – Jared Lee Loughner opened fire at a public meeting held by U.S. representative Gabby Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, killing six people and injuring twelve others.

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Gerald Durrell (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer and zookeeper. He was born in British India and moved to England in 1928. In 1935 the family moved to Corfu, but the outbreak of World War II forced them to return to the United Kingdom. In the 1940s he began animal-collecting trips for zoos, and published well-received accounts of these, starting with The Overloaded Ark. His account of the years in Corfu, titled My Family and Other Animals, appeared in 1956 and became a bestseller. He founded the Jersey Zoo in 1959, intending it to be an institution for the study of animals and for captive breeding. Durrell and his second wife, Lee McGeorge, made several television documentaries in the 1980s, including Durrell in Russia and Ark on the Move. They co-authored The Amateur Naturalist, which became his most successful book, selling well over a million copies. His ashes were buried at Jersey Zoo. (Full article...)

• ... that Queen Melisende (pictured) was so incensed by the rumours of her alleged infidelity that neither her husband nor his friends felt safe in her presence?
• ... that the questionnaire prepared after the Jewish Ethnographic Expedition had 2,087 questions and was called "a modern epic"?
• ... that during World War II, US Army casualty telegrams were sent out in the name of Major General James Alexander Ulio?
• ... that to raise funds for the Council of District Dumas, its chairman led an armed squad to storm the Moscow headquarters of the State Bank?
• ... that the Boldy James and Sterling Toles collaborative album Manger on McNichols took over a decade to make?
• ... that Renildo José dos Santos, a Brazilian councilman, was murdered in 1993 after publicly coming out as bisexual?
• ... that a Kansas City TV station was under contract to be sold within a week of its first regular broadcast?
• ... that Her Story was described as China's answer to Barbie?
• ... that football player Jahkeem Stewart was 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 340 pounds (150 kg) in sixth grade?

• Justin Trudeau (pictured) announces his intention to resign as prime minister of Canada.
• Luke Littler wins the PDC World Darts Championship.
• A spree shooter in Cetinje, Montenegro, kills 12 people and injures 4 others.
• Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen Area.

January 7: Christmas (Eastern Christianity; Julian calendar); Victory over Genocide Day in Cambodia; Laba Festival in China (2025)

• 1797 – The Italian tricolour was first adopted as an official flag by the government of the Cispadane Republic.
• 1904 – The Marconi International Marine Communication Company specified CQD (audio featured) as the distress signal to be used by its operators.
• 1939 – French physicist Marguerite Perey identified francium, the last element to be discovered in nature rather than by synthesis.
• 1979 – The People's Army of Vietnam captured Phnom Penh, marking the end of large-scale fighting in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War.
• 2020 – After 253 days without an operational government, a second round of investiture votes produced Spain's first coalition government since the Second Republic.

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Maria Trubnikova (6 January 1835 – 28 April 1897) was a Russian feminist and activist. From a wealthy family, she was orphaned at a young age and raised by her aunt. She married Konstantin Trubnikov at the age of 19; they had seven children. Trubnikova hosted a women-only salon which became a center of feminist activism. Alongside Anna Filosofova and Nadezhda Stasova, whom she mentored, Trubnikova was one of the earliest leaders of the Russian women's movement; the three women were referred to as the "triumvirate". They founded several organizations designed to promote women's cultural and economic independence, as well as pushing for higher education for women. Trubnikova maintained international connections to fellow feminists in England, France, and other countries. Over time, her once-liberal husband grew implacably opposed to her activism, and they separated. Trubnikova later experienced severe illness; she died in an asylum in 1897. (Full article...)

• ... that jorts (example pictured), despite being worn by uncool dads, are also associated with 1960s counterculture, punks, rappers, skaters, and "Brat summer"?
• ... that the Okinawan king Shō Taikyū was reportedly protected by an all-female bodyguard?
• ... that the browser extension AdNauseam blocks and clicks on advertisements at the same time?
• ... that a key part of Alexis Harding's abstract art is the chemical incompatibility of the different paints he uses?
• ... that neither of the two athletes who represented Togo at the 2014 Winter Olympics grew up or trained in the country?
• ... that Monica Smit was ordered to pay Victoria Police's legal bill of about A$250,000, despite winning a lawsuit against them?
• ... that St. Peter's Catholic Church is the oldest church in continuous use in the state of Minnesota?
• ... that the music of Camila Cabello inspired Taylor Swift to work on the song "I Forgot That You Existed" with the producers Louis Bell and Frank Dukes?
• ... that the Biblical Magi dispense mysterious vision-inducing foods in the Revelation of the Magi, which a scholar proposed to be an account of ritual hallucinogen intake?

• Luke Littler (pictured) wins the PDC World Darts Championship.
• A spree shooter in Cetinje, Montenegro, kills 12 people and injures 4 others.
• Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen Area.
• In New Orleans, an attacker rams a truck into a crowd and opens fire, killing at least 14 people and injuring 35 others.

January 6: Little Christmas

• 1449 – Four years before the fall of Constantinople, Constantine XI Palaiologos (pictured) assumed the throne as the last Byzantine emperor.
• 1725 – J. S. Bach led the first performance of Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, a chorale cantata for Epiphany.
• 1912 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener presented his theory of continental drift, the precursor of plate tectonics, to the German Geological Society.
• 1953 – The inaugural Asian Socialist Conference, an organisation of socialist political parties, opened in Rangoon with 177 delegates, observers and fraternal guests.
• 2014 – The first episode of the documentary series Benefits Street aired on Channel 4, prompting discussion in the United Kingdom about welfare dependency.

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Cyfeilliog (died c. 927) was a bishop in south-east Wales. The location and extent of his diocese is uncertain, but lands granted to him are mainly close to Caerwent, suggesting that his diocese covered Gwent, possibly extending into Ergyng (now south-west Herefordshire). He is recorded in charters dating from the mid-880s to the early tenth century. In 914 he was captured by the Vikings and ransomed by Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons, for 40 pounds of silver. Edward's assistance is regarded by historians as evidence that he inherited the overlordship of his father, Alfred the Great, over the south-east Welsh kingdoms. Cyfeilliog is probably the author of a cryptogram (encrypted text) which was added as a marginal note to the ninth-century collection of poetry known as the Juvencus Manuscript. The twelfth-century Book of Llandaff records his death in 927, but some historians are sceptical as they think that this date is late for a bishop active in the 880s. (Full article...)

• ... that the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, was named after a log chapel (pictured)?
• ... that the death of Odysseus's dog in the Odyssey uses language typically reserved for the noble deaths of warriors?
• ... that when future Olympian Chang Wei-chia entered high school, her elementary-school swimming coach was hired full-time and continued to coach her?
• ... that Babak Ganjei tried to sell a painting of his credit card to Barclays?
• ... that An Amorous History of the Silver Screen has been read as a biographic metafilm, paralleling its lead's rise from prostitution into film stardom?
• ... that the first publication of the prolific author and Talmudic scholar Israel Ta-Shma was a Jewish songbook for the Israel Defense Forces?
• ... that Sarah Pickstone based her John Moores Prize–winning painting on an illustration that accompanied the poem "Not Waving but Drowning"?
• ... that Frank Ocean's song "American Wedding" was pulled from streaming platforms because of its unauthorized use of "Hotel California"?
• ... that after being signed, released, signed, released, signed, released, signed, released, signed, released, and signed again, Brandon Smith made his NFL debut?

• Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen Area.
• In New Orleans, an attacker rams a truck into a crowd and opens fire, killing at least 14 people and injuring 35 others.
• Mikheil Kavelashvili is inaugurated as president of Georgia while incumbent Salome Zourabichvili (pictured) intends to remain in office amidst a constitutional crisis.

January 5: Twelfth Night (Western Christianity)

• 1757 – King Louis XV survived an assassination attempt by Robert-François Damiens, who later became the last person in France to be executed by drawing and quartering.
• 1869 – Te Kooti's War: After surviving a five-day siege in the pā at Ngātapa, Māori leader Te Kooti escaped from New Zealand's Armed Constabulary.
• 1919 – The German Workers' Party, the precursor of the Nazi Party, was founded by Anton Drexler.
• 1949 – In his State of the Union speech, U.S. president Harry S. Truman (pictured) announced: "Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government a fair deal."
• 2003 – The Metropolitan Police arrested six people in conjunction with an alleged terrorist plot to release ricin on the London Underground, although no toxin was found.

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Liza Soberano (born January 4, 1998) is an American and Filipino actress. Her accolades include a FAMAS Award, a Star Award, and six Box Office Entertainment Awards. She began her career as a model, before her television debut in the fantasy anthology series Wansapanataym (2011). She achieved wider recognition for starring in the second season of Got to Believe (2014) and Forevermore (2014), the latter of which marked the first of her collaborations with actor Enrique Gil. Soberano found commercial successes in several romantic films, winning the Box Office Entertainment Award for Box Office Queen for My Ex and Whys (2017). Attempting to shed her image as an on-screen couple with Gil, she sought roles in other genres, before pursuing an acting career in Hollywood with Lisa Frankenstein (2024). Soberano has been described by media publications as one of the most beautiful Filipino actresses of her generation. She is vocal about gender equality, women's rights, and mental health. (Full article...)

• ... that Mother Solomon (pictured) returned to Ohio 22 years after the Indian Removal Act forced her people, the Wyandots, into Kansas?
• ... that there were at least seven unsuccessful attempts to redevelop New York City's Kings Theatre before it reopened in 2015?
• ... that newspaper columnist Ly Singko was imprisoned for "glamourising the communist system"?
• ... that Aquilegia gegica and Aquilegia colchica, two species of columbine native to the Caucasus, can produce fertile hybrid offspring?
• ... that YouTuber Tyler Oliveira apologized after trying to drain a pool with paper towels?
• ... that the final seconds of MLS Cup 2024 were disrupted by players and staff who mistakenly entered the field to celebrate?
• ... that Mary Mellor argued that the COVID-19 pandemic increased the impact of the patriarchy on women, both at home and in the wider economy?
• ... that Taylor Swift released a demo containing lyrics that were trimmed from the final version of her song "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"?
• ... that a Welsh man lost more than £500 million of bitcoin in a landfill?

• Romania and Bulgaria become full members of the Schengen Area.
• In New Orleans, an attacker rams a truck into a crowd and opens fire, killing at least 14 people and injuring 35 others.
• Mikheil Kavelashvili is inaugurated as president of Georgia while incumbent Salome Zourabichvili intends to remain in office amidst a constitutional crisis.
• Former president of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter (pictured) dies at the age of 100.

January 4: Colonial Repression Martyrs' Day in Angola (1961)

• 1853 – Solomon Northup (pictured) regained his freedom after having been sold into slavery in the American South; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later became a bestseller.
• 1970 – A magnitude-7.1 earthquake occurred in Tonghai County, China, killing at least 15,000 people.
• 1977 – The English punk-rock band Sex Pistols' lewd and disruptive behaviour at Heathrow Airport prompted the record label EMI to end their contract.
• 2010 – The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure, officially opened in Dubai.
• 2020 – Sembawang Hot Spring Park in Singapore reopened after being redeveloped by the National Parks Board.

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The Albona class were mine-warfare ships used by the Italian Regia Marina and the Royal Yugoslav Navy (KM). Fourteen ships were originally laid down between 1917 and 1918 for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. The end of World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary left them incomplete until 1920, when three ships were finished for the Regia Marina. An additional five ships were completed for the KM in 1931. All the completed ships could carry 24 to 39 naval mines. The five ships in KM service were captured by Italian forces during the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia and commissioned in the Regia Marina. Three of the ships were returned to the KM-in-exile in late 1943 until they were transferred to the Yugoslav Navy in August 1945. The three surviving ships were stricken in 1962 and 1963. (This article is part of a featured topic: Ships of the Royal Yugoslav Navy.)

• ... that Saint Amalberga of Temse (pictured) is the patron saint of upper-limb injuries, because of the legend that Charlemagne broke her arm while trying to force her to marry him?
• ... that critics argued that involving actresses in civilized drama would promote obscenity?
• ... that five percent of Barbados's population turned out to protest the death of Milton King in Cape Town police custody?
• ... that about 200,000 Jews served in the Polish Army and related formations during World War II?
• ... that Pete Vann recovered from spinal meningitis to set an NCAA single-season passing record?
• ... that St Bride's Church still has loopholes from use as a military outpost in the 19th century?
• ... that Glaive recorded the first track for I Care So Much That I Don't Care at All at the age of 17?
• ... that according to George K. Teulon all of the presidents and vice-presidents of the Republic of Texas, and four-fifths of its government officials, were freemasons?
• ... that a Mountain Landscape is difficult to capture with photography?

• In New Orleans, an attacker rams a truck into a crowd and opens fire, killing at least 14 people and injuring 35 others.
• Former president of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter (pictured) dies at the age of 100.
• Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes at Muan International Airport, South Korea, killing 179 people.
• Acting president and prime minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo is impeached by the National Assembly.

January 3

• 250 – Decius ordered all people in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods, resulting in widespread persecution of Christians.
• 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces commanded by George Washington defeated British troops at the Battle of Princeton (depicted).
• 1959 – As a result of the Alaska Statehood Act, the Territory of Alaska became the 49th U.S. state, and the first outside the contiguous United States.
• 1990 – United States invasion of Panama: Manuel Noriega, the deposed strongman of Panama, surrendered to American forces outside the apostolic nunciature in Panama City.
• 2002 – Second Intifada: Israeli forces seized MV Karine A, which was carrying 50 tons of smuggled weapons on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

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Benjamin Jackson (January 2, 1835 – August 20, 1915) was a Canadian sailor and farmer who was a decorated veteran of the American Civil War. He began his career as a commercial seaman at the age of 16 and started a farm in his mid-twenties. During the American Civil War, he served for a year in the Union Navy and was deployed in the Union blockade of the Confederate coastline. As a gun captain aboard USS Richmond, Jackson served in the Battle of Mobile Bay. He disarmed multiple naval mines and once picked up a live shell and threw it from the deck of the Richmond. Jackson likely earned an enlistment bounty, as well as prize money by capturing multiple blockade runners. He developed bronchitis, suffered a serious hand injury, and eventually received a Civil War Campaign Medal. After the war, he lived the rest of his life in Lockhartville, Nova Scotia. He retired from commercial sailing in 1875 but continued managing his farm. Jackson's grave remained unmarked until 2010, when a headstone was erected. (Full article...)

• ... that the grave of Ethel Preston in Leeds, England, has a life-sized statue of her (pictured) stood in front of black marble doors, left ajar?
• ... that meetings between Biblical and post-Biblical characters, such as when Moses sees Rabbi Aviva teach and be martyred, are rare in Talmudic stories?
• ... that Marie-Thérèse Eyquem served in the government of Vichy France, and was later appointed a national secretary of the French Socialist Party?
• ... that An Amorous History of the Silver Screen, an exploration of more than four decades of film in China, argues that cinema is a "modern folk tale"?
• ... that a critic called Benjamin Britten's Tema "Sacher" a "truncated and barely coherent page [of music]" and "a pathetic fragment"?
• ... that the 1980s Beechcraft BQM-126 target drone could be launched from aircraft based on aircraft carriers?
• ... that children's author Mary Chalmers owned ten cats and a Pomeranian dog, whose poses helped her draw illustrations for her books?
• ... that in the 1917 Moscow District Duma elections, the Bolshevik Party won 97 percent of the votes of the soldiers at the heavy artillery workshops?
• ... that Flora Hommel, after being afraid of giving birth to her own child, went on to teach the Lamaze technique to more than 17,000 couples?

• In New Orleans, an attacker rams a truck into a crowd and opens fire, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others (street pictured).
• Former president of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter dies at the age of 100.
• Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes at Muan International Airport, South Korea, killing 179 people.
• Acting president and prime minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo is impeached by the National Assembly.

January 2: Feast day of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and Saint Basil of Caesarea (Roman Rite Catholicism, Anglicanism)

• 1865 – Uruguayan War: Brazilian and Colorado Party forces captured the city of Paysandú from its Uruguayan defenders.
• 1920 – Under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer (pictured), U.S. Department of Justice agents launched a series of raids against radical leftists and anarchists in more than 30 cities and towns across 23 states.
• 1991 – Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as the mayor of Washington, D.C., becoming the first African-American woman to hold the position.
• 2004 – The Stardust space probe flew by the comet Wild 2 and collected particle samples from its coma, which were later returned to Earth.
• 2016 – Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, was executed by the Saudi government along with 46 other people.

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1 Wall Street is a skyscraper in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York. Designed in the Art Deco style, the building is 654 feet (199 m) tall and consists of two sections. The original 50-story building was constructed between 1929 and 1931 for Irving Trust. A 28-story annex to the south (later expanded to 36 stories) was built between 1963 and 1965. The building occupies a full city block between Broadway, Wall Street, New Street, and Exchange Place. At the time of its construction, 1 Wall Street occupied what was considered one of the most valuable plots in the city. The building is one of New York City's Art Deco landmarks, although architectural critics initially ignored it in favor of such buildings as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. The original portion of the building is designated as a New York City landmark. It is also a contributing property to the Wall Street Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places district created in 2007. (Full article...)

• ... that the 1991 Andover tornado (pictured) narrowly avoided hitting two warplanes equipped with nuclear warheads?
• ... that Murad Al-Katib provided 700 million meals of Saskatchewan-grown chickpeas, lentils and wheat to a United Nations program for Syrian refugees?
• ... that insurers paid out about NZ$171 million in damages caused by a 10-minute hailstorm in New Zealand?
• ... that Scottish bricklayer Brian Higgins was unable to find work for 25 years after appearing on a construction-industry blacklist?
• ... that the dragonfly Antiquiala was described from a single wing found in the state of Washington?
• ... that Edward W. Gantt was a Confederate soldier who defected to the Union during the American Civil War?
• ... that bored soldiers during the siege of Ak-Mechet began stealing watermelons from gardens outside the enemy fortress?
• ... that Shō Sen'i was overthrown in favor of his thirteen-year-old nephew?
• ... that the titular songstress in Sing-Song Girl Red Peony, a contender for China's first sound film, was overdubbed by a man?

• Former president of the United States and Nobel Peace laureate Jimmy Carter (pictured) dies at the age of 100.
• Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes at Muan International Airport, South Korea, killing 179 people.
• Acting president and prime minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo is impeached by the National Assembly.
• Former prime minister of India Manmohan Singh dies at the age of 92.

January 1: Public Domain Day; Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Roman Rite Catholicism)

• 1725 – J. S. Bach led the first performance of his chorale cantata Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, which features trumpet fanfares at the start and end.
• 1801 – Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the dwarf planet Ceres, naming it after the Roman goddess of agriculture and of motherly love.
• 1810 – Lachlan Macquarie (pictured) became Governor of New South Wales, eventually playing a major role in the shaping of the social, economic and architectural development of the colony in Australia.
• 1960 – Three men are killed and two wounded in a mass shooting at a public house in Sheffield, England.
• 1994 – The revolutionary leftist Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiated twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

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Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954, it is Minnesota's most populous city as of the 2020 census. Minneapolis occupies both banks of the Mississippi River and adjoins Saint Paul, the state capital of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding area are collectively known as the Twin Cities, a metropolitan area with 3.69 million residents. Minneapolis is known for cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. The city's public park system is connected by the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. Dakota people originally inhabited the site of today's Minneapolis. For a time in the 19th century, Minneapolis was the lumber and flour milling capital of the world, and as home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, it has preserved its financial clout into the 21st century. Minneapolis has a political landscape dominated by the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. (Full article...)

• ... that trembleuse cups and saucers (examples pictured) enabled people with unsteady hands to drink hot beverages?
• ... that during one of his Diddy parties, Sean Combs promised not to spill champagne on the Declaration of Independence?
• ... that the release of the top-level domain .zip was condemned by cyber-security experts?
• ... that grand claims that the ruler of Mwene Muji once had imperial status were dismissed by Belgian colonial authorities?
• ... that John Mascarenhas simultaneously served as the chairman of his country's legislature and the president of their Olympic committee?
• ... that Ekin Cheng agreed to make a cameo appearance in A Nail Clipper Romance after learning that it would be filmed in Hawaii?
• ... that Emil Bove prosecuted Nicolás Maduro and defended Donald Trump?
• ... that a Florida radio station DJ's attempt to break a world record was foiled by blown transmitter tubes?
• ... that The Sausages' first sausage was filled with three courses and an espresso?

• Former president of the United States Jimmy Carter (pictured) dies at the age of 100.
• Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes at Muan International Airport, South Korea, killing 179 people.
• Acting president and prime minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo is impeached by the National Assembly.
• Former prime minister of India Manmohan Singh dies at the age of 92.

December 31: Saint Sylvester's Day (Western Christianity)

• 1909 – The Manhattan Bridge, connecting Lower Manhattan to Downtown Brooklyn and considered to be the forerunner of modern suspension bridges, opened to traffic.
• 1983 – Two Australian biologists published an article titled "A Synopsis of the Class Reptilia in Australia", initiating the Wells and Wellington affair.
• 1986 – Three disgruntled employees set fire to the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, killing more than 90 people and injuring 140 others, making it the second-deadliest hotel fire in American history.
• 1999 – In accordance with the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, Panama assumed full control of the Panama Canal Zone from the United States.
• 2004 – Taipei 101 (pictured) in Taipei, Taiwan, opened to the public as the world's tallest building.

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Mountain pigeons are four species of birds in the genus Gymnophaps in the pigeon family Columbidae. They are found on islands in eastern Indonesia and Melanesia, where they inhabit hill and montane forest. Medium-sized pigeons with long tails and wings, they are 33 to 38.5 cm (13.0 to 15.2 in) long and weigh 259 to 385 g (9.1 to 13.6 oz). They mostly have dull grey, white, or chestnut-brown plumage, their most distinctive feature being bright red skin around the eyes. Males and females mostly look alike, but the Papuan and pale mountain pigeons show slight sexual dimorphism. They are social and are usually seen in flocks of 10 to 40 birds, although some species can form flocks of more than 100. The genus was originally described by the Italian zoologist Tommaso Salvadori in 1874 and currently contains the Papuan, Seram, Buru, and pale mountain pigeons. Mountain pigeons inhabit trees and feed on a wide variety of fruit. All four species are listed as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List. (Full article...)

• ... that the grapefruit (examples pictured) was described as the "forbidden fruit" in 1750?
• ... that British war correspondent Ian Fyfe was killed on D-Day while landing in a glider with troops attacking the Merville Gun Battery?
• ... that the 1976 Philippine film Itim was described as "one of the most remarkable debuts in cinema history" in a 2022 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art?
• ... that Phoebe Plummer was "unfortunate" to draw Christopher Hehir as judge when they stood trial over the Just Stop Oil Sunflowers protest?
• ... that the only fatality of the Belvidere Apollo Theatre collapse was the only audience member to buy a band T-shirt at the event?
• ... that the cover art of Music from the Merch Desk (2016–2023) was derived from bootleg merchandise?
• ... that Michael O'Kane never received approval to begin constructing a building for the College of the Holy Cross?
• ... that in the 1980s, when Moturoa Island lost all its endangered kiwi to pests, experts reintroduced seven birds – today there could be as many as 300 kiwi on the island?
• ... that Jill, Duchess of Hamilton, donated her body to science because "funerals are a bore"?

• Former president of the United States Jimmy Carter (pictured) dies at the age of 100.
• Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes at Muan International Airport, South Korea, killing 179 people.
• Acting president and prime minister of South Korea Han Duck-soo is impeached by the National Assembly.
• Former prime minister of India Manmohan Singh dies at the age of 92.

December 30: Rizal Day in the Philippines (1896)

• 999 – In Ireland, the combined forces of Munster and Meath crushed a rebellion by Leinster and Dublin.
• 1940 – The Arroyo Seco Parkway, one of the first freeways built in the U.S., connecting downtown Los Angeles with Pasadena, California, was officially dedicated.
• 1954 – The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation was established to consolidate criminal investigation and intelligence into a single agency.
• 1969 – Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos began his second term after being re-elected in a landslide.
• 2006 – Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, was executed after being found guilty of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi High Tribunal.
• 2009 – Pro-government counter-demonstrators held rallies (pictured) in several Iranian cities in response to recent anti-government protests on the holy day of Ashura.

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Jochi (c. 1182 – c. 1225) was a prince in the Mongol Empire. For months before his birth, his mother Börte had been a captive of the Merkit tribe, one of whom forcibly married and raped her. Although there was thus doubt over his parentage, Börte's husband Genghis Khan considered Jochi his son and treated him as such. Many Mongols, most prominently Börte's next son Chagatai, disagreed; these tensions eventually caused Jochi's exclusion from the line of succession. After Genghis founded the Mongol Empire in 1206, he entrusted Jochi with nine thousand warriors and a large territory in the west of the Mongol heartland; Jochi campaigned extensively to extend Mongol power in the region. He also commanded an army during the invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire, but tensions arose between him and his family during the siege of Gurganj in 1221. They were still estranged when Jochi died of ill health. His descendants continued to rule his territories, which became known as the Golden Horde. (Full article...)

• ... that in the 18th century the Mawali tribe (pictured) was driven from the Syrian steppe to the regions of Hama and Idlib, where their descendants live today?
• ... that a reviewer identified an "audible contempt" for men in the songs of Ceechynaa, who entered the UK singles chart earlier this month with "Peggy"?
• ... that vitamin E was named "tocopherol" as it was identified as essential for live births in rats?
• ... that in the 1950s Michel Klein opened one of the first veterinary practices in Paris?
• ... that the sexual onomatopoeia puff-puff was censored in English releases of Dragon Quest until Dragon Quest XI?
• ... that newspaper publisher Jacob Frolich built trapdoors and hiding places in his house in case it was raided by Radical Republicans?
• ... that nearly 300 construction workers showed up at 8 am to continue building Chernobyl Reactors 5 and 6, unaware of the Chernobyl disaster earlier that day?
• ... that war correspondent Bernard Gray was killed while travelling as an unofficial passenger aboard a Royal Navy submarine during the Second World War?
• ... that Good Gravy!, a Thanksgiving dinner–themed roller coaster, was first tested with a train full of plush turkeys?

• Former prime minister of India Manmohan Singh (pictured) dies at the age of 92.
• Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashes near Aktau International Airport, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people.
• The Parker Solar Probe makes its closest approach to the Sun.
• At least 11 people are killed when a bridge connecting the Brazilian states of Tocantins and Maranhão partially collapses.

December 29

• 1812 – War of 1812: In a three-hour single-ship action, HMS Java (drawing shown) was captured by USS Constitution off the coast of Brazil.
• 1876 – A railway bridge collapsed over the Ashtabula River in Ohio, killing 92 people and injuring 64 others on a Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway train.
• 1928 – The Northern Expedition, a military campaign by the National Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang, ended with the complete control of the Republic of China.
• 1959 – American physicist Richard Feynman gave a speech entitled "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom" at Caltech, anticipating the field of nanotechnology.
• 1994 – Turkish Airlines Flight 278 crashed on approach to Van Ferit Melen Airport in Van, Turkey, killing 57 of the 76 people on board.

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George E. Mylonas (1898–1988) was a Greek archaeologist of ancient Greece and of Aegean prehistory. He excavated widely, particularly at Olynthus, Eleusis and Mycenae, where he made the first archaeological study and publication of Grave Circle B, the earliest known monumentalized burials at the site. Mylonas was born in Smyrna, then part of the Ottoman Empire, and received an elite education. In 1924, he began working for the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. He took part in excavations at Corinth, Nemea and Olynthus under its auspices. He studied and taught at universities in Greece and the United States. He was prominent in the Archaeological Society of Athens and in efforts to conserve the monuments of the Acropolis of Athens. He had co-responsibility for the excavation of Mycenae's Grave Circle B in the early 1950s, and from 1957 until 1985 he excavated on the citadel of the site. His excavations at Mycenae have been credited with bringing coherence to the site. (Full article...)

• ... that Kwan Man-ching (pictured), who directed more than fifty films in forty years, entered the industry hoping to meet his celebrity crush?
• ... that the style of Hermann Weyl's Gruppentheorie und Quantenmechanik has been likened to "a smiling figure on horseback, cutting a clean way through ... with a swift bright sword"?
• ... that international adult figure skating champion Naz Arıcı learned to skate at the age of 29?
• ... that in 1967 two mathematicians published PhD dissertations independently disproving the same thirteen-year-old conjecture?
• ... that Shalom Nagar, executioner of war criminal and Nazi Party official Adolf Eichmann, said he was selected at random for the role?
• ... that Kevin Roose wrote a viral article about artificial intelligence rhetoric after an AI bot attempted to convince him to leave his wife?
• ... that Karl Thielscher began refereeing American football games less than a month after retiring from playing the sport professionally?
• ... that between February and August 1918 the Petergofsky District mobilized more than 20 combat units for the Red Army?
• ... that a South Korean actor sold his belongings and went $7 million into debt to keep his amusement park running?

• Former prime minister of India Manmohan Singh (pictured) dies at the age of 92.
• Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashes near Aktau International Airport, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people.
• The Parker Solar Probe makes its closest approach to the Sun.
• A multi-vehicle crash in Minas Gerais, Brazil, leaves 41 people dead.

December 28

• 484 – Alaric II (depicted) succeeded his father Euric as King of the Visigoths.
• 1916 – Up to 1,000 lumber workers initiated a labor strike against the Virginia and Rainy Lake Lumber Company in Minnesota, United States, which lasted over a month.
• 1964 – Vietnam War: Viet Cong regiments penetrated the eastern perimeters of the village of Bình Giã, beginning the Battle of Binh Gia.
• 2009 – Tibetan dissident filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen was imprisoned for subversion by Chinese authorities after a secret trial.
• 2014 – The passenger ferry Norman Atlantic caught fire in the Adriatic Sea, killing an estimated 28 people.

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Palo is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th or early 20th century. It draws heavily upon the traditional Kongo religion of Central Africa, and from Catholicism and Spiritism. Central to Palo is the nganga, usually made from an iron cauldron. Many nganga are regarded as material manifestations of ancestral or nature deities known as mpungu. The nganga may contain a wide range of objects, among the most important being sticks and human remains, the latter called nfumbe. In Palo, the presence of the nfumbe means that the spirit of that dead person inhabits the nganga and serves the possessor. The nganga is "fed" with the blood of sacrificed animals and other offerings. Palo is most heavily practiced in eastern Cuba although it is found throughout the island and abroad, including in other parts of the Americas such as Venezuela, Mexico, and the United States. Palo adherents have faced problems with police for grave robbery to procure human bones. (Full article...)

• ... that a popular myth held that the French soldiers interred in Bayonet Trench (pictured) were buried alive with their rifles in their hands?
• ... that a lost chronicle of the kings of Kashmir is attributed to the author Ratnākara?
• ... that a critic described GNX, after its surprise release, as Kendrick Lamar's "greatest work" yet?
• ... that ballet dancer Nina Tikhonova taught dance for free to children who had been orphaned during World War II?
• ... that former adult actress Suzumi Suzuki's book Gifted was nominated for the Akutagawa Prize in 2022?
• ... that George Bogaars, as head of Singapore's Secret Branch, oversaw the detention of more than a hundred suspected communist sympathisers?
• ... that the Green Bay Packers won a snowy NFL playoff game by scoring six straight touchdowns after they had been losing 14–0?
• ... that William C. Roberts had to resign a pastorate in Ohio because his wife's illness was believed to be curable if she returned to her home state?
• ... that anarchism without adjectives has been described as an ecumenical or non-denominational form of anarchism?

• Former prime minister of India Manmohan Singh (pictured) dies at the age of 92.
• Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashes near Aktau International Airport, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people.
• A multi-vehicle crash in Minas Gerais, Brazil, leaves 41 people dead.
• A car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, kills five people and injures more than two hundred others.

December 27

• 1831 – HMS Beagle departed Plymouth, England, on a voyage to South America that established Charles Darwin (pictured) as a naturalist.
• 1939 – A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Turkey, destroying 90 per cent of the buildings in the area, and causing over 32,000 deaths.
• 1979 – Soviet–Afghan War: Soviet troops stormed Tajbeg Palace outside Kabul and killed Afghan president Hafizullah Amin and his 100–150 elite guards.
• 2007 – Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated while leaving a Pakistan People's Party political rally at Liaqat National Bagh in Rawalpindi.

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During Gillingham F.C.'s 1984–85 season, they competed in the Football League Third Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 53rd season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 35th since they were voted back into the league in 1950. Gillingham started the season with five wins in the first seven games and were challenging for a place in the top three of the league table, which would result in promotion to the Second Division. The team's performances then declined, and by November they were in mid-table. They won 12 out of 16 games to go back up to second place, before a poor run in March meant that they again dropped out of the promotion places. Gillingham finished the season fourth in the table, missing promotion by one place. They also competed in three knock-out competitions, winning no trophies, but won three times to reach the fourth round of the 1984–85 FA Cup before losing. The team played 56 competitive matches, and won 30. (Full article...)

• ... that a viral video by an Indian influencer (pictured) resulted in the sugar content of Bournvita being cut by almost 15 percent?
• ... that on 26 December 1724 J. S. Bach directed the first performance of Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 121, based on a hymn written by Martin Luther in 1524?
• ... that actress Jane Barnes learned how to pilot a plane so that she could fly home to Massachusetts on her own?
• ... that the largest IMAX cinema in the Southern Hemisphere is in Melbourne?
• ... that Musa al-Gharbi argues that "symbolic capitalists" support social justice movements to amass social currency?
• ... that American president Zachary Taylor is mentioned in a poem about the conversion of Saint Paul?
• ... that Filipino violinist Gilopez Kabayao was nicknamed the "Mozart to the Barrios"?
• ... that Ian Holm, who died in 2020, was "resurrected" to appear in Alien: Romulus through a combination of animatronics, computer-generated imagery, and artificial intelligence?
• ... that NFL player Adrian Baril also was a "fat men's race" champion?

• Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 (aircraft pictured) crashes near Aqtau International Airport, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people.
• A multi-vehicle crash in Minas Gerais, Brazil, leaves 41 people dead.
• A car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, kills five people and injures more than two hundred others.
• In France, Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men are convicted of the serial rape of his then-wife Gisèle Pelicot.

December 26: Saint Stephen's Day (Western Christianity); Boxing Day in the Commonwealth; Wren Day in Ireland and the Isle of Man; Kwanzaa begins (African diaspora in the Americas)

• 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou began with Confederate defenders engaging Union forces who were attempting to capture the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
• 1871 – Thespis, the first comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in London.
• 1900 – A relief crew arrived at the Flannan Isles Lighthouse (pictured) in Scotland and discovered that the previous crew had disappeared.
• 1943 – Second World War: The German battleship Scharnhorst was sunk at the Battle of the North Cape during an attempt to attack Arctic convoys.
• 2004 – A major earthquake and tsunami devastated communities around the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries.

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A Very Trainor Christmas is a Christmas album by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor (pictured). It was released 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), with six original recordings. Trainor promoted A Very Trainor Christmas with public appearances and televised performances. Trainor and MacFarlane's cover of "White Christmas" (1942) reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. Several other tracks received music videos. Critical commentary for the album was generally positive, with praise directed towards Trainor's charisma and the material. It reached number 7 on the US Holiday Albums chart and the top 50 in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. (This article is part of a featured topic: Meghan Trainor albums.)

• ... that the Adoration of the Magi in the Snow (pictured), recently re-dated, is now known to be the earliest of Bruegel's snow paintings?
• ... that the Philly Specials, formed by three football players from the Philadelphia Eagles, have recorded Christmas music with Stevie Nicks and Boyz II Men?
• ... that heavy spring rains caused a poor harvest of the Dickinson pumpkin, leading to a canned pumpkin shortage for Christmas in 2015?
• ... that Holiday Seasoning was promoted with the release of holiday seasonings?
• ... that HMT Night Hawk was sunk on Christmas Day 1914 while trawling for mines off Scarborough, England?
• ... that the National Gingerbread House Competition, despite its name, has featured gingerbread merry-go-rounds, sea monsters, and even the Statue of Liberty?
• ... that Pflaumentoffel, edible figures made from prunes, were sold by children in German Christmas markets in the 19th century?
• ... that "The Christmas Invasion" led to Christmas specials becoming a staple for Doctor Who?
• ... that A. krampus has been found living in southeastern Brazil?

• A road crash in Minas Gerais, Brazil, leaves 41 people dead on a bus.
• A car attack (aftermath pictured) at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, kills five people and injures more than two hundred others.
• In France, Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men are convicted of the serial rape of his then-wife Gisèle Pelicot.
• A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, leaving at least sixteen people dead.

December 25: Christmas (Western Christianity; Gregorian calendar); Hanukkah (Judaism) begins at sunset; Quaid-e-Azam Day in Pakistan

• 1046 – Henry III was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II.
• 1724 – Johann Sebastian Bach led the first performance of Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, based on the Christmas hymn written by Martin Luther in 1524.
• 1831 – A Baptist preacher named Samuel Sharpe began an unsuccessful eleven-day slave revolt in Jamaica.
• 1991 – In a nationally televised speech, Mikhail Gorbachev (pictured) resigned as President of the Soviet Union.
• 2009 – A fire destroyed Longford's 19th-century St Mel's Cathedral, considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands.

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The Brinks Hotel bombing occurred in Saigon 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 other people. 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...)

• ... that Voltairine de Cleyre (pictured), despite losing her ability to move or speak due to illness, refused to accept last rites by scowling at the priest?
• ... that tourte de blettes, a sweet pie made with Swiss chard, is traditionally eaten in Nice on Christmas Eve?
• ... that Casanova's friend Edoardo Tiretta built a bazaar in India?
• ... that Christmas: A Biography states that, despite its Christian origins, Christmas has been mostly secular since its inception in the fourth century?
• ... that Oh Hee-ok was the last surviving female Korean independence activist?
• ... that the Christmas carp traditionally swims in a bathtub for a few days before becoming Christmas Eve dinner?
• ... that Italian anti-Mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri survived three assassination attempts within three weeks?
• ... that in 2016 two thieves stole $350,000 worth of rare books in Oakland, California, and tried to sell some of them to Moe's Books nearby?
• ... that energy executive Chris Wright once drank fracking fluid to prove that it was not dangerous?

• A car attack (aftermath pictured) at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, kills five people and injures more than two hundred others.
• In France, Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men are convicted of the serial rape of his then-wife Gisèle Pelicot.
• A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, leaving at least sixteen people dead.
• Cyclone Chido leaves more than 160 people dead in southeast Africa.

December 24

• 759 – The Tang-dynasty poet Du Fu departed for Chengdu, where he lived for the next five years and composed poems about life in his thatched cottage.
• 1777 – An expedition led by English explorer James Cook reached Christmas Island (pictured), the largest coral atoll in the world.
• 1814 – The United Kingdom and the United States signed a peace treaty in Ghent, present-day Belgium, ending the War of 1812.
• 1987 – About 20,000 protesters marched in a civil rights demonstration in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States.
• 1999 – Jihadists linked to al-Qaeda hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814 to force the release of Islamist figures held in prison in India.

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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 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-percent 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...)

• ... that the 2022 Andover tornado (video featured) injured only three people, despite damaging more than 1,000 buildings?
• ... that Dithapelo Keorapetse was named Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana shortly after losing his bid for election to the legislature?
• ... that the 1962 space-age pop album Latin-esque was recorded with halves of the orchestra separated by almost a city block to heighten its stereo effects?
• ... that Bob Gandey founded a circus that continues to be operated by his descendants more than a century later?
• ... that Hudson's Bay Company ships reserved special rooms for important Lower Chehalis visitors due to their key role in regional trade networks?
• ... that referee Mike Hasenfratz acted in an ice hockey fight in Stay Tuned?
• ... that Planting a Rainbow has been praised for both its "deft use of colors" and the educational identification of seeds, bulbs, sprouts, and blossoms?
• ... that David Bookbinder was Margaret Thatcher's "least favourite local government leader"?
• ... that entitativity refers to how "groupy" a group is?

• A car attack (aftermath pictured) at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, kills five people and injures more than two hundred others.
• In France, Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men are convicted of the serial rape of his then-wife Gisèle Pelicot.
• A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, leaving at least sixteen people dead.
• Cyclone Chido leaves more than 140 people dead in southeast Africa.

December 23: Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca City, Mexico; Festivus

• 1776 – American Revolutionary War: American troops, overwhelmed by British reinforcements, retreated from the Battle of Iron Works Hill.
• 1888 – During a bout of mental illness, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (pictured) severed part of his left ear and gave it to a woman in a brothel in Arles, France.
• 1916 – First World War: Allied forces gained a strategic victory at the Battle of Magdhaba on the Sinai Peninsula.
• 1957 – Leading the Australia national cricket team, Ian Craig became the youngest-ever Test cricket captain at the time.
• 2008 – The Guinean military engineered a coup d'état, announcing that it planned to rule the country for two years prior to a new presidential election.

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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...)

• ... that René Vallon (pictured) achieved the first aeroplane flight, and was the first aeroplane-related death, in China?
• ... that the creator of The Americans drew inspiration for the show from his time as a CIA officer and a 2010 Russian spy scandal?
• ... that Tjeerd van Andel was surprised to find heaps of giant clam shells around hot springs on his first dive to the Pacific ocean floor?
• ... that art historians believe that Ellen Thesleff's self-portrait may have been drawn in a trance-like state?
• ... that Charles Herman Allen, university administrator and American Civil War captain, opened the University of Wisconsin to female enrollment in 1863?
• ... that during World War I the organ of evacuated Polish railway workers in Moscow denounced the trade unions of the Warsaw–Vienna railway as "separatists"?
• ... that the Mingxing Film Company released more than 150 films in 16 years, but most are now lost?
• ... that St. Gregory the Great Seminary was founded in a former juvenile mental hospital?
• ... that Ritsuko Taho once had her students at Harvard University slaughter a chicken and turn its bones into a sculpture?

• A car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, kills five people and injures more than two hundred others.
• In France, Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men are convicted of the serial rape of his then-wife Gisèle Pelicot (portrait shown).
• A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, leaving at least sixteen people dead.
• Cyclone Chido leaves more than 120 people dead in southern Africa.

December 22: Yule begins; Dongzhi Festival in China (2023)

• 856 – An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 struck the eastern Alborz mountains in Persia, causing an estimated 200,000 deaths.
• 1948 – Chaired by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia was established to counter Dutch attempts to re-assert colonial control.
• 1988 – Brazilian unionist and environmental activist Chico Mendes was murdered at his home in Xapuri.
• 2008 – A dike ruptured at a waste containment area for a coal-fired power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 million m³) of coal fly ash slurry (aftermath pictured) in the largest industrial spill in US history.

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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...)

• ... that George W. Bush quoted from the Quran in a speech he delivered (pictured) six days after the September 11 attacks?
• ... that Luo Shiwen led a secret cell of the Chinese Communist Party that negotiated better conditions for inmates at their concentration camp?
• ... that the Museiliha inscription hints at a border dispute between ancient Caesarea ad Libanum and Gigarta?
• ... that the fortune left by Zhu Baosan was believed to have been greatly diminished by his philanthropic activities?
• ... that less than a day after his dad died, Brett Favre played in "one of the greatest games of his fabulous career"?
• ... that a museum of tomato processing in Greece uses holographic mechanical fans to display images of workers?
• ... that Shelley Luther was elected to the Texas House of Representatives four years after being imprisoned?
• ... that the main cemetery of Mainz was established in 1803 and became the model for the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris?
• ... that David Green published more than 200 research papers before his 18th birthday?

• In France, Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men are convicted of the mass rape of his ex-wife Gisèle Pelicot.
• A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, leaving at least 16 people dead.
• President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol is impeached (signing pictured) following his declaration of martial law.
• Astro Bot wins Game of the Year at the Game Awards.