1484: Pope Innocent VIII Issues a Bull Against Witchcraft
On December 5, 1484, Pope Innocent VIII issued the papal bull Summis desiderantes affectibus, condemning witchcraft and leading to widespread persecution across Europe.
“Where there is no imagination, there is no horror.”
~ Arthur Conan Doyle
Source: Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
1766: Christie’s Auction House Holds Its First Sale
On December 5, 1766, James Christie conducted the first auction for his now-famous auction house in London, later becoming a global leader in fine art and luxury sales.
“Art is the stored honey of the human soul.”
~ Theodore Dreiser
Source: Life, Art, and Music
1831: Former President John Quincy Adams Joins Congress
On December 5, 1831, John Quincy Adams, after serving as the sixth president of the United States, began his tenure as a member of the House of Representatives, where he became a vocal opponent of slavery.
“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone.”
~ John Quincy Adams
Source: Letters of John Quincy Adams
1848: President James K. Polk Confirms the California Gold Rush
On December 5, 1848, James K. Polk announced the discovery of gold in California, leading to the California Gold Rush, which transformed the state and fueled westward expansion.
“Gold is the promise of fortune, but it requires the courage of pioneers to claim it.”
~ James K. Polk
Source: State of the Union Address, 1848
1933: Prohibition Ends in the United States
On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, repealing Prohibition and ending a 13-year ban on the sale of alcohol.
“Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”
~ Homer Simpson (humorous reflection)
Source: The Simpsons
1945: Flight 19 Disappears in the Bermuda Triangle
On December 5, 1945, Flight 19, a group of five U.S. Navy bombers, disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle during a training exercise. The incident remains one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
~ Jacques Cousteau
Source: The Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau
1955: Montgomery Bus Boycott Begins
On December 5, 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott officially began, led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. This historic event lasted more than a year and became a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Source: Letter from Birmingham Jail
1978: Soviet Dissident Andrei Sakharov Wins Nobel Peace Prize
On December 5, 1978, Andrei Sakharov, a physicist and outspoken critic of the Soviet Union’s human rights abuses, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Source: Gandhi’s writings on peace
1991: Ukraine Joins the United Nations
On December 5, 1991, Ukraine, newly independent from the Soviet Union, officially joined the United Nations, solidifying its status as a sovereign state.
“Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.”
~ Herbert Hoover
Source: Hoover’s speeches on freedom
2013: Nelson Mandela Passes Away
On December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first Black president and a global symbol of peace and reconciliation, passed away at the age of 95.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
~ Nelson Mandela
Source: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
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