1980s

Terrorist Bomber Begins His Deadly Rampage - 12/17/1989

On this fateful day in 1989, Robert Vance, who is a judge, was sitting with his wife in the kitchen of their home when he opened a package addressed to him that exploded and killed him immediately. The same day, another mailed bomb killed an attorney, Robert Robinson, in his office in Savannah, Georgia. Two days later, bomb packages were sent to the federal courthouse in Atlanta and to the Jacksonville, Mississippi office of the NAACP. If not for the timely intervention of the police, the NAACP vice-president would have suffered the same fate as Robert Vance. In addition, Robert Vance is one of the few judges in American history to have been killed as the result of his judicial service. Immediately, the FBI assigned a team to find the terrorist, naming their operation VANPAC (for Vance package bomb). The team utilized almost every forensic technique accessible: from DNA profiles were made using the spit on the stamps and both the paint on the containers and the nails used in building the bomb were traced back to the manufacturer. Initially, the investigators thought it was the handy work of a white supremacist campaign, but when no group claimed responsibility, they began to suspect it was the work of a loner.Later, an FBI agent recalled that Walter LeRoy Moody had been convicted in 1972 for setting off a pipe bomb with a similar pattern to that of the 1989 bombs. Searching Moody's home there was no evidence that linked to the VANPAC bombs, however bomb specialists compared his 1972 bomb with the VANPAC explosives and verified that there was little uncertainty that a similar man had made them all. Roy Moody was a loner filled with grudge against the judicial system for sentencing him to five years in prison for setting off a bomb that caused a first and second degree burns on his wife. A ruling he tried appealing at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals but was unsuccessful.A federal jury found Moody guilty on charges relating to bombing and in June of 1991, he was sentenced to seven life terms plus 400 years in prison. The murder case was finally arranged after his second wife agreed to testify against her husband. She explained in detail about the room she was not allowed to enter, how she disguised in order to buy bomb ingredients for him and how she helped him mail packages that she was not allowed to check. In 1997, an Alabama judge sentenced Moody to the electric chair for Vance's murder.

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1990s

Clinton Orders Air Attack On Iraq - 12/16/1998

Today in 1998, President Bill Clinton declares he has ordered air strikes against Iraq since the country declined to collaborate with United Nations (U.N.) weapons inspectors. A development that most of the key congressmen did not welcome because Clinton was in the midst of an impeachment proceedings, and many of them believe the President was just using the air strikes to direct their attention off the case. A day before the announcement, the House of Representatives had issue a 265-page report suggesting the impeachment of President Bill Clinton for " abuse of power and gross misconduct" coupled with the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, which he denied.The order for air strikes on Iraq was the result of the country's attempts to building weapons of mass destruction, which includes nuclear, chemical and biological agents. In 1997, because of Saddam Hussein's violent manners, and the fear that he may tried using those nuclear weapons against his own people, the United Nations sent an envoy to inspect whether the country is building any weapon of mass destruction. After denying the inspectors access to certain sites several times, Clinton was left with no other option than to use the air strikes to force Hussein to cooperate. The majority House leader Trent Lott and many others were of the opinion that the planning of the air strikes was hasty and questionable. They maintained that the president is using the air strikes as a ploy to shift the public eye away from the impeachment proceedings and that Hussein would never agree to comply with the U.N.'s demands. Lott and his partners opined that the best way to end Iraq's weapons program is by immediate seizure of power from Hussein.When Clinton was addressing the press that same day, he stylishly ignored the criticism, saying that Iraq president was wrong if he thought "…the impeachment proceedings going on would disturb or weaken America's interest in Iraq." He maintained that his decision to launch air strikes was because of America's interest in the region and for the world security.At last, the American attention and that of the press maintained focus on the impeachment proceedings that is rocking Clinton's administration. However, the impeachment threat and Iraq air strikes did not yield any meaningful result. In February of 1999, the Senate vindicated Clinton while the air strikes on Iraq hardened the heart of Hussein because he did not allow U.N.'s inspectors full access to Iraq's weapons facilities.

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1960s

The Man Behind The Holocaust Sentenced To Death - 12/15/1961

On this date in 1961, the Nazi Secret Service officer Adolf Eichmann who organized Adolf Hitler's "final resolution to ending Jews in Europe" is finally sentenced to death in Israel.Adolf Eichmann was born in 1906, in Solingen, Germany. In November 1932, he joined the Nazi's elite SS called "Schutzstaffel" whose members later became key players in Nazi Germany and were responsible for policing, intelligence, and the authorization of Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic policies. Within few years, Eichmann rose in the SS chain of command, and with the German invasion of Austria in 1938, he was sent to Vienna with the sole purpose of clearing the city of Jews. He did an effective job in the city and even set up a Jewish deportment center before he was moved to Prague in 1939 for a similar mission. That same year, Eichmann was assigned to the Jewish section of the SS headquarters in Berlin. In January 1942, according to Hermann Goering (one of Nazi's leader), Eichmann met with top Nazi authorities at the Wannsee Conference close to Berlin in order to discuss the "final resolution to ending Jews in Europe". The Nazis chose to eliminate Europe's Jewish populace. Eichmann was assigned the responsibility to facilitate the identification, gathering, and transportation of millions of Jews in Europe to the Nazi concentration camps, where they were either gassed or worked to death. Eichmann was efficient at his work, and about four million Jews died in the concentration camp by the end of the Second World War, while another two million were killed in other death camps.After World War II, Eichmann was caught by U.S. troops. Unfortunately, he managed to escape prison in 1946, before he could face Nuremberg International War Crimes Tribunal. Eichmann travelled between Europe and the Middle East under a false identity, and in 1950, he permanently settled in Argentina, which is known to be a refuge for Nazi war criminals because of his slack immigration policies. In 1957, a German prosecutor secretly leaked the information that Eichmann was living in Argentina to Israel's intelligence service. Israel's Mossad agents were sent to Argentina, where they found Eichmann living in the San Fernando area of Buenos Aires under the name of Ricardo Klement.During Argentina's 150th anniversary of its revolution against Spain in 1960 and many tourists were trooping in to Argentina to join in the celebration. The Mossad utilized the chance to sneak-in more agents. Israel, realizing that Argentina may never agree to hand over Eichmann for trial, had chosen to abduct him and take him to Israel illegally. On May 11, Mossad agents stormed Garibaldi Street in San Fernando and grabbed Eichmann away as he was strolling from the bus to his home. In addition, his family called nearby hospitals but not the police, and Argentina remained unaware of the operation. On May 20, a sedated Eichmann was flown out of Argentina masked as an Israeli airline worker who had suffered head injury in an accident. After three days, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion declared that Eichmann was in Israeli custody.Argentina requested Eichmann's return, while Israel maintained that given his status as an international war criminal, they have the right to continue with the trial. On April 11, 1961, Eichmann's trial started in Jerusalem, making it the first broadcast trial ever. Eichmann faced 15 count charges ranging from crimes against humankind, persecution of the Jewish race, and war crimes. However, Eichmann claimed the he was simply following orders, which the judges disagreed, and on December 15, he was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to death. On May 31, 1962, he was hanged near Tel Aviv. His body cremated and the ashes tossed into the ocean.

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1700s

George Washington Passes - 12/14/1799

On this day in 1799, one of the founding fathers of United States of America and the first president George Washington dies at the age of 67 in his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Born in 1732 to a family of planters who owned tobacco plantations and slaves, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, George Washington had his first direct military experience as a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia colonial militia in 1754, when on behalf of Virginia governor, he led a small crusade against the French in the Ohio River valley. In 1756, during the French and Indian War, Washington took control of the defenses of the western Virginian frontiers. When the war's battleground moved somewhere else, he resigned from his military post, went back to his family's business and won a seat at Virginia's House of Burgesses. The next two decades saw Washington openly opposed the ever-increasing British taxation and oppression of the American settlements. He was selected to represent Virginia at the Continental Congress in 1774, and after the American Revolution crises began in 1775, Washington was chosen as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. However, some members of the Continental Congress opposed his appointment, arguing that there were men that are more competent and suitable for the position, but he was eventually selected because of his leadership roles as a Virginian who played a key role in uniting the Southern colonies.With his unprepared and poorly equipped civilian army, General Washington led an effective war that the defeated the British forces in America while urging the French army to join forces with the colonists. On October 19, 1781, British General Charles Lord Cornwallis' surrendered the British army at Yorktown, Virginia.When the war ended, Washington returned to his estate at Mount Vernon but returned in 1787 when he was called back into politics to chair the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unknowingly to him, the drafters of the constitution had created the office of the president with his name in mind, and in February 1789, Washington was unanimously chosen as the president of the United States of America.Washington strived to unite the country and protect the interests of the new republic at home and abroad. He said of his administration, "Here I am, walking a new path. There is hardly any piece of my actions, which may not from this point forward be use as a point of reference." He effectively implemented the executive power, and made good use of great minds for example, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson in his cabinet and did not use the presidency to cause tyranny. He won a reelection in 1792 and later rejected a third term bid.He finally retired in 1797 at his estate in Virginia. Two years later, Washington died of acute laryngitis. His longtime friend Henry Lee gave an acclaimed tribute to the father of the United States: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his people."

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Postclassical Era (500-1500)

Drake’s Journey Begins – 12/13/1577

History has recorded explorations achieved by man for centuries. When looking at the technology that is available to those seeking to explore today, one cannot help but wonder how early explorers were able to accomplish all that they did. One particular boon for exploration was that it was not limited to one nation which meant there was more of a chance of areas around the world to be discovered. Spain was known for the success of their explorers as one of them is celebrated today as a national holiday; the holiday is Columbus Day which is named after the Spanish explorer known as Christopher Columbus. Although a certain British explorer does not have a holiday named after him, what he did was an achievement in the eyes of the British people.Francis Drake was an English seaman who set sail from Plymouth, England on December 13th, 1577 with 164 men on five ships. Their assignment was to sail to the Pacific coast to acquire Spanish holdings in the New World as well as to explore the Pacific Ocean. Drake’s voyage back to Plymouth three years later marked the first time a British explorer had circumnavigated the earth. Drake had to leave behind two of his vessels in South America once he crossed the Atlantic and then with the ships remaining set forth into the Straits of Magellan. Unfortunately, several destructive storms had devastating effects on his expedition within the treacherous straits; one vessel had to sail back to England while the other was destroyed. The only ship to reach the Pacific Ocean was The Golden Hind but Drake still sailed on up the western coast of South America; Drake and his crew was able to secure a wealthy treasure vessel as well as raiding Spanish settlements.Looking for an alternative northeast route back to the Atlantic, Drake sailed up the western coast of North America. He ended up as far north as where Washington presently is, he turned back end stopped to repair his vessel in June of 1579 close to San Francisco; Drake was getting prepared for his voyage across the Pacific. He acknowledged the territory for Queen Elizabeth I and named it “Nova Albion.”The ship began its’ voyage across the Pacific in July and investigated some islands until returning to the Atlantic Ocean by rounding Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. The Golden Hind had finally arrived in Plymouth, England on September 26th, 1580 with spice, treasure and important information regarding the greatest oceans of the world. Drake had accomplished being the original captain to travel on his own vessel completely around the world. Portuguese’s explorer Ferdinand Magellan did travel three quarters of the journey around the world earlier in the century; however, he had been murdered in the Philippines which left the Basque navigator Juan Sebastian de Elcano to finish the voyage.During a visit to Drake’s ship in 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted the son of a tenant farmer; Francis Drake. Sir Francis Drake would soon play a pivotal part in the Spanish Armada’s defeat as well as being remembered as the most renowned of the Elizabethan seamen.

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1980s

Da Vinci Notebook Sells For Over 5 Million – 12/12/1980

American oil tycoon Armand Hammer purchases a notebook at an auction on December 12th, 1980 for $5,126,000; it held writings of the famous artist Leonard de Vinci. The manuscript was one of 30 books that were somewhat the same of books created by Leonardo created while alive on different subjects around 1508. The contents held 72 loose pages featuring roughly 300 detailed drawings and notes relating to the concept of water and on its motion. Experts have commented on how da Vinci referred to it when painting the background for the Mona Lisa; now viewed today as his masterwork. Written in chalk and brown ink, the text appeared from right to left which was an example of mirror-writing technique; this was a technique Leonardo favored. The notebook was discovered by painter Giuseppi Ghezzi in a chest of paperwork that was owned by Guglielmo Della Porto in 1690; he was a 16th-century Milanese sculptor who had learned about da Vinci’s work. Thomas Coke, known as the first earl of Leicester, purchased the manuscript in 1717 and placed it at his family estate in England with his recognized collection of art. The notebook would become known as the Leicester Codex over 200 years later as it eventually appeared on auction in London’s Christie as the Lord Coke of present was compromised regarding paying taxes on inheritance of collection of art and the estate; therefore, he had no choice but to sell. The press and art experts guessed that the notebook would fetch a price from $7 to $20 million days prior to the auction. Interestingly, the starting bid was $1.4 million and within minutes, several others began to bid where the amount being raised each time was $100,000. The final price tag of $5.12 million was the largest price tag ever spent for a manuscript during this period in time; the legendary Gutenberg Bible copy sold in 1978 for merely $2 million. Hammer would say later “I’m very happy with the price. I expected to pay more. There is no work of art in the world I wanted more than this.” Unfortunately for Lord Coke, he was only “reasonably happy” with the fetching price because he said the proceeds would not be enough to pay off the amount he owed.Hammer is the president of a corporation named Occidental Petroleum and before adding his trophy to his valuable art collection, changed the notebook’s name to the Hammer Codex. The notebook and his other various works eventually went to the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) after his death in 1990. The museum offered to sell the manuscript several years later saying it had no choice being the funds were needed to pay for legal costs incurred when the niece and only heir of Hammer’s late wife, Frances, went after the estate insinuating he robbed Frances of what was rightfully her part of his fortune. The Hammer Codex was eventually bought at the steep and new record price of $30.8 million at an auction in New York by an unknown bidder later to be identified as Bill Gates; Microsoft’s billionaire founder. Gates restored the manuscript back to the Leicester Codex and presently has let several museums borrow the manuscript for the public to view.

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