China began economic reforms in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping. The Brandenburg Gate in the Berlin Wall opened in 1989. The Continental Navy was commissioned in 1775. Dostoyevsky’s execution was called off in 1949. The first rural speed limits were posted in the UK in 1965. Christmas lights were invented in 1882. Ceausescu’s government was overthrown in 1989. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony premiered in 1808. The first gorilla was born in captivity in 1956. The US Embargo Act of 1807 went into effect.
China has embarked on massive economic reforms. (1978) Deng Xiaoping became the leader of the People’s Republic of China on this day and initiated a series of economic overhauls that lifted the country out of the poverty created by the Great Leap Forward. It was the beginning of China’s astonishing economic growth in the late 20th century.
The Brandenburg Gate in the Berlin Wall has been open forever. (1989) The gate had been one of the main crossings in the Berlin Wall but had been closed since 1961. Although the Berlin Wall had fallen about a month earlier, the formal opening of the Brandenburg Gate was an official acknowledgment of the end of the hostilities between East and West Germany.
The first US Navy was commissioned. (1775) The Continental Congress, the governing body during the American Revolution, created the Continental Navy, America’s first naval force. The first admiral only went on a mission once before being relieved of command. He was ordered to assess and possibly attack the British in the Chesapeake Bay. After seeing the British forces, he decided that the engagement was unfeasible, and so he departed for the Bahamas with the American fleet. Although he attacked and defeated a British port once he arrived in the Bahamas, he was relieved of command as soon as he returned to America.
The execution of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky was called off at the last minute. (1949) Dostoyevsky had been imprisoned for allegedly participating in anti-government activities. He received his pardon while facing a firing squad, and was instead sentenced to a Siberian labor camp.
The first rural speed limits were posted in the UK. (1965) Before today, there were no speed limits on non-urban roads in the UK – speed was left to the discretion of the driver. After several multi-car rear-end collisions and reports of cars regularly exceeding 150km/h, a maximum speed limit of 240km/h has been set.
Christmas lights were invented. (1882) Edward Johnson, a worker in Thomas Edison’s laboratory, put together 80 red, white and blue light bulbs to create the first set of Christmas lights. However, the idea didn’t take off right away: Christmas lights were expensive and most people couldn’t afford them until the early 20th century.
The government of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu has been overthrown. (1989) Ceausescu had maintained the socially and economically stunted country with extreme nationalism and a cult of personality. He and his wife fled the country when riots broke out in most of Romania’s major cities. They were quickly caught, convicted of mass murder and executed on December 25 of the same year.
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony premiered in Vienna. (1808) The concert didn’t go very well, and Beethoven restarted it halfway because the orchestra played so badly. The Fifth Symphony has become one of the best-known pieces of classical music of all time.
The first gorilla was born in captivity. (1956) Colo, the first gorilla born in captivity, was born at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. His birth was a turning point in zoo animal care standards, as many zoos began to focus more on keeping and breeding animals for zoos rather than taking them out of the wild. Since Colo’s birth, more than 30 gorillas have been born at the Columbus Zoo.
The United States Embargo Act of 1807 went into effect. (1807) The act prohibited American ships from trading with foreign countries, which was extremely unpopular with merchants. Although it was created in an attempt to keep America out of France and the ongoing conflict in Great Britain, it led to the Anglo-American War of 1812.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
