On This Day – 23 November 1644
Areopagitica; A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England is a 1644 prose polemical* tract by the English poet, scholar, and polemical author John Milton opposing licensing and censorship. Continue reading “1644 – John Milton publishes Areopagitica, a pamphlet decrying censorship”
On This Day – 22 November 1890
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 Nov 1890 – 9 Nov 1970) was a French general, resistant, writer and statesman. Continue reading “1890 – Charles de Gaulle, French general and politician is born”
15 June
On this day in 1215, King John of England puts his seal to the Magna Carta Libertatum (commonly known as Magna Carta).
13 June
Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), was a landmark ruling of the United States Supreme Court that the police must inform suspects of their rights before questioning them.
6 June
The assassination of Robert Francis “Bobby” Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John Fitzgerald “Jack” Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, during the campaign season for the 1968 presidential election, he died on this day in 1968 (the next day).
6 June
The Battle of Normandy begins when Operation Overlord, commences with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The allied soldiers quickly break through the Atlantic Wall and push inland in the largest amphibious military operation in history. Continue reading “1944 – World War II Operation Overlord”
4 June
Emily Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of King George V’s horse, Anmer, at the Epsom Derby. She is trampled, never regains consciousness and dies four days later.
4 April
Martin Luther King, Jr. (15 January 1929 – 4 April 1968) was assassinated on this day in 1968, he was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. Continue reading “1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. assassination”
4 April
Martin Luther King Jr. long opposed American involvement in the Vietnam War, but at first avoided the topic in public speeches in order to avoid the interference with civil rights goals that criticism of President Johnson’s policies might have created. However, at the urging of James Bevel, King eventually agreed to publicly oppose the war as opposition was growing among the American public. On this day in 1967, appearing at the New York City Riverside Church—exactly one year before his death—King delivered a speech titled “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”. Continue reading “1967 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “Beyond Vietnam …” speech”
8 March
Cloture, closure, or, informally, a guillotine is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. Continue reading “1917 – The United States Senate votes to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule”
17 January
The military–industrial complex, or military–industrial–congressional complex, comprises the policy and monetary relationships which exist between legislators, national armed forces, and the arms industry that supports them. Continue reading “1961 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the “military–industrial complex””
7 January
The 143rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from 7 January to September 1920, during the second year of Al Smith’s governorship, in Albany. At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Socialist Party also nominated tickets. Continue reading “1920 – The New York State Assembly refuses to seat five duly elected Socialist assemblymen”
4 January
The Fabian Society is a British socialist organization whose purpose is to advance the principles of socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. Continue reading “1884 – The Fabian Society is founded in London, England, United Kingdom”
19 December
The Hopetoun Blunder was a political event immediately prior to the Federation of the British colonies in Australia. Continue reading “1900 – The Hopetoun Blunder: the first Prime minister of Australia”
