November 30
The first modern instance of a meteorite striking a human being occurs at Sylacauga, Ala., when a meteorite crashes through the roof of a house and strikes Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges who was sleeping on a couch at the time of impact. Mrs. Hodges was not permanently injured, but suffered a nasty bruise along her hip and leg. – 1954.
During a White House ceremony attended by James S. Brady, president Bill Clinton signs the Brady handgun-control bill into law. The law requires a prospective handgun buyer to wait five business days while the authorities check on his or her background. In 1981, James Brady, who served as press secretary for then president Ronald Reagan, was shot in the head during an attempt on president Reagan’s life. – 1993.
December 1
The Ford Motor Company introduces the continuous moving assembly line which could produce a complete car every two-and-a-half minutes. – 1913.
African American Rosa Parks refuses to go to the back of a Montgomery, Ala. bus, to add fuel to the growing civil rights movement’s campaign to win desegregation and end the deep South’s “Jim Crow” laws. – 1955.
Shortly after 11 a.m., 132 feet below the English Channel, workers drill through a wall of rock and connect an underwater tunnel, Chunnel, which links Great Britain with the European mainland of France. It took almost 13,000 workers four years to complete the 95 miles of tunnels which cost $15 billion. – 1990.
December 2
The Enron Corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York City court to spark one of the largest corporate scandals in the U.S.. Enron’s collapse cost investors billions of dollars, wiped out approximately 5,600 jobs, and liquidated almost $2.1 billion in pension plans. – 2001.
Court documents filed in Boston reveal Walmart Stores Inc. has agreed to pay $40 million to 87,500 Massachusetts employees who claimed the retailer denied them rest and meal breaks, manipulated time cards, and refused to pay overtime. – 2009.
December 3
Illinois achieves full statehood on this day. – 1818.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes an ordinance setting an eight-hour workday for all city employees. – 1867.
An explosion at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India leads to the worst industrial accident in history. More than 2,000 persons die and another 200,000 were injured when toxic gas enveloped the city. – 1984.
Arrests begin in Middleton, N.J. of teachers striking in violation of a no-strike law. Ultimately 228 educators were jailed for up to seven days before they were released following the Middleton Township Education Association’s agreement to take the dispute to mediation. – 2001.
December 4
Heavy smog begins to hover over London, England. It persists for four days and leads to the deaths of at least 4,000 residents. – 1952.
Black Panthers Fred Hampton, 21, and Mark Clark, 22, are gunned down by 14 police officers when asleep in their Chicago apartment. Approximately 100 bullets had been fired in what police described as a fierce gun battle with members of the Black Panther Party. However, ballistics experts later determined that only one of those bullets came from the Panthers. In addition, the so-called bullet holes in the front door of the apartment, which police pointed to as evidence that the Panthers had been shooting from within the apartment, actually were nail holes created by police in an attempt to cover up the attack. – 1969.
Islamic militants in Lebanon release kidnapped American journalist Terry Anderson after 2,454 days in captivity. – 1991.
December 5
A fire at the Brooklyn Theater in New York City kills nearly 300 individuals and injures hundreds more. Some victims perished from a combination of burns and smoke inhalation; others were trampled to death in the general panic that ensued. – 1876.
The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified to repeal the 18th Amendment and bring an end to the era of National prohibition of alcohol in The U.S.. – 1933.
December 6
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, officially ending the institution of slavery, is ratified: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” – 1865.
In Washington, D.C., workers place a nine-inch aluminum pyramid on top of a tower of white marble to complete the construction of an impressive monument to the city’s namesake and the Nation’s first president, George Washington. – 1884.