Today, on December 9, we will talk about some of the important events that changed the course of history. From invasion to equal rights, we have come a far along. Be it Webster’s newspaper (not dictionary) or Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special, each leaves a very distinct impression on us. Some events largely impact our current life. It is important for each one of us to recognize the struggles and courage of people who fought for the truth.
1658 Dutch troops occupy Quilon, India
Dutch entered India for trading textiles with spices. Later they captured Nagapatam near Madras (now Chennai) from Portuguese. They initially succeed in trading cotton, indigo, silk, rice and opium. However, with the rise in British Colonization, the Dutch faced huge commercial issues. Thus, this resulted in brutal warfare between the Dutch and British traders. The Battle Of Colace was the final blow that wiped out Dutch rule in India. One of the contributions was Hortus Malabaricus. It was the first book to publish Malayalam alphabets. It consists of twelve volumes and discusses the medicinal values of plants and herbs.
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1793 New York’s American Minerva published
New York’s first commercial newspaper published on December 9, 1793. Webster was keen on giving the English language a dignity and unique shape. A known lexicographer who started this newspaper. He was pro-Federalist and thus intended to reduce French influence on the US. He focused more on actual verbal English than rules of speaking English. Webster wrote on US politics, physical science, economics, language and medicines. Thus created the base which was responsible for constructing a difference between American English and British English. He also wrote American Dictionary of the English Language, now popularly known as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.
1854 “Charge of the Light Brigade” publishes
Alfred Tennyson under pseudonym A.T. published the poem in Examiner. This poem was about the Battle of Balaclava. The two articles in The Times’ newspaper gave Tennyson the idea for his poetry. This poem honors the brave soldiers who lost their lives in the battle. Each stanza is memorial to 100 men who fought the battle. This poem recalls the story of the battle in narrative form. This poem is used as a reference in works of Virginia Woolf’ “To The Lighthouse”. It also inspired Iron Maiden’s song “The Trooper”.
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1935 1st Heisman Trophy Award
This award honors NCAA football players. Named after college athlete club’s director, John Heisman, it started on December 9, 1935. He was an active college athlete in college. He played basketball, football and baseball. Downtown Athletic Club created this award to recognize ‘the most valuable college football player’. The first receiver was Jay Berwanger. People can be nominated in three ways. Either sports journalist or ex- Heisman trophy winner recommends or fans vote for them. Some famous players that received this award are Joe Burrow, Desmond Howard, etc.
1965 “A Charlie Brown Christmas” first animated special premieres
Based on comic strip Peanuts, this is a special tale for Christmas. Tale narrates a young boy Charlie who is sad at the onset of Christmas. His friend Lucy suggests him to put up a play. However, he is discouraged by his peers. Linus then explains to him the true essence of Christmas. The directors of this film hired children which was an unusual route. It was broadcast on TV from 1965 to 2000. This animation inspired a series of animation that portrayed traditional festivals.
Source: pinterest.com
1985 Michael Jackson & Whitney Houston win
Billboard Music Awards measure the singles or album performance in the US. Whitney Houston won for ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight’ in 1991. A famous pop-music with funk dance. To this date, the album sold Ten million copies worldwide. Michael Jackson won for ‘Dangerous’ album in 1992. He introduced underground sounds to the audience. It was his best-selling album and sold Thirty-two million copies worldwide. Album was previously named ‘Decade’. Michael Jackson wanted more independence and control. He also went rapping for the first time.
2017 Same-sex marriage is legal in Australia
After Colonization, many countries had very restrictive laws regarding Same-Sex relationship. Homosexuality was criminalized as per the Buggery Act of 1553. In 1973, the House of Representatives decriminalized homosexuality. At the end of 2003, States granted domestic partnership benefits and introduced age of consent. In 2017, Same-Sex marriages were legal. It also recognized adoption rights for parents, inheritance and property rights. Also, this is a very important step in empathizing with LGBTIQ+ communities. Australia sets a good example of gender equality and includes non-binary and transgender communities.
Hope you like our take on today’s history post. Do check out our update on Today post. Also, for more such content, follow us on https://www.bragsocial.org
