12 History Lessons + 7 Births & 7 Deaths for December 11, 2025
Today’s History:
1816 – Indiana is admitted as the 19th state of the United States, extending American statehood deeper into the Old Northwest Territory and accelerating settlement of the Midwest.
1901 – Guglielmo Marconi transmits the first transatlantic radio signal from Cornwall in England to Newfoundland, proving that wireless communication can span oceans and transforming global communications.
1913 – More than two years after it was stolen from the Louvre, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is recovered in Florence and returned to France, cementing its status as the world’s most famous painting.
1931 – The Statute of Westminster grants full legislative equality to the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire, a milestone in the evolution of an independent Commonwealth.
1936 – The abdication of King Edward VIII takes legal effect, making him the only British monarch to voluntarily give up the crown—so he can marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson.
1941 – Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy declare war on the United States, prompting Congress to respond in kind and turning World War II into a truly global conflict for America.
1946 – The United Nations establishes UNICEF, initially as an emergency relief agency for children in countries devastated by World War II, later expanding into a global advocate for child health and rights.
1972 – Apollo 17 astronauts land on the Moon in the last crewed mission of the Apollo program, marking the final time humans have walked on the lunar surface.
1980 – The U.S. Congress passes the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, better known as “Superfund,” creating a federal program to clean up toxic waste sites.
1997 – Delegates at a U.N. climate summit in Kyoto, Japan, adopt the Kyoto Protocol, setting binding greenhouse-gas reduction targets for industrialized nations and shaping climate diplomacy for decades.
2001 – After long negotiations, the People’s Republic of China formally joins the World Trade Organization, accelerating its integration into the global economy and reshaping world trade patterns.
2008 – Financier Bernard Madoff is arrested in New York and later revealed to have run the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history, shattering trust in Wall Street gatekeepers.
Today’s Birthdays:
1931 – Rita Moreno – Puerto Rican–born American actor, singer, and dancer, one of the few EGOT winners and a trailblazer for Latino performers in Hollywood and on Broadway. (94)
1943 – John Kerry – American politician, former U.S. senator and secretary of state, and the country’s first special presidential envoy for climate. (82)
1969 – Viswanathan Anand – Indian chess grandmaster and former world champion whose rapid tactical style made him one of the dominant players of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. (56)
1973 – Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) – American rapper, actor, and activist known for socially conscious hip hop and acclaimed roles in film and television. (52)
1992 – Malcolm Brogdon – American professional basketball player, NBA Rookie of the Year and valued two-way guard known for efficient scoring and steady leadership. (33)
1993 – Yalitza Aparicio – Mexican actor and former teacher who earned an Academy Award nomination for her debut role in Alfonso Cuarón’s film Roma. (32)
1996 – Hailee Steinfeld – American actor and singer whose breakout in True Grit led to a dual career spanning prestige films, pop music, and franchise roles like Hawkeye. (29)
Today’s Deaths:
1959 – Jim Bottomley – American Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman nicknamed “Sunny Jim,” a standout slugger for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1920s and 1930s. (59)
1964 – Sam Cooke – Pioneering American soul singer and songwriter whose smooth vocals and crossover hits like “A Change Is Gonna Come” made him a pillar of modern popular music. (33)
2004 – M. S. Subbulakshmi – Indian Carnatic vocalist revered as the “Queen of Music,” the first musician to receive India’s Bharat Ratna, and an international ambassador for Indian classical music. (88)
2008 – Bettie Page – American model whose mid-century pinup photos and distinctive bangs made her a lasting pop-culture icon dubbed the “Queen of Pinups.” (85)
2012 – Ravi Shankar – Indian sitar virtuoso and composer who popularized Indian classical music worldwide and influenced generations of Western musicians. (92)
2021 – Anne Rice – American novelist best known for Interview with the Vampire and her influential gothic, religious, and erotic fiction cycles. (80)
1978 – Vincent du Vigneaud – American biochemist and Nobel laureate recognized for his work on sulfur compounds and for synthesizing the peptide hormone oxytocin. (77)
Our revenue comes from a combination of direct subscriptions from users and commissions earned by affiliate commissions from sponsors’ links and banners. Some of the links you click may be affiliate links that generate that revenue.