This day in history: 10 december

Europa

• Nobel Prizes and Alfred Nobel
  December 10 is the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and inventor who established the Nobel Prizes. The first Nobel Prize ceremony was held on December 10, 1901, in Stockholm, Sweden, and since then, Nobel Prizes have been awarded annually on this day in the fields of Peace, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Literature, with the Economics prize added later.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document in the history of human rights, proclaimed in Paris and celebrated globally as Human Rights Day.
• League of Cambrai
  On December 10, 1508, the League of Cambrai was formed as an alliance between Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France, Maximilian I (Holy Roman Emperor), and Ferdinand II of Aragon, aimed against the Republic of Venice.
• In 1317, the Nyköping Banquet took place in Sweden, where King Birger seized and imprisoned his brothers, leading to their deaths.
• In 1665, the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps was founded by Michiel de Ruyter.
• In 1768, the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was published in Edinburgh, Scotland, marking a significant contribution to European and global knowledge.
• December 10 often marks the end of various European cultural festivals and events. For example, the international human rights film festival “This Human World” in Vienna typically concludes on this date.
• In Rotterdam, the “Bridges Run Rotterdam,” a 15 km city run, is held on December 10.
• In Prague, the Dyzajn Market Winter, a major craft and design market, takes place around this weekend.
• Notable football birthdays and events: On December 10, 1948, Dušan Bajević, a prominent Yugoslav footballer, was born. Several European referees and players also share this date of birth.

America

• 1817: Mississippi was admitted as the 20th state of the United States, marking a significant expansion of the Union during the early 19th century.
• 1861: During the American Civil War, the Confederate States accepted a rival pro-Southern government’s declaration that Kentucky was the 13th state of the Confederacy.
• 1864: Major General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Union Army troops reached the outer Confederate defenses of Savannah, Georgia, as part of Sherman’s March to the Sea.
• Spanish-American War
  1898: The Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Spanish–American War. Spain ceded control of Cuba, and the United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines for $20 million.
• 1901: The first Nobel Prizes were awarded. This tradition continues to this day, with many American recipients.
• 1906: President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to win a Nobel Prize, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
• 1950: Dr. Ralph J. Bunche became the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation efforts in the Middle East.
• 1948: The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a landmark document drafted with significant American involvement and celebrated annually as Human Rights Day.
• 1851: Melvil Dewey, the American librarian who created the Dewey Decimal Classification system, was born. December 10 is now celebrated as Dewey Decimal System Day.
• 1953: The first issue of Playboy magazine was published in the United States.
• 1869: Wyoming Territory granted women the right to vote, a pioneering moment in American suffrage history.
• 1958: The first domestic passenger jet flight in the U.S. took place from New York to Miami.

Asia

• 1949: During the Chinese Civil War, the People’s Liberation Army began its siege of Chengdu, the last Kuomintang-held city on mainland China. This forced President Chiang Kai-shek and his government to retreat to Taiwan, marking a decisive moment in modern Chinese history.
• Constitution Day: Every year on December 10, Thailand celebrates Constitution Day, commemorating the 1932 transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. This event marked the beginning of modern democratic governance in Thailand and remains a cornerstone of the nation’s identity.
• 1510: The Portuguese army under Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from Yusuf Adil Shah and his Ottoman allies, resulting in a significant massacre and marking the start of Portuguese colonial rule in the region.
• 1913: Rabindranath Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for “Gitanjali,” a milestone for Asian literature and global recognition of Indian culture.
• 1930: C. V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on light scattering, becoming the first Asian and non-white Nobel laureate in science.
• 1998: Amartya Sen, Indian economist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his contributions to welfare economics and social justice.
• 1941: Japanese forces invaded Thailand and Malaya, part of the broader World War II campaign in Southeast Asia.
• 2000: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was exiled from Pakistan, a pivotal event in the country’s political history.

Africa

• Human Rights Day
  December 10 is celebrated across Africa as Human Rights Day. This marks the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The day is observed with political conferences, cultural events, and educational campaigns throughout the continent, highlighting the ongoing struggle for dignity, equality, and social justice in Africa.
• Nelson Mandela Memorial Service (2013)
  On December 10, 2013, South Africa held the official memorial service for Nelson Mandela at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. Mandela, the nation’s first Black president and a global icon for peace and reconciliation, had died on December 5, 2013. The memorial drew world leaders and tens of thousands of South Africans, reflecting Mandela’s profound impact on the continent and the world.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1964)
  On December 10, 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize. While King was American, his recognition was celebrated across Africa, especially in nations confronting colonialism and apartheid, as his nonviolent struggle for civil rights resonated deeply with African liberation movements.
• African Union and Human Rights
  The African Union’s Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights actively participates in Human Rights Day, often issuing statements and organizing events to promote human rights defenders and highlight the importance of protecting civil liberties across the continent.
• Cultural Observances
  December is also a period of rich cultural and religious celebrations in Africa. While not specific to December 10, this period includes preparations for Christmas and, in the diaspora, Kwanzaa (December 26–January 1), a celebration rooted in African harvest traditions and cultural values.