King Henry I of England, dies on December 1, 1135. Although an arrangement had been made by Henry I for his daughter, Empress Matilda, to become Queen, her cousin Stephen of Blois was crowned King of England on the 22nd December, leading to a succession crisis and period of civil war known as "The Anarchy."
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What Happened Today in History on December 1
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on December 1st. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Pope Eugenius III issues his papal bull Quantum praedecessores, calling for the Second Crusade to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims.
His call was preached throughout Europe by Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux. The same indulgences as those offered during the First Crusade were granted to encourage participation.
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, returns to England from exile on December 1, 1170, after an agreement with King Henry II. His return was met with a mixed reception Becket was murdered in the cathedral on December 29, 1170.
The world's first moving assembly line debuts at the Ford Model T car factory in Highland Park, Michigan. The innovation spearheaded by Henry Ford, revolutionized the auto industry. More
1955, December 1 - Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement. More
A fire at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic elementary school in Chicago's Humboldt park community results in the death of 92 children and 3 nuns. The oldest part of the building was built in 1910.
Due to a "grandfather clause" in the city's fire code, the building officially met safety standards, even though it did not have the safety features required of modern buildings at that time. Thousands of older school buildings were brought up to code in the year following the fire.
The Antarctic Treaty is signed on December 1, 1959 in Washington D.C. by the twelve nations that had been active during the International Geophysical Year (IGY).
The twelve nations were: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and USSR. The treaty went into effect on June, 23 1961. More
The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Hotline is established between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Benazir Bhutto becomes the first female leader of a Muslim nation in modern history. She served two terms as prime minister of Pakistan, in 1988–90 and 1993–96.
In December 2007 Bhutto was assassinated while campaigning for parliamentary elections. Bhutto’s husband, Asif Ali Zardari became president of Pakistan in 2008.
The Chunnel Breakthrough made history on December 1, 1990 when British miner Graham Fagg and his French counterpart Philippe Cozette0 when broke through the last piece of rock separating the French and British side of the Chunnel.
The breakthrough, a mostly ceremonial event at 132 feet (100 meters) below the English Channel, connected the two ends of the underwater tunnel linking Great Britain with the European mainland for the first time since the Ice Age. The official opening of the Chunnel took place In a May 6, 1994 in a ceremony presided over by England’s Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand. More
The Lisbon Treaty, which reformed the European Union's (EC) institutions, comes into force on December 1, 2009. It had been signed on December 13, 2007.
Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush passes away at the age of 94.