December 5

Walt Disney was born on this day in 1901. Founding the Disney Brothers Studio in the early 1920s with his brother Roy, he would go on to produce the first cartoon with synchronized sound, “Steamboat Willie” in 1928 and release the first full-length animated film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937. Walt is also credited with making many key innovations in the world of animation during the course of his life, and the company he founded has grown to become a global entertainment juggernaut.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott began in Alabama on this day in 1955. Ignited in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks, a black woman who had refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man as was expected at the time, the boycott was organized by the Black community and lasted until Dec. 20, 1956. People across the city refused to ride buses to work or any other place for over a year until the public transportation was officially desegregated. The boycott is mostly remembered today for its key role in the Civil Rights Movement, and how it led to pastor Martin Luther King Jr. becoming a prominent member of said movement.

December 6

The 13th Amendment of the US Constitution was ratified on this day in 1865. The culmination of the conflict that had ignited the American Civil War, the 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery in the United States, stating, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, save 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.” The effects of this amendment would lead into the reconstruction era.

December 7

On this day in 1787 Delaware became the first state to adopt the new constitution of the United States of America.

The Japanese attacked the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on this day in 1941. Though the US was a neutral country at the time, Japan wished to prevent them from potentially interfering in their planned military campaigns in the Pacific Ocean, and so preemptively launched an attack on their nearest military base. The assault was led by over 300 Japanese aircraft and a fleet of submarines, and lasted for just over an hour. The attack destroyed or damaged over 16 US ships and 180 aircraft, and left close to 3,000 Americans dead, prompting the United States to officially enter World War II.

December 8

Former “Beatles” musician John Lennon was assassinated on this day in New York City in 1980. Just having returned to music after a 5-year hiatus, his killer was a very mentally unwell “Beatles” fan primarily known for his worship of the novel “The Catcher in the Rye.” Lennon was one of the most famous names in the world of music and was also a prominent peace activist.

The USSR officially ceased to exist on this day in 1991, following an agreement signed by the leaders of Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine that created the Commonwealth of Independent States. This Commonwealth would later be joined by the remaining republics of the former USSR, with the exception of Georgia.

December 9

Buckingham Palace announced the separation of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales in 1992. The couple’s marriage had been rocky for some time, with both sides having unhappiness and a cold attitude toward each other. After the divorce, Diana would continue to be a prominent part of British Society, becoming an activist and charity worker, and would go on to make significant strides in combating the negative social attitudes towards those who were afflicted with AIDs.

A five-day repair job in space on the $3 billion Hubble Space Telescope was finished by U.S. astronauts in 1993. An aberration on the primary mirror of the telescope had caused problems with the clarity of its view since its initial launch, but the telescope had fortunately been designed to be visited in space by astronauts in order for it to be repaired in case of emergency. This would be the first of several servicing missions conducted on the telescope.