December 23: Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca City, Mexico; FestivusVincent van Gogh1776 American Revolutionary War: American troops, overwhelmed by British reinforcements, retreated from the Battle of Iron Works Hill.1888 During a bout of mental illness, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (pictured) severed part of his left ear and gave it to a woman in a brothel in Arles, France.1916 First World War: Allied forces gained a strategic victory at the Battle of Magdhaba on the Sinai Peninsula.1957 Leading the Australia national cricket team, Ian Craig became the youngest-ever Test cricket captain at the time.2008 The Guinean military engineered a coup d'tat, announcing that it planned to rule the country for two years prior to a new presidential election.Carl Gustaf Wrangel (b.1613)Dost Mohammad Khan (b.1792)Carla Bruni (b.1967)Chryssa (d.2013)More anniversaries: December 22December 23December 24ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

George Norman Barnard (December23, 1819 February4, 1902) was an American photographer who was one of the first to use daguerreotype, the first commercially available form of photography, in the United States. A fire in 1853 destroyed the grain elevators in Oswego, New York, an event Barnard photographed. Historians consider these some of the first "news" photographs. Barnard also photographed Abraham Lincoln's 1861 inauguration. Barnard is best known for American Civil War era photos. He was the official army photographer for the Military Division of the Mississippi commanded by Union general William T. Sherman; his 1866 book, Photographic Views of Sherman's Campaign, showed the devastation of the war. This photograph, by Mathew Brady, shows Barnard c.1865.Photograph credit: Mathew Brady; restored by Adam CuerdenRecently featured: Common starlingCholatseMarie Antoinette and Her ChildrenArchiveMore featured pictures

December 22: Yule begins; Dongzhi Festival in China (2023)Aerial view of the Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill856 An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 struck the eastern Alborz mountains in Persia, causing an estimated 200,000 deaths.1948 Chaired by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia was established to counter Dutch attempts to re-assert colonial control.1988 Brazilian unionist and environmental activist Chico Mendes was murdered at his home in Xapuri.2008 A dike ruptured at a waste containment area for a coal-fired power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 1.1billion gallons (4.2millionm3) of coal fly ash slurry (aftermath pictured) in the largest industrial spill in US history.Carl Friedrich Abel (b.1723)William Hyde Wollaston (d.1828)Meghan Trainor (b.1993)Dina Belenkaya (b.1993)More anniversaries: December 21December 22December 23ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a medium-sized perching bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 centimetres (8 inches) long and has glossy black plumage, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. It is a noisy bird, especially in communal roosts, with an unmusical but varied song. The starling has about a dozen subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and western Asia, and it has been introduced elsewhere. This bird is resident in southern and western Europe and southwestern Asia, while northeastern populations migrate south and west in winter. The starling builds an untidy nest in a natural or artificial cavity in which four or five glossy, pale blue eggs are laid. These take two weeks to hatch and the young remain in the nest for another three weeks. The species is omnivorous, taking a wide range of invertebrates, as well as seeds and fruit. The starling's gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the medieval Welsh Mabinogion and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare. This common starling was photographed at Bodega Head on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California.Photograph credit: Frank SchulenburgRecently featured: CholatseMarie Antoinette and Her ChildrenPapayaArchiveMore featured pictures

December 21Crew of Apollo81620 The Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower landed at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, to establish the Plymouth Colony.1963 An attempt by Greek Cypriot police to search certain Turkish Cypriot women in Nicosia escalated into island-wide violence, leading to 538 deaths and the displacement of nearly 27,000 people.1968 Apollo8 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a trajectory to the Moon; its crew (pictured) became the first humans to visit another celestial body.1988 A bomb on board Pan Am Flight103 detonated over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.2018 Operatives of the British Special Boat Service boarded the container ship Grande Tema in the Thames Estuary to detain four stowaways who had threatened the crew.Sun Sheng (d.956)Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Walid (d.1215)Luang Por Dattajivo (b.1940)Hu Jintao (b.1942)More anniversaries: December 20December 21December 22ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Cholatse is a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Nepalese Himalayas. It has an elevation of 6,440 metres (21,130ft) above sea level. Cholatse is connected to the slightly higher Taboche by a long ridge. The Chola glacier descends off the east face. A lake is located to the east, which gave the mountain its name in Tibetan, cho means 'lake', la means 'pass', and tse means 'peak'. Cholatse was first climbed via the southwest ridge in 1982. The north and east faces of the mountain can be seen from Dughla, on the trail to the Everest base camp. This photograph of Cholatse was taken from the east, near Dughla, with a small section of Chola Lake visible in the centre of the image. The terminal moraine of the glacier can be seen in the foreground.Photograph credit: Vyacheslav ArgenbergRecently featured: Marie Antoinette and Her ChildrenPapaya20232024 Sundhnkur eruptionsArchiveMore featured pictures

December 20Russian and U.S. Implementation Force troops1852 Led by George Cathcart, British troops defeated Basuto and Taung forces at the Battle of Berea in present-day Lesotho, leading to an offer of peace from King MoshoeshoeI.1940 The superhero Captain America made his first published appearance in the comic book Captain America Comics#1.1980 NBC aired the American football match between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins without announcers.1995 Mandated by the Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian War, the NATO-led Implementation Force (troops pictured) began peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.1999 Portugal transferred the sovereignty over Macau, which it had administered since the mid16th century, to China.Ambroise Par (d.1590)Jean Jannon (d.1658)Bill O'Reilly (b.1905)Elizabeth Kekaaniau (d.1928)More anniversaries: December 19December 20December 21ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Marie Antoinette and Her Children is an oil-on-canvas painting by the French artist lisabeth Vige Le Brun, painted in 1787. It shows Marie Antoinette, the consort of King LouisXVI of France, wearing a red velvet gown with a sable lining. Her younger son, the future LouisXVII, sits on her lap, while her daughter Marie-Thrse leans on her arm. Marie Antoinette's elder son, Louis Joseph, at that time Dauphin of France, is near an empty cradle intended for her younger daughter Sophie, who died before the painting's completion. The work was commissioned by LouisXVI in an effort to improve the public perception of Marie Antoinette, after her reputation was tarnished by the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, by focusing on her role as a queen and a mother; she is depicted with little jewellery. The painting was first shown at the Salon in Paris, to mixed reactions, and is now displayed at the Palace of Versailles.Painting credit: lisabeth Vige Le BrunRecently featured: Papaya20232024 Sundhnkur eruptionsMauritius fodyArchiveMore featured pictures

December 19Frontispiece to A Christmas Carol1828 Nullification crisis: American vice president John C. Calhoun's South Carolina Exposition and Protest, written to protest the Tariff of Abominations, was presented to the South Carolina House of Representatives.1843 A Christmas Carol (illustration pictured), a novella by Charles Dickens about the miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation after being visited by ghosts, was published.1983 The Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to the winner of the FIFA World Cup, was stolen from the offices of the Brazilian Football Confederation.1997 SilkAir Flight185 crashed into the Musi River in Indonesia, killing 104 people.2013 The European Space Agency's spacecraft Gaia was launched with the goal of constructing the largest and most precise star catalogue ever made.Adelaide of Susa (d.1091)Sakakibara Kenkichi (b.1830)Kristina Keneally (b.1968)Ahmet Emin Yalman (d.1972)More anniversaries: December 18December 19December 20ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

The papaya (Carica papaya), also known as the pawpaw, is a plant species in the family Caricaceae, and also the name of the plant's fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and Central America, and is now grown in several countries in regions with a tropical climate. The papaya fruit is a large berry about 15 to 45cm (5.9 to 17.7in) long and 10 to 30cm (3.9 to 11.8in) in diameter. The fruit is cultivated for food, being typically consumed when ripe and eaten raw without skin or seeds. The black seeds are also edible and have a sharp, spicy taste. This photograph shows the longitudinal cross section of a papaya fruit lying on its side, with orange flesh and numerous black seeds visible. The picture was focus-stacked from seven separate images.Photograph credit: Ivar LeidusRecently featured: 20232024 Sundhnkur eruptionsMauritius fodyCaroline HillArchiveMore featured pictures

December 18: National Day in Qatar (1878)Atlas rocket carrying SCORE1622 Portuguese forces and their Imbangala allies defeated the Kongo army at the Battle of Mbumbi.1932 Playing indoors at Chicago Stadium on a modified American football field, the Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first playoff game of the National Football League.1958 The United States launched SCORE (rocket pictured), the world's first communications satellite.1963 Ghanaian and other African students organized a protest in Moscow's Red Square in response to the alleged murder of medical student Edmund Assare-Addo.2017 An Amtrak Cascades passenger train derailed near DuPont, Washington, killing three people and injuring sixty-five others.Yaonian Yanmujin (d.933)Edith of Wessex (d.1075)Ty Cobb (b.1886)Keith Richards (b.1943)More anniversaries: December 17December 18December 19ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

A series of volcanic eruptions has been ongoing in the Reykjanes Peninsula, near the town of Grindavk, Iceland, since 18December 2023. The eruptions, of which there have been seven so far, began after an intense series of earthquakes in November2023. Although localised, seismic and volcanic activity has caused significant disruption across the western part of the peninsula, especially for the town of Grindavk. This Icelandic Meteorological Office photograph, taken on 18December 2023, shows the first eruption in the series, in the Sundhnksggar crater chain.Photograph credit: Icelandic Meteorological OfficeRecently featured: Mauritius fodyCaroline HillOrngeArchiveMore featured pictures

December 17: International Day to End Violence Against Sex WorkersMemorial to victims of the 1970 Polish protests942 William Longsword of Normandy was ambushed and assassinated by supporters of ArnulfI, Count of Flanders, while both were at a peace conference to settle their differences.1948 The Finnish Security Police was established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police.1967 Harold Holt, the prime minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming near Portsea, Victoria; his body was never recovered.1970 Polish soldiers fired at workers (memorial pictured) emerging from trains in Gdynia, beginning the government's crackdown on mass anti-communist protests across the country.2010 Arab Spring: Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor in Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire in protest against police harassment, triggering the Tunisian revolution.Rumi (d.1273)mile Roux (b.1853)Willard Libby (b.1908)Alicia Boole Stott (d.1940)More anniversaries: December 16December 17December 18ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

The Mauritius fody (Foudia rubra) is a rare and endangered species of bird in the weaver family, Ploceidae. It is endemic to the southern Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, where it resides in several types of forest, including degraded areas, as well as plantations. With a length of around 14 centimetres (5.5 inches), breeding males are olive brown, with a red head, breast and rump patch, and black lores. Females, non-breeding males and juveniles are olive brown with white wing bars and a brown bill. The bird feeds on insects such as grasshoppers, beetle larvae, caterpillars, and also spiders. Berries are eaten regularly by some individuals, and it feeds on nectar regularly, using its specialised brush-tipped tongue. This male Mauritius fody was photographed on the le aux Aigrettes, an island off Mauritius's south-eastern coast.Photograph credit: Charles J. SharpRecently featured: Caroline HillOrngeStephanolepis hispidusArchiveMore featured pictures

December 16: Day of Reconciliation in South AfricaBoston Tea Party1598 Led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the Korean navy were victorious at Battle of Noryang, ending the Japanese invasions of Korea.1773 American Revolution: A group of colonists threw chests of tea into Boston Harbor (pictured) to protest British taxation without representation.1938 Adolf Hitler instituted the Cross of Honour of the German Mother, an order of merit for German mothers with at least four children.1997 Amid an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the British government banned the sale of beef on the bone for human consumption.2012 A woman was gang-raped and fatally assaulted on a bus in Delhi, generating protests across India against inadequate security for women.Elizabeth Carter (b.1717)James Murrell (d.1860)Camille Saint-Sans (d.1921)Taliep Petersen (d.2006)More anniversaries: December 15December 16December 17ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Caroline Hill (1845 c.1926) was an English actress. She began acting as a child in the company of Samuel Phelps and soon joined the company of J.B. Buckstone at the Haymarket Theatre. There she created roles in several new plays, including some by W.S. Gilbert, in whose plays she continued to act later in her career. She played at various London and provincial theatres in the 1870s. In 1883, Hill married the actor Herbert Kelcey, with whom she had begun to appear on stage. The couple played mostly in New York City in the 1880s, and Hill continued to act through the 1890s, mostly in England. This 1870 photograph shows Hill as Mirza in a production of Gilbert's The Palace of Truth.Photograph credit: London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company; restored by Adam CuerdenRecently featured: OrngeStephanolepis hispidusStuben am ArlbergArchiveMore featured pictures

December 15American forces at the Battle of Arawe1796 War of the First Coalition: The French navy launched an expedition to Ireland to assist the Society of United Irishmen in a rebellion against the British.1871 Sixteen-year-old Ella Stewart sent the first telegraphed message from Arizona Territory.1943 World WarII: Australian and American forces (pictured) began the Battle of Arawe against Japanese forces on New Britain as a diversion before a larger landing at Cape Gloucester.1970 The Soviet spacecraft Venera7 touched down on the surface of Venus, making the first successful landing of a spacecraft on another planet.2013 The South Sudanese Civil War began when three opposition leaders voted to boycott the meeting of the National Liberation Council in Juba.Izaak Walton (d.1683)Arthur Dehon Little (b.1863)John Meurig Thomas (b.1932)Len Febres Cordero (d.2008)More anniversaries: December 14December 15December 16ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Ornge is a Canadian registered charity that provides air ambulance and associated ground transportation services for the province of Ontario, under the direction of the province's Ministry of Health. The name Ornge (pronounced orange) is based on the orange colour of the organization's aircraft and land ambulances. In 2012, the charity and its associated companies employed more than 400 people, including paramedics, pilots and aviation specialists. Ornge has its own aircraft and land ambulances, with 12 bases across Ontario. It also contracts some operations out to independent service providers. This photograph shows an Ornge AgustaWestland AW139 departing from the Grand River Hospital helipad in KitchenerWaterloo.Photograph credit: The CosmonautRecently featured: Stephanolepis hispidusStuben am ArlbergMarcelo Rebelo de SousaArchiveMore featured pictures

December 14: Martyred Intellectuals Day in Bangladesh (1971), Monkey DayJapanese battlecruiser Haruna1650 English domestic servant Anne Greene survived being hanged for infanticide.1836 The Toledo War, a mostly bloodless territorial dispute between Ohio and the Michigan Territory, was unofficially ended with a resolution passed by the controversial "Frostbitten Convention".1913 Haruna (pictured), the fourth and last Japanese battlecruiser of the Kong class, was launched and went on to serve in both world wars.2008 During a press conference in Baghdad, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw his shoes at U.S. president George W. Bush and Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, yelling "This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq".JohnIII of the Sedre (d.648)Al-Ashraf Khalil (d.1293)Helle Thorning-Schmidt (b.1966)More anniversaries: December 13December 14December 15ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Stephanolepis hispidus, commonly known as the planehead filefish, is a species in the filefish family, Monacanthidae. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean at depths of up to 300 metres (980 ft), with its range extending from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia to Uruguay in the west and from the Canary Islands to Angola in the east. It lives near the seabed on reefs and over sandy and muddy sea floors, often being found among Sargassum seaweed. Stephanolepis hispidus grows to a maximum length of 27 centimetres (11 in) but is more typically about 17 centimetres (6.7 in) long. The colour is cryptic, being a more or less mottled pale brown, olive or green on a light coloured background, sometimes with darker brown splotches and streaks. This S. hispidus individual was photographed off the Spanish island of Tenerife.Photograph credit: Diego DelsoRecently featured: Stuben am ArlbergMarcelo Rebelo de SousaDusky grasswrenArchiveMore featured pictures

December 13: Nanjing Massacre Memorial Day in China (1937)The Sherman Fairchild Sciences complex at Dartmouth College1643 First English Civil War: Roundhead forces under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack in Hampshire on a winter garrison of Cavalier infantry and cavalry.1769 Dartmouth College (campus pictured) was established by royal charter in present-day Hanover, New Hampshire.1937 Second Sino-Japanese War: Japanese forces, capturing the Chinese city of Nanjing, began committing numerous atrocities over the next several weeks, including looting, rape and the execution of prisoners of war and civilians.1989 The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army engaged in a fierce firefight with the King's Own Scottish Borderers at a vehicle checkpoint complex in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.2011 A man threw grenades and fired a rifle at crowds in Lige, Belgium, causing 6 deaths and injuring more than 120 others, before killing himself.Pope CallixtusII (d.1124)Ana Nri (b.1814)Taylor Swift (b.1989)Jill Craigie (d.1999)More anniversaries: December 12December 13December 14ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Stuben am Arlberg is a winter sports resort in the town of Klsterle in the westernmost Austrian province of Vorarlberg. It is located at an altitude of 1,410 metres (4,630ft) and had 90 inhabitants in 2019. The settlement of Klsterle probably originated in the 9th century, at a time of silver mining in the Klostertal valley and the neighbouring Montafon valley, with the first known mention of Stuben occurring in a 1330 document describing it as a post station and the "Kaiser's highest living room". In the late 19th century, Stuben became a popular skiing and tourist resort and is now part of Ski Arlberg, Austria's largest skiing area. In the summer months the area is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. This aerial view from the north-west shows Stuben am Arlberg and the winding Arlbergstrasse, which passes through the resort.Photograph credit: Herbert HeimRecently featured: Marcelo Rebelo de SousaDusky grasswrenKitt Peak National ObservatoryArchiveMore featured pictures

December 12: Beginning of the Yule Lads' arrival in IcelandGeorge W. Bush627 At the Battle of Nineveh, the Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeated the forces of Sasanian emperor KhosrowII, commanded by Rhahzadh, near present-day Mosul, Iraq.1936 Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped by Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang, a former warlord of Manchuria.1988 Three trains collided near Clapham Junction railway station in London, killing 35 people and injuring 484 others.2000 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bush v. Gore that the recount of ballots cast in Florida for the presidential election be stopped, effectively making George W. Bush (pictured) the winner.2021 At the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap to become World Drivers' Champion.Geoffrey (d.1212)Edvard Munch (b.1863)Ikuhiko Hata (b.1932)Maafu Tukuiaulahi (d.2021)More anniversaries: December 11December 12December 13ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (born 12December 1948) is a Portuguese politician and academic. He has been the 20th and current president of Portugal since 9March 2016. As a member of the Social Democratic Party, he previously served as a minister and parliamentarian in the Assembly of the Republic. This photograph of Rebelo de Sousa was taken in 2017 at Web Summit, an annual technology conference held in Lisbon.Photograph credit: Joo Pedro CorreiaRecently featured: Dusky grasswrenKitt Peak National ObservatoryLeucojum vernumArchiveMore featured pictures

December 11 Old Well at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill1789 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (structure pictured), one of the oldest public universities in the United States and the only one to award degrees in the 18th century, was chartered.1886 The London-based football club Arsenal, then known as Dial Square, played their first match on the Isle of Dogs.1920 Irish War of Independence: Following an Irish Republican Army ambush of an Auxiliary patrol, British forces burned and looted numerous buildings in Cork.2006 Criticized worldwide as a "meeting of Holocaust deniers", the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust opened in Tehran.Averroes (d.1198)KamehamehaV (b.1830; d.1872)Carl von In der Maur (d.1913)Big Mama Thornton (b.1926)More anniversaries: December 10December 11December 12ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

The dusky grasswren (Amytornis purnelli) is a species of small passerine bird in the family Maluridae. The species is endemic to Australia, in which it is limited to inland areas of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. The dusky grasswren inhabits rocky ranges and outcrops, often preferring tumbled talus or scree, and with areas of thick, long-unburnt spinifex grasses in the genus Triodia. In the wild, it has been observed feeding on a range of small arthropods and other invertebrates as well as seeds. The vocal repertoire of the dusky grasswren is varied and includes trills, high-pitched whistles, rapid twittering, and high-speed warbling. This dusky grasswren was photographed in Ormiston Pound in the Northern Territory.Photograph credit: John HarrisonRecently featured: Kitt Peak National ObservatoryLeucojum vernumJean RitchieArchiveMore featured pictures

December 10: Human Rights Day; Nobel Banquet in Stockholm, SwedenRal Alfonsn1508 The Papal States, France, Aragon and the Holy Roman Empire formed the League of Cambrai, an alliance against the Republic of Venice.1848 Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte won France's first presidential election, and was elected as the first and only president of the French Second Republic.1901 On the fifth anniversary of the death of their founder, Swedish chemist and industrialist Alfred Nobel, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm.1970 Around the northern Thai village of Mae Salong, remnants of Chinese anti-communist forces now fighting on behalf of the Thai government launched a five-year campaign against local communist insurgents.1983 Ral Alfonsn (pictured) became the first democratically elected president of Argentina to take office after more than seven years of military dictatorship.Stede Bonnet (d.1718)Mara Bibiana Bentez (b.1783)Diane Schuur (b.1953)Lalji Singh (d.2017)More anniversaries: December 9December 10December 11ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Kitt Peak National Observatory is a United States astronomical observatory located on Kitt Peak in the Quinlan Mountains, 55 miles (88km) southwest of Tucson, Arizona, in the Sonoran Desert and the Tohono Oodham Nation. With more than twenty optical telescopes and two radio telescopes, it is one of the largest gatherings of astronomical instruments in the Northern Hemisphere. The observatory was founded in 1958, and was administered by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory from the early 1980s until 2019, after which it has been overseen by NOIRLab. This photograph, titled A Breeze of Color, shows a portion of Kitt Peak National Observatory at sunset, and was taken as part of a 2022 photographic expedition to all the NOIRLab sites.Photograph credit: Tom SlovinskRecently featured: Leucojum vernumJean RitchieUgandan kobArchiveMore featured pictures

December 9: International Anti-Corruption DayFirst computer mouse1688 In the only substantial military action in England during the Glorious Revolution, forces loyal to William of Orange were decisively victorious at the Battle of Reading.1897 French actress, journalist and leading suffragette Marguerite Durand founded the feminist newspaper La Fronde.1968 Douglas Engelbart gave what became known as "The Mother of All Demos", publicly debuting the computer mouse (pictured), hypertext, and the bit-mapped graphical user interface using the computer system NLS.2008 Rod Blagojevich, the governor of Illinois, was arrested on corruption charges, including for attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by president-elect Barack Obama.Joseph Desha (b.1768)Fritz Haber (b.1868)Alister Murdoch (b.1912)Eliane Morissens (d.2006)More anniversaries: December 8December 9December 10ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Leucojum vernum, commonly called the spring snowflake, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. It is native to central and southern Europe from Belgium to Ukraine. L.vernum is cultivated as an ornamental plant for its white flowers in spring. The plant multiplies in favourable conditions to form clumps. Each plant bears a single white flower with greenish marks near the tip of the tepal, on a stem about 10 to 20 centimetres (3.9 to 7.9 inches) tall, occasionally more. The Latin specific epithet vernum means 'relating to spring'; its close relative, L.aestivum, blooms in summer. This photograph of a L.vernum flower, taken in Bamberg, Germany, was focus-stacked from 32 separate images.Photograph credit: Reinhold MllerRecently featured: Jean RitchieUgandan kobGreat Yarmouth Town HallArchiveMore featured pictures

December 8: Rhatsu in Japan; Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Day in Ethiopia Metallica1504 Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah wrote his Oran fatwa, arguing for the relaxation of Islamic law for forcibly converted Muslims in Spain.1854 Pope PiusIX promulgated the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, proclaiming the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Virgin Mary was conceived free of original sin.1980 English musician John Lennon was murdered at the entrance of the Dakota, where he resided in New York City.1998 The Australian Cricket Board's cover-up of Shane Warne and Mark Waugh's involvement with bookmakers was revealed.2013 Metallica (pictured) played a concert in Antarctica, becoming the first band to perform on all seven continents.John Peckham (d.1292)John Pym (d.1643)Jean Sibelius (b.1865)John Banville (b.1945)More anniversaries: December 7December 8December 9ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Jean Ritchie (December8, 1922 June1, 2015) was an American folk singer and songwriter who was known for playing the Appalachian dulcimer. Born to a family of folk singers in Viper, Kentucky, Ritchie was the youngest of fourteen siblings. As a child, her father Balis barred his children from playing the dulcimer, but Ritchie defied his injunction and began playing it in secret. Thus, by the time her father began teaching her how to play, she was already accustomed to the instrument, and he labeled her as a "natural born musician". Ritchie popularized the dulcimer by playing it on many of her albums and writing tutorials, making her ultimately responsible for its revival, and earning her the nickname "Mother of Folk". This 1950 Associated Press photograph shows Ritchie playing the Appalachian dulcimer.Photograph credit: Associated PressRecently featured: Ugandan kobGreat Yarmouth Town HallFall of manArchiveMore featured pictures

December 7: Feast day of Saint Ambrose (Christianity); National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in the United States (1941)Jack Fingleton1936 Australian cricketer Jack Fingleton (pictured) became the first player to score centuries in four consecutive Test innings.1942 Second World War: A small unit of Royal Marines launched Operation Frankton, in which they damaged six ships in the port of Bordeaux in German-occupied France.1975 The Indonesian military began a lengthy occupation of East Timor under the pretext of anti-colonialism.2015 The JAXA space probe Akatsuki entered into orbit around Venus to study the planet's atmosphere, five years after its first attempt failed.Charles Saunders (d.1775)Hamilton FishIII (b.1888)Noam Chomsky (b.1928)Barbara Howard (d.2002)More anniversaries: December 6December 7December 8ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

The Ugandan kob (Kobus kob thomasi) is a subspecies of the kob, a type of antelope. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, in South Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Ugandan kob is distinguished from other kob subspecies by its reddish-brown colour. It is similar in appearance to the impala but is more sturdily built. Only the males have horns, which are lyre-shaped, strongly ridged and divergent. Males are slightly larger than females, being 90 to 100 centimetres (3.0 to 3.3ft) at the shoulder, with an average weight of 94 kilograms (207lb), while females are 82 to 92 centimetres (2.7 to 3.0ft) at the shoulder and on average weigh about 63 kilograms (139lb). This photograph shows two Ugandan kobs mating in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.Photograph credit: Giles LaurentRecently featured: Great Yarmouth Town HallFall of manCinnamon tealArchiveMore featured pictures

December 6: Saint Nicholas's Day (Western Christianity); Independence Day in Finland (1917) Blast cloud from the Halifax Explosion1240 After days of bombardment, Mongol invaders under Batu Khan breached the walls of Kiev and sacked the city.1917 A ship carrying TNT and picric acid in Halifax Harbour, Canada, caught fire after a collision and caused the second-largest accidental explosion in history (pictured).1956 In what became known as the Blood in the Water match at the Melbourne Olympics, the Hungarian water polo team defeated the Soviet Union 40 against the background of the Hungarian Revolution.1988 Self-government was granted to the Australian Capital Territory.2017 Under President Donald Trump, the United States government officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.George H. D. Gossip (b.1841)Mary Margaret O'Reilly (d.1949)Satoru Iwata (b.1959)More anniversaries: December 5December 6December 7ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Great Yarmouth Town Hall is a municipal building on Hall Plain in Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, England. It is the meeting place of Great Yarmouth Borough Council and is a GradeII* listed building. The town hall was designed by John Bond Pearce in the Queen Anne Revival style, with terracotta facings and a 110-foot-tall (34-metre) clock tower with a lantern above. It was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King EdwardVII), on 31May 1882. The building served as the headquarters of Great Yarmouth County Borough Council for much of the 20th century and has continued to operate as the local seat of government following the formation of the enlarged borough council in 1974. This hand-colored photochrom shows Great Yarmouth Town Hall in the 1890s, seen from opposite the River Yare.Photograph credit: Detroit Publishing Company; restored by Adam CuerdenRecently featured: Fall of manCinnamon tealMangosteenArchiveMore featured pictures

December 5: Krampusnacht in parts of Central EuropeHenry Knox's noble train of artillery1456 The first of two major earthquakes struck the Kingdom of Naples, killing up to 70,000 people.1775 American Revolutionary War: Continental Army colonel Henry Knox arrived at Fort Ticonderoga in New York to arrange the transport of 60tons of artillery (depicted) to support the siege of Boston.1807 Napoleonic Wars: British ships began a raid on Griessie after the Dutch captain refused a British demand for surrender.1918 National Guards and Sokol volunteers protested in Zagreb, leading to an armed clash with regiments of the Home Guard and former Common Army.1958 Britain's first motorway, the Preston By-pass, opened to the public.Sigismund Rkczi (d.1608)Yjir Motora (b.1858)Priscilla Jana (b.1943)Neil Druckmann (b.1978)More anniversaries: December 4December 5December 6ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

The fall of man is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 13. At first, Adam and Eve lived with God in the Garden of Eden, but a serpent tempted them into eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had forbidden. After doing so, they became ashamed of their nakedness and God expelled them from the Garden to prevent them from eating the fruit of the tree of life and becoming immortal. The narrative of the Garden of Eden and the fall of humanity constitute a mythological tradition shared by all the Abrahamic religions. The fall of man has been depicted many times in art and literature. This 1828 oil-on-canvas painting, titled Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, by Thomas Cole (18011848), is now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, United States.Painting credit: Thomas ColeRecently featured: Cinnamon tealMangosteenThe Book of Fixed StarsArchiveMore featured pictures

December 4: Navy Day in India2004 transit of Venus1639 Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree made the first successful observation of a transit of Venus (example pictured) from Earth.1872 The American brigantine Mary Celeste was found apparently abandoned under circumstances that remain unknown.1971 Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launched a successful attack against the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, sinking three ships with no Indian casualties.1980 The English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbanded.2006 Six black teenagers assaulted a white student in Jena, Louisiana; the subsequent court cases became a cause clbre for perceived racial injustice in the United States.Maerten de Vos (d.1603)Agnes Forbes Blackadder (b.1875)Inder Kumar Gujral (b.1919)Benjamin Britten (d.1976)More anniversaries: December 3December 4December 5ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

The cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera) is a species of dabbling duck found in western North and South America. It is a migratory species, travelling to northern South America and the Caribbean during the Northern Hemisphere's winter. The cinnamon teal lives in marshes and ponds, and feeds mostly on plants. It has a typical length of 16in (41cm), with a wing span of 22inch (56cm) and a mass of 14oz (400g). The male has bright reddish plumage with a duller brown coloration on the female. The bird feeds predominantly by dabbling, with its main diet being plants and sometimes molluscs and aquatic insects. This cinnamon teal was photographed at the Parrot World animal park in Crcy-la-Chapelle, France.Photograph credit: Clment BardotRecently featured: MangosteenThe Book of Fixed StarsAfrican helmeted turtleArchiveMore featured pictures