December 6 facts for kids

December 6 is a special day in history, filled with many interesting events, important births, and notable deaths. From ancient times to modern days, this date has seen moments that shaped countries, celebrated achievements, and remembered important people. Let's explore some of the key happenings on December 6th!

Historical Events on December 6

Early History: Before the 1600s

• 1060 – Béla I was crowned king of Hungary. This was a big moment for the country.
• 1240 – The city of Kyiv (now in Ukraine) was captured by the Mongols. This event was part of a large invasion by the Mongol army led by Batu Khan.
• 1492 – After exploring Cuba, Christopher Columbus landed on an island he named Hispaniola. He had been looking for gold and thought Cuba was Japan.
• 1534 – The city of Quito in Ecuador was founded by Spanish settlers. Their leader was Sebastián de Belalcázar.

Important Moments: 1600s to 1900s

• 1648 – In England, a group of soldiers called Pride's Purge removed members from Parliament who supported the king. This was done so the king could be put on trial.
• 1704 – In India, the Sikh Khalsa army, even though they were greatly outnumbered, won a battle against the Mughal army. This was during the Mughal-Sikh Wars.
• 1790 – The U.S. Congress moved its meeting place from New York City to Philadelphia.
• 1803 – During the Haitian Revolution, British warships captured five French warships trying to escape. This marked the end of the revolution.
• 1865 – The state of Georgia officially approved the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment ended slavery.
• 1884 – The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., was finished. This tall monument honors George Washington.
• 1897 – London became the first city in the world to have official taxicabs.

Modern Times: 1900s to Today

• 1904 – U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt announced his "Roosevelt Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine. This meant the U.S. would step in if Latin American governments had problems.
• 1907 – A terrible coal mine explosion in West Virginia killed 362 workers.
• 1912 – The famous Nefertiti Bust, a beautiful ancient Egyptian sculpture, was discovered.
• 1917 – Finland declared independence from the Russian Empire. This was a very important day for Finland.
• 1917 – The Halifax Explosion happened in Nova Scotia, Canada. A ship carrying explosives blew up, killing over 1,900 people. It was one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever.
• 1921 – The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in London. This treaty led to the creation of the Irish Free State.
• 1922 – Exactly one year after the treaty was signed, the Irish Free State officially began.
• 1941 – During World War II, a secret training camp called Camp X opened in Canada. Here, Allied secret agents were trained for the war.
• 1956 – A very intense water polo match took place between Hungary and the USSR at the 1956 Summer Olympics. This happened during a time of tension between the two countries.
• 1957 – The United States tried to launch its first satellite into space, but the rocket, Vanguard TV3, exploded on the launchpad.
• 1967 – Adrian Kantrowitz performed the first human heart transplant in the United States. This was a huge medical breakthrough.
• 1971 – Pakistan ended its diplomatic relations with India, starting the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
• 1973 – Gerald Ford was confirmed as the Vice President of the United States by the House of Representatives.
• 1977 – South Africa granted independence to Bophuthatswana, but no other country recognized it as independent.
• 1978 – Spain approved its new Spanish Constitution of 1978 in a public vote.
• 1990 – A military jet crashed into a high school in Italy after its pilot abandoned it. Twelve students were killed.
• 1991 – During the Yugoslav Wars, the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia was heavily bombed.
• 1998 – Hugo Chávez won the presidential elections in Venezuela.
• 1999 – The music industry sued Napster, a popular online service for sharing music files. They said Napster was allowing people to illegally copy music.
• 2005 – An Iranian Air Force military plane crashed into an apartment building in Tehran, killing everyone on board and more people on the ground.
• 2006 – NASA shared photos from the Mars Global Surveyor that suggested there might be liquid water on Mars.
• 2017 – Donald Trump's administration officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Famous Births on December 6

Born Before the 1600s

• 1421 – Henry VI of England, a king of England.
• 1478 – Baldassare Castiglione, an Italian writer and diplomat.
• 1520 – Barbara Radziwiłł, who became the queen of Poland.

Born Between 1601 and 1900

• 1608 – George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, an important English general and politician.
• 1778 – Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, a famous French physicist and chemist.
• 1792 – William II of the Netherlands, a king of the Netherlands.
• 1823 – Max Müller, a German-English expert on languages and ancient cultures.
• 1863 – Charles Martin Hall, an American chemist and engineer.
• 1886 – Joyce Kilmer, an American soldier and poet.
• 1896 – Ira Gershwin, a well-known American songwriter.
• 1898 – Gunnar Myrdal, a Swedish economist who won the Nobel Prize.

Born After 1900

• 1904 – Ève Curie, a French-American journalist and pianist. She was the daughter of Marie Curie.
• 1908 – Baby Face Nelson, an American gangster.
• 1920 – Dave Brubeck, a famous American jazz pianist and composer.
• 1920 – George Porter, an English chemist who won the Nobel Prize.
• 1921 – Otto Graham, a legendary American football player.
• 1924 – Wally Cox, an American actor.
• 1929 – Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a German-Austrian cellist and conductor.
• 1933 – Henryk Górecki, a Polish composer.
• 1942 – Peter Handke, an Austrian author and playwright who won the Nobel Prize.
• 1948 – Keke Rosberg, a Finnish racing driver.
• 1950 – Joe Hisaishi, a Japanese pianist, composer, and conductor, known for movie scores.
• 1952 – Craig Newmark, an American computer programmer who founded Craigslist.
• 1955 – Steven Wright, an American actor and comedian.
• 1956 – Peter Buck, an American guitarist from the band R.E.M.
• 1956 – Randy Rhoads, an American guitarist.
• 1957 – Andrew Cuomo, an American politician and former Governor of New York.
• 1958 – Nick Park, an English animator and director, known for Wallace and Gromit.
• 1959 – Satoru Iwata, a Japanese game programmer and businessman who was the president of Nintendo.
• 1971 – Richard Krajicek, a Dutch tennis player.
• 1971 – Ryan White, an American activist who raised awareness about AIDS.
• 1977 – Andrew Flintoff, a famous English cricketer.
• 1979 – Tim Cahill, an Australian footballer.
• 1982 – Alberto Contador, a Spanish cyclist.
• 1982 – Susie Wolff, a Scottish race car driver.
• 1994 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek-Nigerian basketball player.
• 1997 – Sabrina Ionescu, an American basketball player.

Notable Deaths on December 6

Passed Away Before the 1600s

• 343 – Saint Nicholas, a Greek bishop and saint. He is the inspiration for Santa Claus.
• 1185 – Afonso I of Portugal, the first King of Portugal.
• 1352 – Pope Clement VI, a leader of the Catholic Church.

Passed Away Between 1601 and 1900

• 1658 – Baltasar Gracián, a Spanish priest and writer.
• 1779 – Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, a French painter.
• 1882 – Anthony Trollope, a well-known English novelist.
• 1889 – Jefferson Davis, an American general and politician.
• 1892 – Werner von Siemens, a German engineer who founded the Siemens Company.

Passed Away After 1900

• 1955 – Honus Wagner, a legendary American baseball player.
• 1956 – B. R. Ambedkar, an important Indian economist and politician.
• 1961 – Frantz Fanon, a Martinique-French psychiatrist and author.
• 1976 – João Goulart, a former President of Brazil.
• 1988 – Roy Orbison, a famous American singer-songwriter.
• 1990 – Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
• 1993 – Don Ameche, an American actor.
• 2005 – Devan Nair, a former President of Singapore.
• 2014 – Ralph H. Baer, a German-American video game designer who created the first home video game console.

Holidays and Celebrations

December 6th is a day for several special celebrations around the world:

• Anniversary of the Founding of Quito (Ecuador) – This day celebrates the founding of the city of Quito.
• Armed Forces Day (Ukraine) – A day to honor the military forces of Ukraine.
• Nicholas of Myra – This Christian feast day celebrates Saint Nicholas, who is the inspiration for Santa Claus.
  • St Nicholas Day – On this day, St. Nicholas or Santa Claus is said to leave small presents in children's shoes.
• Constitution Day (Spain) – Spain celebrates the day its constitution was approved.
• Independence Day – Finland celebrates its independence from Russia, which happened in 1917.
• National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada) – A day in Canada to remember and take action against violence towards women.
  

  A friendly robot, representing learning and exploration.