This Day In History, December 11th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on December 11th
1282: The Sicilian Vespers: In Sicily, a rebellion against the reign of the Angevin monarch Charles I of Naples erupted, resulting in the independence of Sicily from the Kingdom of Naples.
King Edward VIII of England abdicated the throne to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson in 1936. Prince Albert, his younger brother, became King George VI.
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was formed in 1946 to give humanitarian help to children in World War II-affected nations.
The Apollo 17 spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to become the penultimate manned trip to the moon.
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, was adopted.
1282: The Sicilian Vespers: a rebellion against the rule of the Angevin king Charles I of Naples broke out in Sicily, leading to the eventual separation of Sicily from the Kingdom of Naples.
The Sicilian Vespers were an uprising that began on March 30, 1282, in the Sicilian city of Palermo. The insurrection was prompted by a French soldier's insult to a Sicilian woman, which sparked a violent encounter and the deaths of numerous French troops. This episode sparked a broad revolt against Charles I's Angevin government, which was viewed as a foreign oppressor. The uprising swiftly spread throughout Sicily, and the Sicilian insurgents were able to obtain the backing of the Angevins' adversaries, the Aragonese. The Sicilian rebels were able to oust the Angevins from the island with the assistance of the Aragonese, resulting in the ultimate secession of Sicily from the Kingdom of Naples. The Sicilian Vespers is seen as a watershed moment in Sicily and Italian history since it signified the beginning of the end of Angevin dominance in southern Italy.
1936: King Edward VIII of England abdicated the throne in order to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson. His younger brother, Prince Albert, became King George VI.
King Edward VIII of England abdicated on December 11, 1936, only 326 days after ascending to the throne in January 1936. His ambition to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had been divorced twice, was the motivation for his abdication. The Church of England did not permit divorced people to remarry if their previous spouses were still alive at the time. The British government, the Church of England, and the general public all opposed Edward's wish to marry Wallis Simpson. In his resignation address, Edward stated that he could not fulfill his responsibilities as king without the support of the lady he loved. His younger brother, Prince Albert, who became King George VI, ascended to the throne in his place. The abdication issue was a watershed moment in British royal history, with far-reaching implications, including the ascent of Queen Elizabeth II, Edward VIII's niece.
1946: The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established to provide humanitarian aid to children in countries affected by World War II.
The United Nations General Assembly founded the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on December 11, 1946. UNICEF was established to offer emergency food, housing, and medical treatment to children in World War II-affected nations. The major goal of the group was to offer humanitarian aid to children who were suffering from the repercussions of the conflict, such as starvation, sickness, and relocation. UNICEF's mandate has grown throughout time to cover a wide range of initiatives intended at promoting the health, education, and protection of children worldwide. Today, UNICEF is one of the world's largest and most well-known humanitarian organizations, with operations in over 190 countries and territories.
1972: The Apollo 17 spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, becoming the last manned mission to the moon.
The last manned trip to the Moon, Apollo 17, was launched on December 7, 1972, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Following the Apollo 16 mission in April of that year, this was the sixth and final Apollo lunar landing mission, as well as the third mission to land astronauts on the Moon in 1972. Commander Eugene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans made up the Apollo 17 crew. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface throughout their mission, while Evans orbited the Moon. They carried out scientific experiments, gathered samples, and deployed scientific instruments, such as the Lunar Roving Vehicle, allowing them to explore a broader region of the Moon's surface than prior missions. The Apollo 17 mission marked the conclusion of an era of manned lunar exploration and is considered a watershed moment in space exploration history.
1997: The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, was adopted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Kyoto, Japan.
On December 11, 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was approved at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Kyoto, Japan. The protocol is a global agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions in order to counteract global warming and climate change. The convention set binding objectives for industrialized nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% below 1990 levels by 2012. The convention also provided procedures for nations to trade emissions credits, allowing countries that surpassed their objectives to sell excess emissions allowances to countries that fell short of their targets. The Kyoto Protocol was a huge step forward in worldwide efforts to address climate change, paving the way for subsequent international agreements and initiatives targeted at lowering greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Paris Agreement.