In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Senate approved the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, consolidating 22 agencies for national security.
📍 Washington, D.C., USA
The Rome Statute, establishing the International Criminal Court to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, was officially signed by the UN.
📍 Rome, Italy
Neil Papworth sent the first SMS message from a computer to a mobile phone, saying 'Merry Christmas', marking the birth of text messaging.
📍 Reading, England
The United Nations began observing December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities to promote inclusion, dignity, and equal rights for people with disabilities.
📍 Global
President George H. W. Bush ordered U.S. troops to Somalia as part of a humanitarian mission under Operation Restore Hope, marking a major post–Cold War intervention.
📍 Washington, D.C., USA / Mogadishu, Somalia
A gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal released toxic methyl isocyanate, killing thousands and becoming the world’s worst industrial disaster.
📍 Bhopal, India
The first successful heart-lung transplant surgery was performed by Dr. Bruce Reitz and Dr. Norman Shumway at Stanford University, advancing multi-organ transplantation.
📍 Stanford, California, USA
TIME Magazine controversially named Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini as Man of the Year for 1979, recognizing his central role in the Islamic Revolution and geopolitical upheaval.
📍 New York City, USA / Tehran, Iran
The USS Miller, named after Doris Miller, a hero at Pearl Harbor and the first African American to receive the Navy Cross, was launched, symbolizing greater recognition of diversity in the U.S. military.
📍 Bath, Maine, USA
NASA’s Pioneer 10 spacecraft sent back the first close-up images of Jupiter, providing unprecedented insight into the planet’s atmosphere, radiation belts, and magnetic field.
📍 Deep Space (NASA mission)
Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant in Cape Town, South Africa, marking a milestone in medical history and transplantation science.
📍 Cape Town, South Africa
Ozaki Yukio, a major figure in promoting democracy and constitutional government in Japan, died, remembered as the 'father of the Japanese Constitution'.
📍 Tokyo, Japan
Ecuador became the first Latin American country to grant women the right to vote in national elections, a landmark moment for gender equality in the region.
📍 Quito, Ecuador
Anna Chennault, Chinese-American journalist and political figure influential in U.S.–China diplomacy during the Cold War, was born in Beijing.
📍 Beijing, China
Brendan Behan, one of Ireland’s most influential writers and playwrights known for works like 'The Quare Fellow', was born in Dublin.
📍 Dublin, Ireland
German scientist Alfred Wegener first proposed his theory of continental drift, suggesting that continents move across the Earth's surface, a revolutionary idea that later formed the basis for plate tectonics.
📍 Frankfurt, Germany
French engineer Georges Claude demonstrated the first neon lamp publicly at the Paris Motor Show, pioneering a new era of advertising and urban lighting.
📍 Paris, France
Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist, and influential religious leader advocating spiritual healing, passed away in Massachusetts.
📍 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist and poet known for works such as 'Treasure Island' and 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', died in Samoa.
📍 Vailima, Samoa
Spain officially recognized the independence of Mexico, ending years of conflict following Mexico’s declaration of independence in 1810.
📍 Madrid, Spain / Mexico City, Mexico