December 1-31
Visit the Knowitall blog for helpful information on using Knowitall all through the month!
View our Winter Holidays Collection!
December Observances (Week):
Chanukah/Hanukkah - Dec. 25, 2024 - Jan. 2, 2025
December Observances (Day):
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31
1
Rosa Parks
On December 1, 1955 , a tired seamstress named Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested and fined for violating city ordinance. Rosa Parks is known as "The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." (Road Trip, Periscope)
Ernest A. Finney, Jr.
In December 1994, Ernest A. Finney Jr. became a South Carolina Chief Justice. Only one other African-American, Jasper Wright, had served on the state Supreme Court, during the Reconstruction period. (Roadtrip)
National AIDS Day and International Day of Action and Mourning
A day that recognizes the lives that have been lost to AIDS.
Day Without Art Day
A day for raising awareness and educating the public about AIDS.
- Appreciate artists and the work they do by viewing our content on Visual & Performing Arts!
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2
Maria Callas
On December 2, 1923 Maria Callas was born. She was a brilliant soprano, she sang French, German and Italian opera and possessed a remarkable range characterized by fast and high singing with trills. (Artopia)
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
Learn more about this important day with our African American History Collection, and our Slavery in South Carolina Collection.
Special Education Day
View our About Persons with Disabilities Collection
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5
American Civil War
On December 5, 1861, during the American Civil War, Federal forces occupy Beaufort. The forces under General Stevens marched triumphantly into the town. (History Of SC Slide Collection)
Senator Strom Thurmond
On December 5, 1902, Senator Strom Thurmond was born. He was the longest-serving Republican member of Congress in U.S. history. (S.C. Hall Of Fame)
Ira M. Koger
On December 5, 1912, Ira M. Koger was born. He was widely respected as a patron of the arts and devotes himself to cultural developments and events. He was inducted into South Carolina's Business Hall of Fame in 1989. (Legacy Of Leadership Profile)
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7
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
On December 7, 1941, a surprise aerial attack occurred on the U.S naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii, by the Japanese which precipitated the entry of the United States into World War II. South Carolina veterans remember their experiences from that fateful day. (History of S.C. Slide Collection, South Carolinians In WW II)
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8
Camille Claudel
On December 8, 1864, Camille Claudel was born. She was known for her physical beauty, her ability to convey drama through marble and bronze, and for her deep understanding of the human form. (Artopia)
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9*
Green Monday
Learn more about keeping our planet clean with our Environmental Awareness Collection!
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10
Stede Bonnet
On December 10, 1718, "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet was executed. Bonnet had a career as an infamous pirate, looting and plundering trade and merchant ships along the east coast. Bonnet also served as first mate to Captain Edward Teach, also known as "Blackbeard." (Ghosts And Legends III, History Of S.C. Slide Collection, Carolina Stories)
Human Rights Day
- African American History Collection
- Martin Luther King Collection
- Civil Rights Youth Media Summit
- Road Trip!
- Civil Rights Movement | SC Hall of Fame
- Jennet Robinson Alterman Women’s Rights Advocate, Consultant | Palmetto Voices
- T. Lilly Little Water | Women Vision SC
- Jennifer Gutierrez Caldwell | Women Vision SC
- Mary McLeod Bethune
- Sarah Moore Grimké and Angelina Emily Grimké
- Dr. Wil Lou Gray
Teacher Resources and Lessons
- Human Rights Classroom Resources | Idella Bodie’s SC Women
- Lesson – Civil Rights in South Carolina
- Lesson: Minnie Kennedy and the Civil Rights Movement
- Lesson: Your Words Speak for Themselves
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11
Charleston Fire
On December 11, 1861, a great fire swept through Charleston, destroying much of the city, and making the defense of the city even more difficult. (History Of S.C. Slide Collection)
The Battle of Fredricksburg
December 11 - 15, 1862: The Battle of Fredericksburg took place during the American Civil War. Sergeant Richard Rowland Kirkland, a Confederate, became a hero when during the battle, on December 13, he provided water, blankets, and warm clothing for the wounded Union soldiers scattered throughout the battlefield. Due to his heroism, Sgt. Kirkland earned the nick-name "The Angel of Marye's Heights." (The SC State House)
Robert V. Royall
On December 11, 1934, Robert V. Royall was born. He was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 1997. (Legacy Of Leadership Profile)
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13
National Guard Birthday
Honors citizen-soldiers who have civilian jobs but are available to provide support and protection for the states’ civilians. They may be called for military operations at a national level.
- View our documentary, "We Have a Story To Tell: 350 Years of the South Carolina National Guard"
- View all the resources pertaining to the National Guard here!
National Horse Day
Horses
- Carolina March Tacky | Pee Dee Explorer
- Horse Training Center | Project Discovery Revisited
- J is for Jockey | SC from A to Z
- Kentucky Horse Park | 27:Fifty
- Visiting a Horse Farm | Foreign Language – French, German and Spanish
- Lesson: Horses as Heroes: Marsh Tackies
Horses in Paintings
- A Man and a Horse by a Stream | Artopia
- Arion on a Sea Horse | Artopia
- Compare and Contrast Two Paintings | Artopia
- Elements of Design: The Piebald Horse | Artopia
- For the Light | Artopia
- The Horse Fair | Artopia
- Horse Stable | Artopia
- Horse, Pipe and Red Flower | Artopia
- Horses Actors | Artopia
- Lascaux Cave Painting
- The Large Blue Horses | Artopia
- Painting No. 4: A Black Horse | Artopia
- The Piebald Horse | Artopia
- Winter Horse Raiding Episode | Artopia
Horses in Sculpture
National Violin Day
- String Section: Violin | Artopia
- String Instruments: Violin | Artopia
- Violin Family I | A Minute with Miles
- Violin Family II | A Minute with Miles
- Rise of Violin | A Minute with Miles
- Thomas Hale: Violin Maker | 27:Fifty
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14
Battle of Eutaw Springs
On December 14, 1782, the British withdrew from Charleston, taking with them 4,000 South Carolina Loyalists who had gambled that the revolutionary patriots would not win--and had lost everything. This was called the Battle of Eutaw Springs. (History Of S.C. Slide Collection)
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15
Bill of Rights Day
- Americans’ Rights: America: Land of Many People | America At Its Best
- The Bill of Rights | Forgotten Founder
- Bill of Rights Bicentennial | 27:Fifty
- Petition from “Free people of Colour” and free Negroes,” 1820 | History of SC Slide Collection
- So Many Americans! America, Land of Many People | America At Its Best
- America: Land of Many People (Full Program) | America At Its Best
- Getting Along: America: Land of Many People | America At Its Best
- First Amendment: Facts of Congress
- Lesson: Voting Rights Act of 1965
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16
Battle of the Bulge
16 December, 1944 - 25 January, 1945: On this day in 1944, during World War II, the Battle of the Bulge began in the Ardennes Forest. This was the last German offensive during WWII. Even though the odds were against the allies, being ill-equipped and freezing cold, this campaign resulted in a crucial allied victory. (South Carolinians In WW II)
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17
First Baptist Church in Columbia
On December 17, 1860, South Carolinians met at the First Baptist Church in Columbia, determined to end their membership in the United States in protest against the election of Abraham Lincoln, a Republican sworn to end the expansion of slavery into the territories. (History Of S.C. Slide Collection)
Buck Mickel
On December 17, 1925, Buck Mickel was born in Elberton, Georgia. Mickel was respected as a giant in the Greenville community and the world of commerce, but he was an even bigger person when it came to helping others. He was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 1986. (Legacy Of Leadership Profile)
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Wright Brothers Day
- View our National Aviation Day Collection!
- Visit ETV Classics on scetv.org to view Orville and Wilbur: The Story of the Wright Brothers
18
Charles S. Way
On December 18, 1937, Charles S. Way was born. He was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 2005. (Legacy Of Leadership Profile)
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20
Jean Michel Basquiat
On December 20, 1960, graphic artist, Jean Michel Basquiat was born. His graffiti stood out and told witty and poetic messages. (Artopia)
Ordinance of Secession
On December 20, 1860, the Ordinance of Secession was signed. This document marked the conclusion of a movement to declare Southern independence from a national government increasingly controlled by Northerners. (History Of S.C. Slide Collection)
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24
Apollo 8
On December 24, 1968, during the Space Race, Apollo 8 (Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders) made history when it entered lunar orbit, and took one of the most iconic photographs ever shot, called "Earthrise." (History In A Nutshell)
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25
View our Winter Holidays Collection!
Chanukah/Hanukkah Begins
View Hanukkah: Lighting the Darkness | Palmetto Scene
Christmas
- Christmas | Eye on the Past
- Storytelling (Night Before Christmas) | Gullah Net
- The Nutcracker | Project Discovery
- Stories Behind The Carols We Love To Sing
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26
Kwanzaa (Start of)
28
Franklin G. Burroughs
On December 28, 1834, Franklin G. Burroughs was born. He was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 1993. (Legacy Of Leadership Profile)
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31
Columbia, South Carolina
On December 31, 1986, the city of Columbia bicentennial time capsule was sealed. It is to be opened March 22, 2036, on Columbia’s 250th birthday. (The S.C. State House)
Universal Hour of Peace
During the hour between 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, the Universal Hour of Peace encourages the promotion of peace and the hope for a war-free world. View our International Day of Peace Collection.
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These factoids were compiled by Imani-Grace King, 2017 ETV Endowment Intern (Digital Media/Knowitall)
Updated by Andrew Davis, Media Production Assistant (Digital Media/Knowitall).
