Today in history
On Dec. 10, 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. received his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, saying he accepted it “with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind.”
In 1861, the Confederacy admitted Kentucky as it recognized a pro-Southern shadow state government that was acting without the authority of the proUnion government in Frankfort.
In 1869, women were granted the right to vote in the Wyoming Territory.
In 1946, newspaperman Damon Runyon, known for his short stories featuring colorful Broadway denizens, died at a New York hospital at age 66.
In 1950, Ralph J. Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the first Black American to receive the award.
In 1967, singer Otis Redding, 26, and six others were killed when their plane crashed into Wisconsin’s Lake Monona; trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the group the Bar-Kays, was the only survivor.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev concluded three days of summit talks in Washington. Violinist Jascha Heifetz died in Los Angeles at age 86.
In 1996, South African President Nelson Mandela signed the country’s new constitution into law during a ceremony in Sharpeville.
In 2007, suspended NFL star Michael Vick was sentenced by a federal judge in Richmond, Virginia, to 23 months in prison for bankrolling a dogfighting operation and killing dogs that underperformed (Vick served 19 months at Leavenworth). Former Vice President Al Gore accepted the Nobel Peace Prize with a call for humanity to rise up against a looming climate crisis and stop waging war on the environment.
In 2009, President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize with a humble acknowledgment of his scant accomplishments and a robust defense of the U.S. at war. James Cameron’s 3-D film epic “Avatar” had its world premiere in London.
In 2013, South Africa held a memorial service for Nelson Mandela, during which U. S. President Barack Obama energized tens of thousands of spectators and nearly 100 visiting heads of state with a plea for the world to emulate “the last great liberator of the 20th century.” (The ceremony was marred by the presence of a sign-language interpreter who deaf advocates said was an impostor waving his arms around meaninglessly.)
Ten years ago: The Norwegian Nobel Committee honored Chinese literary critic Liu Xiaobo (lee-OO’ show-BOH’), imprisoned for urging political reform, by presenting his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize diploma and medal to an empty chair. A federal jury in Salt Lake City convicted street preacher Brian David Mitchell of kidnapping and raping Elizabeth Smart. (Mitchell was later sentenced to life in prison.)
Five years ago: The Senate Judiciary Committee rebuked Donald Trump by endorsing a nonbinding amendment, 16-4, that said barring individuals from entering the United States based on religion would be un-American (the Republican presidential front-runner had called for blocking Muslims from entering the country in the aftermath of attacks in the United States and abroad.)
One year ago: House Democrats announced two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, declaring that he “betrayed the nation” with his actions toward Ukraine and an obstruction of Congress’ investigation; Trump responded with a tweet of “WITCH HUNT!” At an evening rally in Pennsylvania, Trump mocked the impeachment effort and predicted it would lead to his reelection in 2020. House Democrats and the White House announced agreement on a modified North American trade pact to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.