December 2 in History

Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements

1766 — Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech

December 2 spans 55 recorded events across recorded history, from 1244 to 2020. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By · — Wikipedia

Historical Events 55 events 1244 – 2020

More major events on December 2

The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.

  1. 1865 Alabama ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia; U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks. Source
  2. 1804 At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French. Source
  3. 1962 Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress. Source

Did you know

In 1766, Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech. This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.

Did you know

The Freedom of the Press Act is one of four Fundamental Laws of the Realm and thus forms part of the Swedish Constitution. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Did you know

The Act regulates matters regarding freedom of press and principle of public access to official records. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.

Did you know

The Freedom of the Press Act as well as the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression is one of the two "basic media acts" in Sweden. This shows how the event shaped policy and public communication in the same period.

Did you know

The Freedom of the Press Act is derived from the Freedom of the Press Act of 1766; the legislation is regarded as the world's first law supporting the freedom of the press and freedom of information. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

1244 Pope_Innocent_IV
Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.
Head of the Catholic Church from 1243 to 1254
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1409 Leipzig_University
The University of Leipzig opens.
University in Leipzig, Germany
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1697 St_Paul's_Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, is consecrated.
Anglican cathedral in London, England
Wikipedia source
1763 Touro_Synagogue
Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what will become the United States.
Historic synagogue in Rhode Island, United States
Wikipedia source
1804 Notre-Dame_de_Paris
At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French.
Cathedral in Paris, France, built 1163–1345
Wikipedia source
1805 War_of_the_Third_Coalition
War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Austerlitz: French troops under Napoleon decisively defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.
1805–1806 conflict during the Napoleonic Wars
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1823 Monroe_Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S.
President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.
Wikipedia source
1845 Manifest_destiny
Manifest Destiny: In a State of the Union message, U.S.
President James K. Polk proposes that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
Wikipedia source
1848 Franz_Joseph_I
Franz Joseph I becomes Emperor of Austria.
Emperor of Austria from 1848 to 1916
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1851 Napoleon_III
French President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic.
Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870
Wikipedia source
1852 Napoleon_III
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of the French as Napoleon III.
Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870
Wikipedia source
1859 Origins_of_the_American_Civil_War
Origins of the American Civil War: Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia).
Wikipedia source
1865 Alabama
Alabama ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia; U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks.
Wikipedia source
1867 Tremont_Temple
At Tremont Temple in Boston, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
Historic church in Boston, Massachusetts
Wikipedia source
1899 Philippine–American_War
Philippine–American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, known as the "Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.
Armed Philippine-American conflict (1899–1902)
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1908 Puyi
Puyi becomes Emperor of China at the age of two.
Emperor of China (1908–1912) and of Manchukuo (1934–1945)
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1917 World_War_I
World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.
Global conflict from 1914 to 1918
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1919 Ukrainian_War_of_Independence
Ukrainian War of Independence: Ukrainian Bolsheviks attempt to assassinate Nestor Makhno as part of the Polonsky conspiracy.
Eastern European military conflict (1917–1921)
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1927 Ford_Model_T
Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.
American car (1908–1927)
Wikipedia source
1930 Great_Depression
Great Depression: In a State of the Union message, U.S.
President Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
Wikipedia source
1939 LaGuardia_Airport
New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.
Airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, U.S.
Wikipedia source
1942 World_War_II
World War II: During the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
Global conflict (1939–1945)
Wikipedia source
1943 Air_raid_on_Bari
World War II: A Luftwaffe bombing raid on the harbour of Bari, Italy, sinks numerous cargo and transport ships, including the American SS John Harvey, which is carrying a stockpile of mustard gas.
1943 attack by German bombers on Allied forces and shipping in Bari, Italy, during WWII
Wikipedia source
1947 1947_Jerusalem_riots
Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Arabs riot in Jerusalem in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
Civil unrest following adoption of the UN Partition Plan
Wikipedia source
1949 Convention_for_the_Suppression_of_the_Traffic_in_Persons_and_of_the_Exploitation_of_the_Prostitution_of_Others
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is adopted.
1949 UN resolution
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1950 Korean_War
Korean War: The Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River ends with a decisive Chinese victory and UN forces are completely expelled from North Korea.
1950–1953 conflict on the Korean Peninsula
Wikipedia source
1954 McCarthyism
Cold War: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to censure Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute".
Phenomenon of US political rhetoric after WWII
Wikipedia source
1954 Mutual_Defense_Treaty_between_the_United_States_and_the_Republic_of_China
The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Taiwan, is signed in Washington, D.C.
1955–1979 defense treaty between the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Wikipedia source
1956 Landing_of_the_Granma
The Granma reaches the shores of Cuba's Oriente Province.
Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembark to initiate the Cuban Revolution.
Wikipedia source
1957 United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_126
United Nations Security Council Resolution 126 relating to the Kashmir conflict is adopted.
1957 UNSC resolution on the Kashmir conflict
Wikipedia source
1961 Cuba
In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba will adopt Communism.
Country in the Caribbean
Wikipedia source
1962 Vietnam_War
Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S.
President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.
Wikipedia source
1968 Wien_Consolidated_Airlines_Flight_55
Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 crashes into Pedro Bay, Alaska, killing all 39 people on board.
1968 aviation accident
Wikipedia source
1970 United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency
The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
U.S. federal government agency
Wikipedia source
1971 Emirate_of_Abu_Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain form the United Arab Emirates.
Constituent emirate of the United Arab Emirates
Wikipedia source
1972 Gough_Whitlam
Gough Whitlam is elected the 21st Prime Minister of Australia in the 1972 Australian federal election, defeating William McMahon and leading the Australian Labor Party back into office after 23 years in Opposition.
Prime Minister of Australia from 1972 to 1975
Wikipedia source
1975 Laotian_Civil_War
Laotian Civil War: The Pathet Lao seizes the Laotian capital of Vientiane, forces the abdication of King Sisavang Vatthana, and proclaims the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
1959–1975 conflict in Laos
Wikipedia source
1976 Fidel_Castro
Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado.
Leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011
Wikipedia source
1977 Tupolev_Tu-154
A Tupolev Tu-154 crashes near Benghazi, Libya, killing 59.
Soviet and Russian medium-range trijet airliner
Wikipedia source
1980 Salvadoran_Civil_War
Salvadoran Civil War: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by a death squad.
1979–1992 conflict in El Salvador
Wikipedia source
1982 University_of_Utah
At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
Public university in Salt Lake City, Utah, US
Wikipedia source
1988 Benazir_Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state.
Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988–1990; 1993–1996)
Wikipedia source
1988 Space_Shuttle_Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-27, a classified mission for the United States Department of Defense.
Space Shuttle orbiter (1985–2011)
Wikipedia source
1989 Hat_Yai_Peace_Agreement
The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai is signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and the governments of Malaysia and Thailand, ending the over two-decade-long communist insurgency in Malaysia.
1989 peace ending the Malaysian communist insurgency
Wikipedia source
1990 Space_Shuttle_Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-35, carrying the ASTRO-1 spacelab observatory.
Space Shuttle orbiter (1981–2003)
Wikipedia source
1991 Ukraine
Canada and Poland become the first nations to recognize the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.
Country in Eastern Europe
Wikipedia source
1992 Space_Shuttle_Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-53 for the United States Department of Defense.
Space Shuttle orbiter (1984–2011)
Wikipedia source
1993 Colombia
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed by police in Medellín.
Country in South America
Wikipedia source
1993 Space_Shuttle_program
Space Shuttle program: STS-61: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
1972–2011 United States human spaceflight program
Wikipedia source
1999 Northern_Ireland
The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive following the Good Friday Agreement.
Part of the United Kingdom
Wikipedia source
2001 Enron
Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Defunct American energy company
Wikipedia source
2015
San Bernardino attack: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik kill 14 people and wound 22 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California.
Mass shooting in California, U.S.
Wikipedia source
2016 Ghost_Ship_warehouse_fire
Thirty-six people die in a fire at a converted Oakland, California, warehouse serving as an artist collective.
2016 California underground warehouse party inferno
Wikipedia source
2020 Cannabis_(drug)
Cannabis is removed from the list of most dangerous drugs of the international drug control treaty by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
Psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant
Wikipedia source

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