13th December in recent history

A few interesting facts from the history of the 13^th of December:

UK 1924 Great Britain France Wartime Debt

December 13th, 1924 : France’s World War I wartime debt to Great Britain amounted to 623,000,000 pounds and the French also owed the United States 798,000,000 pounds. Although the British government was going to approach France about repaying its debts, the British public was skeptical that France would ever pay anything back.

United States 1939 United States Gone With The Wind Premiers

December 13th, 1939 : Gone With The Wind Premiers in Atlanta, Georgia. The movie adapted from the novel by Margaret Mitchell published in 1936. The movie, starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel set in the deep south tells a story of the Civil War and its aftermath from a white Southern viewpoint.

France 1944 France Allied Prisoners of War Freed

December 13th, 1944 : In Sarreguemines, France one thousand allied soldiers who had been German captives became free as the 39th division stormed their prison. The liberated group included Russian, Polish, Italian, Serbian, and Yugoslavian soldiers who smiled at their new liberty.

U.S. 1950 U.S.A. James Dean

December 13th, 1950 : James Dean who is still unknown at that time appears in a Pepsi commercial, dancing with other teens around a jukebox 5 years before he becomes an icon for the teenage revolution in such films as Rebel Without a Cause

Cyprus 1959 Cyprus Archbishop Makarios

December 13th, 1959 : Archbishop Makarios is elected as the first President of the Republic of Cyprus in free elections winning with over 66% of the vote. His vice president is Dr Fazil Kutchuk a leading political figure from the Turkish community.

UK 1995 England Brixton Riots

December 13th, 1995 : Hundreds youths take to the streets at Brixton, in south London attacking police, ransacking shops and burning cars.

Ireland 1996 Ireland EU Finance Ministers

December 13th, 1996 : In Dublin, fifteen EU finance ministers debated for eleven hours about imposing fines on EU countries whose poor accounting practices jeopardized EU stability. The new common currency of the EU, the Euro, was to be launched in 1999.

European Union 2002 European Union 10 New Members

December 13th, 2002 : Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia are accepted into the European Union and will become members from 1st May 2004.

EU 2007 EU Lisbon Treaty

December 13th, 2007 : E.U. leaders have signed a treaty in Lisbon that is expected to alter the way in which the 27-nation body operates. The treaty creates an E.U. president, as well as a more powerful foreign policy chief. The document, signed at a ceremony at the city's Jeronimos Monastery, also scraps veto powers in many policy areas. It has been signed as a replacement for the E.U. constitution, which was abandoned in the wake of French and Dutch opposition to it.

The World Every Year Christian Population

Just 12 days until Christmas Day when the world will rejoice and remember the birth of Jesus Christ.