December 1 is World AIDS Day.
December 2 is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. An estimated 50 million people are in modern slavery, including 28 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage. Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable.
On December 3, 1621, Galileo perfected his telescope.
On December 3, 1924, John Backus, inventor of the FORTRAN computer language, was born.
December 6 is Saint Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children and the inspiration for Santa Claus.
It has been over 30 years since the murder of 14 young women at Polytechnique Montréal. This act of violent misogyny shook our country and led Parliament to designate December 6 as The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
December 7 is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in the U.S., commemorating the attack that spurred the American declaration of war on Japan, which then launched the U.S. into World War II.
December 10 is Human Rights Day. Observed every year on December 10, the day commemorates the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaiming the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. The theme for 2022 is: Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All.
On December 15, 1964, patent #3,161,861 was granted to Kenneth Olsen for magnetic core memory (first used in a minicomputer).
December 17 is Wright Brothers Day.
December 21 is the shortest day of the year (for those of us in the planet’s northern hemisphere). Though the weather keeps getting colder, at least the days are getting longer (or more accurately, the days themselves are still roughly 24 hours long, but the amount of sunlight each day is increasing).
On December 25 we can all celebrate Newtonmass to commemorate the birth (in 1643) of British physicist, mathematician, and astronomer Isaac Newton.
December 26 is Boxing Day, a day to appreciate folks in the service industry, such as postal workers and tradespeople.
On December 26, Charles Babbage, inventor of a calculating machine, was born.
On December 27, 1571, Johann Kepler, known for his three laws of planetary motion, was born.
On December 29, 1823, Charles Macintosh, the Scottish inventor and creator of the raincoat that now bears his name, patented the first waterproof material.
