So many things happened in history this week

This past week marked the anniversary of many shocking world events that took place years ago.

On Thursday, 8 December the world remembered the death of a member of the famous Beatles, John Lennon, who was shot and killed by a crazed fan. The singer-songwriter was entering his apartment in Manhattan when Mark Chapman shot him four times with a 0.39 calibre revolver. He died on his way to hospital due to profuse blood loss.

Thousands of fans worldwide mourned his death for weeks on end and many held a vigil in his honour. He was declared dead later that day in 1980.

On Wednesday, 7 December 1988 a 6,9 earthquake killed 25 000 people in Armenia. Five million people were left homeless. Despite tensions of the Cold War, the United States sent humanitarian help within days of the quake. This was the first time a foreign country had sent help since the end of World War II. Many other countries also sent substantial humanitarian aid to the Soviet Union.

Rescue equipment, medical supplies, search teams and donations were sent to the country and all who had been affected by the devastating disaster were able to receive help soon.

Another world event that received more positive attention and response was Nasa’s release of a photograph on 6 December 2006 suggesting that water once flowed on Mars. Various images show channels suggesting that water flowed over the landscape, moving sand and rock and making clearly visible crevices.

However, the lack of sustaining evidence has left the world with many doubts of the theory.

And on a lighter note on 10 December 1964, Dr Martin Luther King Jnr was presented the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. The American Baptist minister and activist was known for his incredible speeches about freedom, race equality and civil rights. He was assassinated on 4 April 1968 before he could lead a national occupation of Washington DC called the Poor People’s Campaign.

King’s first made a name for himself during the Montgomery Bus Boycott that ended racial segregation in public buses after a black woman had to give up her seat to a white man.

December seems to be the time when everything newsworthy happens, so keep an eye on our website for the next life-altering or world-changing event.

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