December 5th

On this day – 5^th December 1952 – The Great Smog over London

The Great Smog was an air-pollution over London, which lasted from the 5th to the 9th of December. It was caused by cold, windless weather, which collected and kept air-pollution in place. The cold weather also led to people using more coal, which further spurred the air-pollution. The pollution sept underneath doors, and even ambulances had to stand still due to low visibility. It was not considered significant at the time, but medical results soon showed the impact of the smog on Londoners health. It was estimated that around 4000 people died prematurely due to the smog, and another 100.000 were made ill. More modern research have, however, argued that 12.000 people died as a result of the smog. It is the worst air-pollution experienced in the UK and it led to major policy regulation and environmental interest. London have struggled with pollution and Smog since then, but no event have been as bad as the one in 1952. UK is, however, not the only city to have struggled with pollution and air problems. The air in Beijing are, for example, known for its pollution.  

You literally could not see your hand in front of your face. My partner of today tells me that he remembers the smog in that he brushed against what he thought was a human being and asked it for a light for his cigarette - and the human being turned out to be lamppost.”

Barbara Fewster recalls the Great Smog at news.bbc.uk

The Great Fogg from museumoflondonimages.com

December 4th

On this day – 4 December 1906 – Alpha Phi Alpha was founded

Alpha Phi Alpha is the first African American, inter college Greek lettered fraternity. The first chapter was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Their names were Henry A. Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert H. Ogle, Vertner Woodson Tandy, and Eugene Kinckle Jones. The aims of the fraternity were "manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind" and it was founded as a study and suport group for minority students who faced racial prejudice. In 1945 Alpha Phi Alpha was opened for men of all races and the first non-black member was Bernard Levin who joined in 1946.

Alpha Phi Alpha spread to other american universities soon after its founding at Cornell University. There are 290,000 members and 730 active chapters today. Some famous members includes Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr., the former president of Jamaica, Norman Manley, the first African American supreme court judge, Marshall Thurgood, musician Duke Ellington and singer  Lionel Richie. Member W. DuBois started The Crisis, the magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 1933 member Belford Lawson Jr started the New Negro Alliance (NNA) that fought a landmark case against discriminatory hiring practices (New Negro Alliance vs Sanitary Grocery Co). Alpha Phi Alpha have clearly contributed to a more equal society in the US and to giving black people in the US a voice. 

Delegates of the fourth annual convention 

December 3rd

On this day – 3 December 1967 – The first human-to human heart transplant

The first heart transplant from a human to another human was conducted by the South African Surgeon Christian Barnard. This was not the first heart transplant to a human, but the first human to human heart transplant. Three years earlier had Dr. James Hardy performed a heart transplant from a chimpanzee to a human, but the patient had died only 90 minutes later. Barnard’s surgery in 1967 was more successful and his patient managed to self sustains the new heart. The patient, Louis Washkansky, sadly died of pneumonia 18 days after the surgery.  

The surgery was at the time highly experimental. Barnard had practiced on animals previously, but this was the first human to human heart transplant. The operation had taken a total on 9 hours and it was a 25 year old car crash victim which was the donor. It took only three days from the first heart transplant were conducted to a new one was tried, this time a pediatric heart transplant in the US. Although this was not a successful transplant either continued surgeons to build on the work. Today is heart transplant considered a fairly common surgery, and around 3000 are done each year.

We would like to urge everyone to sign up as a donor so that more people can be saved. 

Christian Barnard, the first doctor to do a human heart to heart transplant 

December 2

On this day – 2 December 1971 – The creation of the United Arab Emirates 

The United Arab Emirates, also known as UAE or the Emirates, were established as a coalition between seven emirates. The seven were Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. UAE was established after the area became independent from the UK earlier the same year. Dubai and Abu Dhabi were the first to create a union, and it was after they had drafted a constitution that the other emirates were invited to join in. Quatar and Bahrain refused, while Ras al-Khaimah only joined later. The constitution between the six founding emirates was signed on 2 December in 1971. The first president in UAE was Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan from Abu Dhabi. He held this position until his death in 2004. The vice president (and prime minister) today is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. He is also one of the founders of emirates airlines.

Each of the seven emirates in the UEA today is led by absolute monarchs and one of the seven monarchs is elected as the president of the country. Abu Dhabi functions as the capital. UEA have the seventh largest oil reserve in the world. Their official language is arabic, but English is spoken in most areas as well.

December 1st

On this day – 1^st December 1955 – Rosa Parks got arrested for refusing to give up her seat

Rosa Parks got arrested because she refused to give up her bus seat in the coloured section of the bus, to a white man. There were separate sections in the busses for white and coloured, but if the white-only seats were taken, were the coloured bus riders required to give up their seat. This is what Parks refused to do in 1955. She was arrested for civil disobedience and for breaking the segregation laws in Montgomery. She hadn’t been the first to defy the segregation laws in the US, but she became one of the most important symbols for the civil rights movement in the US. December 1^st is celebrated as Rosa Parks day in the US.

"When that white driver stepped back toward us, when he waved his hand and ordered us up and out of our seats, I felt a determination to cover my body like a quilt on a winter night." -Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks wrote an autobigraphy about the events in 1999. The book is called "My Story".