December 6

December 6: This Day in History

• 1865— The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, formally abolishing slavery throughout the United States.
• 1877— Thomas Edison made the first sound recording, reciting 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' into his newly invented phonograph.
• 1917— A French munitions ship and a Belgian relief vessel collided in Halifax Harbour, causing the Halifax Explosion, one of the largest pre-atomic man-made explosions in history.
• 1921— The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in London, creating the Irish Free State and partitioning Ireland.
• 1989— The École Polytechnique massacre occurred in Montreal, Canada, when a gunman killed 14 women in an anti-feminist attack.

Famous Birthdays on December 6

• Nick Park (1958) — animator and creator of wallace and gromit
• Craig Newmark (1952) — founder of craigslist
• Ira Gershwin (1896) — lyricist
• Agnes Moorehead (1900) — actress
• Judd Apatow (1967) — filmmaker and comedian

What Happens on December 6?

Did You Know? December 6 Fun Facts

• The Halifax Explosion in 1917 was so powerful it created a tsunami, a pressure wave felt hundreds of miles away, and the largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb.
• St. Nicholas Day on December 6 is still celebrated more prominently than Christmas in parts of the Netherlands and Belgium.

Count Down to Events on December 6

• How many days until F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
• How many days until Hanukkah?
• How many days until Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting?
• How many days until Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting?