Today in History: First Transatlantic Radio Signal

The following are some of the major events that occurred in history on December 12:

627 – Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius won a decisive victory over the Persian forces of Emperor Khosrow II near Nineveh (in modern Iraq). This battle effectively ended the long Byzantine–Sasanian War; soon after, Khosrow II was overthrown and a peace treaty restored all Byzantine territories and captured relics. Notably, the Battle of Nineveh was the final major conflict between the Roman (Byzantine) and Persian Empires, paving the way for the rise of Islamic powers in the region.

1787 – Pennsylvania Ratifies the U.S. Constitution: On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state (and the largest at the time) to ratify the new United States Constitution, by a vote of 46 to 23. As one of the early ratifications after Delaware’s first approval, Pennsylvania’s decision was a crucial step toward establishing the federal government under the Constitution. This ratification helped build momentum for the Constitution’s acceptance across the remaining colonies, shaping the foundation of U.S. law and governance.

1901 – Marconi’s First Transatlantic Radio Signal: Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi achieved a milestone in communication on December 12, 1901, by sending and receiving the first wireless radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean. At Signal Hill in Newfoundland he received the Morse code letter “S” transmitted from Cornwall, England – a distance of over 2,000 miles. Marconi’s successful experiment disproved skeptics who thought radio waves couldn’t travel beyond the horizon, heralding a new era of global wireless communications.

1911 – Capital of British India Moved to New Delhi: At the Delhi Durbar on December 12, 1911, Britain’s King George V formally announced that the capital of British-ruled India would be transferred from Calcutta (Kolkata) to Delhi. This decision led to the construction of New Delhi as a grand new administrative capital. The move was aimed in part at placating growing unrest in Bengal and placing the government’s center in a location seen as the historic seat of power in India, underscoring a significant shift in colonial policy.

1913 – Mona Lisa Recovered in Florence: Leonardo da Vinci’s famed painting Mona Lisa, stolen from the Louvre in 1911, was finally recovered on December 12, 1913. Italian police in Florence apprehended Vincenzo Peruggia – a former Louvre employee – after he attempted to sell the portrait, and found the priceless artwork in his hotel room. The recovery of the Mona Lisa made headlines worldwide, ending a two-year mystery and returning the Renaissance masterpiece to France, where it became more famous than ever.

1936 – The Xi’an Incident in China: On December 12, 1936, Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped by his own generals in the city of Xi’an. General Zhang Xueliang and others seized Chiang to compel him to stop the civil war against the Communists and form a united front with them against Japanese invasion. The Xi’an Incident ended after two weeks with Chiang’s release and an implicit agreement to cooperate with Mao Zedong’s Communists, marking a turning point that led to the Second United Front against Japan in World War II.

1941 – Hitler’s “Extermination” Declaration: A secret meeting at the Reich Chancellery on December 12, 1941 marked a grim milestone in the Holocaust. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler convened top Nazi Party officials in Berlin one day after declaring war on the United States, and he made clear that his pre-war “prophecy” of the Jews’ annihilation was now being realized. In this meeting Hitler declared the impending extermination of Europe’s Jews, signaling a shift from persecution to systematic genocide – a crucial, if less-publicized, step toward the implementation of the “Final Solution”.

1963 – Kenya Gains Independence: On December 12, 1963, Kenya declared its independence from Great Britain, ending decades of colonial rule. Large celebrations in Nairobi marked the birth of the new nation with Jomo Kenyatta as the first prime minister. While Kenya’s sovereignty was achieved on this day – now commemorated as Jamhuri (Republic) Day – the young country still faced challenges ahead in building a stable democracy after the long struggle against colonialism.

2000 – Bush v. Gore Decides U.S. Election: The contentious U.S. presidential election of 2000 effectively ended on December 12, 2000, when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled to halt the Florida recount, citing a lack of time to conduct a fair recount before the deadline. This Bush v. Gore decision left George W. Bush ahead in Florida, awarding him the state’s electoral votes and hence the presidency. The ruling – decided by a 5–4 vote – resolved weeks of uncertainty, making it one of the most significant court interventions in an election in American history.

2015 – Paris Climate Agreement Adopted: A landmark international accord on climate change was reached on December 12, 2015, when 195 countries adopted the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The agreement, forged in Paris during the COP21 climate conference, set global goals to limit warming by curbing greenhouse gas emissions. It effectively succeeded the Kyoto Protocol as the world’s most comprehensive climate pact, reflecting an unprecedented level of global cooperation in response to climate change.