This Day in History

Thu, 12 Dec 2024

Kenya Gains Independence from the United Kingdom (1963)

European settlers began establishing themselves as large-scale farmers in the Kenyan highlands in 1903, taking lands from local tribes like the Kikuyu and Masai. In 1920, the British designated the interior of the region Kenya Colony and a coastal strip the Protectorate of Kenya. Africans began protesting their inferior status, and the Kikuyu staged an armed revolt in the 1950s. Britain eventually put down the rebellion, but Kenya gained its independence soon after. Who was its first president? Discuss

Wed, 11 Dec 2024

Kyoto Protocol Is Adopted (1997)

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement to fight global warming that calls on industrialized nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. It was adopted during a UN Conference on Climate Change held in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. Later that year, international representatives settled the details necessary to convert the agreement into a binding international treaty, and it came into force in 2005 after ratification by more than 125 nations. What nations declined to adopt the treaty?

Tue, 10 Dec 2024

UN General Assembly Adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

Drafted by a committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the world's most translated document. Among its 30 articles are definitions of civil and political rights, as well as definitions of economic, social, and cultural rights—all of which are owed by UN member states to those under their jurisdiction. Since its adoption, it has acquired more juridical status than originally intended and has been widely used, even by national courts, in what ways?