123 things happened on 6 December, from AD 343 to 2017. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1921 · 105 years ago
British and Irish representatives signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London. The agreement ended the Irish War of Independence. It said that an Irish Free State would be set up within a year. The Free State would govern itself as a dominion within the British E…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
During the English Civil War, soldiers stopped some Members of Parliament from entering the House of Commons. These MPs were seen as hostile to Parliament's New Model Army and friendly to King Charles I. With them gone, Parliament could set up a court to put the king on trial. The event is known as Pride's Purge, and the trial took place in January 1649.
UK story
The Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, began to retreat. Two days earlier it had reached Derby, the furthest point of its march. Charles had hoped to win back the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland for the Stuart family. The rising of 1745 failed and was the last of the Jacobite risings.
UK story
British and Irish representatives signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London. The agreement ended the Irish War of Independence. It said that an Irish Free State would be set up within a year. The Free State would govern itself as a dominion within the British Empire, with the same status as Canada.
UK story
During the Second World War, the British set up Camp X in Ontario, Canada. It was a secret school for training agents to carry out undercover missions. Its official name was Special Training School No. 103, and it stood on the shore of Lake Ontario. The site is now called Intrepid Park, after the code name of Sir William Stephenson, who set up the programme.
UK story
Ireland is partitioned, with Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State coming into existence, one year to the day after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
Christopher Columbus landed on an island in the Caribbean that he named Hispaniola. Before this, he had explored Cuba looking for gold, mistakenly thinking it was Japan. Columbus was an Italian explorer who made four voyages across the Atlantic for Spain. His journeys were the first known European contact with the Caribbean. They opened the way for Europeans to explore and colonise the Americas.
Slavery in the United States was officially abolished. This happened when enough states ratified, or approved, the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. Twenty-seven of the then 36 states had to agree. Before this, enslaved people, mostly Africans and African Americans, were treated as property that could be bought and sold. The amendment was passed after the American Civil War.
The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., was completed. It is a tall stone pillar called an obelisk, about 169 metres high. It honours George Washington, the first president of the United States. Building work kept stopping and starting, so its outside is made of three different kinds of white marble.
A painted limestone bust of Nefertiti was found at Amarna in Egypt. Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten. The bust was taken to Germany and is now on show in the Neues Museum in Berlin. Time magazine has listed it among the top ten 'plundered' treasures, meaning objects taken from the places they belong.
At the Melbourne Olympics, 14-year-old swimmer Sandra Morgan won a gold medal as part of Australia's 4×100 metres freestyle relay team. She became the youngest Australian ever to win an Olympic gold medal. Her record lasted until the 2024 Paris Olympics, when it was broken by Arisa Trew.
NASA showed photographs taken by its Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft that suggested there might be liquid water on Mars. The robotic probe had been circling Mars since 1997, mapping the whole planet from its surface to its upper atmosphere. It also helped find landing places for Mars rovers and landers.
Leo VIII was ordained a bishop, claiming the Holy See as an antipope supported by Otto the Great.
Béla I (pictured) was crowned King of Hungary in Székesfehérvár.
The city of Quito in Ecuador is founded by Spanish settlers led by Sebastián de Belalcázar.
The U.S. Congress moves from New York City to Philadelphia.
Mexican–American War: American and Mexican forces clashed at the Battle of San Pasqual, a series of skirmishes near San Diego, California.
Transit of Venus, second and last of the 19th century.
London becomes the world's first city to host licensed taxicabs.
President Theodore Roosevelt announced the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, justifying the exercise of "international police power" by the U.S. in the Western Hemisphere.
World War I: The Central Powers capture Bucharest.
Finland declares independence from the Russian Empire.
In United States v. One Book Called Ulysses Judge John M. Woolsey ruled that James Joyce's novel Ulysses was not obscene, allowing it to be imported into the United States.
Winter War: The Red Army's advance on the Karelian Isthmus is stopped by Finns at the Mannerheim Line during the Battle of Taipale.
American physician Adrian Kantrowitz and his team performed the world's first pediatric heart transplant at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City.
Pakistan severs diplomatic relations with India, initiating the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment: The United States House of Representatives votes 387–35 to confirm Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States. (On November 27, the Senate confirmed him 92–3.)
South Africa grants independence to Bophuthatswana, although it is not recognized by any other country.
Spain ratifies the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in a referendum.
Self-government was granted to the Australian Capital Territory.
The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, was demolished by Hindu Kar Sevaks, who believed that it was built on the birthplace of Rama.
in Venezuela, Hugo Chávez is victorious in presidential elections.
The Recording Industry Association of America filed a lawsuit against the peer-to-peer file sharing network Napster, alleging that the service facilitated widespread copyright infringement.
Venezuelan parliamentary election: For the first time in 17 years, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela loses its majority in parliament.
Under President Donald Trump, the United States government officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Britain sets up Camp X, a secret school for spies”?
B: 1941. 1941 — that’s 85 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed in London”?
B: 1921. 1921 — that’s 105 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
A: Bonnie Prince Charlie's army begins to retreat. 1745: Bonnie Prince Charlie's army begins to retreat · 1941: Britain sets up Camp X, a secret school for spies · 1921: The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed in London Find it on the page
“Bonnie Prince Charlie's army begins to retreat” happened in 1745. How many years ago was that?
B: 281 years. 2026 − 1745 = 281. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 6 December.
UK story
Henry VI became King of England when he was just nine months old, after his father, Henry V, died. He reigned from 1422 to 1461, and again from 1470 to 1471. Through his mother's family he also claimed the throne of France. He died in 1471.
UK story
Nick Park is an English animator and filmmaker. He created Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Chicken Run and Creature Comforts. He has won four Academy Awards, including for The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave. He also co-directed the 2018 film Early Man.
Well-known people who died on 6 December.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 6 December somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “December 6” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.