1 December in history
8 events that happened on 1 December, from 800 to 1990.
International day
World AIDS Day
The first ever global health day when it launched in 1988, World AIDS Day calls on individuals, communities, and governments to unite in the fight against HIV, remember those who have died, and support the more than 38 million people living with the virus.
✦ Anniversary of the day
800 CE 1,226 years ago
Charlemagne convenes an assembly in Rome to judge Pope Leo III
A week after arriving in Rome, Charlemagne called an assembly in St Peter's to hear charges against Pope Leo III, who cleared himself by oath. On Christmas Day Leo crowned Charlemagne emperor.
1420 CE 606 years ago
Henry V enters Paris in triumph
Henry V of England rode into Paris alongside Charles VI of France. Under the Treaty of Troyes he was regent and heir to the French throne, but his death in 1422 left the dual monarchy to his infant son.
1640 CE 386 years ago
Portuguese conspirators end Spanish rule in Lisbon
Nobles stormed the royal palace in Lisbon and proclaimed the Duke of Braganza king as John IV. The coup ended 60 years of union with Spain; the Braganza dynasty reigned until 1910.
1828 CE 198 years ago
Juan Lavalle overthrows Governor Manuel Dorrego in Buenos Aires
Returning with troops who had fought in the Cisplatine War, Juan Lavalle of the Unitarian Party mounted a coup in Buenos Aires Province, deposing Governor Manuel Dorrego, whom he captured and killed. The coup reignited the Argentine Civil Wars.
1913 CE 113 years ago
Ford installs a moving assembly line for the whole car
At Highland Park, Michigan, Ford began building the Model T on a moving assembly line. Assembly time fell from over 12 hours to about 90 minutes, and cheap cars reshaped modern industry.
1955 CE 71 years ago
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give her seat to a white passenger. The 381-day bus boycott that followed brought Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence.
1959 CE 67 years ago
Twelve nations sign the Antarctic Treaty
In Washington, twelve countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union, agreed to reserve Antarctica for peaceful scientific research. The treaty banned military activity and froze territorial claims.
1990 CE 36 years ago
Tunnellers from Britain and France meet under the Channel
British and French workers broke through the last wall of rock and shook hands beneath the English Channel. The tunnel opened in 1994, linking Britain to the Continent by rail.
Born on 1 December 6
Died on 1 December 6
Dates as the sources give them: in the Julian calendar before 1582, and in some countries for longer (Britain until 1752, Russia until 1918). Only people whose day of birth or death the records agree on are listed.