December 13 Through History

Explanation: The Constitution of 22 Frimaire Year VIII established the Consulate with Bonaparte as First Consul. This transitional regime between the Republic and the Empire would last until 1804, when Bonaparte had himself crowned Napoleon I. This constitution concentrated executive power in the hands of the First Consul at the expense of the other two consuls, Sieyès and Ducos.

Explanation: Abel Tasman, a Dutch navigator working for the Dutch East India Company, was the first European to reach New Zealand. He named the land 'Staten Landt', before it was renamed 'Nieuw Zeeland' in homage to the Dutch province of Zeeland. It wasn't until 1769 that James Cook mapped its coastline with precision.

Explanation: Taylor Swift, a native of West Reading, Pennsylvania, became one of the most influential artists of the XXIst century. She started her career in country music before moving toward pop. Her album 'Fearless' (2008) earned her her first Grammy Awards, and she became the first artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times.

Explanation: An American in Paris is a symphonic poem inspired by Gershwin's stays in France. It incorporates authentic Parisian taxi sounds into the score. The work was adapted for cinema in 1951 with Gene Kelly in the lead role, winning six Oscars including Best Picture. Gershwin is also famous for his opera Porgy and Bess (1935).

Explanation: Henry IV, the first king of the Bourbon dynasty, signed the Edict of Nantes in 1598, granting freedom of worship to Protestants. Born a Protestant under the name Henry of Navarre, he converted to Catholicism with the legendary phrase 'Paris is well worth a mass'. He was assassinated by Ravaillac in 1610 and remains one of the most popular kings in French history.

Explanation: This provocative purchase by Gainsbourg, known for his turbulent relationship with the French national anthem, which he had reinterpreted in a reggae version under the title 'Aux Armes et cætera' in 1979, caused a huge stir. The original manuscript of La Marseillaise had been written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 in Strasbourg, in a single night, for the Army of the Rhine.

Explanation: Haribo, whose name is an acronym for Hans Riegel Bonn, was founded by Hans Riegel Sr. The company is famous for its gummy bears, invented in 1922. Today, Haribo produces around 100 million gummy bears per day in its factories across Europe, and its slogan 'Haribo macht Kinder froh' (Haribo makes kids happy) is known worldwide.

Explanation: The Battle of the River Plate pitted the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee against three British cruisers. Damaged but not sunk during the fighting, the German ship took refuge in Montevideo, Uruguay. Her commander, Captain Hans Langsdorff, ordered the ship scuttled to avoid capture, then took his own life three days later. It was the first major naval battle of World War II.

Explanation: Saddam Hussein was found hiding in an underground hole near Tikrit, his hometown, during Operation 'Red Dawn' carried out by American forces. He was captured without resistance, bearded and disoriented. Tried by a special Iraqi tribunal, he was sentenced to death and hanged on December 30, 2006 for crimes against humanity.

Explanation: The Treaty of Lisbon, signed at the Jerónimos Monastery in Portugal, entered into force on 1 December 2009 after a bumpy road, including a first negative Irish referendum in 2008. It created the post of permanent President of the European Council and strengthened the role of the European Parliament. Herman Van Rompuy was the first president elected to this new post.