December 29 Through History

Explanation: Thomas Becket had been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by his friend King Henry II of England, who hoped to gain greater control over the Church. But Becket defended ecclesiastical independence with passion, sparking a conflict that led to his murder by four royal knights. He was canonized as early as 1173 by Pope Alexander III.

Explanation: Václav Havel, playwright and leading dissident figure, rose to the presidency without ever having held a political office before. His election became a symbol of the Velvet Revolution, the peaceful overthrow of the Czechoslovak communist regime. He remained president until 1992, then became the 1st president of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003.

Explanation: The annexation of Texas by the United States was one of the direct causes of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Texas had declared its independence from Mexico back in 1836 and had functioned as an independent republic for nine years before joining the Union. Its size makes it one of the largest U.S. states.

Explanation: This mission aboard the Mir space station demonstrated the prolonged effects of weightlessness on the human body, paving the way for future long-duration missions. Romanenko had launched in February 1987. This record was later broken: in 2022, American astronaut Christina Koch held the women's record with 328 continuous days in space.

Explanation: Born at the Congress of Tours, the French Communist Party (PCF) resulted from a split within the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO). The majority of delegates voted to join the 3rd International founded by Lenin, while the minority, led by Léon Blum, kept the SFIO. The PCF was one of the most powerful parties in France for several decades.

Explanation: Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, known by the title of Marquise de Pompadour, was not only the official favourite of Louis XV, but a true stateswoman and influential patron of the arts. She played a decisive role in French foreign policy, notably encouraging the reversal of alliances of 1756 that brought France closer to Austria against Prussia.

Explanation: The first 3 weeks of paid vacation had been introduced gradually: the 1st in 1936 by Léon Blum's Popular Front government, the 2nd in 1938, then the 3rd in 1956. Renault, a public company, often played the role of a social laboratory in France. The 4th week was only extended to all French workers by the law of 1969.

Explanation: Pablo Casals, born in El Vendrell in Catalonia, is considered the father of the modern cello. He voluntarily went into exile after Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War and refused to perform in countries that recognized the Francoist regime. He continued to perform in public until an advanced age and died in 1973 in Puerto Rico, where he had settled.

Explanation: Henry II Plantagenet had himself appointed Becket Archbishop of Canterbury, thinking he was securing an ally within the Church. Their friendship broke down over the question of the privileges of the clergy in relation to royal justice. According to tradition, Henry II supposedly said: "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?", prompting four knights to commit the murder. The king then did public penance at Becket's tomb.

Explanation: Charles Goodyear accidentally discovered the rubber vulcanization process in 1839, by dropping a mixture of rubber and sulfur onto a hot plate. This process makes rubber resistant to heat and cold. Ironically, Goodyear died deeply in debt despite the importance of his invention. The famous tire brand Goodyear was founded in his honor in 1898, 38 years after his death.