18 December: Remembering historic events that took place on this day

Every date in the calendar has witnessed some iconic events and today, 18 December, is no exception. On this day in 1912, British archaeologist Charles Dawson claimed to have found a fossil in Sussex’s Piltdown that was proved to be a major hoax in 1953. On the very day in 1966, Dr Seuss’ iconic children’s book adaptation ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ aired for the first time on CBS. In 1997, Kim Dae-Jung became the first opposition candidate in South Korea’s history to hold office. Furthermore in 2019, then US President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for obstruction of Congress and abuse of power.

Here are some historic events which happened on18 December:

The Piltdown Man hoax, 1912: On 18 December 1912, Charles Dawson, a British amateur archaeologist, claimed in a letter to the Natural History Museum in London that a fossil he had unearthed in Sussex’s Piltdown was the long-missing evolutionary connection between apes and humans. The Piltdown Man hoax, one of the most popular and significant frauds in the annals of science, started from it. It took until 1953 for scientists to realize that Dawson’s Piltdown Man was a fraud.

The Piltdown Man fossils, which were discovered over a number of years, included a jaw and set of teeth, pieces of a human-like head, and a canine tooth. Additionally, there were primitive stone tools, a slab of bone that had been carved, and pieces of mammal fossils from the Pleistocene or Pliocene Era.

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ debuted on CBS, 1966: On 18 December 1966, the adaptation of Dr Seuss’ iconic children’s book ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ debuted on television. It depicts the tale of the Grinch, who tries to spoil Christmas for the residents of Whoville beneath his mountain hideout. It became an annual holiday special after being first shown on CBS in the United States. The Grinch and the narrator in the special were voiced by Boris Karloff.

Kim Dae-Jung was elected the President of South Korea, 1997: On 18 December 1997, Kim Dae-Jung was voted as South Korea’s President, becoming the first opposition candidate in the nation’s history to hold office. During his inaugural speech, President Kim described his administration as “the people’s government.” He was awarded the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to foster human rights and democracy in South Korea and throughout East Asia, as well as for peace and reconciliation with Japan and North Korea. Additionally, he is the only Korean till date to have received the Nobel Prize. Kim Dae-Jung is sometimes referred to as “the Asian Nelson Mandela.”

US President Donald Trump was impeached, 2019: On 18 December 2019, the House of Representatives formally accused Donald Trump of abuse of power, making him the third American president to be impeached. In a 230-197 vote that was mostly along party lines, the Democratic-controlled House approved the abuse of power article of impeachment. After that, the House voted 229-198 on the second article of impeachment accusing Trump of obstructing Congress.

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