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🌟 Editor's Note
Good morning — it’s Saturday, December 6. Today, we're digging into the 13th Amendment, the Washington Monument, the Great Halifax Explosion, water on Mars, and much more—quick, sharp, and totally source-credible.
Oh, and don't miss tomorrow's Strange Times story, it'll blow your mind.
Love Flashback? Please support us and help keep history fascinating every day.
Invite your friend to join you on this daily journey — good karma. 💌
Got something to say? Hit reply — I read every email.
— Fatih Taskiran, Editor
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🚀 Time Machine
-1240
Batu Khan's Mongols occupied and destroyed Kyiv after an eight-day siege; out of 50,000 people, only 2,000 survived.
-1865
The 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery except as punishment for crimes where the party is duly convicted.
-1884
In Washington, D.C., a nine-inch aluminum pyramid inscribed with "Laus Deo" ("Praise be to God") was placed atop the Washington Monument to complete it, honoring George Washington, the nation's first president.
-1917
The Great Halifax Explosion happened at 9:05 a.m. when the munitions ship Mont Blanc exploded after a collision, killing over 1,800 people.
-1921
Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed; Ireland gets dominion status; partition creates Northern Ireland.
-1961
Ernie Davis becomes the first Black player to win the Heisman Trophy, beating Ohio State fullback Bob Ferguson.
-1998
Hugo Chávez was elected President of Venezuela.
-2002
"Adaptation," directed by Spike Jonze, starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep, premieres.
-2006
NASA reveals photos taken by Mars Global Surveyor that hint at liquid water on Mars.
📸 Snapshot
Young Hitler, as no one knows him, cheers the start of World War I, 1914
🗨️ Final Words
“Wouldn't it be lovely if I could just go to sleep and not wake up again?“