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December 6
The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It has been awarded since 1917, and is presented to an individual or team of up to three people who have made exceptional contributions or had extraordinary careers in technology, engineering and science in the IEEE fields of interest. The award consists of a gold medal (pictured), a bronze replica of the medal, a certificate, and a US$2 million honorarium. The medal was created by the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) as the IRE Medal of Honor. It became the IEEE Medal of Honor when the IRE merged with the American Institute of Electrical Engineers to form the IEEE in 1963. The first recipient was Edwin Howard Armstrong, in 1917. As of 2024, 104 individuals have been awarded the medal, with the latest recipient being Robert E. Kahn. (Full list...)
December 2
Between the 1890s and 1940s, the Imperial Japanese Navy built a series of battleships as it expanded its fleet. Previously, the Empire of Japan had acquired a few ironclad warships from foreign builders, although it had adopted the Jeune École naval doctrine which emphasized cheap torpedo boats and commerce raiding to offset expensive, heavily armored ships. Combat experience in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895 convinced the Imperial Japanese Navy that its doctrine was untenable, leading to a ten-year naval construction program that called for a total of six battleships and six armored cruisers (the Six-Six Fleet). To counter reinforcement of the Russian Empire's Pacific Squadron as tensions rose between the Russians and the Japanese over control of Korea and Manchuria in the early 1900s, Japan ordered the two battleships of the Katori class in 1903. (Full list...)
December 13
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a 2015 American epic space opera film directed by J. J. Abrams, won 40 awards from 104 nominations, with particular recognition for its visual effects, musical score, and sound effects. It garnered two nominations at the 88th Academy Awards, including Best Visual Effects. At the 69th British Academy Film Awards, the film was nominated for Best Original Music, Best Sound, and Best Production Design; and won Best Special Visual Effects. The film received a nomination for Best Picture at the 21st Critics' Choice Awards. In 2016, composer John Williams (pictured) won Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards' 59th ceremony. It won eight of fifteen nominations at the 42nd Saturn Awards. In addition, the American Film Institute selected The Force Awakens as one of the top ten films of the year. (Full list...)
December 9
Rock-climbing equipment varies with the specific type of climbing undertaken. Bouldering needs the least equipment outside of climbing shoes, climbing chalk and optional crash pads. Sport climbing adds ropes, harnesses, belay devices, and quickdraws to clip into pre-drilled bolts. Traditional climbing adds the need to carry a "rack" of temporary passive and active protection devices. Multi-pitch climbing, and the related big wall climbing, adds devices to assist in ascending and descending fixed ropes. Aid climbing uses unique equipment to give mechanical assistance to the climber in their upward movement. Advances in equipment are a key part of rock-climbing history, starting with the climbing rope. Modern equipment includes dynamic ropes, plyometric training tools, advanced spring-loaded camming devices for protection, and advanced rope control devices such as self-locking devices, progress capture devices, and assisted braking devices. (Full list...)
December 20
The American new wave band Talking Heads recorded 96 songs between 1975 and 1991, twelve of which were not officially released until after their break-up. After leaving art school, Talking Heads released their debut single, "Love → Building on Fire", in early 1977, followed by their debut album, Talking Heads: 77, later that year. While initially not a big hit, the album was aided by the single "Psycho Killer". In 1983, the band parted ways with producer Brian Eno and released their fifth album, Speaking in Tongues. The album contained the band's first and only top ten hit, "Burning Down the House". After Little Creatures (1985), the band released True Stories (1986). Notable songs from the album include one of the group's biggest hits, "Wild Wild Life", and "Radio Head", a song from which the English rock band Radiohead took their name. (Full list...)
December 16
British Columbia has 53 cities out of its 161 municipalities. According to the 2021 Canadian census, British Columbia is the third-most populous province in Canada, with 5,000,879 inhabitants, and the fourth-largest province by land area, covering 920,686.55 square kilometres (355,479.06 square miles). For a municipality in British Columbia to be categorized as a city, it must have a population of at least 5,000. The largest city by population in British Columbia is Vancouver, with 662,248 residents, and the smallest is Greenwood, with 702 residents. The largest city by land area is Abbotsford, which spans 375.55 square kilometres (145.00 square miles), while the smallest is Duncan, at 2.07 square kilometres (0.80 square miles). Victoria (pictured) is the capital city of British Columbia. (Full list...)
December 27
The ninth generation of the Pokémon franchise features 120 fictional species of creatures introduced to the core video game series in the Nintendo Switch games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The first Pokémon of the generation were revealed on 27 February 2022 in a Pokémon Presents livestream presentation. In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet take place in Paldea, which is heavily based on Spain, as well as other areas in the Iberian Peninsula, with the game's DLC expansions The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk taking place in the Kitakami region and the Blueberry Academy, respectively. Kitakami is based on Japan, while the Blueberry Academy is a school environment set in the Unova region, the main location of the 2010 games Pokémon Black and White. (Full list...)
December 23
Since 2005, nineteen Christmas or New Year's special episodes have aired on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. During its original run, from 1963 to 1989, episodes were occasionally broadcast over holiday periods, but rarely made mention of the holidays. When Doctor Who was revived in 2005, special Christmas episodes were produced yearly until 2017. From 2019 to 2022, the series transitioned to New Year's Day specials instead, returning to Christmas specials in 2023. The holiday episodes have proved to be a success with viewers, bringing in larger viewing figures than regular episodes. Doctor Who revolves around an alien known as the Doctor, who travels with a companion in a time and space machine called the TARDIS (pictured). A twentieth special, "Joy to the World", is set to be released on 25 December 2024. (Full list...)
December 30
Since 1992, 305 players have been awarded medals in the Premier League, an association football league that serves as the top tier of the English football league system. Since the 2012–13 season, a player needs to have played in a minimum of five matches for a title-winning team to qualify for a medal; this is down from the previous threshold of ten matches played. As of the end of the 2023–24 season, seven clubs have won the Premier League title – Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Leicester City and Liverpool. Ten players have won the title with more than one club. Having won 13 Premier League championships, Manchester United have more title-winning players to their name than any other club, with 86 players awarded 247 medals. Ryan Giggs (pictured), who spent his entire career at the club, has won more medals than any other player, with 13. (Full list...)