Today in History: December 1, Ukraine votes for independence

"Today in history: On Dec. 1, 1991, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet Union. Also on this date: In 1824, the presidential election was turned over to the U.S. House of Representatives after none of the candidates (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford and Henry Clay) won more than 50% of the electoral vote. Despite Jackson winning the most electoral votes, Adams would ultimately win the presidency."

"In 1955, Rosa Parks, a Black seamstress, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The incident sparked a yearlong boycott of the city's buses and helped fuel the U.S. civil rights movement. In 1965, the first Freedom Flight from Cuba to the United States landed in Miami. Over the ensuing eight years, the twice-daily flights allowed more than 250,000 Cuban refugees to migrate to the United States through a joint U.S.-Cuban agreement."

"In 1969, the U.S. government held its first draft lottery for military service since World War II. In 2009, President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops into the war in Afghanistan but promised during a speech to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to begin withdrawals in 18 months. In 2017, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who served in President Donald Trump's first term as his initial national security adviser,"

December 1, 2025 is Monday, the 335th day of the year, with 30 days remaining. On Dec. 1, 1991 Ukrainians voted for independence from the Soviet Union. In 1824 the U.S. House decided the presidential election after no candidate won a majority, producing John Quincy Adams. In 1955 Rosa Parks' arrest in Montgomery, Alabama sparked a yearlong bus boycott and accelerated the civil rights movement. In 1965 the first Freedom Flight from Cuba landed in Miami, enabling migration of over 250,000 Cuban refugees. Other notable events include the 1969 draft lottery, President Obama's 2009 Afghanistan troop surge, the 2020 Arecibo telescope collapse, and renewed fighting in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

Read at www.mercurynews.com