December 1

Today in History
• 1640 - Portugal regains independence after 60 years of Spanish rule
• 1641 - Mass becomes 1st colony to give statutory recognition to slavery
• 1750 - 1st American school to offer manual training courses opens, Md
• 1831 - Erie Canal closes for entire month due to cold weather
• 1868 - John D. Rockefeller begins anti oil war
• 1909 - 1st Christmas Club payment made, to Carlisle Trust Co, Pennsylvania
• 1913 - 1st drive-up gasoline station opens in Pittsburgh
• 1913 - Ford Motor Company institutes world's 1st moving assembly line for the Model T Ford


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Asom Divas
• Lao National Day
• National Anytime Hawaiian Day
• National Build Joy Day
• Play Basketball Day
• Safety Razor Day
• United Arab Emirates National Day
• World Pollution Prevention Day

Birthdays
• 1081 - Louis VI 'The Fat', King of the Franks (1108-37)
• 1521 - Takeda Shingen, Japanese warlord of Kai Province (1541-73)
• 1724 - Charles Theodore, German Elector of Bavaria (1742-77)
• 1726 - Oliver Wolcott, U.S. judge/signer Declaration of Independence
• 1750 - Tipu Sultan, Indian ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore (1782-99)
• 1761 - Madame Tussaud, French founder of Madame Tussaud's wax museum
• 1805 - Lungtok Gyatso, 9th Dalai Lama
• 1844 - Alexandra, Danish princess, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland