The following events occurred in December 1919:
December 1, 1919 (Monday)
Russian Civil War – The Red Army captured Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, frustrating the chances of the Orenburg Independent Army under Alexander Dutov from joining up with the main White Army force under Vladimir Kappel who were retreating into Siberia. Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, having been the second woman elected to a Member of Parliament seat on November 28. Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to Parliament in 1918. The first cabinet of the Alexandru Vaida-Voevod administration was formed in Romania.Stelian Neagoe - "Istoria guvernelor României de la începuturi - 1859 până în zilele noastre - 1995" (Ed. Machiavelli, Bucharest, 1995) The first passenger train of the San Diego and Arizona Railway arrived in San Diego from El Centro, California, for the official line opening ceremony. The Canadian Railway War Board was reorganized as the Railway Association of Canada. Aircraft manufacturer Wright-Martin changed its name to Wright Aeronautical after partner Glenn L. Martin resigned from the company.Angelucci, Enzo, The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft From 1917 to the Present, New York: Orion Books, 1987, , p. 460 The Kentucky Christian University was established in Grayson, Kentucky as the Christian Normal Institute. The first public radio station in North America began broadcasting in Montreal."Early Days in Canadian Broadcasting" (Adventures in Radio - 15) by D. R. P. Coats, Manitoba Calling, December 1940, page 7. King George of the United Kingdom, on advice from Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden, established the Memorial Cross which was presented to widows and mothers of Canadians who were killed while serving in World War I. It is now awarded to spouses and families of members of the Canadian Armed Forces who died during peacekeeping or other international operations. The Portuguese language newspaper Diário de Noite began publication in Panjim, India, and served the city until it ceased operations in 1967.Das, Sisir Kumar. A History of Indian Literature. 2.. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 1995. p. 543 The El Dorado Times daily newspaper began publication in El Dorado, Kansas. The football club Vallentuna was established in Vallentuna, Sweden.
December 2, 1919 (Tuesday)
Canadian theater magnate Ambrose Small disappeared following a meeting with his lawyer F. W. M. Flock in Small's office at the Grand Opera House in Toronto. Flock was discussing Small's sale of all of his theater holdings for the previous day. Flick was the last person to see Small when he left the office at 5:30 p.m. Small had been known to disappear for weeks on end but by January Flick and Small's wife grew concerned about his long absence and reported him missing to police. There was no indication of kidnapping or robbery, or evidence of Small taking any money with him. Despite a $50,000 reward made out for information on Small's whereabouts, the reward went unclaimed. Despite numerous leads and theories, Small's disappearance was never solved. He was declared dead in 1924. The National Library of Lithuania was established in Kaunas. Born: Norma Miller, American dancer, leading promoter of the Lindy Hop, member of the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers; in New York City, United States (d. 2019) Died: Henry Clay Frick, 69, American industrialist, chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, one of the architects of the formation of U.S. Steel (b. 1849) Evelyn Wood, 81, British army officer, noted commander in the Third Anglo-Ashanti War, Anglo-Zulu War, and First Boer War, recipient of the Victoria Cross for action during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (b. 1838)
December 3, 1919 (Wednesday) The Quebec Bridge opened to rail traffic crossing the St. Lawrence River after almost two decades of construction that cost over $23 million and 88 lives. It is long, incorporating the longest cantilever bridge span in the world at . Died: Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 78, French artist, leading developer of Impressionism, best known works included Bal du moulin de la Galette and Luncheon of the Boating Party (b. 1841)
December 4, 1919 (Thursday) Australian Royal Air Force officers Captain Cedric Howell and Lieutenant George Henry Fraser left London in a Martinsyde aircraft as part of the competition to complete the England to Australia flight. However, poor weather forced them to land their aircraft in Dijon, France. They managed to get to Italy a few days later before attempting to reach Africa by way of Crete. The French Opera House in New Orleans was destroyed by fire.Curtis, N. C. (1929). "New Orleans: The French Opera House 1859–1917", The Western Architect, vol. 38, no. 1 (January 12, 1929), pp. 5–8 The Handley Page Type W aircraft was test flown after making its debut at the Paris Air Show."The Handley Page W.8 B." Flight, 19 January 1922"The Handley Page W.8B.", Flight, 27 April 1922 Born: Inder Kumar Gujral, Indian state leader, 12th Prime Minister of India; in Jhelum, British India (present-day Pakistan) (d. 2012) Lawrence Stone, English historian, leading expert on the English Civil War; in Epsom, England (d. 1999)
December 5, 1919 (Friday) The White counter-revolutionary Regional Government of Northwest Russia was dissolved in Estonia following their defeat by the Red Army. Avianca was founded as the Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transporte Aéreo in Barranquilla, Colombia. From 2007 it will be the oldest operating airline in the Americas. The Uetsu Main Line was extended in the Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, with stations Mototate and Yuza serving the line. As well, the Echigo rail line was extended in the Niigata Prefecture with stations Kirihara serving the line. Born: Alun Gwynne Jones, British politician, cabinet minister for the Harold Wilson administration; in Monmouthshire, Wales (d. 2020)
December 6, 1919 (Saturday) António José de Almeida was elected the sixth President of Portugal, defeating rival Manuel Teixeira Gomes with 73% of the vote in the presidential election. The Sich Riflemen who fought on behalf of the Ukrainian People's Republic were formally dissolved.Sich Riflemen during the January Uprising. Ukrayinska Pravda (Istorychna Pravda). 6 April 2012 Born: Paul de Man, Belgian literary critic, proponent of deconstruction in literature; as Paul Adolph Michel Deman, in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1983) Jimmy Bivins, American boxer, winner of close to 90 heavyweight fights without ever given a chance to compete for the world title; as James Bivins, in Dry Branch, Georgia, United States (d. 2012)
December 7, 1919 (Sunday) Julio Acosta García was elected President of Costa Rica with 89% of the vote, while his Constitutional Party took the parliament with nearly three-quarters of the vote in the general election.Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, pp. 155, 164 The Independence Museum of Azerbaijan was established in Baku. Born: Charles McGee, American air force officer, member of the 332nd Fighter Group or Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, recipient of 25 Air Medals, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, and two Legion of Merit; in Cleveland, United States (d. 2022) Wilfred Arthur, Australian air force officer, commander of the No. 75 Squadron and No. 81 Wing during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross; in Sydney, Australia (d. 2000)
December 8, 1919 (Monday) The third attempt to fly from England to Australia for a £A10,000 prize by the Australian government ended in failure when Australian explorer Captain Hubert Wilkins and his crew crashed landed their Blackburn Kangaroo aircraft in front of a mental hospital at Suda Bay, Crete.Lewis, Peter. 1970. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. Putnam Incumbent Joseph Clarke was reelected mayor during municipal elections in Edmonton. Weslaco, Texas was established when surveyed properties were put up for sale from $50 to $400 per lot. Many buyers were required to camp on the lot for a full day during the sale. Three cars were also given away as a promotion for sales."TSHA Texas State Historical Association, Weslaco, TX." Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved on November 1, 2015. Born: Mieczysław Weinberg, Polish composer, known for works including operas The Passenger; in Warsaw, Second Polish Republic (present-day Poland) (d. 1996) Peter Tali Coleman, Samoan state leader, first native of Samoa to be Governor of American Samoa; in Pago Pago, American Samoa, (d. 1997)
December 9, 1919 (Tuesday) The Minority Treaty was signed at Paris, with Romania pledging to grant full citizenship and equal rights to its Jewish residents."War on Paper? Physical Anthropology in the Service of States and Nations", by Maciej Gorny, in Legacies of Violence: Eastern Europe’s First World War, ed. by Joachim von Puttkamer, et al., (De Gruyter, 2014) p. 202 Born: William Lipscomb, American chemist, recipient for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for research into nuclear magnetic resonance and the element boron; in Cleveland, United States (d. 2011)
December 10, 1919 (Wednesday)
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the Paris Peace Conference and brokering the Treaty of Versailles. Other recipients of the Nobel Prize included Johannes Stark for the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions into atomic physics,Johannes Stark – Biography. Nobelprize.org. Retrieved on 2012-07-27. Jules Bordet for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research into bacteria and immunity, and Carl Spitteler for Nobel Prize in Literature for his contributions to epic poetry. Russian Civil War – The first attempt by the 12th Red Army to recapture Kiev from the White Russians failed, forcing the army back across the Dnieper River. The same day, Red Army forces captured Barnaul, Kazakhstan, completely cutting off the Orenburg Independent Army from the main White Army retreat into Siberia forcing them south to Semirechye, Kazakhstan. Australian Flying Corps officers and brothers Captain Ross and Lieutenant Keith Macpherson Smith landed their Vickers Vimy bomber in Darwin, Australia to complete the flight from England and Australia. They flew a total 17,911 kilometres (11,123 mi) in 135 hours 55 minutes (131.8 km/h or 81.9 mph). Their crew won the £A10,000 prize offered by the Australian government and received knighthoods for their flight accomplishment. This article was first published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, (MUP), 1988. Australian Royal Air Force officers Captain Cedric Howell and Lieutenant George Henry Fraser diverted their flight from Crete due to stormy conditions during their flight from England to Australia. They attempted to land at Corfu but crashed into the Mediterranean Sea short of the coast where both men drowned. Howell's body was recovered the following day but Fraser's body was never found. The United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform allocated US$1.4 million of US$3 million requested by Second Assistant United States Postmaster General Otto Praeger to set up airmail routes between New York City and other major U.S. cities, with the goal to create a transcontinental route to San Francisco. Born: Alexander Courage, American composer, best known for the original theme for the Star Trek television series; in Philadelphia, United States (d. 2008) Jean Lee, Australian criminal, last woman to be executed in Australia; as Marjorie Jean Maude Wright, in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia (d. 1951) Harrison A. Williams, American politician, United States Representative and United States Senator from New Jersey; in Plainfield, New Jersey, United States (d. 2001)
December 11, 1919 (Thursday)