23 December: Remembering historic events that happened on this day
On 23 December 2013, Russian weapons designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of AK-47, died in his hometown of Izhevsk near the Ural Mountains
Mikhail Kalashnikov (right), the man behind the invention of the assault rifle AK-47, died in his hometown of Izhevsk near the Ural Mountains On 23 December 2013. ImageL: Wikipedia
If we look back at iconic days in history, 23 December will stand high on the list. On this day in 1941, Japan took over the control of Wake Island. On the same day in 1968, North Korea freed 82 captivated crew members of the USS Navy spy vessel Pueblo after 11 months. In 1995, Aleksander Kwasniewski was elected the President of Poland for the first time. In 2013, AK-47 inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov passed away in Izhevsk, Russia. Let’s take a look at some significant events that took place today:
23 December- Historic Events:
Japan won the Battle of Wake Island (1941):
The Japanese ultimately won the Battle of Wake Island on 23 December 1941. During their defence of Wake Island, little over 100 Americans and Guamanians were killed. The Japanese lost four ships, one submarine, and about 1,000 people on their side.Japanese forces controlled Wake Island throughout the remainder of World War II. They stationed more than 4,000 soldiers in Wake and built thick fortifications to protect it from any kind of attack. However, they finally gave it up on 4 September 1945.
Pueblo incident (1968):
On 23 December 1968, 82 crew members of the USS Pueblo were freed after being held hostage by North Korea for 11 months. On 23 January the same year, North Korean patrol boats seized the USS Navy spy vessel Pueblo and its 83 crew members. North Korea kept the vessel in captivity for months claiming that the “Pueblo” had been on international seas and the United States was building its presence in the area illegally.
Aleksander Kwasniewski became Poland President (1995):
On 23 December 1995, Aleksander Kwasniewski won the Polish presidential elections by defeating incumbent Lech Walesa, the first man to lead the country post-communist era. Kwasniewski brought about a new democratic Constitution in Poland which came into effect in July 1997. Owing to his immense contribution in the nation’s development, Kwasniewski was re-elected in 2000 for a final five-year term.
AK-47 inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov breathed his last (2013):
On 23 December 2013, Russian weapons designer Mikhail Kalashnikov died in his hometown of Izhevsk near the Ural Mountains. Kalashnikov was the man behind the invention of the assault rifle AK-47, one of the most ubiquitous firearms of the modern era. More than 60 years after the first AK-47 rifle entered military service in 1949, later versions of the weapon are still a standard of Russia’s military services and police.
