December 6: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On December 6, 1917, Finland declared independence from Russia—and on the same date in 1989, a gunman murdered 14 women in Montreal, sparking Canada's National Day of Remembrance.
About December 6
December 6 carries a dual identity: a day of national liberation and a day of sober remembrance. In 1917, amid the chaos of the Russian Revolution, Finland's parliament voted to sever ties with Russia, ending more than a century of imperial control. Exactly 61 years later, Spain ratified its post-Franco constitution in a national referendum, laying the democratic foundation that still governs the country today. Ecuador also marks its founding on this date, honoring the 1534 establishment of Quito by Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar.
But December 6 is also a day for confronting darkness. In 1989, an anti-feminist gunman walked into Montreal's École Polytechnique and killed 14 young women, an atrocity that horrified Canada and reshaped its gun laws. The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women now commemorates those victims every year. A coal mine explosion in Monongah, West Virginia, killed 362 workers on this date in 1907—still one of the worst mining disasters in American history and the inspiration for Miners' Day.
Science and culture have their milestones too. The Nefertiti Bust emerged from an Egyptian dig site in 1912. The FDA approved Saquinavir in 1995, the first protease inhibitor against HIV, and within two years annual AIDS deaths in the United States plummeted from over 50,000 to roughly 18,000. And in 1933, a federal judge ruled that James Joyce's Ulysses was not obscene—a landmark for literary free expression.
Holidays & Observances on December 6
- Anniversary of the Founding of Quito (Ecuador)
- Armed Forces Day (Ukraine)
- Constitution Day (Spain)
- Day of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Finland from Russia in 1917.
- National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Canada)
Fun & National Days on December 6
- Miners' Day — Tip your hard hat to the workers who dig deep—honoring mining heritage since the tragic 1907 Monongah disaster.
- National Gazpacho Day — Celebrate with a chilled bowl of Spain's tomato-and-vegetable soup, perfect even in December for adventurous eaters.
- National Microwave Oven Day — Heat something up in seconds and appreciate the everyday magic of the appliance that changed kitchens forever.
- St. Nicholas Day — Leave your shoes out tonight—the original gift-giving bishop from Myra might fill them with treats if you've been good.
- Mitten Tree Day
- National "Cook for Christmas" Day
- National Pawnbrokers Day
- Put on Your Own Shoes Day
On This Day in History
- 1240 — Mongol forces under Batu Khan captured Kyiv after a determined defense by Voivode Dmytro, a devastating blow in the Mongol invasion of Rus'.
- 1534 — Spanish settlers commanded by Sebastián de Belalcázar established the city of Quito in present-day Ecuador, atop an ancient Inca settlement.
- 1790 — The United States Congress relocated from New York City to Philadelphia, which served as the temporary national capital until Washington, D.C. was ready.
- 1865 — Georgia's ratification of the 13th Amendment gave the measure enough state approvals to formally abolish slavery throughout the United States.
- 1884 — Construction of the Washington Monument concluded in the American capital, yielding what was then the world's tallest structure at over 555 feet.
- 1912 — German archaeologists in Egypt unearthed the painted limestone bust of Queen Nefertiti, one of the most celebrated artifacts of the ancient world.
- 1917 — Finland's parliament declared independence from the Russian Empire, ending more than a century of Russian rule during the upheaval of revolution.
- 1921 — British and Irish representatives signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London, establishing the Irish Free State while sowing the seeds of partition and civil conflict.
- 1933 — Judge John M. Woolsey ruled in United States v. One Book Called Ulysses that James Joyce's novel was not obscene, a watershed for free expression in literature.
- 1978 — Spanish voters approved a new democratic constitution in a referendum, dismantling the remnants of Francisco Franco's authoritarian regime.
- 1989 — An anti-feminist gunman massacred 14 women at Montreal's École Polytechnique, a tragedy Canada now commemorates annually as a day of remembrance and action.
- 1995 — The FDA approved Saquinavir, the first protease inhibitor for HIV; within two years, annual AIDS deaths in the United States dropped from over 50,000 to about 18,000.
Famous Birthdays on December 6
- 1421 — Henry VI of England, The only English monarch also crowned king of France, whose reign encompassed the turbulent latter phases of the Hundred Years' War.
- 1778 — Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, French chemist and physicist whose gas-law discoveries and pioneering work on gas expansion remain foundational to modern chemistry.
- 1896 — Ira Gershwin, Lyricist who collaborated with brother George on enduring standards like 'I Got Rhythm' and the opera Porgy and Bess.
- 1898 — Gunnar Myrdal, Swedish economist and sociologist whose landmark study An American Dilemma examined racial segregation in the United States; Nobel laureate in economics.
- 1900 — Agnes Moorehead, Versatile American actress celebrated for Endora on Bewitched and a distinguished career in radio, film, and theater.
- 1920 — Dave Brubeck, Jazz pianist and composer whose unconventional time signatures on the landmark album Time Out reshaped the boundaries of modern jazz.
- 1942 — Peter Handke, Austrian novelist, playwright, and Nobel laureate known for works like Slow Homecoming and his controversial political essays.
- 1950 — Joe Hisaishi, Japanese composer and conductor internationally beloved for his sweeping film scores for Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli animations.
- 1953 — Tom Hulce, American actor acclaimed for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Mozart in Amadeus and voicing Quasimodo in Disney's animated Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- 1958 — Nick Park, English animator and four-time Academy Award winner who created Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep for Aardman Animations.