It happened today – this day in history – December 10

1896: Death of Swedish chemist and inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel

1901: The first Nobel Prize for Physics is awarded to Wilhelm Rontgen for his discovery of x-rays.

1906: Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first American recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

1907: Rudyard Kipling becomes the first English language writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

1919: The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to US President Woodrow Wilson.

1936: Edward VIII abdicates and is succeeded by George VI.

1946: Death of writer and journalist Damon Runyon.

1948: The UN General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

1959: The Platters were acquitted of charges of aiding and abetting prostitution, lewdness and assignation after an incident on August 10 in Cincinnati.

1963: Zanzibar gains independence from Britain.

1964: Dr Martin Luther King is presented with the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

1967: Soul singer/songwriter Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash, aged 26 just three days after recording the song that went on to become his biggest hit “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay”.Four members of the Bar-Kays also died in the crash.

1968: Joe Frazier defeats Oscar Bonavera to win the world heavyweight title.

1971: At the Rainbow in London, Frank Zappa was pushed off stage by Trevor Howell, the jealous boyfriend of an audience member. Zappa fell onto the concrete-floored orchestra pit, suffering serious fractures, head trauma and injuries to his back, leg, and neck, as well as a crushed larynx, which ultimately caused his voice to drop.

1999: Rick Danko of The Band died in his sleep at his home near Woodstock, New York.

2005: Death of comedian Richard Pryor.

2007: The surviving members of Led Zeppelin played a sold out 02 Arena with late drummer John Bonham’s son, Jason, on drums. More than a million people applied for the 18,000 available tickets. The concert was a triumph and was captured for the film Celebration Day.

2013: Uruguay becomes the first country to legalize the growth, sale, and use of marijuana.

2016: Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in Stockholm. He does not attend.

BIRTHDAYS: Ace (Christopher John) Kefford, bassist (The Move) 73; Paul Hardcastle, musician, 62; Kenneth Branagh, actor/director, 59; J (Joseph) Mascis, musician (Dinosaur Jr) 54; Brian Molko, musician (Placebo) 47; Meg White, drummer (The White Stripes) 44; Grace Chatto, cellist (Clean Bandit) 34.