The month is ending, but it still has several historical facts for us to remember. This December 26th marks 20 years since a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean caused 230,000 deaths. Thailand was the hardest hit country. Ten years after the disaster, in 2014, EBC vehicles reported the tributes paid to those killed in the tragedy, in this report from Agência Brasilalso in this other and still in Reporter Brazil. The subject was revisited in 2019, when the TV Brasil reported that the Thais were still trying to identify victims of the tsunami. 
The Paraguayan War, the largest conflict in South America, began 160 years ago, on December 27, 1864. The neighboring country, with no connection to the sea, wanted to control the rivers of the La Plata Basin to gain a way out. to the Atlantic Ocean. His troops passed through Argentina, invaded Brazil and hijacked the Brazilian steamboat Marquês de Olinda. War was declared. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay formed an alliance, which fought against Paraguay for five years, leaving more than 370,000 dead. This episode of 2014 Reporting Pathsfrom TV Brasil, addressed the war, when the conflict completed 150 years.
This month we celebrate the anniversary of the city that was founded on December 25, 1599 and which, precisely for this reason, received the name Natal. The capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte is now 425 years old. This edition of Brasil em Rede, from TV Brasilshown in 2022, brings interesting facts about the city so beloved by Potiguares and other people who visit it.
Who was born this week
The month of December gave us the Bahian singer Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira, Simone, who was born on the 25th and is now 75 years old. Did you know that, before being one of the greatest singers of Brazilian popular music, Simone was a professional player and represented the country in the Brazilian Women’s Basketball Team? And that, when she attended the Faculty of Physical Education, in Santos, she shared her university days with none other than the king of football, Pelé? The artist’s 50-year career and this rich history were honored in this year’s edition of Without Censorship, from TV Brasil.
Also on December 25th, former football player Jair Ventura Filho, known as Jairzinho, was born, now 80 years old. Star of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Jairzinho scored goals in every match of the World Cup, making history together with Pelé and winning the Jules Rimet Cup. He was also the pride of the Botafogo fans, the team where he wore the number 10 shirt. He was known for his agility in overcoming his markers, among other characteristics highlighted in the two chapters of the special. Jairzinho, the King of Rioshown by TV Brasil in 2020.
Chess is a sport that doesn’t have much tradition in Brazil. But the country has its highlights in the sport. Maranhão chess player Rafael Leitão was born on December 28th. In addition to being a seven-time Brazilian champion, at the age of 18 he received the title of International Chess Grandmaster. The highlights of his career were shown on the now extinct Repórter Maranhão, on TV Brasil. Like winning the seventh championship, in this 2015 reportand his participation in the World Chess Olympiad, in this other one, from 2018. His story, since he started playing at the age of six, has been told in this edition, 2016.
São Paulo maestro Isaac Karabtchevsky, artistic director and main conductor of the Petrobras Sinfônica Orchestra, celebrates his birthday on the 27th of this month. Descendant of a Jewish family of Russian immigrants, Karabtchevsky is one of the most renowned Brazilian conductors, recognized both here and internationally for his vast contribution to the world of classical music. He was away from the stage during the covid 19 pandemic, and his return in 2021 was celebrated on the program Mec antenna, from Rádio Nacionalwho interviewed the musician, and in this edition of Repórter Brasil, from TV Brasil. Already in 2024, Karabtchevsky participated of this edition of Sem Censuraalso from TV Brasil.
Let’s now move on to international personalities. Jazz musician Chet Baker was born on December 23, 1929, in Oklahoma, United States. He had a strong musical influence in his childhood from his father, a guitarist, and his mother, a pianist. He chose the trumpet as his instrument, and his style marked the memory of millions of fans around the world. The program Jazz Livre, from Rádio Nacionalpaid tribute to the genius in this 2020 edition.
Jumping from jazz to rock, on the 23rd the American musician Eddie Vedder was born, known for being the lead singer and one of the guitarists of the band Pearl Jam. The group popularized the grunge style in the 90s and entered the United States Hall of Fame, as shown in this 2022 edition of History Today, from Rádio Nacional.
Deaths
Have you ever heard of the Theater of the Absurd? This movement began in France, in the 1950s, and its main representative was the Irish playwright and writer Samuel Beckett, who died on December 22, 1989. The genre is marked by absurd and unrealistic plots, with characters who behave strangely and bizarre. The 63rd anniversary of the play’s premiere “Waiting for Godot”considered one of Beckett’s classics, were remembered in this 2017 edition of the program History Today, from Rádio Nacional.
The Italian Teresa Cristina Maria de Bourbon was the wife of Emperor Don Pedro II and, therefore, empress consort of Brazil. She passed away on December 28, 1889. Tereza Cristina was nicknamed “Mother of Brazilians”, a nickname given by the population itself for her concern for the well-being of the people, supporting charitable works, hospitals and other social initiatives. The empress’s bicentenary was remembered in this 2022 edition of the program Mec antenna, from Rádio Nacional. His passion for archeology and his contribution to the collection of the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro was the subject from this report by Agência Brasil2016.
Check out the list of Today is Day dates from December 22nd to 28th, 2024:
December 2024
22
Death of Irish playwright and writer Samuel Beckett (35 years old)
23
Birth of American jazz musician Chet Baker (95 years old)
Birth of American musician Eddie Vedder (60 years old) – known for being the lead singer and one of the guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam
Death of British economist Thomas Robert Malthus (190 years old) – considered the father of demography for his theory for controlling population growth, known as Malthusianism
24
Death of Rio de Janeiro soldier and former President of the Republic, João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo (25 years old)
25
Birth of the lawyer, teacher, politician and essayist from Minas Gerais Afonso Pena Júnior (145 years old)
Birth of singer and former Bahian basketball player Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira, Simone (75 years old)
Birth of former Rio de Janeiro football player Jair Ventura Filho, known as Jairzinho (80 years old)
Christmas
Anniversary of the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) (425 years) – date of the demarcation of the site, carried out by Jerônimo de Albuquerque
26
Birth of Cuban novelist, essayist and musician Alejo Carpentier (120 years old)
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, known to the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (20 years) – tidal wave was caused by a subduction that triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most of the continents bathed by the Indian Ocean, which caused the deaths of more than 230,000 people in 14 different countries and flooded coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters high; It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, in terms of number of victims, Indonesia was the hardest hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India and Thailand
27
Birth of São Paulo maestro Isaac Karabtchevsky (90 years old) – artistic director and main conductor of the Petrobras Sinfônica Orchestra
Start of the Paraguayan War (160 years) – largest international armed conflict in South America
Foundation of the newspaper “Tribuna da Imprensa”, by Carlos Lacerda (75 years old)
Creation of the Department of Press and Propaganda – DIP (85 years) – body responsible for censorship during part of the Vargas government, manager of the National Agency and government broadcasting until 1945
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan (45 years)
Inauguration of the Gasometer Viaduct (75 years)
28
Death of American filmmaker Sam Peckinpah (40 years old) – known for his brutal cinema and for having redefined the imagery of the western, drawing attention to the violence of the genre
Death of the Italian empress of Brazil Teresa Cristina (135 years old) – nicknamed “Mother of Brazilians”, was the wife of Emperor D. Pedro II and empress consort of the Empire of Brazil
Birth of Maranhão chess player Rafael Leitão (45 years old) – seven-time Brazilian champion, 5th Brazilian to receive the title of International Grand Master of Chess. In 1998, at the age of 18, he became the youngest Brazilian to win the title of Grand Master (GM)
Death of professor, philologist and writer from Maranhão Elza Fernandes Paxeco Machado (35 years old) – was the first woman with a doctorate from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon
The United States and NATO announce the end of their military operations in Afghanistan (10 years) – however, the US government announces in 2015 the maintenance of soldiers in Afghan territory on an anti-terrorism mission
