On 19 December 1932, the BBC launched its first overseas broadcasts, beginning the BBC Empire Service, with King George V's speech highlighting the organisation's commitment to global connection and quality programming

William Pitt the Younger, at just 24, became the youngest British Prime Minister on 19 December 1783, showcasing the power of youthful leadership in times of national crisis

The Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania began generating electricity on 18 December 1957, becoming the world’s first full-scale nuclear power plant dedicated solely to peaceful applications

On 18 December 1917, Congress approved the 18th Amendment, enabling prohibition of alcohol, pending state ratification

On 18 December 1271, Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), marking the start of the Yuan Dynasty of China

Davina Thompson became the first person to receive a combined heart, lung, and liver transplant, a groundbreaking procedure performed at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, in 1986

The Wright brothers' first motorised flight on 16 December 1903 at Kitty Hawk revolutionised human transportation and marked the birth of powered aviation

Tamerlane captured Delhi in 1398 by setting camels on fire to scare Sultan Mehmud's war elephants, leading to a catastrophic defeat and the city's brutal sacking

On 15 December 1840, nineteen years after his death in exile on Saint Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte was honoured with a grand state funeral in Paris, as his remains were ceremoniously interred at Les Invalides amid immense public reverence and national pride

Simon Marius made history on 15 December 1612 by being the first to observe the Andromeda Galaxy through a telescope, expanding our understanding of the universe

On 15 December 1256, Hulagu Khan captured and destroyed Alamut, the Hashshashin stronghold, ending their reign of terror in his campaign against Islamic Southwest Asia

On this day in 1355, Ibn Battuta completed The Travels, chronicling nearly three decades of exploration across the Islamic world and beyond

On 13 December 1577, Francis Drake departed England aboard the Pelican—later renamed the Golden Hind—for a historic three-year circumnavigation, challenging Spanish supremacy and bolstering England's maritime reputation

The League of Nations founded the International Court of Justice on 13 December 1920 in The Hague to promote peace and resolve disputes through legal means

12 December marks the beginning of a significant musical journey as a young Ludwig van Beethoven embarks on his formal composition studies under the guidance of the renowned composer Franz Joseph Haydn

It provided a permanent home for the international organisation and symbolising a commitment to global cooperation and peace